Posted on 28th April 2025

Severn Hospice has launched a £1 million fundraising appeal to help to fund improvements and upgrades to its Perry Ward in Shrewsbury.

Perry, opened in 1989, is the hospice’s oldest ward and is in need of significant repairs that can no longer be managed with routine maintenance.

To make the ward fit for purpose for the next 35-plus years, the hospice is looking to invest a significant sum now – just over £3 million.

The hospice has £2 million available from its savings and trusts and is asking supporters to help make up the £1 million difference.

Every pound matters

Heather Tudor, Severn Hospice Chief Executive, said: “We have launched our appeal to help raise £1 million and ensure we can continue offering the highest quality care to patients for the next 35 years.

“We’ve called it ‘Pound for Perry’ because every single pound truly matters. Whether you can give £1 or more, every donation is valued and makes a real difference local people who need our care.

“We are so grateful to our supporters for everything they do for us – we simply wouldn’t be here without them.”

The roof is in a desperate condition and needs a full-scale replacement. Having endured more than 35 winters it is now a constant struggle to keep on top of leaks.

The electrical wiring in a building opened before the Berlin Wall came down is showing its age and requires a major upgrade to meet modern demands.

Plumbing and heating installed in the 1980s, and reliant on an inefficient boiler, cannot keep up with what is being asked of it today so needs serious attention.

A welcoming space

The year-long project, starting in June, will do more than just repair and replace what is already there, improving everything for patients who need to stay at the hospice and for their families.

An extension will be added to the building, and the extra space will allow the hospice to increase the size of patient rooms, making them more welcoming and better able to accommodate the aids and equipment that are now routinely needed by patients.

Patients will have the privacy and dignity of their own en suite, and direct access to the gardens which are such an important part of the caring environment provided by the hospice. The aim is for anyone who needs to stay at the hospice, to feel at home, comforted, cared for and in the right place.

The Perry project couldn’t have come at a more challenging time for Severn Hospice. Its day-to-day running costs have increased by more than £2.5 million in the past two years and are continuing to rise – National Insurance changes and minimum wage increases alone have added a further £500,000 to the costs.

The hospice has set up an appeal page, where supporters can learn more about the project and how their donations can help: www.severnhospice.org.uk/perry