Chichester charity appealing for donations in Christmas Challenge
The Big Give will match any donations given to the charity over the next seven days.
A Chichester charity is looking for support this week as part of a national Christmas Challenge.
Dementia Support, based at Sage House in Tangmere, is one of hundreds of causes taking part in the event organised by online platform, The Big Give.
They will match any donations given to the charity from 1 to 8 December.
It comes amid warnings that as many as 10,000 charities could be forced to close because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, more than 750 charities have signed up to take part in the event, exceeding 2019 which saw 589 charities participate.
Peter Mules, aged 60, from Climping, cares for his 83 year-old mother-in-law Jean who suffers with Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia Support was forced to close all its face-to-face services throughout the UK lockdown, however, they continued to provide telephone support to customers.
The charity was eventually able to reopen its Day Breaks service at Sage House in September, with reduced capacity, which is said to have become a lifeline for Peter:
"When you are caring for someone 24 hours a day, it's very difficult.
"Jean needs someone to talk to all the time so it can become a bit wearing.
"Sage House gives us a break.
"Yesterday was a classic example, Jean attended Sage House for the day and came out as happy as Larry, full of beans.
"She couldn't actually remember everything she'd done, but she knew she'd had a good time.
"It’s a big relief to be able to take Jean somewhere where the people are so caring and engaging and devoted, it’s a really positive experience for everyone."
According to a recent survey from the Big Give, 63 per cent of charities have reported a decrease in income, while more than half (55 per cent) have seen demand for the services they provide increase.
This means there is now a £10 billion funding gap in the sector, and around 10,000 charities could be forced to close.
Alex Day, director of the Big Give, said:
"Christmas has always been a time for giving, but this year it is more important than ever.
"The work that charities do has, in many ways, never been more needed.
"Yet up and down the country, thousands of charities are running on fumes.
"Those who rely on their support risk being cut adrift.
"At the Big Give, we recognise the incredible work Dementia Support does and we’re pleased to be able to match donations made to them during the Christmas Challenge campaign."
Sally Tabbner, CEO of Dementia Support, told Greatest Hits Radio they have faced a challenging few months:
"We did furlough a few staff, but not huge amounts so that we could keep on delivering those services for carers and people who do have dementia to try and support them, and stop the loneliness as much as possible.
"You are with millions of others in trying to identify and innovate new ways to raise money.
"That's difficult, especially for a charity such as ours because we are smaller, because we are local."
One in five (22 per cent) charities report that more than a quarter of their voluntary income is usually secured during the Christmas period.
The Christmas Challenge was launched in 2008 by Sir Alec Reed, founder of Reed Recruitment.
Match funding is provided by a range of philanthropic organisations, called ‘Champions’ including the Reed Foundation, Julia and Hans Rausing, the EQ Foundation, Candis, The Childhood Trust,and The Coles-Medlock Foundation.