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| Cost of living forces Sutton Coldfield cancer charity from hospice | Cost of living forces Sutton Coldfield cancer charity from hospice |
| (4 months later) | |
| Marie Moore, vice-chair of trustees, said the support centre is urgently seeking new Sutton Coldfield premises | Marie Moore, vice-chair of trustees, said the support centre is urgently seeking new Sutton Coldfield premises |
| A cancer charity is seeking a new base as it cannot afford a rise in rent and energy prices at its current site. | A cancer charity is seeking a new base as it cannot afford a rise in rent and energy prices at its current site. |
| The Cancer Support Centre (CSC) has leased rooms in St Giles Hospice, Sutton Coldfield for 11 years. | The Cancer Support Centre (CSC) has leased rooms in St Giles Hospice, Sutton Coldfield for 11 years. |
| The charity said it has been given notice to quit by 17 January after the increases proved "beyond its reach". | The charity said it has been given notice to quit by 17 January after the increases proved "beyond its reach". |
| Andrew Harkness, CEO of the hospice, said his organisation could not bear cost of living increases alone. | Andrew Harkness, CEO of the hospice, said his organisation could not bear cost of living increases alone. |
| St Giles, which runs a supportive care centre at the Sutton Coldfield site and a main hospice in Whittington, Lichfield, supports people with illnesses such as cancer, motor neurone disease and heart failure. | St Giles, which runs a supportive care centre at the Sutton Coldfield site and a main hospice in Whittington, Lichfield, supports people with illnesses such as cancer, motor neurone disease and heart failure. |
| The CSC, which was founded 21 years ago, offers complementary therapies and wellbeing support to around 500 people affected by cancer diagnoses. | The CSC, which was founded 21 years ago, offers complementary therapies and wellbeing support to around 500 people affected by cancer diagnoses. |
| For the past 11 years it had paid its landlord a peppercorn rent and proportional share of running costs, said vice-chair of trustees Marie Moore, but said the suggested increase was "unaffordable". | For the past 11 years it had paid its landlord a peppercorn rent and proportional share of running costs, said vice-chair of trustees Marie Moore, but said the suggested increase was "unaffordable". |
| "If we paid... we wouldn't be able to afford to run the really important services that we deliver to our clients," she said. | "If we paid... we wouldn't be able to afford to run the really important services that we deliver to our clients," she said. |
| Andrew Harkness, CEO of St Giles Hospice, said the charity faced tough times due to the impact of Covid | Andrew Harkness, CEO of St Giles Hospice, said the charity faced tough times due to the impact of Covid |
| However, Mr Harkness said energy prices and staffing costs had increased "significantly" over the previous 12 months, and organisations offering end-of-life care faced "financial devastation". | However, Mr Harkness said energy prices and staffing costs had increased "significantly" over the previous 12 months, and organisations offering end-of-life care faced "financial devastation". |
| "Obviously, in terms of buildings that we run, that's created increased cost pressures for us as an organisation," said Mr Harkness. | "Obviously, in terms of buildings that we run, that's created increased cost pressures for us as an organisation," said Mr Harkness. |
| "When it's come to the end of the lease, like it has here with cancer support, unfortunately we can't bear all the costs as a charity ourselves." | "When it's come to the end of the lease, like it has here with cancer support, unfortunately we can't bear all the costs as a charity ourselves." |
| The charity Hospice UK previously warned sites could go bust as the cost of living crisis deepened. | The charity Hospice UK previously warned sites could go bust as the cost of living crisis deepened. |
| The Cancer Support Centre offers complementary therapies such as acupuncture and reflexology | The Cancer Support Centre offers complementary therapies such as acupuncture and reflexology |
| Ms Moore is now calling for the community's help to identify alternative premises in Sutton Coldfield. | Ms Moore is now calling for the community's help to identify alternative premises in Sutton Coldfield. |
| "With the help of our teams, clients, supporters and the public, we hope to end this uncertainty quickly," she said. | "With the help of our teams, clients, supporters and the public, we hope to end this uncertainty quickly," she said. |
| Mr Harkness said he hoped to maintain a good working relationship with the CSC. | Mr Harkness said he hoped to maintain a good working relationship with the CSC. |
| Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk |
| Related Topics | |
| Sutton Coldfield | |
| Lichfield | |
| Charities | |
| Cancer |
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