More than 11,000 knitted chicks have been donated to Garden House Hospice Care's annual Charlie Chicks campaign.
The chicks are available to purchase from locations across Stevenage and North Herts, raising vital funds for patient care.
The 2023 campaign was officially launched at Pancakes in the Square, Hitchin’s annual pancake festival, and Hitchin Town Football Club’s game against Nuneaton Borough later that afternoon.
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On average, the campaign has raised £10,000 a year for the Letchworth-based hospice.
Jean Allinson, relationships fundraising manager at Garden House Hospice Care, said: “Each year Charlie Chicks is one of our most popular campaigns with a small army of people from across our community getting involved.
"From individuals and groups knitting and sewing to volunteers distributing Charlie Chicks to local schools, supermarkets, shops, restaurants, local businesses and more, we are so thankful to everyone for their support, which raises thousands of pounds to help fund our specialist palliative care.
“Our thanks go once again to DLRC Ltd for donating 11,000 Cadbury Crème eggs and to everyone who helped knit the 11,000 chicks that ‘flew the nest’ out into the community.
"The campaign would also not have run this year without the support of the Friends of Garden House Hospice, who have been instrumental in organising the distribution and collection of the chicks, so huge thanks and credit goes to them.”
These cute, knitted Charlie Chicks are now on sale for £1 per chick or £2 per chick with a hat.
Each comes with its own Cadbury Crème egg.
Dianne Lee, CEO at DLRC Ltd and ambassador for the hospice’s Charlie Chick campaign, added: “In 2011 one of my colleagues died shortly after arriving at Garden House Hospice Care and that’s when my interest in their work began. I found out about the Charlie Chicks campaign and used to knit the chicks.
"Then one day I was delivering some knits and asked where the Crème eggs came from. Wrongly, I had assumed they were donated but in fact the hospice used to buy them.
“A lot of the work we do at DLRC Ltd is providing expert strategic advice to development companies working in cancer research and other life shortening diseases where sufferers might spend their final days in hospice care.
"We wanted to be able to help our community and therefore our support resonates strongly with our leadership team and staff.”
Charlie Chicks are available now to purchase at locations across North Hertfordshire.
For more information or to make a donation, visit www.ghhospicecare.org.uk/supporting-us/ways-to-support/charlie-chicks.
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