Waipuna Hospice needs to grow its fundraising to net $48,000 per week in order to cope with an increasing number of patients, and continue providing services free to those in need.

Waipuna Hospice chief executive Richard Thurlow, speaking at the hospice's annual meeting recently, says an increased fundraising target equating to $2.5 million had been set for 2015.

Waipuna Hospice fundraising manager Trish Rae. Photo: File.

This year a total of $2.3m - about $44,400 per week - was raised to care for hospice patients, 76 per cent of whom have a primary diagnosis of cancer.

'Our number of patients is growing and forecast to grow in the years ahead,” says Richard. 'Consequently our fundraising requirements grow each year too.”

Waipuna Hospice provides specialist medical and nursing care to patients in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty with chronic life ending illnesses such as cancer, motor neurone disease or chronic heart failure.

The majority of patients are cared for in their own home through the hospice's at home service.

This year has also seen the number of Waipuna Hospice volunteers reach a record high, with 652 people providing 56,811 hours of care.

This voluntary care includes assistance in many areas of hospice work, such as work in the shops, in the hospice kitchens, at reception, assisting patients and their families in their own homes and helping maintain the hospice grounds.

Waipuna Hospice fundraising manager Trish Rae says the increased fundraising requirement initially presents as a 'formidable challenge”.

However, she adds that fundraising targets to date had been achieved thanks to the combined efforts of a 'generous and caring” community and the many philanthropic trusts, both local and national, who continue to support the day-to-day services.

That support is provided through donations, grants, bequests, goods, services, skills and time.

Trish says: 'The continued ongoing support of the local community is the only way Waipuna Hospice can provide the services that our loved ones require.”

She says the Waipuna Hospice shops, which continue to grow in strength, make an increasingly significant contribution towards the provision of Waipuna Hospice's services.

Huge growth activity in the last 12 months has seen the stores generate more in earnings. This year has seen the expansion of the Mount Maunganui shop, and the opening of a Te Puke hospice shop - the fourth in the district.

Without the income generated by these shops, the hospice could not survive, adds Trish.

Waipuna Hospice's next major fundraising endeavour will be a Gatsby Night, to be held on December 5 at Classic Flyers.

It will feature UK band The Electric Swing Circus, who will deliver a mix of 1920s swing and jazz. It will be a cabaret-style evening of song, music and stunning dance routines. For more information and/or tickets visit: www.waipuna-hospice.co.nz