Pears Foundation commits to £1 million partnership

Pears Foundation has committed £1 million to Marie Curie in a strategic partnership to support the charity’s nursing service. The partnership will support end of life care nurses in the UK and help map palliative care services.

The partnership is the latest and most far reaching outcome of a relationship that has built over a number of years and on multiple levels with both members of the Pears family and with the Foundation staff.

Pears Foundation has been a key partner of Marie Curie Cancer Care at a local and national level over the last six years.  The relationship started in 2006 when Trevor Pears CMG, the Executive Chair of the Foundation led the highly successful ‘Project Butterfly’ Capital Appeal, a £3.4m appeal to refurbish the Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead.  The Hospice was transformed into a place befitting of the outstanding care provided to patients in North London and Trevor remains personally involved with the Hospice.

Amy Philip, Deputy Director, Pears Foundation said:

"The partnership is an excellent example of charities and foundations working together on a long term and strategic basis to develop effective and sustainable responses to social needs.

"We are interested in the long term impact of the work that we do, it’s an issue we believe is fundamental, and in Marie Curie we have a partner who thinks the same way."

"Supporting both terminally ill patients and their families by providing choice in end-of-life care, chimes with the Foundation’s commitment to community and a strongly held belief in the importance of keeping families together."

Welcoming the partnership, Trevor Pears said:

"This is an issue that I am personally passionate about and involved in, and most importantly this increased investment meets the overall objective of our Foundation to build sustainable, long term partnerships that make a real difference to communities in the UK."

The partnership has also led to collaboration in other areas. Trevor was a member of the board of the Philanthropy Review, an independent review led by Marie Curie’s Chief Executive, Thomas Hughes-Hallett, earlier this year. They are currently collaborating on an initiative that will realise one of the review’s recommendations later this year.

A strong relationship was also founded with the staff members at the Foundation. The fundraising team have maintained regular contact communicating the opportunities and challenges being faced by the organisation both informally and formally. Amy Philip was invited to attend team strategy days and meetings to help maintain an open dialogue with the Foundation.  It was through this shared approach that the need for investment in nursing both in London and the West Midlands, as well as the National Palliative Care Map Project was identified.

Thomas Hughes-Hallett, Chief Executive of Marie Curie Cancer Care said:

"Marie Curie is delighted that Pears Foundation has made this commitment which will benefit hundreds of patients and their families over the next four years.

"This partnership is a true measure of the huge benefits to be gained by charities and foundations working together more strategically, the end result being a sustainable programme of support that comes at a time when there has never been a greater need."

-ENDS-