Bolton campaigners back hospice funding petition push

Corin and Tricia Dalby from Bolton are backing the Every Hospice Matters campaign, which calls for sustainable funding for hospice care to become a national priority.

The petition has already gathered more than 95,400 signatures, gaining more than 30,000 in the past week alone.

Mr Dalby, who runs the social enterprise Box Power CIC with his wife Tricia, said: “We are now so close.

“More than 95,400 people have taken the time to read this petition and make up their own minds, and tens of thousands have shared it with others.

“My hope is simply that people across Bolton will read it too and decide for themselves whether they want to add their name.

“If enough people do, we could go to Downing Street with 100,000 voices behind us.”

Support has come from MPs, peers, and families who have shared personal stories of how hospice care, or the lack of it, has affected their lives.

Some described loved ones spending their final days in hospital wards due to unavailable hospice beds, while others spoke about the comfort and care provided when hospice support was accessible.

Mr Dalby said: “This isn’t really about a number on a screen.

“Behind every signature is a person who has stopped, read what is happening and decided it matters to them.

“Bolton has always been a town that rallies around its hospices and its most vulnerable people.

“I’d love to see whether, together, we can help close that final gap.”

The petition remains open for signatures.

It can be viewed at https://www.change.org/Everyhospicematters.