AT the end of last year Tesco Community Champions across Devon and Cornwall visited St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth.

Shelley Vanstone from the Launceston Store said: “We were truly humbled by the amazing work and care at the hospice and when it was suggested that local stores could raise funds for the hospice we all embraced the challenge. The support from colleagues and customers has been incredible and we are absolutely thrilled to be able to present a cheque for the amazing sum of £8,295.62 to the hospice.”

St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth has been providing specialist end of life care in Plymouth, South West Devon and East Cornwall for 36 years, in people’s own homes, hospital or at the hospice. It is a local charity and is not linked to any other St Luke’s Hospice in the UK.

It needs to raise over £4-million pounds each and every year from a catchment area that is 700 square miles and has a community of 450,000 people living within it, and offers dignity and choice to anyone with a life limiting illness. The hospice costs £17,911 to run per day.

When Nikki Keen, the corporate fundraiser for St Luke’s, along with Gary Wills from Tesco Kingsbridge had their first meeting, Gary challenged his team and asked if they could raise enough to run the hospice for a day.

Eight months after that date and the last count in was over £35,000 raised through the Tesco stores locally through the local community supporting each store, with bake sales, quiz nights, raffles and taking part in the midnight walk.

Nikki said: “This is the kind of support independent charities like St Luke’s dream of, to partner with a global brand, and look at the return and support we have received from our local stores from our community, this is truly amazing.”