A NEWPORT-BASED hospice chief executive has been 'totally bowled over' at the huge volume of letters, cards and messages of support the organisation has received after launching a Covid-19 emergency fundraising appeal.

The appeal, which has so far raised almost £38,500 for St David's Hospice Care, continues to grow as people donate what they can to the emergency fund.

Emma Saysell, who is chief executive and director of nursing at St David's Hospice Care, said: "Quite frankly it has been totally overwhelming at times, the volume and intensity of the messages of support we have received.

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"We have had messages of support from people, relatives and family of people we have helped recently and from families of people who we have cared for years and years ago. It's been a fantastic outpouring of love and gratitude for the hospice, which has totally blown me away.

"I know the St David's nurses and staff are taking heart and encouragement from all these fantastic messages. Sometimes you're so busy doing your job, getting on with things that you don't have a moment to realise just what it is you're doing.

"These messages are from people from throughout our community and from much further afield. Some who have only known us recently and others who go back years. This deluge of support really does bring it home to all of us at the hospice just how much we mean to people and the real difference that we have and continue to make in their lives and how appreciated we all are at the hospice for what we do.

"I really just can't thank people enough for all their wonderful messages and lovely words.

"I'd just like to implore people to keep on supporting our hospice in whichever way they can, ideally through regular donations to our Just Giving page, as we continue to battle the biggest challenge we have faced in all of our 40 years."

The Newport-based hospice, which has to fund 70 per cent of its clinical services through its events, now cancelled, and its shops, all closed, is bracing itself for a massive spike in Covid-19 pandemic referrals.

In normal times St David's Hospice Care events raise £2.5 million a year for the hospice and the shops in excess of £1 million.

In the face of this drastic loss of income the hospice launched a Just Giving page to receive direct online donations from you, its supporters, so it can carry on with its essential work throughout Gwent and South Powys.

Ms Saysell has also praised the hospice nursing team who, she said, have gone above and beyond to care for their patients.

She said:“ I am immensely proud of our nursing team who are continuing to do their skilled job in sometimes very difficult circumstances either at patient’s homes or in our in- patient hospice.

"They are never shy to offer additional shifts or work extra hours to make sure we can continue meet the needs of every patient who needs us at this very difficult time. I sincerely thank them for their dedication to the hospice and its patients and families.

“Without the support of these superb people and those others in the local community who support us we simply couldn’t be extending the care as we are.”

The Newport-based palliative and end of life care hospice normally cares for some 1,200 patients on a daily basis. This number is rocketing as the pandemic increases its lethal grip on the community.

The address for donations is: www.justgiving.com/campaign/stdavidscovid19