St Clare's Hospice at Heybridge is meeting its financial targets but is not complacent said chairman, Chris Thorby.

He was speaking after Farleigh Hospice at Chelmsford announced it had been hit by a drop in general donations of about £6,000 a month.

Mr Thorby said: "We are actually doing OK at St Clare's. There was a dip in the last financial year but it is holding steady in the last three months.

"But we are not complacent. We know how hard it is for charities at present. I do think it is part of a wider pattern of charities feeling the pinch."

St Clare's, which provides day care facilities at Heybridge, needs £195,000 a year.

A total of £16,000 comes from a government grant and the rest has to come from local support.

In the last financial year it contributed over £80,000 to Farleigh for palliative care.

Farleigh's services include in-patient, and day care plus care for patients at home.

It is feared that if the decline in giving continues Farleigh hospice could lose about £80,000 over the financial year.

Steve Razzell, head of Farleigh's fund-raising said: "The year has started off with some very generous legacy bequests coming in, but general donations are averaging £4,000 per month so far against £10,000 in the same period last year.

"We are not sure if this is a trend or a temporary blip but it is causing concern."

Hospice chiefs are urging people not to forget the charity.

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