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Express & Star thanked for Acorns hospice campaign
Staff at Walsall’s Acorns Children’s Hospice are “overjoyed” at the news that the Black Country centre will stay open until April next year, while the fight for funds continues to keep them open permanently.
There were tears, laughter and hugs between staff as they reacted to the news, as the Express & Star launched its campaign to raise £2 million for the hospice.
Katrina Vardarcik, a healthcare assistant at Acorns hospice, fought back tears as she applauded the Black Country spirit that has helped provide Acorns with a lifeline.
The 45-year-old from Great Barr said: “I’m absolutely overjoyed, this is the break that everyone’s been looking for.
“It’s amazing news for the community, it just shows where the heart is, and the heart is in the Black Country, that’s what we’re all about. None of us were going down without a fight, it’s incredible news.
“The Black Country is renowned for its spirit, heart and personality, we are unique in that hard times bring us together – the Black Country has made its stand. With the Express & Star backing us, that’s incredible, to have you on board means an awful lot.
“This isn’t just a job, it’s more than that, and that’s why there’s so much passion, this is our family. Acorns is a family, if you choose to work here it’s not because you want a job, it’s because you want to be part of that family.
“My family, both at home and here, were completely over the moon and it means so much to us all.”
Head nurse Jackie Griffiths also shed a tear as she explained how much the campaign would mean to her staff and the people they cared for.
The 52-year-old, from Willenhall, said: “There’s a steeliness in the Black Country, we’ve felt sorry for ourselves and now its business as usual and then some.
“The support we’ve had is massive, and this campaign has put us on the map to raise this money, it’s a lot of money, but also isn’t for what it will do for us, and if we can make it to 2024, we’re here to stay.
“It will give us the confidence to go forward and think what else we can do, we’re never standing still.”
Vic Shuck, 74, from Sutton Coldfield, who has volunteered at the hospice for 18 years, added: “We’re not out of the woods yet, we really do need help from the community to pull us through this, and if we can reach out with the Express & Star’s help, that would be really something.
“It’s no good us all being euphoric thinking we’re completely saved, people are worried and it’s crunch time. It means everything to us, it’s a family.”
