Saffery Trust Guernsey is funding a room for a year at Heartbeat House, a charity that provides free accommodation for families of cardiac patients at Southampton Hospital.
The decision to fully fund the room for 12 months came after two recipients of Saffery Trust’s Client Service Award chose to donate their award money to Heartbeat House, covering two-thirds of the cost, with the Trust stepping in to provide the remaining third.
Sally Hunt, a Senior Officer at Saffery Trust, had a direct personal connection to the charity when her father was critically ill at Southampton Hospital.
“My dad was flown to Southampton Hospital in critical condition, and my brothers and I travelled to Southampton to be by his side. With no certainty about his survival, or the length of his stay, we couldn’t bring ourselves to leave the hospital.
“It wasn’t until a nurse asked if we were staying at Heartbeat House that we learned about the charity. Within just a few hours, our check-in had been arranged. The property is right next to the hospital and gave us peace of mind that we were always close to dad, while always having a quiet space to rest,”
Ms Hunt said staying at Heartbeat House helped them deal with a very difficult time.
“We stayed at Heartbeat House for seven days; this would have been unaffordable in a hotel. The rooms were pristine, and the volunteers were so kind. The support provided by Heartbeat House meant we could focus all our attention on what mattered most, being there for dad.”
The firm made an additional contribution to cover the remaining cost to ensure one room is funded for use for a year.
Saffery Trust says the sponsorship is part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, which include support for staff-nominated charities, community projects, and green initiatives.
For more information about Heartbeat House, you can visit its website HERE.
