A DISCOUNT card scheme could see thousands of pounds raised for St John’s Hospice, who have provided palliative care in people’s homes all over the South Lakes, as well as in North Lancashire and parts of North Yorkshire since 1986.

Cumbria Tourism’s ‘MyCumbria’ card already offers residents with a CA or an LA postcode the chance to enjoy some of the county’s best attractions at a reduced cost. Now, all cards purchased directly from St John’s will help to raise vital funds for the hospice’s work.

The ‘MyCumbria’ discount card is packed with offers on attractions, shopping and food and drink, exclusive to people who live in the county – meaning they can take advantage of great offers on their doorstep.

Each card is a one-off price of £20 per year – with 25 per cent from every card sold at St John’s Hospice (and in their high street charity shops in Kendal, Morecambe and Lancaster) will go directly to enable their staff to continue their work to provide palliative care to its residents.

To put that in perspective, if everyone in their 250,000 strong community bought a ‘MyCumbria’ card from St John’s Hospice itself, it would result in a funding boost of nearly £1,250,000 for the charity.

It costs more than £5 million a year to run the hospice, with only around a third of this amount provided by government funding. The remaining two thirds must be fundraised through events, community donations, grants and legacies.

Sam Tollerson, who oversees the card scheme at Cumbria Tourism, said: “Most people have a discount card of some kind buried in their wallets or purses, usually for a specific shop or attraction, but the ‘MyCumbria’ card covers so many different things.

“It means plenty of discounts throughout the year – and encourages people who live here to take advantage of all the great things to see and do right on their doorstep in this county we’re fortunate enough to call home. Not only that, but by buying a card directly from St John’s Hospice, you’ll also know that you’re helping a cause close to all our hearts.”

Sue McGraw, chief executive at St John’s Hospice says, “We are delighted to have struck up this wonderful partnership with Cumbria Tourism and we can’t overstate the impact that the money raised from the MyCumbria scheme will have on patients and families in our community. People know a lot about our work in the hospice building in Lancaster, but they perhaps don’t know that we have had nurses helping people in the South Lakes every single day of the year since 1986. In fact, we help far more patients in the community, in their homes surrounded by loved ones, than we do at the hospice itself. We urge everyone to buy a MyCumbria card through us, enjoy all the wonderful experiences our area has to offer, and to raise some much needed funds for their local hospice.”

You can buy a ‘MyCumbria’ card via the St John’s Hospice website; just visit www.sjhospice.org.uk/mycumbria.

People who live in a CA or LA postcode area who buy a card from St John’s Hospice can enjoy discounts on a range of activities and attractions right across the county. The full list is online at mycumbriacard.co.uk