Residents are being called on to support a hospice charity’s nurses continue to care for people in their homes over the festive period.

As part of its Christmas appeal, Rennie Grove is asking people to donate to its cause as the number of people being cared for by its nurses reaches a record high since the start of the pandemic.

Nurse Rachel Griffith said: “The hardest thing about doing this job during a pandemic is that I can’t give someone a hug when they’re sad.”

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“Families tell us that having us at the end of a phone over the festive period, to be reassured or for us to plan a visit, when other services are limited, gives them the confidence to relax and enjoy the special moments that matter, together.

“With your support, my colleagues and I will be able to give the same level of care this Christmas, in spite of the challenging situation we find ourselves in, as we do every year.”

The wife of a patient she cared for before he died aged 56 of multiple systems atrophy, named only as Theresa, said: “The Rennie Grove nurses are angels who haven’t got their wings yet – calm, straight-talking, highly skilled angels with immense experience and compassion.

“They helped us make sure [husband] Andy could live every last bit of his life and that his passing was peaceful and dignified and his wishes fulfilled.

“In spite of everything, and because of their support, I have no regrets. I don’t know what I’d have done without them.”

Andy received his terminal diagnosis when his sons were just eight and 10.

Ms Griffith added: “Without your help, Rennie Grove wouldn’t be able to provide its specialist care in patients’ homes.”

To donate, visit www.renniegrove.org/andysappeal or call 01442 890222.

Rennie Grove is a charity providing specialist care and support for adults and children with life limiting illness in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.