Wilton Mayor chooses Salisbury Hospice as charity for Mayor’s Appeal

Councillor Chris Harrison, Mayor of Wilton, has selected Salisbury Hospice’s “Sponsor a Nurse” campaign as the charity for his Mayor’s Appeal during his mayoral term.

The campaign aims to support the work of Salisbury Hospice nurses, who provide specialist care to people facing life-limiting illnesses and offer support to their families during some of the most difficult periods of their lives.

Cllr Harrison said hospice nurses do far more than provide medical care, helping patients manage pain and fears while also supporting families and creating opportunities for precious memories.

He highlighted moments such as birthdays, weddings, shared laughter and time spent together with loved ones, saying these moments can become especially important when time is limited.

Salisbury Hospice provides care both within its inpatient unit and in the community. Its Community Specialist Palliative Care Team supports patients in their own homes, providing personalised care based on their individual needs.

The hospice needs more than £3 million every year to operate all of its services.

It costs approximately £119 per day for each registered nurse, highlighting the importance of fundraising and community support in maintaining the hospice's services.

The charity also has a strong connection with people living in Wilton.

During the 2025/26 financial year, 78 Wilton residents had contact with Salisbury Hospice services. Of those, 72 received support from the community palliative care team, while six were admitted to the hospice's inpatient unit.

There were 407 face-to-face interactions between Wilton residents and hospice services during the year, averaging more than one interaction every day.

There were also 426 telephone interactions involving Wilton residents and hospice services.

Alex Brown, Community Fundraiser for Salisbury Hospice, welcomed the Mayor's decision to support the Sponsor a Nurse campaign.

He said the hospice was delighted that Cllr Harrison had chosen the campaign for his Mayor's Appeal and looked forward to seeing fundraising efforts involving the Mayor and people across Wilton.

The hospice thanked everyone supporting the appeal, saying donations will help ensure patients and their families continue to receive specialist care and support during some of the most challenging times of their lives.