AN ABERYSTWYTH hospice has secured funding for two full time members of staff.

Aberystwyth and District Hospice at Home Volunteers (known as ‘HAHAV’), has been awarded £54,700 by the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).

The funding is part of the Welsh Government’s Third Sector Resilience Fund in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

It will see two full time staff help establish HAHAV’s new day centre at Plas Antaron, Penparcau.

A Facilities Manager will coordinate activities at the centre and a Fundraiser will work to ensure a sustainable future for the charity and help develop its plans.

Established by volunteers in 2015, HAHAV is led by Dr Alan Axford OBE, the former Medical Director of Hywel Dda Health Board.

It is Ceredigion’s only hospice facility and volunteers work closely alongside local NHS Palliative Care teams and other charities. HAHAV volunteers provide practical, social, and emotional support to patients living with advanced, incurable and progressive illness, and their carers.

Covid restrictions have affected HAHAV services and delayed plans for the new day centre.

Thanks to a recent National Lottery grant, work is also well underway for HAHAV’s new digital outreach services.

Commenting Dr Axford said: “This great news comes at a pivotal time as hopefully we gradually emerge from COVID restrictions. There is huge demand for support services by our volunteers, plus day respite for patients and carers.

Undoubtedly there will be a backlog of new cases to come. Our plans for Plas Antaron have been seriously affected by lockdown and our main income from HAHAV’s shop has been drastically reduced.”