CLACKMANNANSHIRE Provost Tina Murphy is calling on everyone to vote the Strathcarron Hospice@Home service in the National Lottery Awards.

The service has beaten off stiff competition from 620 UK organisations to reach the public voting stage in this year’s Best Health Award category and the provost has last week pledged her support urging everyone in the Wee County to vote for the outstanding service.

She said: “I’m delighted to be supporting this campaign and call on everyone living in the Clackmannanshire area to vote for the Strathcarron Hospice@Home service.

“This is a fantastic service and we are so lucky to have it in our area.” The unique service provides personal, practical and emotional support to people who are at the end of their lives and wish to spend the last few days at home.

Run by experienced palliative care nurses, the project provides people, many of whom only have a few weeks left to live, practical advice, nursing support and complementary therapies, all in the comfort of their own home.

Strathcarron Hospice chief executive Irene McKie said: “We are delighted to have reached the finals. Lottery money has helped us to set up a service that supports patients and their families at a very difficult and distressing time and gives real choice to enable people to die at home if that is their wish.

“It’s easy to vote – and although people can only vote once from each number, if they use their mobile, home and computer that counts as three votes.

“We are hoping that people support us as it would be a fantastic reward for everyone involved in the project to receive national recognition for their hard work.” Now in its 12th year, the awards recognises the UK’s favourite and best National Lottery funded projects. On top of the accolades and the funding already allocated, winning projects will receive a £2000 cash boost to spend.

Angela Gillies, marketing & communications manager at the hospice, added: “The service was set up last year thanks to a £700,000 grant from Big Lottery to cover 70 per cent of the costs for the next five years. We also received additional help from the Robertson Trust and NHS Forth Valley Endowments.

“The service, provides personal, practical and emotional support to people who wish to spend their last days of life at home.

“The feedback we have had about the service has been incredible. It makes such a difference not only to the person themselves, but to their families.

“For many people their final wish is to be able to die in their own home with their personal things around them and to be able to fulfil that wish can be a great comfort to those they leave behind.” To vote for Strathcarron Hospice@Home visit lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or call 0844 836 9703. Voting is open until midnight on Wednesday (29 July).