Firm’s gift will help keep Hospice secure

A businesses’ generous gesture will help keep a Hospice building secure around the clock.

Abbey Security Services, based in Eastern Way, Bury St Edmunds, is offering practical support to St Nicholas Hospice Care, by providing their security services free of charge at its Hardwick Lane site for the next year, which will save the charity thousands of pounds.

The firm’s managing director, Ian Whitaker-Bethel, has been a supporter of the hospice which Abbey Security Services have named as their charity of the year for a number of years. Alongside colleague David he visited the Hospice recently in a replica of the firms first ever security car.

Ian said: “I first became involved with the hospice five-years-ago, when I completed a charity bike ride ‘Two Fat Men on a Bike’ with a friend.

“We did the challenge in 2012 and it saw us cycle more than 450 miles as part of the hospice’s Accumulator Challenge, in memory of a friend who died the year before at the year before.

“For me St Nicholas Hospice Care is a local charity supporting the local community and we are pleased to be able to carry on supporting such a worthwhile cause.”

As well as the complimentary security support Abbey Security Services also donated £11,000 to the hospice which supports those across West Suffolk and Thetford in the final chapters of their lives.

Abby Mayes, St Nicholas Hospice Care corporate fundraiser, said: “We are so grateful to Ian and everyone at Abbey Security Services for their kind gesture. Their gift to us as their charity of the year is so generous, by providing their security services to us for a year free of charge they will save us around £15,000.

“As a charity we have to ensure that all of our buildings and people are kept safe 24 hours a day seven days a week and Abbey Security’s help means we won’t have to worry about the cost.  It costs £11,000 a day to provide our hospice services across West Suffolk and Thetford, which means Abbey Security’s added donation of £11,000 is a day of funding for us – an amazing amount.

“Abbey Security Services have supported us for many years and we can’t thank them enough for their latest generosity.”