FBD Insurance partners with fundraising project Hooves 4 Hospice

FBD Insurance has announced that it is partnering with fundraising project ‘Hooves 4 Hospice’.

Currently, the midlands region – counties Offaly, Longford, Westmeath and Laois – is the only region in Ireland that does not have access to Level 3 hospice care.

Lions Clubs across these counties established Hooves 4 Hospice, a fundraising project to help raise funds and build awareness for what is a vital community resource.

The project was launched in January 2020 and actively sought funds to buy calves and found farmers to donate and to rear these animals to support the hospice initiative.

Despite the challenges of 2020, currently over 400 young animals are now being reared by volunteer host farms.

As a result of the generosity of the farming community, the entire proceeds of the sale of all these animals will go towards the Midland Regional Hospice Building Fund.

Pat Lalor, chairperson of the Hooves 4 Hospice project, said that FBD has shown “remarkable empathy” with the cause.

‘We are optimistic that our fundraising project will continue to prosper’

“Like us, they are full of admiration of the generous and practical role which the farming community is playing through raising funds which will greatly help us to achieve our ambition,” Lalor said.

“Despite the continuing restrictions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, we are optimistic that our fundraising project will continue to prosper and that the ambition of the people of the midlands to have a Level 3 hospice in our region will be realised.”

Chief commercial officer with FBD Insurance John Cahalan added that this “voluntary, innovative and unique fundraiser is a credit to the farming and wider communities across Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford”.

“Level 3 hospices are a critical community resource. We would encourage anyone across the midlands who can support or get involved with this initiative to get involved through the many different options available.”