A Staffordshire/Sutton Coldfield businessman whose mother spent her final days at St Giles Hospice is calling on people to support the charity during the COVID-19 crisis by backing its summer raffle.

Chartered accountant Logan Khan (49,) from Burntwood, said that the raffle was helping to ensure that St Giles Hospice would continue being there for people like his 85-year-old mum Vivian - and that supporting it was more important than ever this year.

He said: “So many fundraising events have had to be cancelled and the hospice shops have had to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the money raised by the raffle is making a huge contribution towards funding the services that St Giles provides.

“Supporting events like the raffle means that St Giles can still care for local patients and families just like mine when we need them most.”

Logan, Practice Director at The Boss Partnership based in Lichfield, Tamworth, Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham, was shocked when his mum fell ill last year (2019).

Vivian had only just returned from a month-long family trip to Pakistan, where she had felt fit and healthy. She was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer last August and after a brief stay in hospital was transferred to St Giles for end-of-life care.

Logan said: “We saw the care that mum was getting at St Giles and it was world class, it really was. Three of my friends had relatives in St Giles last year as well and I saw the support they received – it was amazing.

“I would chop my right arm off if it would help St Giles! I have such an affinity with them and the work that they do. The staff there were all marvelous, but there were some there especially who gave my mum as much love as my sister Rachel and I could have. They were incredible.

“You could turn up at any time of day and nobody would bother you. When mum woke up she knew that one of us would be there. When the weather was good we could take mum outside in her bed to seen the birds and the trees, which meant such a lot.”

Logan first encountered St Giles in 2013 when a friend and golfing partner fell ill and received end-of-life care there. Since then, the company has donated the money it would have spent on Christmas cards to the hospice, organised a fundraising golf day and assembled a team to take part in the Birmingham 10k Run, which raised more than £10,000.

He added: “At St Giles the staff really understand the meaning of end-of-life care and dedicate their lives to making you comfortable – and they make you five-star comfortable.”

It costs more than £10 million to provide the care St Giles offers every year and the hospice needs to raise more than £850,000 each month to keep services going, at a time of crisis when there has been a big increase in the number of people needing palliative care.

Tickets for the hospice summer raffle are now on sale at £1 each and goodies up for grabs include a first prize of £8,000 or a brand new Kia Picanto car from Burton Kia, £2,000 or a luxury holiday and other cash prizes.

St Giles Hospice Lottery Manager Alison Jerram said: “Every £1 ticket sold helps us to continue supporting people in the local community who are living with a terminal or incurable illness and their family, and we’ve never needed you more than we need you today.

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic our income has almost dried up, so every raffle ticket sold will keep our key workers working both in our hospices and out in the community during these extremely uncertain times.

“The raffle is a great way for our supporters to have some fun - with the satisfaction of knowing that they are also helping to fund St Giles Hospice – and you may win a fabulous cash prize or have a great new car or holiday to look forward to when the lockdown is lifted and we can travel once more.

“Tickets are now on sale and we would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to everybody who has already signed up for our summer raffle.”

Anyone wanting to join the draw can find out more or buy raffle tickets online until Monday, 20th July at www.stgileshospice.com/raffle/ or by calling the Lottery Office on 01543 434020. The raffle draw will be made on Thursday, 6th August.