Southampton’s Still & Bloom has made a £1,150 donation to Heartbeat, which supports cardiac patients and their families who are being treated at University Hospital Southampton.
The artisan furniture makers held their ‘Giving Tuesday’ in early December in place of Black Friday, with a pledge to donate £50 of every order received that day to the charity.
“It’s really important that we give back.” Says Nick Fisher, Managing Director of Still & Bloom. “We know it’s become so much harder for charities, and that not as many people can donate. We wanted to show our support, and this year instead of doing gimmicky Black Friday. We took part in Giving Tuesday.”
“As a small, family business, we know the importance of having a sense of community and the difference even a small donation can make”, said Nick Fisher, Director of Still & Bloom.
“It’s been a difficult year for my family. Both my wife and my brother-in-law work with me, and we lost our Aunty Lizzie earlier this year due to cardiac issues.
“She was the funniest, most generous lady, who was so kind, and she had a special soft spot for Heartbeat, so it felt right to do this.”
“Heartbeat is a really deserving charity, they support so many families and do great work!”
“This also wouldn’t have been possible without our wonderful customers, and each and every one of them that bought an item from us on that day can know they’ve made a difference to someone.”
Donations like this help to fund the specialist projects and care offered by Heartbeat. Established in 1992, Heartbeat helps babies, children and adults diagnosed with congenital and cardiovascular diseases by primarily supporting the work of the Wessex Cardiac Unit based at University Hospital Southampton.
Mark Ind from Heartbeat came over to thank the team in person at their Southampton workshop.
“We’re always incredibly grateful for all the support and donations we receive, and we were absolutely delighted that Still and Bloom chose to support Heartbeat. We knew Lizzie, as she had attended a number of our fundraising projects and we were very sad to hear that she had passed away.”
Mark added: “It’s a really busy time for the charity, and this donation will help us continue to look after those who are affected by cardiac diseases. Thank you Still & Bloom!”