By Sophie Sandberg
The most important week for LOROS Hospice got off to a bad start when its mobile treatment unit was vandalised.
The vehicle, also known as LOROS Local, was targeted on Monday(OCT8) last week while it was parked on site in preparation for that day’s start of Hospice Care Week, which is the most important week for the Leicestershire hospice.
The mobile resource centre was badly vandalised and got its exhaust stolen which will cost the hospice about £3,000 to repair the damage.
Jo Kavanagh, Director of Care Services, said: “We’re disappointed and saddened that LOROS Local has been targeted and at such an important time for us as a Hospice.
“Hospice Care Week is about raising awareness of our services and how we support the local community, LOROS Local is a vital part of this.
“Not only will this affect planned events, but without our mobile resource centre, patients and their families will not receive support out in the community, which is very sad.”
The vehicle is used to raise awareness about LOROS and offer complementary therapy to people undergoing treatment and was going to be used during the annual Hospice Care Week.
This is a week filled with activities to raise the profile of hospice care across the UK and is an opportunity to inspire action by inviting supporters to get involved by volunteering, donating and showing they care on social media.
LOROS Hospice provides free, high-quality, compassionate care and support to terminally ill patients, their family and carers.
Pam Farmer, a carer from Hinckley, receives complementary therapy on LOROS Local, she said: “Having access to LOROS Local is just that little bit of help for carers like me, and to have it taken away like this is just awful.
“The people who damaged LOROS Local may need the services themselves one day.”
It is not yet confirmed how long it will take to repair the mobile resource centre or how much it will impact the services LOROS provides but the hospice will do their best to keep providing their services as usual.
The incident has been reported to the Leicestershire police and the hospice asks for anyone who might know anything about what happened on October 8 to contact the police on 101.
