Cudeca raises 3.6 million euros going into anniversary year
The Cudeca Foundation has reason to celebrate this year, having now provided palliative care to patients in the final days of their lives for a quarter of a century.
During their annual results presentation last Wednesday, Joan Hunt, founder of Cudeca, explained that what had begun in a spare room in her house, has turned into the only cancer hospice in Spain. Today, 25 years later, Joan Hunt is just as determined as she was in 1992.
Classical concert to mark 25 years of care
She expressed great satisfaction at Cudeca’s track record, but she was quick to point out that without the help of the staff, volunteers and the general public, Cudeca might never have reached its silver anniversary.
“Volunteers are Cudeca’s greatest asset. When we began we had just five or six volunteers, today we have almost nine hundred,” Joan explained.
The presentation was an opportunity for Cudeca to show the progress they had made in 2016, and they announced that for the fourth consecutive year, they ended the year in the black.
Cudeca raised over 3.6 million euros in total last year and more than 30 per cent of this was revenue from their 18 charity shops.
Another two million euros came from wills, donations, events and contracts with the Junta de Andalucía. The rest came from members, public grants and interest.
Their expenses totalled 3.5 million euros, so they had a surplus of almost 70,000, which, as their financial director pointed out, was not a bad way to enter their silver anniversary year.
The Golden Pin
The event also provided the opportunity to present the coveted Golden Pin award. The Golden Pin is presented to someone who has shown outstanding commitment to Cudeca, and this year Susan Hannam received the award for her tireless enthusiasm and continued dedication.
Susan has been with Cudeca since day one and even though she officially retired in 2011, she is still very much involved in the charity.
“After my first meeting with Joan and Marisa, I told my husband about the project and explained that I wanted to be part of it. I am still here today,” Susan said emotionally.
“It has been a great pleasure to have been involved since the beginning,” she continued.
Joan Hunt acknowledged Susan’s tireless efforts by saying: “I can honestly say, with great joy in my heart, I am so pleased to present Susan with a Gold Pin. She is part of the foundations and part of our family.”
In a separate Spanish presentation on Thursday, another Golden Pin was awarded to Josefina Mateos Miembro, founder of Cudeca’s psychology and social department.source surinenglish