The Earl Mountbatten Hospice this week took the shock decision to refuse any further cash donations from readers of the Gazette.

The Hospice Has Now Cut Ties

Graham Elderfield, chief executive of the Hospice, who is thought to be on a salary of around £80,000 a year, claimed the time was right to end its relationship with the newspaper.

His decision has come as a huge snub, not The Gazette, but to our loyal readers who have voluntarily contributed around £38,000 to the Hospice since we first appeared on the Island streets in August, 2008.

When The Gazette was launched as a free newspaper, we gave readers the option to make a donation to the Hospice by placing money in the boxes attached to our news stands.

But this week the Hospice, which costs £8,000 a day to run, decided it no longer wanted the support of our readers, and that has prompted huge criticism across the Island.

Many people have expressed their disgust and disappointment, particularly on the Ventnor blog website, that Mr Elderfield should make such an extraordinary decision at a time when other charities are crying out for support. There have been calls for him to resign, although a few have backed the Hospice move.

Mr Elderfield said the trustees were grateful to everyone at The Gazette for their support but said it was the right time to withdraw from the arrangement and allow another cause to benefit. He added:

“As a gesture to the newspaper and whichever charity will benefit in the future, we are happy to donate our newspaper stands and collecting boxes for use by that charity.”

We tried to contact Mr Elderfield so he could elaborate on his decision, but he was not available for comment. A spokesperson for the Hospice would only comment: “We have decided just to stick to our original statement.”

However, the Hospice earlier maintained the decision had nothing whatsoever to do with any stories that had appeared in The Gazette.

The Gazette now plans to set up a Charitable Committee, who will determine how future donations will be distributed. But all our readers can rest assured that if they make a donation it will find its way safely to a worthy cause on the Island.

We will keep you fully informed on the amount being raised, and which charities have benefitted. Meanwhile, The Gazette would like to thank all our readers for their tremendous support in raising such a magnificent total for the Hospice over the past 19 months or so. We appreciate your wonderful efforts.

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