Visitors to Hever Castle in Kent have helped raise nearly £20,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society and Hospice in the Weald – Hever Castle’s Charities of the Year for 2023. The historic attraction fundraised for the charity from February 2023 to January 2024 and raised £9,869.51 for Hospice in the Weald and £9,858.31 for the Alzheimer’s Society, a total of £19,727.82.

Visitors were able to add a donation when they booked a ticket online to Hever Castle and make donations to the charity throughout the year via collection pots on site. Staff got involved in fundraising for the charities with a cake sale for Hospice in the Weald and supported denim for dementia for Alzheimer’s Society in May. Themed cupcakes were sold in the café to raise money for the charities.

Katie Greywood, Hospice in the Weald’s Income Generation Director, said: “Huge thanks to all at Hever Castle for choosing the Hospice as a charity partner and to each and every visitor who generously made donations when buying tickets or through collections over the past year. We are incredibly grateful for the funds raised and for the opportunity to raise awareness of how the Hospice makes a vital difference to the lives of local people facing terminal illness.

“The support we receive makes free Hospice care available for everyone, from children and their parents to adults and their families. Your support means we can help families to have precious time together when it matters most. It's been a real pleasure to work with the team at Hever, and we hope there will be many more opportunities to continue this partnership in the future.”

David Cohen, Alzheimer’s Society’s Community Fundraiser for Kent and East Sussex said: “We are extremely grateful to have been one of Hever Castle’s Charities of the Year 2023, and we are delighted to receive this generous donation. We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who visited Hever Castle and chose to donate, and to the Castle's staff, who wore denim for dementia in May 2023. One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime, and there are currently 900,000 people are living with dementia in the UK, including an estimated 93,944 in Kent. Alzheimer’s Society provides help and hope to everyone living with dementia and this generous donation will ensure those affected get the life-changing support they need.”

Hever Castle will be supporting British Heart Foundation for its 2024 Charity of the Year.