A charity thanked benefactors for boosting a programme to rent hospital beds to families caring for loved ones — while urging more donors to come forward.

The Bermuda Red Cross expanded its medical equipment rental service to include hospital beds last year after finding a growing need to support families bringing relatives home from hospital.

Ann Spencer-Arscott, executive director of the Bermuda Red Cross, thanked donors the End-to-End, Conduit Re and Lighthouse Medical along with the eight who donated beds from their own homes.

Contributions also allowed the charity to purchase new medical equipment including wheelchairs, commodes, walkers and shower chairs.

Theresa Hall, charity liaison contact at Convex End to End, said: “For the last six years, the only way to get a hospital bed was to purchase or borrow from a friend no longer using and this came at considerable cost.”

A Bermuda Red Cross spokeswoman said that with demand remaining high, donations of fully electric hospital beds in good working condition were welcome.

She said anyone in need of a short or long-term bed could use its rental service as “an affordable and practical alternative” that supported its humanitarian work.

The charity is also seeking volunteers to help with equipment rental.

To assist or learn more about the service, contact the Bermuda Red Cross at 236-8277 or rentals@bermudaredcross.com.