Friends of Hospice, a charity that supports hospital care, has been handed $5,000 from local company Marsh and Guy Carpenter.

The donation will be used for the professional development of staff at Agape House, Bermuda’s inpatient hospice.

A palliative hospice care trainer will host a one-week training session for employees that will include a “Train the Trainer” programme so that the charity can lead additional training sessions internally for future staff and volunteers.

“I would like to thank Marsh and Guy Carpenter for continuing to support Friends of Hospice and the work that we do,” said Cathy Belvedere, the charity’s executive director. “End of life care is unique and requires a continuum of services and skilled workers. With the companies’ donation, staff and volunteers will have access to top-of-the-line training that will help them to better assist the families we serve.”

“Friends of Hospice does important work in our community ensuring that the terminally-ill live as comfortably as possible in the last days of their lives,” added Jill Husbands, Country Corporate Officer of Marsh & McLennan companies, Bermuda and chairman of MMC’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.

“We are proud to support their efforts.”

Friends of Hospice will host the training jointly with Bermuda Hospitals Board and PALS, who are also contributing to the training sessions.

For more information about Friends of Hospice or Agape House, visit www.friendsofhospice.bm or follow them on Facebook.