A hospice has received £11,600 raised from recycled artificial hip and knee joints at the crematorium in Stafford.

Stafford-based Katharine House Hospice (KHH) provides vital free palliative care services in the county town and surrounding areas for people faced with an illness that cannot be cured.

The latest award brings the total raised by the crematorium for charities that help people in Stafford to more than £130,000. Other recipients of the award have included ‘A Child of Mine,’ Samaritans and ‘Stafford and District Bereavement Loss Support Service.’

The artificial joints, along with nails and screws from the coffins, are passed on to a recycling company in return for money which is then donated to deserving organisations.

Once consent from the families has been given, the metal is filtered out as part of the cremation process leaving the ashes to be either collected by the deceased’s loved ones or buried.

Local charities have now received over £132,000 since the scheme began in 2013 at the award-winning Stafford Borough Council run cemetery and crematorium.

KHH said it was an incredible amount of money and would make a huge difference to patients and their families.

Councillor Ian Fordham, Cabinet Member for Environment, said “So many within the community have been grateful for the care and support they and their loved ones will have received from Katharine House Hospice, and it gives me great pleasure to be able to give something back to them.

“We must also recognise, and thank, the families of deceased loved ones who have allowed us to recycle metals from the cremation process at a very difficult time for them.”

He added: “I am proud to see how much has been raised throughout the years and I know that the money provides funds to enable these charities to continue giving excellent support to our community.”

The Tixall Road site was awarded ‘Gold’ status by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management and has held a ‘Green Flag’ as one of the best open spaces in the country for ten years.

More details about the service can be found at www.staffordbc.gov.uk/bereavement

Press Release No 6183