The day-to-day running of the Otago Community Hospice is helped along by business partners and sponsors who assist the organisation with donations of goods and services as well as volunteer help.
Chief executive Ginny Green described them as: "key business partners who have decided to team up with us".
These businesses are Southern Motor Court, House of Travel, ANZ and ABN Amro Craigs.
"They support the hospice in so many different ways - volunteering, promoting, funding and generally helping out.
They are very much part of our wider team and bring a different dimension to everyone here at the hospice," Ms Green said.
Southern Motor Court approached the hospice in 2007 to start a business relationship with them, managing director Tony Sycamore said.
"We think the hospice is one of the most deserving charitable organisations in Otago."
Two vehicles were supplied to the hospice by Southern Motor Court and the running costs were met each year, at a value of $20,000.
Mr Sycamore felt it was important for the business to give back to the community and said it was proud to be involved with the hospice.
House of Travel also supplied goods since it formed its relationship with Hospice New Zealand in 2005, while its regional outlets supported local hospices through volunteer work.
The national business annually provides two hospice fundraising co-ordinators with a scholarship to attend a professional conference of their choice and also provide a holiday package to the Gold Coast, Australia, for two hospice volunteers and their partners.
"We have all enjoyed our involvement and feel we have gained more than we have given from our sponsorship," managing director of Vincent George House of Travel, Vincent George said.
By offering volunteers, ANZ also answered the call for help when the hospice required "an extra pair of hands", Otago and Southland chief executive officer Anna Flower said.
Through the bank's volunteer leave programme, its staff were able to take time off during the year to help local charities, many of them assisted the hospice during their spring clean, annual appeal and various fundraising events.
"It's more about people . . . We get alongside them when they need help," she said.
The bank also sponsored an event every year which allowed the hospice to benefit from ticket sales.
ABN Amro Craigs had also assisted with sponsorship since joining Hospice New Zealand in January this year as a business partner.
The local branch of the company assisted the hospice by promoting its work and helping with fundraising through sponsorship and supplying volunteers.
Two of its investment advisers had also been actively involved on various boards and committees of the hospice.
Peter McIntyre is a board member of the hospice chairing its finance and audit committee, and John Elsom is the trustee and vice-chair of the Otago Hospice Foundation Trust.
"The Otago Community Hospice does amazing work in our community, the dedication of all the wonderful staff and volunteers to provide a quality of care continues to touch so many people," Dunedin branch manager Richelle Smitheram said.
