Hospice Malta is delighted to announce that tenor Joseph Calleja will serve as the organisation’s Honorary Ambassador on a voluntary basis.

Making the announcement at the organisation’s Annual Fundraising Dinner held at the Westin Dragonara Resort last night, Hospice Malta chairperson Bernadette Bonnici Kind said the board was overjoyed at Mr Calleja’s “immediate and enthusiastic” acceptance of the role.

“We are  excited  to begin this collaboration with Joseph Calleja, who  is eager to do what he can to help us to promote our mission, and are extremely grateful for his support. “

“We have no doubt that this collaboration will bear fruit for our organisation and provide Mr Calleja with enormous satisfaction.”

Mr Calleja, one of the world’s most highly-acclaimed tenors, was unable to attend the fundraising dinner due to singing engagements abroad but said in a video message:

“It is an honour to have been asked to help Hospice Malta, which provides essential support to both patients and their families when they need it most.”

“They don’t tend to shout about the good that they do, but the reality is that Hospice is made up of unsung heroes who perform an invaluable role in our society and it will be a great privilege for me to do whatever I can to support their mission.”

Set up in 1989, Hospice Malta is made up of a team of professionals including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, physiotherapists complementary  therapists, social workers and a spiritual director who assist more than 1,300 patients and their families every year.

Hospice Malta is committed  to creating a state-of-the-art complex providing comprehensive palliative care services once a €12.5 million project to refurbish a site known as the Cini Institue in Sta Venera, which was donated to the organisation by the Archdiocese of Malta, is complete.

The building will be renamed St Michael Hospice and enable Hospice to further extend  its  current  community care serves  to  also  include  a 16-bed In-Patient unit.

Funding  has been secured  from the Government of Malta, the European Union, NDSF, several local banks, corporations and businesses.

Hospice has embarked on several fundraising initiatives.