Staff at Lymington's Oakhaven Hospice have been looking back on the most difficult period so far - but there were silver linings among the clouds, say managers of the charity trust.

Last year saw staff redundancies and the closure of Oakhaven's newest charity shop plus the flagship distribution centre, in a series of emergency measures to save £300,000 and keep the trust solvent.

But even at this bleak time, new chief executive Kara Bishop, pictured, said she was heartened by the upsurge in generosity and commitment from local supporters.

"The community responded so magnificently to Oakhaven's needs. It constantly amazed us," said Ms Bishop, 47, who took over the reins of the eight-bed hospice in October last year.

"I had to take a hard look at our position and do something immediately to cut costs," she said.

"I had to be ruthless. We had to make sure our fundraising was getting the best return possible."

She reluctantly cut 15 jobs from Oakhaven's 69 staff. Lyndhurst's charity shop, opened with a flourish in May 2000, was shut down, as was the huge central distribution depot near Lymington railway station, launched in 2001.

But the priority for Ms Bishop and trust chairman John Curtiss was to safeguard the clinical services of the hospice - which serves a population of 100,000 across the southern New Forest.

Mr Curtiss said: "The changes to staffing were made without closing any of the core clinical services. The quality of care we continued to give was possible only because of the tremendous dedication, skill and care shown by our team and supporters."

Ms Bishop added: "Our financial position now is much more reassuring than this time last year."

Sales at Oakhaven shops in Lymington, Hythe and New Milton are "doing fantastically well," though Hythe is closed for a month so a lift can be installed to make life easier for staff when shifting scores of heavy clothes bags.

The third New Forest Experience bike ride has just taken place in aid of the trust and is expected to top the £20,000 made last year.

The Every Penny Counts Appeal launched in May to encourage people to make small but regular donations to Oakhaven is proving a success.

Staff and supporters are looking forward to the annual Oakhaven Woman of Our Time lunch.

With this year's guest due to be legendary actress Susan Hampshire, the sell-out event looks to have secured its place as one of the prestige gatherings of the year.

"We have got to keep looking at what is unique about Oakhaven. There are so many charities competing for people's time and money," said Ms Bishop.