‘This is Hospice Care’ national campaign launched

We are proud to have joined a coalition of hospices from across the country.

We are proud to have joined a coalition of almost 150 hospices from across the country to draw attention to the critical role that gifts in Wills in delivering hospice care.

New research by Hospice UK has found that 30,000 people per year across the country wouldn’t receive hospice care without this stream of funding while, at St Christopher’s, gifts in Wills fund around 1/3 of our work.

To highlight the campaign, and to draw attention to the breadth of services hospices offer, our Clinical Nurse Specialist Grace Milner joined with nurses from other children and adults hospices that serve Londoners for a photo shoot in the capital.

Each nurse held an item representing an aspect of the holistic care provided. In addition to clinical care across their communities, London’s hospices provide innovative support including music therapy, art therapy, play therapy, garden therapy and pets as therapy. We also offer ongoing bereavement support for those left behind after the death of an adult or child.

In the capital alone, hospices cared for more than 25,000 Londoners at the end of life last year, as well providing additional support to those individual’s loved ones and family.

The cost of funding 1 in 7 of those Londoners was paid for by gifts in Wills.

The hospices are now calling on Londoners to consider leaving a gift in their will to their local hospice, to ensure that the vital care they provide is secured for future generations. A new Hospice UK website, which launches today – www.thisishospicecare.org.uk – helps people find their local adult or children’s hospice, ensuring that the legacy they leave will directly help members of their community.

The national campaign, titled This is Hospice Care, brings together 143 hospices to raise awareness of our work.

At the campaign’s heart is a powerful collection of real-life stories that challenge misconceptions about hospices, showing the breadth of care and support they provide and highlighting their place at the heart of local communities. From caring for people at the end of their lives, to supporting loved ones, to planning weddings, birthday parties, and pet visits, hospices help create cherished moments and bring comfort to all who need their support.

The campaign shows how hospice care relies on the generosity of people leaving a gift in their Will to their local hospice, to ensure that support is available for everyone who needs it, both now and in the future. You can watch the TV ad for the campaign below:

Last year, many hospices across the country were forced to announce cuts to services and jobs following spiralling costs and a surge in demand for care, which is expected to increase by 25% by 2040. Government intervention before Christmas saw a welcome £100m capital funding boost for both adult and children’s hospices, and an additional £26m grant for children’s hospices. This short-term injection of funds will help ease immediate financial pressures for some hospices for the next two years but it does not solve the ongoing funding crisis affecting the sector.

Leaving a gift in a will – whether a percentage of an estate, a set amount, or an asset such as property – helps fund hospice care for future generations. This flexibility means that any gift of any size will positively impact the care of people at the end of their lives.

Nick Diamond, whose wife Linda was supported by St Christopher’s at the end of life, is backing the campaign.

He says: “Lots of people think about including St Christopher’s in their Will, but don’t get around to it and then the moment passes. My advice would be, don’t miss the opportunity. Even 1% can be left to St Christopher’s in your Will so those closest to you still inherit 99%. Every gift makes a difference and means St Christopher’s can continue to provide the wonderful support I’ve been fortunate enough to experience.

“I remember fondly not just the medical care but the pampering too. When the nurse came, Linda would brighten up and I could hear chatter and laughter coming from the room. They painted her nails and massaged her feet. It was like having a private spa in my house.”

How our support for Linda led to Nick leaving a gift in his Will

Tom Abbott, Director of Income Generation and Communications at St Christopher’s, says: “We’re delighted to be part of this national campaign which not only shines a light on the variety of support hospices deliver, but also helps the wider public understand how we currently fund end of life care in this country.

“Gifts in Wills are vital to us providing the care that Nick describes, those extra moments that truly matter where we can help someone to relax. We really hope that by coming together with other hospices across London and the country, we can help add some security to hospice funding now, and into the future.”

Data calculated by Hospice UK using figures from annual hospice accounts reports and activity surveys conducted by Hospice UK.

Data taken from London hospices accounts reports and activity reports.