A Third Of Local Hospice Care Wouldn’t Happen Without Gifts In Wills

St Wilfrid’s Hospice is amongst 143 hospices across England, Scotland and Wales coming together to raise awareness about the vital role of gifts in wills in making hospice care happen.

New data from Hospice UK highlights the critical importance of gifts in wills, sometimes known as legacy donations, in keeping hospices going. Nationally, legacy donations fund the equivalent of hospice care for 30,000 people per year, or 6,000 hospice nurses every year.

For St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne, gifts in wills pays for the care of one in three patients. “Gifts in wills are crucial to our survival and growth,” says Colin Twomey, CEO at St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne. “Our care is free at the point of use. But, while we receive some government funding, more than 70% of the money we need to provide this vital care each year comes from generous donors.”

There’s an urgent need to futureproof this vital source of income, while also empowering people to make their legacy count. Which is why Hospice UK has brought together a collation of 143 British hospices to launch a national campaign to celebrate all that hospices do and to encourage the nation to support them through leaving a gift in their will.

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.

“Hospice care is everything you’d expect, and everything you wouldn’t,” says Colin. “At St Wilfrid’s we enable people across Eastbourne, Seaford, Hailsham, Uckfield, Heathfield (and all points between) to live well at the end of life. This might mean offering expert medical and nursing care to ease a person’s pain and symptoms at home, in local care homes, or at the hospice. It might also mean supporting their spiritual needs, providing them with the tools they need to stay mobile, or helping them with the practicalities of living with an illness. And it means looking after their families and carers, before and after someone dies.

“All of these services are vital, and it would be devastating to have to reduce our care to patients. Which is why we hope local people will be inspired by the campaign to leave a gift in their will to their local hospice and make sure we can be here for many years to come.”

You can find out more about the “This is Hospice Care” campaign and gifts in wills at stwhospice.org/wills