Help secure the future of hospice care with a one-off or monthly gift to our 40th Birthday Appeal

With your help, we hope to raise £40,000 towards vital hospice running costs, to help secure our future, and free, expert care for the patients and families who need us.

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As St Oswald’s Hospice celebrates 40 years of care this summer, we are reflecting on the remarkable journey that has brought us to this milestone, and the incredible support of our community that has made it possible. However, with increasing financial challenges we are facing, our future is not guaranteed.

As we enter our 40th year, we are deeply grateful to everyone who has helped shape our story and enabled us to become a lifeline for so many people and families. As you’ll see from the timeline below, St Oswald’s Hospice has continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of our community. There is so much to celebrate.

However, we also want to be honest about the challenges we face, and why we are asking for your help today.

Like many hospices across the country, St Oswald’s is operating in an increasingly difficult financial environment. Demand for our services continues to rise as people live longer with more complex conditions, while the cost of providing specialist care continues to increase. Unfortunately, statutory funding does not keep pace with this growing need.

We are working hard to respond. We are carefully reviewing how we deliver services, planning for the future and ensuring that every pound is used wisely. But the reality is that we cannot do this alone.

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Today, our care remains free of charge for everyone who needs it. Yet it costs around £12 million each year to provide our services, and we must raise approximately half of that through charitable donations.

The strength of St Oswald’s Hospice has always come from the community that stands beside us. That was true 40 years ago when local people helped open our doors, and it remains true today.

That is why we are asking for your help.

As we mark this special anniversary, could you help secure the future of St Oswald’s Hospice by choosing to give a one-off or monthly gift?

Your gift will help our teams to bring comfort daily to hundreds of local families. Thank you.

Target: £40,000

Raised: £0

Thank you for your support.

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Anne and John's story (3)
Anne and John's story (2)
Anne and John's story (1)

Anne and John’s story

In January 2016, Anne Farrington was admitted to St Oswald’s Hospice for end-of-life care, following a terminal cancer diagnosis. Just 3 weeks later, Anne died, aged 72.

Anne was cared for at home by John but by the New Year of 2016, he was struggling to get out and about, and to manage her care on his own. One evening, Anne became very ill during the night and a doctor came out to attend to Anne and suggested Anne needed extra support, such as that offered by St Oswald’s Hospice.

John reflects, “I have fond memories of our family visiting Anne at the hospice, especially our grandson Tom, who was just a few months old at the time. He would sit on the bed and the nurses would often ask after ‘little Tom.’

As Anne’s health declined, she was moved to a single room, with direct opening to the gardens. This enabled John to walk outside whenever he needed to, providing peace and comfort to them both.

Read Anne and John's story

40 years of care and support, thanks to you…

By supporting our 40th Birthday Appeal, you will help us get closer to raising £40,000 to fund vital running costs, to ensure families like Anne and John’s have the support they need at the most difficult of times.

By choosing to give a one-off or monthly donation, you will be giving the ultimate birthday gift to St Oswald’s Hospice – you can help ensure that our services remain free of charge for everyone who needs them, both now and in the future. Thank you.

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