Leaving a gift in your will can make a lasting difference to the people we care for and help ensure hospice care is here for future generations. Below, supporter Gary tells us why he has chosen to leave a gift in his will.

“My partner Catherine received such great care at St Wilfrid’s that I wanted to pay something back. I can’t afford to make that kind of donation at the moment, so leaving a gift in my will seemed like a good way to do it. I needed to do a will anyway, so I thought why not do it to benefit the hospice.

Even before Catherine was a patient, I knew how important hospices are because both my parents died in one in a different area. It’s appalling to see how much hospices are struggling with a lack of funding and having to cut services, so St Wilfrid’s needs our support more than ever.

Catherine and I met in Bromley when we were both members of the children’s organisation Woodcraft Folk and were asked to look after a group of children for a few months. The first time we met, we’d arranged to have a programme planning meeting at a pub but ended up talking about everything but the planning until past closing time. We soon got together and eventually moved to Eastbourne.

Shortly after, Catherine was diagnosed with breast cancer. Chemotherapy, a lumpectomy and radiotherapy followed, and she was clear for a couple of years, but sadly the cancer returned, having spread to her lungs, liver and bones. That’s when she was referred to St Wilfrid’s for support. Their nurses came to the house, and we regularly used the 24-hour support line if we needed advice or help.

Following surgery for the last of a number of pathological fractures she was admitted to rehab, but this was being turned into a Covid reception centre and as she was not ready for discharge and her overall condition was deteriorating, she was admitted to the hospice Inpatient Unit, where she received excellent care.

With her complex care needs and increasing pain, it would have been very detrimental to her welfare for me to manage her needs at home. And though we did try to come up with a workable plan, I firmly believe her quality of life was much better at the hospice.

All the staff and volunteers were really good, and the level of care was exemplary. Without their support, Catherine’s last few months would have been very painful, and she would have been restricted to a bed.

Once it was clear she was approaching end of life, staff kindly put a bed in her room so I could stay overnight, and I was with her when she died.

I got to know the hospice staff and volunteers pretty well and I still go in for lunch as the café is so good. I’ve also done a couple of fundraisers.

I’d very much encourage people to leave a gift in their will so that St Wilfrid’s can continue offering their services to other people. None of us know what the future holds and any of us might end up needing hospice care. And hospices are fundamental because nobody understands end of life care the way that hospice’s do.

But money is their lifeblood, and donations of any kind – in particular legacies – are what helps hospices to carry on functioning, so it’s a great gift for people to pass on.”

Pictured: Gary and Catherine

Find out more about leaving a gift in your will