Guests of St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne were entertained by Reverend Richard Coles at an event in Eastbourne on Saturday 25^th February.

The event at All Saints Chapel saw 60 guests gather, including Sir Grayson Perry and his wife Lady Phillipa Perry.

During the evening Revd Coles entertained guests with tales of his rise from “unlikeliest popstar of the 1980s to unlikeliest vicar of the 20^th century.” Rev. Coles, who first came to prominence with the eighties band the Communards, is a former Church of England parish priest. He now co-presents BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live show and has written several books including ‘The Madness of Grief’, his personal account of life after the death of his partner, David.

He talked about his involvement with the London Lighthouse charity in the late 80s, which cared for people with HIV and AIDs, and how that introduced him the work of hospices. “Hospices make an extraordinary difference to the lives of people,” he said.  “They aren’t simply about the care of people reaching the end of life, they are about the people around them, and the community. St Wilfrid’s is a shining example of this, and I’m very pleased to support them.”

Colin Twomey, CEO of St Wilfrid’s, also spoke at the event, sharing the ambitions of the hospice. “We know there are still too many people in our area who are dying without the support of the hospice, so we need to make sure there is greater access for people. Our mission is to enable people to live well at the end of life; by delivering direct care, and by supporting others to deliver great end of life care in our community. We have an ambitious five year plan and are calling on our local community to help us achieve it through their wonderful support.”

Find out more about our ambitions for the future at www.stwhospice.org/livingwellattheendoflife