A message from Colin Twomey, Chief Executive
We are in the midst of a widespread crisis. You may have seen the national campaign from Hospice UK, highlighting the serious financial challenges that hospices across the country are currently facing.
Can you imagine what our community would be like without St Wilfrid’s Hospice? People from the towns and villages we serve would have few places to turn for support when they’re facing a life-changing diagnosis like motor-neurone disease; no one to call in the night when the pain from their cancer becomes too much.
This is a community that I hope never exists. Because it would mean that all the beautiful, vital opportunities our hospice gives to people like you and me, to live life to the fullest while coping with serious illness, are gone.
Hospices are a vital service for our health care system, yet government funding has not kept pace with rapidly rising costs over the past few years. Wages for our amazing care staff have risen. Our Inpatient Unit, which requires round-the-clock lighting, heating and equipment for patients has seen a huge increase in electricity costs; costs for the petrol used by our community nursing teams, who travel across Sussex to people’s homes, have also risen. Overall, our costs have gone up 14% in the past two years. This situation is unsustainable for St Wilfrid’s Hospice.
I never want to be in a position to have to close part of our service, but these are the stark decisions I may face if the gap in our funding doesn’t close soon. This is a critical point in our history; please, help us to weather this ongoing storm and keep our doors open and nurses in the community in the coming year.
Come together to do what you can
"I know from my experience as a parish priest for many years, and before that just as a person, how important hospice care is and what a difference it can make in the lives of people. Both those who require it's care and those who are around them requiring it's care.
What people I think don't fully understand is that hospices really have to wash their own faces. And that means that the fundraising effort is absolutely critical. Without it, there wouldn't be any hospice care.
I just want to encourage everybody else to do what they can in all sorts of ways."
Richard Coles, instrumentalist, writer, radio presenter, Church of England priest and hospice supporter
Your support makes all the difference
"I don’t know what our family would have done without St Wilfrid’s over those months that Diane was ill. The support the staff and volunteers of all grades provided to the whole family throughout was amazing. They cared for her, kept her free from pain, helped us to be with her as her husband and child – and a daughter.
St Wilfrid’s Hospice must be here in the future – to be here for all the people who need them to ease their pain, like Diane, but also for the people who are left behind, like me and Charlotte. Please help by giving to their appeal if you can." Steve, whose wife Diane was cared for by St Wilfrid's over Christmas 2022
As we approach Christmas, we know there are likely many demands on your time and money. We understand that giving a gift today will be a considered and important decision as you face a busy season. We hope for this appeal to raise £63,200 which will go a long way towards paying for our busy 24-hour Nurse Line service for almost an entire three months in 2025.
Could you contribute towards this goal today? If just 2,000 people in our community pull together and donate £31.60 each, it will allow us to reach this goal and plan for the future beyond 2024.
We're doing all we can to prevent service closures
Alongside other Chief Executives in Sussex, I’ve sought a solution to try to stem the potential for service closures we’ve seen in other parts of the country. We have formed a new partnership, the Sussex Hospice Alliance, six hospice organisations working in partnership with our beloved NHS to create the best outcome for people at the end of their lives.
But I must be honest with you; this sea change alone will not be enough to save our St Wilfrid’s Hospice from the rising tide. We must do more.
Our fantastic fundraising team has worked tirelessly to secure the funding we need from a variety of sources over the years. This hard work and effort – and the generosity of people like you – is helping to address our funding shortfall for this year.
As Chief Executive, I’m charged with thinking about how we spend our money and what we can afford. In the new budget, I expect we will face another difficult year. With your help we can protect our services for the future.
