Compassionate care starts with nurses like Charlie
"My mum, Marianne, was my world and, as I grew up, my best friend.
She was the only person who truly understood me. She was there before I even realised I needed her. With just one of her hugs, the world felt at peace and all my worries disappeared in an instant.
When she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was only 15 and my world changed forever.
But St Wilfrid’s cared for her with such compassion. She wasn’t just a patient. She was herself again: a mum, a friend and a woman enjoying the last bit of life she had left.
On average it costs £46,415 a year to pay for specialist care from a nurse like Charlie. Please help me raise £46,415 by 15th May so that more people like my mum receive compassionate care at the end of their life."
Anusha X
Help raise £46,415 by 15th May
St Wilfrid’s is an incredible community of staff, patients, loved ones, supporters, fundraisers and volunteers.
This spring, it’s going to take each and every one of us to help them raise £46,415 (the average cost of a nurse for a year), by 15th May, to help more local people live well at the end of their lives. People just like my mum, who died in comfort, pain free and with dignity, surrounded by her loved ones.
Please help St Wilfrid's to provide expert, compassionate care to local people, free of charge. With limited NHS funding they can only be there when it matters most with our support.
Anusha X
![David Barclay[10320] WEB](https://www.stwhospice.org/app/uploads/2026/03/David-Barclay10320-WEB-scaled.jpg "David Barclay[10320] WEB")
Hi, I'm Dr David Barclay, Medical Director here at St Wilfrid’s Hospice. Together, we’re an incredible community of staff, patients, loved ones, supporters, fundraisers and volunteers. The compassionate care we provide to local people, free of charge, day in, day out, is thanks to each and every one of you.
As you know, this care comes at a great cost and trying to meet that cost is a constant challenge. Many families who walk through our doors are surprised to hear we receive very little NHS funding, meaning 70% of our services must be funded by donations.
Here at St Wilfrid’s, our individual person-centred care starts and ends with devoted staff like Charlie, our Inpatient Unit Nursing Team Leader. The unit couldn’t run without her, she’s the absolute heartbeat, making sure all our patients and their loved ones receive outstanding care, and going the extra mile for everyone.
On average, it costs £46,415 per year to cover the cost of crucial care provided by a nurse like Charlie (a figure which doesn’t even begin to reflect how valuable they are). And, of course, this is just one example of the things we need to pay for to help patients live well at the end of their lives.
Please join Anusha and donate to our Community Appeal now to help make sure nobody who needs us dies alone, afraid, or in pain.
Your support makes all the difference
A gift from you today can help patients like Marianne to live well at the end of life, and help secure the future of St Wilfrid’s. Here’s the difference your donation could make.
£25 could cover the cost of an hour of compassionate care from a nurse like Charlie, giving patients like Marianne comfort.
£48 could go towards two counselling sessions for a loved one like Anusha, to support them through their bereavement.
£96 could give a family advice and support through our Nurse Line, so they always have somewhere to turn.
£178.72 could fund a nurse like Charlie for a full day, bringing comfort and dignity to people like Marianne.
