Every year, more than 200 hospices across the UK provide essential care to around 300,000 people, including patients, carers and families. Many people receive this care not in a hospice building, but at home or in community settings, where hospice teams deliver comfort, advice and a sense of dignity when it’s needed most.
Hospices also provide bereavement counselling, wellbeing sessions and support groups, helping families long after a loved one’s illness or passing. In this way, they form a vital part of local life, offering compassion and stability through some of the most difficult times people can face.
The challenges
Although hospices are essential to the health and care system, most are charities that rely heavily on fundraising, donations and grants to keep their services running. Together, UK hospices need around £1.8 billion each year to operate, but less than a third of that comes from government or NHS funding. The rest is raised by supporters, volunteers and local communities.
This funding gap means that some hospices have had to reduce services or delay improvements at a time when demand is increasing. An ageing population, more people living with complex illnesses and rising costs all add pressure. Yet, despite these challenges, hospice staff and volunteers continue to deliver expert, compassionate care every single day.
How the cardfactory Foundation Supports Hospices
Through our Local Community Fund, we help hospices continue their invaluable work. Recently, we’ve provided £5,000 grants to Haven House Children’s Hospice, Sobell House Hospice, East Cheshire Hospice and Dougie Mac Hospice.
These grants help hospices fund essential projects, such as specialist equipment, community outreach, family support services and staff training, all of which make a tangible difference to patients and their loved ones.
We also support hospice fundraising through our Match Fund, which means all cardfactory colleagues raising money for a local hospice will have their total matched pound for pound by the Foundation. It’s an impactful way to double their efforts and ensure more local hospice teams receive the crucial resources they need receive the resources they need.
To find out more about hospices in your area, or to see how you can help, visit www.hospiceuk.org.
