This is Hospice Care

For a second year, we’re proud to stand with over 125 hospices across England, Scotland, and Wales, for the “This is Hospice Care” campaign, brought together by Hospice UK. Hospice care is more than you think, and it’s closer than you know.

Somewhere in your life, in your family, your friendships, your community – hospice care is already making a difference in ways you might not expect.

But just as the ways we help people grow every year, the need also grows. We’re able to support one in five people we care for because someone – a stranger, a neighbour, someone who never even used our services – decided hospice care mattered enough to protect.

Someone you’ll never meet made sure we could be here for your community.

1 in 5 of our patients is cared for with thanks to gifts in wills

When someone in the Dorothy House area needs us, we’re there. But only because someone else remembered us in their will. Gifts in wills fund one in five people we care for – that’s how vital they are. Without them, we might lose our ability to deliver end of life care to everyone who needs it.

Hospice care is free at the point of use. But, unlike the NHS, it is not fully state funded. While hospices receive some government funding, more than £1 billion of the £1.6 billion they need each year comes from generous donors. The truth is, with rising costs and growing demand for hospice services, these gifts are more important to us than ever.

Your gift could add life to days for Dorothy House patients and their families

Michelle’s story

In 2024, Michelle was diagnosed with breast cancer, later learning in November 2024 that it had spread, discovering 18 brain tumours. With a terminal diagnosis, she was referred to Dorothy House for end of life care.

The family received counselling, including individual counselling for their children. They also created a memory vase with our Creative Arts team, so that when Tom and the children need time to reflect and remember Michelle, they can pull out memories and be comforted by them.

Cara’s story

Cara has stage 4 cancer and is currently receiving care and support from Dorothy House. In her efforts to give back to the Hospice, Cara has raised an incredible amount of money taking on the challenge of cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End. In a recent interview with Cara about her diagnosis, she spoke eloquently about how she knows the Hospice will be there for both her and her children when she dies.

“To know that I can physically die well is a real comfort. But also, I know that at Dorothy House you go above and beyond, that your care doesn’t just end when you die. The services carry on, so my girls will continue to be supported and have a place to speak to people. All I want is to know that when I’m not here, they will be okay.”

Read more about Cara’s story here.

Legators like Jane and Val make personalised care possible

Val’s living legacy – read Val’s full story.

Jane’s legacy for Dorothy House – read Jane’s full story.

 

Leave a gift in your will today and make a difference to end of life care in your local community

As part of this national legacy campaign, we’re asking you to be that someone for the next generation. When you leave a gift in your will to us, you ensure that when someone Googles symptoms at 3am, when a family needs those crucial words, when life feels impossible – we’re here.

Find out more about gifts in wills here, or to write an online will for free today, head to our free wills page.

Together, we can make sure that hospice care lives on for all, for now, forever.