Oxfordshire hospice says gifts in wills are “vital” to future of care
Around 30,000 people per year wouldn’t receive hospice care without gifts in Wills, according to national charity
A hospice in Oxfordshire says gifts in wills are “vital” to the future of care in the sector, as it's revealed today that 30,000 people per year wouldn’t receive hospice care without them.
Hospice UK has brought together 143 hospices from across the country to highlight the critical role of gifts in Wills, through its national campaign ‘This is Hospice Care’.
The campaign has joined forced with three hospices from Oxfordshire: Helen and Douglas House, Katherine House Hospice and Sobell House Hospice.
“Build and grow in the future”
According to the national charity, 71% of people believe hospices deserve greater support whilst over a quarter (27%) have considered leaving a gift to charity in their Will.
Alex Hegenbarth, Senior Gifts in Wills Manager at Helen & Douglas House, he says at the hospice “one in five children and their families are supported through gifting wills”.
“It can take an average of eight years from somebody writing their will for that money to be available to a Hospice. So, we need to make sure we start the work now in promoting the importance of gifts in wills, so then down the line we have those resources available.
“We provide outreach support, we provide bereavement support, and we even have sibling support for those siblings of children that are in our care”, he adds.
Mr Hegenbarth also says that people leaving a gift in the Will allows them to “build and grow in the future”.
He added: “With the cost of care due to increase even further, it is vitally important now that we encourage as many people as possible to leave a gift to us so we can continue the work from now and into the future.
“Choice, dignity, and help families create lasting memories”
Despite the number of people leaving a gift in their Will is growing across the charity sector, Hospice UK says this income for hospices is declining whilst the demand for hospice care is on the rise.
Catherine Bosworth, Director of Income Generation and Grants at Hospice UK, says: "Hospices support people at the most vulnerable time of their lives, easing the physical and emotional pain of death and dying, letting people focus on living right until the end.
“They provide choice, dignity, and help families create lasting memories. They make life’s most difficult moments less scary – but they can only do this with enough funding.
“While the injection of government funds has provided much-needed support for the sector, hospices rely on gifts in Wills to continue offering the exceptional care people need. Leaving a gift in your Will is a powerful and heartfelt way to recognise your chosen hospice for all that they do."