Local Hospice Charities Join Forces to Back Awareness Campaign

Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care and The Hospice of St Francis, together with 143 UK hospices, have joined forces to challenge perceptions of hospice care with a nationwide campaign facilitated by Hospice UK.

This is Hospice Care aims to raise awareness about the vital role hospices play in communities and to positively shift public perceptions of what hospice care is, which is often much more than people realise. Both Rennie Grove Peace and The Hospice of St Francis support local people to live well with a life-limiting illness and provide comfort, dignity and compassion as they reach the end of their life, as well as supporting those around them.

The campaign, which launches today (17 February 2025), is set to capture hearts and minds through a powerful nationwide TV advertisement based on real-life hospice stories. The goal is to encourage people to consider leaving a gift in their Will to their local hospice, to ensure that these essential services can continue to provide compassionate and specialist care for generations to come.

To drive home the message in Hertfordshire, Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care and The Hospice of St Francis have partnered to create a local billboard campaign that will appear over the next two weeks. Building on the awareness generated by the national TV ads, this local campaign will encourage people to consider leaving a gift in their Will to their local hospice.

With both hospices generating around 20% of their annual income from gifts in Wills, they are encouraging more people to consider pledging a gift in their Will, to help the charities plan for the future and prepare for increased demand of their services in the years to come.

Tracey Hancock, Director of Fundraising at Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, says: ‘We’re thrilled to be part of this important campaign that highlights not only the critical work we do but the lasting impact gifts in Wills have on our ability to deliver vital services. With an ageing population and demand for hospice care set to increase, pledging a gift in your Will is a way to ensure that our hospice services can be here for future generations.’

Kate Grigg, Director of Fundraising at The Hospice of St Francis, adds: ‘Right now, 1 in 4 people can’t get the end-of-life care they need. Our referrals have increased 40% since the pandemic, and with NHS funding continuing to fall in real terms, a gift in your Will plays a vital role in sustaining hospice care in our community.’

For more information about This is Hospice Care, please visit thisishospicecare.org.uk.

To learn more about how to leave a gift in your Will to support local hospice care, visit renniegrovepeace.org/thisishospicecare and stfrancis.org.uk/wills.