Open House - Summer 2025
Welcome to the summer edition of Open House. In this issue, you’ll read about how we’ve expanded our services, reached more people than ever before, and taken bold steps to ensure our care remains accessible and built to last.
Last year was a year of real impact and we continue to build on that momentum to face the challenges ahead. When we began our Frailty Service last January, we set ourselves clear goals: to make our care more accessible, more personalised, and more inclusive to those who had long been underserved. Not only did we meet those goals, but we also exceeded them. Whether someone comes to us via A&E, a Wellbeing Hub, or following a fall at home, we are working hard to ensure they receive joined up, holistic support, breaking the cycle of decline to get people back on their feet.
Just two years ago, the majority of our patients had a cancer diagnosis. Today, over 55% of those we support are living with non-cancer conditions. From respiratory conditions to frailty, we’ve seen a significant step toward fairer, more inclusive services.
And we're not stopping there.
We're proud to share with you our bold new 10-year strategy ‘Every Person Matters’. A vision shaped by the needs of our community, our clinical insights, and our commitment to doing more, for more people.
As our care expands, so too do our challenges.
Like many hospices across the UK, we are feeling the weight of financial strain, from rising national insurance costs to restricted NHS funding. Our costs are increasing, and our services are growing, yet the financial support we receive is not keeping pace. This means we must innovate not only in how we care, but in how we fundraise, trade, and sustain our future. The support of our community is more important now than ever.
In April we made the decision to formally separate the Trading Company from Garden House Hospice Care, allowing it to operate as an independent business. This gives the freedom and flexibility to innovate beyond traditional charity retail, exploring new ventures that align with our values while delivering stronger financial returns to support patient care. We’ve already begun the trading transformation with four of our flagship stores recently refurbished. These changes are more than cosmetic, they are about restoring pride, improving safety and accessibility, and generating the funds needed to protect the future of our care.
But even with innovation, we cannot do this alone.
To everyone reading this - thank you. Your support, whether through regular giving, volunteering, shopping with us, or spreading the word, is making all of this possible. Every pound you give, every hour or item you donate really makes a difference and helps us protect our services and plan ahead with confidence.
Together, we can ensure that no one in our community faces a life-limiting illness alone without the care they deserve.
Thank you, as always, for standing with us.