No one should face end of life alone
Rowcroft Hospice has launched the ‘No One Alone Appeal’ to address the harsh reality that too many people are missing out on essential end-of-life care in South Devon each year, due to a national gap in resources and funding and a rapidly increasing demand in our community.
As a charity, Rowcroft is playing a key role in delivering specialist end-of-life care and support to around 2,500 patients and their loved ones each year across South Devon, but an escalating local demand for our services is placing unparalleled pressures on the hospice. Through the No One Alone Appeal, by 2026 we aim to raise an additional £500,000 every year to help us expand our specialist services to care for an extra 260 patients and their loved ones.
“The driving force behind the No One Alone Appeal is the principal that everyone deserves exceptional end-of-life care,” said Mark Hawkins, CEO of Rowcroft Hospice. “And our vision is a world where no patient with complex illness, or their loved ones, should have to face this difficult and vulnerable time alone.”
Please will you help?
How Rowcroft’s care makes a difference
Ruth Archer from Brixham received support from Rowcroft during the hardest days imaginable after her husband David was diagnosed with life-limiting pancreatic cancer in February 2022.
“The devastation we felt was indescribable, yet Rowcroft from the outset provided crucial kindness, advice and support to both of us at the worst possible time of our lives,” says Ruth.
“David’s brief and brutal illness meant that he had several admissions to hospital, and this was extremely distressing for him. However, Rowcroft was able to offer us the Hospice at Home service, where he was much more comfortable. The few days he spent at home were the best we could’ve hoped for and Rowcroft’s nurses were with us whenever we needed them, ensuring he was safe and pain-free. I will be forever grateful that we were able to bring him home where he passed away peacefully.
“Sadly, nearly everyone at some point in their life will experience the trauma of life-limiting illness, either directly or as a loved one, and the crucial services and the support that Rowcroft offers shine a light in the overwhelming darkness.”
How you can make a difference
Helping people have the best days at the end of life
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The gift of home care
£25 could fund an hour of care during a first home visit by a Rowcroft nurse, so they can start offering tailored specialist support to a patient and their loved ones.
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The gift of comfort
£40 could go towards funding 2 hours of 24-hour care, so our Hospice at Home team can provide dedicated support by a patient’s side making their journey more manageable and peaceful.
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The gift of emotional support
£60 could offer emotional support to four bereaved people and provide six bereavement sessions so they are not alone in their grief.
Watch Ben’s video to see how your support creates precious moments for our patients and their loved ones
Caring for more people in need
“Being diagnosed with a life-limiting illness turns the lives of patients and their loved ones upside down,” said Mark Hawkins, CEO of Rowcroft Hospice. “Not only must they manage complex symptoms but they often also experience an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety. With the support of our donors, Rowcroft can make a profound difference by offering care and support to people through these unimaginably difficult times.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the NHS for funding 24% of our services, but we’re also acutely aware that as a charity we lack the resources to meet the spiralling demand for care in our community – it is estimated that by 2040, demand for palliative care in Britain is expected to increase by 25%. Through this Appeal and by expanding our services and continuing to act as a beacon of excellence in end-of-life care education and training for local health and social care professionals across the region, we’ll be able to provide care for more people who need us.”
How you can help
There are so many different ways that you can make a real difference for local families:
- GIVE – Make a regular or a one-off donation
- PLAY – Play our weekly lottery and be in with a chance of winning some fabulous cash prizes including a top prize of £1,000 every Friday
- TAKE PART – Take your pick from a range of exciting fundraising events
- PLEDGE – Leave a legacy for the future through a gift in your Will
- SUPPORT – Show how much the hospice means to you by joining us as a volunteer or supporting our shops and cafés