Founded in 1979, St David’s Hospice Care in Newport is the largest provider of hospice at home care in Wales and the only provider of in-patient hospice care within Gwent and South Powys.
The charity offers a broad range of support services including four day hospices, a 10 bed in-patient hospice and a range of family support services. Typically each year they care for over 3,300 patients and their families.
St David’s applied to the Foundation for a Capital grant to help build a new 15-bed in-patient hospice to replace their existing 10-bed hospice based in a rented building which was no longer fit for purpose. The new hospice will enable the organisation to expand in-patient palliative care service for patients with life threatening or terminal illnesses, provide accommodation for relatives, a new community café and create training and secondment opportunities for NHS and care home staff, thereby increasing the organisation’s ability to generate earned income.
When St David’s applied to the Foundation they had secured approximately 80% of the Capital project costs including grants from the local authority, Welsh Government and the organisation’s own reserves. Given the high levels of deprivation in South Wales, the organisation decided to focus their Capital appeal on Trusts and Foundations whilst continuing to aim their revenue fundraising at the local community and businesses. As with many Capital appeals, St David’s was finding securing the final funds challenging and did not want to take on a loan, which would increase their ongoing running costs. In recognition of the organisation’s efforts to diversify its income sources the Trustees were delighted to make a grant to help complete St David’s Capital appeal.
“The support from Garfield Weston has enabled us to attract support from other grant-making bodies that recognise the new in-patient hospice will provide much needed care and support for our patients, and their families, who need help toward the end of their lives. Without support from Garfield Weston we would have struggled to raise the funds needed. The timing of the grant was critical to progress.” Emma Saysell, CEO.