Ayrshire Hospice joins national campaign to change perceptions of hospice care

The Ayrshire Hospice is proud to be one of over 143 hospices across Scotland, England and Wales participating in the “This is Hospice Care” campaign, a national initiative facilitated by Hospice UK.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the vital role hospices play in communities and to shift public perceptions of hospice care.

The campaign, launched this month, has already captured hearts and minds through a powerful TV advert based on real life hospice stories. The goal is to encourage people to consider leaving a gift in their Will to support their local hospice, ensuring that these essential services can continue to provide their compassionate and specialist care for future generations.

Lucy Glendinning, Ayrshire Hospice Senior Fundraiser Individual Giving and Legacies, said of the project: “We’re thrilled to be part of this important campaign that not only highlights the critical work we do in the community, but also the lasting impact that gifts in Wills can have on our ability to continue caring for people in our wards and peoples’ homes across Ayrshire and Arran.”

The Ayrshire Hospice encourages local residents to consider the profound impact that a gift in their Will can have. Alison Wright, whose dad John Connell left a legacy to the Ayrshire Hospice, explained his reasons.

She said: “We, as a family, were always hugely grateful to what the hospice did for Mum.

“Dad was so thankful to the hospice that after Mum died, he became a volunteer driver for the hospice for a number of years. He made sure there was a legacy left in his Will for the Hospice – his ‘little bit’, as he put it – to enable the good work of the Hospice to carry on.

“That was the final ‘thank you’ from my dad.”

For the Ayrshire Hospice, legacy giving is a key source of their income. In 2023-24, gifts in Wills helped to fund a one in four of the In-Patient stays the Ayrshire Hospice provided.