NORTH DEVON HOSPICE'S CARE IN HOLSWORTHY BOOSTED, BY LEAGUE OF FRIENDS' INCREDIBLE FINAL GIFT

"We simply cannot find words that feel big enough to express our gratitude for this extraordinary gift."

North Devon Hospice has received a landmark donation of £73,414 from the Holsworthy Hospital League of Friends. This means more people in the Holsworthy area can get vital care and support from the hospice towards the end of life, provided closer to their home.

The League of Friends was originally established to support Holsworthy Community Hospital. With beds closed and services sadly stripped back, the trustees have taken the decision to wind down the charity, but their final act is an incredible donation to North Devon Hospice which will leave a legacy of care for local patients and families facing a life-limiting illness.

The donation will directly support patients and families at The Long House, North Devon Hospice's outreach centre in Holsworthy. Opened in 2015, The Long House was purpose-built to bring care closer to home for people living in this remote corner of North Devon, removing the need for a two-hour round trip to the hospice's main site in Barnstaple for many of the services patients and families rely on. It currently supports hundreds of local people every year, who are helped through every moment of their journey with a life-limiting illness.

This significant gift means even more people facing a life-limiting illness in the Holsworthy area, and their loved ones, can access expert care, comfort and support closer to home.

Stephen Roberts, Chief Executive of North Devon Hospice, said the gift was one of the most moving the hospice has received:

"We simply cannot find words that feel big enough to express our gratitude for this extraordinary gift. This is far more than a donation. It’s an act of remarkable kindness, trust and generosity that will have a lasting impact on the people and families we’re privileged to care for throughout Holsworthy and the surrounding area.

"For decades, the League of Friends has stood beside Holsworthy Community Hospital, raising funds, giving their time, and ensuring countless patients received the best care possible. While it’s incredibly sad that the position of the hospital has led to this difficult decision, there is something profoundly moving about the group’s final act. Their remarkable legacy does not come to an end. Instead, the League of Friends has chosen to invest in the future of compassionate care within the same community they have served so faithfully for decades

"A gift of this scale is transformational. It will enable North Devon Hospice to reach more patients in their own homes, support more families through some of life's most difficult moments at The Long House, and ensure that people facing the end of life receive expert care, comfort and dignity when they need it most. Every patient we support, every family we comfort, every hand we hold, will carry a little of their legacy with it."

Stephen Roberts added:

"Holsworthy and the surrounding villages hold a special place in our work, because we believe everyone deserves care close to home when facing a life-limiting illness. That's exactly why The Long House exists, and why this gift means so much.

"This donation will help our team be there for even more patients and families in Holsworthy, at their most vulnerable moments, without them having to travel far from home to receive it. We are enormously grateful to the League of Friends for their trust in us, and we are committed to making sure this gift goes on changing lives in this community for years to come."

North Devon Hospice’s care in the Holsworthy area includes services provided every week at The Long House, including counselling, relaxing therapies, group support and more.

People are also supported in their own homes in the Holsworthy area, with a dedicated Clinical Nurse Specialist covering the locality to provide expert care, relieving pain and other complex symptoms. Care is also provided by North Devon Hospice’s Hospice to Home team, with multiple daily visits helping patients to remain in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by their family and friends, as the end of life approaches.

To find out more about supporting this vital work, in Holsworthy and across North Devon, visit northdevonhospice.org.uk.