It can be of great comfort to those we leave behind, to know that in our last moments we were comfortable, well looked after and surrounded by those that we love.
Anne Brown, from Saint Francis Hospice in Romford, explains how you can leave a gift in your Will to help others in need of care and support and offer their families this peace of mind.
Q: How can my donation help the hospice care for others in the community?
A: Your donation can give so many families the support and care that we all want for our loved ones. It allows us to be there for people in their hour of need.
A gift of £606 left in your Will can pay for a person’s entire stay on the ward at the hospice – where they will be looked after by our teams of doctors, nurses, and carers free of charge.
The restrictions of COVID-19 have made visiting loved ones challenging. We’ve worked hard to keep things as normal as possible for our patients and their loved ones, and decided to allow family visits to continue.
We followed all government guidelines to make this as safe as possible while doing all we can to put families and patients first and allowing them to stay together.
A donation of £10,000 in your Will could provide 185 hours of care from our Hospice at Home service, who care for people in their own homes during the last days of their life. With your donation, we can support our patients to make their passing as gentle and peaceful as possible, making the trauma of losing a loved one that little bit easier to cope with for family members they leave behind.
Q: Why does the hospice need donations to continue the work it does?
A: Only 23pc of our funding comes from the government. We rely on the generous help and support from the local community to continue to provide care to those who need it. Fundraising has been difficult this year because of lockdown and social distancing – we’ve had to cancel all of our events and can’t speak to people face-to-face.
This is why we’re asking people to consider leaving us a gift in their Will. Any amount can help and will really make a difference. It’s a wonderful way to be remembered and I truly believe it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give.
Q: How can I leave a gift in my Will?
A: We’ve partnered with Bequeathed who are offering a free online Will-writing service to Saint Francis Hospice supporters.
Follow their step-by-step guide to make setting up your Will painless and straightforward. They’ll explain more about how you can leave a gift in your Will, what things to consider and put you in touch with a solicitor if you need legal advice.
You can nominate an exact amount or a proportion of your estate to be left to the hospice.
You don’t have to leave us a gift, but we would love it if you did. Your gift can be anonymous if you prefer, but it’s always great to know our benefactors. It’s a privilege to hear people’s stories and I love having the chance to thank people personally.
Q: How can I find out more?
A: Saint Francis Hospice is one of the largest adult hospices in the UK. We serve the growing populations of Havering, Brentwood, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, and West Essex, providing care and support to individuals and their loved ones in the last few weeks and days of their life.
Visit sfh.org.uk/leave-a-gift-in-your-will to find out more about leaving a gift in your Will.
Contact me on 01708 753319 or email me at annebrown@sfh.org.uk to share your story or tell us about a donation you’ve made.
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