St Cuthbert’s Hospice joins National Legacy Campaign to secure future care

St Cuthbert’s Hospice is proud to be part of This is Hospice Care, a nationwide initiative led by Hospice UK to highlight the power of legacy giving in sustaining hospice services across the UK. By joining forces with over 140 hospices, we aim to raise awareness about the vital role of hospice care and inspire people to consider leaving a gift in their Will.

Each year, St Cuthbert’s Hospice provides compassionate care to thousands of  individuals and families with life-limiting illnesses. Legacy gifts play a hugely pivotal role in funding this care—helping us ensure that no one faces the end of life alone. Without gifts in wills, we simply couldn’t provide the level of care, expertise and support that we are known for.

We are among many hospices across the country who have been forced to announce cuts to services and jobs following spiralling costs and a surge in demand for care. This is only set to increase. Government intervention before Christmas saw a welcome £100m capital funding boost for hospices. This short-term injection of funds will help ease immediate financial pressures for some hospices for the next two years but it does not solve the ongoing funding crisis affecting the sector.

Leaving a gift in your Will – whether a percentage of an estate, a set amount, or an asset such as property – ensures that we can be here for those who need us, today and for generations to come.

What is the ‘This is Hospice Care’ campaign?

Showing patients surrounded by their families with an ever-present hospice nurse on hand to support them, receiving physiotherapy then heading home on a motorcycle or being cared for in their own home – This is Hospice Care – breaks down common misconceptions about what hospice care is, while delivering an emotional overview of the realities of care.

Hospice care is more than many people imagine. It’s not just about end-of-life support—it’s about helping people live well, supporting families, and offering comfort and dignity in life’s most challenging moments. Yet, hospice care is not fully funded by the NHS, and we rely on the generosity of our community to help us continue providing our services.

The majority of the money Hospices need is delivered by fundraising and donations — including by money left in Wills.

Produced by Hospice UK, the television advert campaign encourages viewers to search for their own local hospice and puts hospices at the very heart of their communities, including here in County Durham.