Financial crisis at hospice points to nationwide threat to charities
A financial crisis threatening the future of a hospice at home service that looks after hundreds in Gloucestershire every year has been adverted, but it flags a serious concern UK-wide.
Dear reader,
It was a very simple line in the press release we received about a much-loved Gloucestershire charity that caught my eye; that here was a charity that looks after us as we are in our final days, giving us the dignity to do so at home, and it was facing a financial crisis.
Demand is rising dramatically, money was rising - but simply not by enough. As if so often the case, the question was ‘why?’.
It seemed a story worth making more of - firstly, because it turns out it is a worrying trend afflicting many small charities in the UK and forcing many of them to cut back their services or close.
And it’s worth highlighting because it shines a light on a wonderful charity here in the county that provides a service you simply don’t know how valuable it is, until you need it for yourself or your loved one.
And because it shows how the solution to its immediate crisis was found when a generous benefactor stepped forward from right here in Gloucestershire. Which I thought was a very positive spin to put on a story that sounds like it’s not going to go away for a while.
Have a great weekend.
Best regards,
Andrew Merrell (editor).
Your briefing notes…
🔎 There are calls for answers over a case of a Liberal Democrat-led council awarding more than £80,000 worth of work to companies with alleged undeclared links to officers and a councillor. A counter fraud investigation was launched after whistleblowing concerns were raised over procurement at Cotswold District Council (CDC) in October 2024. The counter-fraud and enforcement unit looked into allegations that three companies were engaged outside of the contract rules, according to a report presented at last week’s audit and governance committee meeting. More here.
🍽️ A new rooftop restaurant could soon be a feature of the Regent Arcade in Cheltenham. Scott Lahive, the manager of the centre, has confirmed that Canada Life, which owns the arcade and adjacent Cavendish House, has plans to remove the glass walkway coupling the two buildings. The move will pave the way for the single-level restaurant which will overlook Regent Street. Canada Life has gone quite on previous plans centred around the atrium above the entrance arcade’s entrance onto Regent Street, last talked about two years ago now.
Lions at Large Charity Auction raises £220,000
As we’re on a charity theme this edition it seemd only right to slot this into the mix. Nearly 200 guests filled Gloucester Cathedral for the auction of the lion sculptures that made up this summer’s Lions at Large Pride of Gloucestershire Trail. The trail saw 32 lions and 54 little lions on the streets of the county as part of an interactive map to help people explore. It was all in aid of what is called The Big Space Cancer Appeal, which is seeking to raise funds towards a new dedicated cancer treatment centre for the county in Cheltenham. The auction raised £220,000 towards the appeal, with the overall lion-related campaign bringing in £370,000 in total. Richard Smith, associate director of the charity, said the funds helped make the dream - of the new centre - even closer.
This weekend...
Friday
Celtic folk and punk rock band Ferocious Dog are due to turn up the volume at The Sub Rooms, Stroud, tonight from 7.30pm.
Saturday
Gloucester Rugby play Bath away at 7.30pm. The next home game is against Bristol, on Friday 17 October at 7.45pm.
Gloucester City FC, sitting second in Souther South, play Scholing FC at 3pm at home.
Cheltenham Town FC will be seeking their third win in 12 league games when they take on Gillingham away at 3pm.
Sounds of the Sistine Chapel. Experience Palestrina’s legacy and Allegri’s haunting Miserere by candlelight in Tewkesbury Abbey’s stunning acoustic. From 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
Featured upcoming event…
Gloucestershire B Local, the county group championing the B Corp movement of businesses and organisations, is due to stage its latest webinar on Tuesday 14 October. The digital gathering will focus on best practice, on how to cut your digital footprint, looking at everything from website hosting to reducing the carbon footprint of IT equipment. On the panel talking about how to design for lower impact (including AI), will be Shaun Uthup, creative director and founder of Cheltenham-based Sozo Design, on the (digital) cloud and storage for lower impact, Todd Gifford managing director of Optimising IT, on green hosting, Bethan Unsworth, co-founder and account manager at ReforestHosting, and talking about what to do with waste hardware, Geoffrey Newsome, CEO, of ITSA Digital Trust. You can register for your place in the free webinar here.
And further into next week...
Sunflowers Suicide Support has sent out an open invitation to its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 16th October, 6pm to 8pm at Waterside House, Bonds Mill, Stonehouse GL10 3RF. You can book your place here.
Gloucestershire Tech Week: Cyber security and technology community, CyNam, has revealed its global line-up for the Secure Futures Series – a week-long programme from 13 to 17 of October.
Part of the above Tech Week... founders and leaders from the cyber world share how Gloucestershire’s unique ecosystem helped them grow sustainably through support, community, and connection. More here.
There is a charity starlight 10k hike in aid of Sue Ryder due to take place on 18 October from 6pm, starting from Ashley Manor Preparatory School (GL52 6NR). More here.
The Royal Agricultural University is due to stage its next public lecture on Wednesday 22 October. The topic will be the urgent need for sustainable farming practices. More here.
Willans LLP solicitors is due to stage a special seminar - Real Estate unlocked: from lease terms to litigation seminar - on October 23. More here.
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Financial crisis at hospice points to nationwide threat to charities
A financial crisis threatening the future of a hospice at home service that looks after hundreds in Gloucestershire every year has been adverted, thanks to a rather unusual benefactor.
By Andrew Merrell.
A perfect storm created by a dramatic rise in the number of people in Gloucestershire needing hospice care at home and a tough fundraising environment has resulted in a financial crisis at a much-loved county charity.
Longfield Community Hospice saw a 25 per cent rise last year in the number of people supported by its counselling team and a 12 per cent rise in the number of patients under its care last year.
Its team supported 1,110 patients, family members and carers during 2024 and made 8,861 visits to provide end-of-life care for individuals – a 16 per cent increase.
But it all coincided with the impact of rising staff costs due to the increase in the minimum wage and National Insurance contributions, a drop in retail sales at its vital shops, a tough fundraising environment and a below-inflation rise in NHS funding.
Which left the Minchinhampton-headquartered charity, which raises 85 per cent of its funds from its high street shops and needs £5 million a year to make ends meet, facing what it called a “financial crisis”.
Its saviour came not in the form of a wealthy benefactor, but another charity - Stroud Hospitals League of Friends, which has agreed to a three-year grant for Longfield Community Hospice.
It’s great news, but it begets a far wider crisis in the third sector. More of which below.
Margaret Greaves, chairwoman of Stroud Hospitals League of Friends, said: “The League has entered a grant arrangement with the hospice to support the provision of their Hospice at Home care delivered within the Stroud and Stonehouse areas over three tranches, one for each of the next three years.
“We already had a strong awareness of Longfield and in the past had given smaller sums through our community funding. We are aware that Longfield is currently needing as much support as it is possible to receive to sustain everything it does.
“All 10 of our trustees know of someone who has benefited from or been supported by Longfield so for us it was one of those very easy decisions to make, it was such a worthy organisation within our footprint that we had consensus to do this.”
According to the Charity Commission for England Wales, the situation being faced by the Longfield is being experienced by many more of our much-need smaller charities.
Some of its latest data, published more than a year ago now (April 2024), said “that on average larger charities saw both income and expenditure grow, while lower income charities saw expenditure outweighing their income”.
Helen Stephenson, CEO of the Charity Commission, said:
“Charities are part of the fabric of our communities, and this data from 2022 indicates a very substantial sector with a surprising degree of resilience.
“Since then, the cost-of-living crisis and inflation have amplified demands on charity finances, resulting in a mixed picture across the sector. Some are facing unsustainable demands.”
Upon learning of plight of the Longfield, the League of Friends, which has a long-standing relationship with Longfield and this year, agreed to a £90,000 grant this year and further £90,000 for each of the next two financial years.
The funds will support the provision of Hospice at Home nursing care for residents in the Stroud and Stonehouse areas, a service the charity has been providing for 40 years.
Sally Pearson, chairwoman of Longfield Community Hospice Trustees, said: “We are very grateful to the Stroud Hospitals League of Friends for considering our current position and, following a long and close relationship with us, deciding to agree to this grant.
“Our Hospice at Home service is a key service that we fully aim to sustain for future generations. This funding will be instrumental in caring for people in our immediate community.”
The Government’s own Charity Commission for England and Wales is transparent about the serious challenge facing the charity sector, showing that the Longfield is far from alone.
“During the recent cost of living crisis, many charities have faced a triple threat from increased running costs, greater demand for their services and reducing income.
The Charity Commission for England and Wales said: “Our recent research highlights a fall in the number of people saying they have donated or raised funds for charity, alongside a steep increase in the number of people who have received help from a charity.
“Meanwhile, our most recently published analysis of annual returns to the Commission shows smaller charities experiencing reductions in income and a rise in expenditure.
Some charities have had no choice but to cut back on what they do. For example, Hospice UK has highlighted that one in five hospices in the UK have cut or closed their services in the last year or are planning to do so.