About us
North London Hospice is a registered charity that has been caring for local people since 1984. We are committed to empowering patients with life-limiting illnesses, supporting them to achieve the best quality of life possible.
We welcome people from all faiths and communities within the boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. We are now also able to offer some of our services to people within Camden and Islington. We provide physical, emotional and spiritual care to patients and families, friends and carers.
Everyone is treated as an individual and our multi-professional team consists of specially trained doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, counsellors and chaplains. Everyone working at North London Hospice is committed to ensuring that patients receive our full support, enabling them to choose how they receive our care. Our goal is to help patients live life to the full despite their illness.
As well as our Inpatient Unit at Woodside Avenue (N12), where patients receive 24 hour care, we also work within the wider community to improve people’s quality of life. Our Outpatient and Wellbeing services, where patients visit and enjoy a wide variety of activities and therapies, to providing support in our patients’ homes, to our Community Palliative Care Teams.
As a registered charity, North London Hospice provides free Specialist Palliative Care Services. We receive some government funding, rely on donations and legacies to meet the cost of providing our exceptional care and support. In 2023/24 we budgeted £15.9 million to fund our services.
Our care
North London Hospice is committed to providing the highest quality palliative and end of life care.
Fundraising
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Latest news
Latest news on North London Hospice services, fundraising activity and patient and family experiences.
Our history
In 1981 St. Columbus Hospital finally closed its doors after operating for nearly 100 years as North London’s only long-stay hospital. Up until that point it had been the only place where those suffering with a life-limiting illness could receive treatment in North London. Hospitals would usually discharge people back into the community with no after care. Those who were unable to afford their own private help were unable to get the care they needed.
It was an unacceptable situation for North London’s residents, and one that galvanised a local Highgate GP, Dr Chris Hindley, to take action. He formed a small working group to begin the long process of creating North London Hospice, and was soon joined by Harriet Copperman OBE, who was to become the public face of the hospice with her outreach team.
“Right from the start, I stipulated that the new place was to have a simple name – just North London Hospice,” says Dr Hindley, “with no specific religious connotation. I felt strongly that the two other London hospices were connected to the Catholic and Anglican faiths and that this hospice should be for everyone.”
During this time the Jewish community also began planning the development of a hospice, and after some lengthy negotiations with Dr Hindley and the team it was decided that the Jewish Welfare Board (now Jewish Care) would formally join the North London Hospice Group.
In summer 1987 a possible site in Woodside Avenue, Finchley, was identified. The land was owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster. Soon after, contracts were signed and this is how North London Hospice, the UK’s very first multi-faith hospice was born.
However, it certainly wasn’t all plain sailing. On numerous occasions the project nearly faltered, and it would be years before North London Hospice finally became a reality. But with the tireless help and support of many groups and individuals along the way, such as the Peabody Trust, the Jewish Welfare Board, and Melvyn Carlowe OBE, Chris Hindley’s vision was finally realised.
The hospice began operating a community service in 1984. In 1992 the current hospice building on Woodside Avenue was opened and the multi-professional service expanded to include inpatients and day services.
Over 35 years have gone by since Dr Hindley, Harriet Copperman OBE and Melvyn Carlowe OBE first developed the idea of a hospice for the people of North London. Thanks to them and everyone who has donated time, services and money over the years, the hospice now brings much-needed specialist care to those living locally with a life-limiting illness.
“We now work across 3 London boroughs, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. “I do feel proud and very pleased that North London Hospice is here and helping so many local people. In fact, I can’t believe how far we have come. It still gives me such pleasure to come to events here like the annual Light Up A Life and mingle with local people and their families. The help and support of the local community is so important; we wouldn’t be here without it.
“It pleases me that I was able to set the ball rolling and give the hospice the necessary push it needed – but this thing still needs steering. Now that I am semi-retired, I have time to think about where the hospice is going and what the future holds and I can see that our work is far from over!”
1984
Home care & social work services begin from Harriet Copperman's flat in Muswell Hill
1988
Building appeal launched and first shop opens
1992
Purpose built multi-faith hospice opens in North Finchley
1993
Day Centre welcomes its first patients
1999
Room of quiet, library, lecture room and extra offices added
2004
First Enfield Palliative Care Team run by North London Hospice
2007
Hospice at home established
2008
Parts of original building refurbished and facilities updated
2011
Building work starts on new Day Services centre in Enfield
2012
New hospice building opens and Day Services transferred to Enfield
Vision, Purpose and Values
Our Vision
The best of life, at the end-of-life, for everyone.
Our Purpose
Working together to provide palliative care and support, when and where you need us most.
The needs of patients, families, and the local community we serve is changing all the time and we recognise that we need to change too to meet those needs. Our Strategic Plan sets out our ambitious objectives and captures our passion for reaching more people and doing what we can to help those who need us.
We know that what we do makes a difference and looking forward we want to make a bigger difference, for more people.
Our strategy is focused on sustainable long-term impact and our ambition is for everyone to have the best possible end of life experience, including all the things that are important to people at the end of their life.
Download our Strategic Plan 2021-2025
If you have feedback, questions, or comments about our Strategic Plan then please email commentsandcompliments@northlondonhospice.co.uk
The needs of patients, families, and the local community we serve is changing all the time and we recognise that we need to change too to meet those needs. This document sets out our ambitious plans and captures our passion for reaching more people and doing what we can to help those who need us. We know that what we do makes a difference and looking forward we want to make a bigger difference, for more people.Our strategy is focused on sustainable long-term impact and our ambition is for everyone to have the best possible end of life experience, including all the things that are important to people at the end of their life. North London Hospice has traditionally enjoyed close relationships with the communities that we serve and, as such, have responded to local demands for new, or increased, care and support for people who are dying and bereaved. We are a major employer of professionals who have significant specialist skills, and we support professionals working in other settings to develop similar skills. Our Hospice will continue to play a crucial role in helping multiple services work effectively together to meet the needs and resilience of individuals living with a variety of conditions and in supporting people in transition between services, sectors, and specialisms. North London Hospice is ideally placed to innovate in the development of new models of care and the skills needed to deliver this strategy and to be the leading provider in the future provision of specialist palliative care services across the Boroughs of Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey.
Our Values
Collaborative and Learning
Share learning, educate and work supportively together
Open and Honest
Be clear and transparent in the way we work and respond to others
Respectful and Empowering
Be kind, enable and value everyone’s contribution
Equal and Inclusive
Treat people fairly, be welcoming and involve them
North London Hospice Environmental Pledge
The North London Hospice Environmental Pledge relates to services and activities undertaken by the hospice and applies to all our staff and volunteers. We are committed to minimising the environmental impact of our day to day activities and recognise we have a responsibility to deliver our services in the most environmentally sensitive manner possible.
As an organisation North London Hospice is committed to:
• Ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation and regulations relating to environmental issues.
• Regularly reviewing the environmental impact of our activities, endeavouring to reduce our overall environmental impact and prevent waste.
• Developing an environmental programme to engage staff and volunteers to increase awareness of environmental issues and enable them to complete their tasks in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
As an individual all North London Hospice staff and volunteers can reduce their impact on the environmental by:
• Minimising resource wastage including lighting, heating, water and materials such as paper
• Recycling/re-using wherever possible – this includes making donations to our charity shops
• Considering daily journeys – is it possible to walk /cycle/use public transport?
• Engaging with environmental initiatives and becoming a North London Hospice Green champion
North London Hospice will continue to strive to offer a full range of services and activities while reducing its environmental impact.