North London Hospice is proud to be one of over 140 UK hospices joining the campaign to raise awareness of their vital care and the importance of gifts in wills, as they face rising demand.

The hospices are taking part in the This is Hospice Care campaign, a national collaboration of 143 hospices across England, Scotland and Wales, brought together by Hospice UK, which launches on 17 February. The campaign includes a powerful national TV campaign based on real life stories from people who have experienced hospice care that challenge misconceptions about hospices, showing the breadth of care and support they provide and highlighting their place at the heart of local communities.

North London Hospice is one of 12 London hospices to sign up to the campaign. They serve a population of millions of Londoners and directly care for around 25,000 people every year and their loved ones. That’s enough people to fill more than 280 London double decker buses.

Last year, the cost of hospice care for 1 in 7 Londoners was paid for thanks to gifts in wills. 3,657 adults and children and their loved ones benefited from free hospice care in the capital last year thanks to the generosity of people choosing to leave a gift in their will to a hospice. New data released from Hospice UK today suggests legacy donations to hospices in Great Britain fund the equivalent of hospice care for 30,000 people per year, or 6,000 hospice nurses every year.

The hospices are now calling on Londoners to consider leaving a gift in their will to their local hospice, to ensure that the vital care they provide is secured for future generations. A new Hospice UK website, which launches today – www.thisishospicecare.org.uk – helps people find their local adult or children’s hospice, ensuring that the legacy they leave will directly help members of their community.

Leaving a gift in a will

Whether a percentage of an estate, a set amount, or an asset such as property – helps fund hospice care for future generations. This flexibility means that any gift of any size will positively impact the care of people at the end of their lives.

Anna Cooper, Director of Fundraising and Communications at North London Hospice said: “We have been at the heart of our community for more than 40 years. People rely on us to be there for them, and provide services that the NHS cannot, but we are facing a real challenge. By leaving a gift to us in their will, people can ensure that we can continue to be there for others in the future. We are so grateful to those in our community who support us, without them, we simply wouldn’t be here.”