Hospice Care Week

For one week in October, Hospice Care Week shines a spotlight on our brilliant hospices, and their amazing staff. We’ll do this through telling their stories, hearing their voices, campaigning to policymakers, and harnessing the collective power of the hospice sector – that includes hospice supporters like you.

But it’s also an opportunity to speak up about the injustices they face, and make change.

We know local communities do incredible things to support their hospices – from donating to shops, to running marathons. But hospices need more support from governments to be able to play their full part in meeting the challenges we face in the UK’s healthcare system.

And right now, that government funding is falling short. For the first time ever, more money has been spent in hospice shops than has been given to hospices by the state. We don't think that’s right. You can read more about that, below.

This year, Hospice Care Week takes place from 7 - 13 October 2024. This year’s theme will be all about hospice retail, and the role it plays in funding hospice services. We’ll be celebrating the brilliant contribution of hospice shops to what we do – and highlighting to governments why they should do more.

Anyone can get involved in Hospice Care Week.

There are some really easy ways to show your support for Hospice Care Week – in whatever way works for you.

You could:

• Connect with your local hospice, by popping into your local hospice shop and picking up a few items - you could even post photos of them on social media with the hashtag #HospiceCareWeek
• Read one or more of the Hospice Care Week retail stories, below, on our website
• Watch the Hospice Care Week film, above
• Share our film, or any of our stories, on your social media networks
• Talk to friends, family or colleagues about Hospice Care Week – maybe they’d be keen to support the campaign too!
• Consider making a donation to Hospice UK in support of Hospice Care Week: by donating, you’re helping fight for hospice care for all, for now and forever.

The more people we can get sharing our posts on social media, telling stories about amazing hospice shops, their staff and volunteers, or even putting a poster up at work, the more power we’ll have to stop the hospice funding crisis and get hospices fairer funding.

Resources

To help you, your hospice or organisation make the most of Hospice Care Week, you can download a suite of resources for events, fundraising, and social media assets. 

Planning on fundraising?

Do you want to fundraise for Hospice UK? You can! Discover how easy it can be to support hospices across the UK. 

This year’s Hospice Care Week theme is all about hospice retail.

Why?

Hospices are facing huge financial pressure. The modest amounts of funding they receive from governments are forcing them to cut their vital services.

All the UK’s hospices rely on fundraising to keep their doors open, and keep caring for people at the end of life. Bake sales, fun runs and second-hand clothes are funding vital services.

But those services shouldn’t have to depend on the generosity of the public.

Despite the incredible support of loyal local communities, hospices now find themselves in an impossible position.

Services are being cut. Inpatient beds are closing. Community services are being reduced.

Vital health and social care staff are being made redundant at a time when their work is needed more than ever.

That’s why this Hospice Care Week, we’re uncovering the injustice that more money is now spent buying second hand goods in hospice shops than hospices receive from the Government. 

Jeans, books and CDs are funding vital services. And while it is brilliant that hospice shops provide affordable everyday items for our communities, and raise millions every year, we don’t think it’s right that government funding is coming up short.

Something needs to change. Help us get the message to government decision-makers this Hospice Care Week.

Hospice care eases the physical and emotional pain of death and dying. It’s there when we need it the most – when our family and friends are near the end of life, when they need respite, when they need support.

Thousands of brilliant hospice staff provide exceptional care every single day.

But they should be properly funded by governments, not through hospices’ shops and fundraising.

That’s why, this Hospice Care Week, we’ll be supporting you to celebrate the hospice retail staff and volunteers who help fund our nation’s hospice care.