Just 29% of the funding that Havens Hospices needs to provide its vital services comes from the Government, with the rest coming from kind-hearted people in local communities who make donations, take part in events, or leave a gift in their will.

Havens Hospices provides specialist support across Essex for people of all ages living with incurable conditions and their families so they can get the most from life and continue to make every day count with the time they have together.

Between April 23 and March 24, more than 2,200 people were cared for by Fair Havens in Prittlewell (which provides care and support to adults in Southend, Castle Point, and Rochford) and Little Havens in Thundersley (which provides care for babies, children, and young people living in Essex). This doesn’t include the countless family members who also benefited from the wraparound support that is provided by the hospices.

Hospices across the UK are facing difficult financial decisions as rising demand coupled with increasing costs is adding pressure to these independent charities.

The growing demand for Havens Hospices’ care comes at a time when the charity is planning a ‘deficit’ budget, which means the cost of providing its vital care is likely to be more than its income. The gap will be met by reserves. Almost all hospices will be doing the same as government funding has not kept pace with rising costs such as healthcare staff salaries (which are matched to the NHS), utility bills and medical supplies.

Havens Hospices CEO Steve Smith says, “Whilst a sustainable model of government funding will afford us better stability, it’s the fundraising that makes hospice care special. This independence allows us to personalise the care we can provide, helping people create precious memories they wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere.

“We are absolutely dedicated to not cutting any of our services and are actually looking to expand our care provision at Little Havens.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our community for their ongoing, incredible support. Whilst we know they will support the call for increased Government support, they also recognise the importance of securing the future of hospice care for them and their loved ones and want to play their part in this.”

Havens Hospices’ care is provided absolutely free of charge to those who need it thanks to the kindness and generosity of the community and needs to raise more than £124,000 a week to be there for everyone who needs them. No one can explain the importance of fundraising better than those who have experienced our care first-hand.

In 2018 at the age of 78, Christine was diagnosed with lung cancer and soon began to visit Fair Havens for Creative Therapy sessions.

She lived with her long-term partner of 37 years, Bob, in Benfleet, who cared for her at home with support from palliative care nurses until 2021, when she was admitted to Fair Havens. Christine died at the hospice on 20 June 2021, aged 81.

Bob said, “Christine loved her time at Fair Havens, especially the Creative Therapy sessions. That’s why she decided to leave a gift in her will to Havens Hospices, so they could continue to help people like her.

“There are not enough words for me to express the importance of what they do and what they did for both of us.”

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Janet Taylor Fane and Maureen Fitzpatrick, two nurses who work at Southend-based Fair Havens, part of Havens Hospices, jetted off to Morocco for a week in March to tackle 60 miles in the Sahara desert – the largest hot desert in the world.

Janet, from Southend said: “Havens Hospices is a charity close to my heart. Not only do I work at such a wonderful place but I have also had my own friends and family that have needed the care and support of the hospice. The care provided had a huge impact on them and my own family. The services delivered were outstanding and I want other people to understand that a hospice is not just a place to die but a place to learn how to live again with the right support.

“The charity plays such a vital role in our community, so I want to give back and raise awareness of the work we do and how vital donations are.”

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Kat and Nick Wright made a generous donation to cover the cost of a day of care at Little Havens which cared for their son Noah, who died aged 4 in 2020.

Noah was born a healthy twin with his sister Ella in December 2015 but at three years old he was diagnosed with a cancerous, inoperable and terminal brain tumour.

Following Noah’s diagnosis, one of the nurses from Little Havens visited the family at their home. She explained how the hospice could support Noah, his twin sister Ella and their parents through the most difficult time in their lives. The family was supported by Little Havens with respite and symptom management stays through Noah’s illness.

After Noah died, the family set up the ‘Noah’s Rainbow’ fund to raise money for Little Havens and Abbie’s Army, an organisation which supports specific research into the type of brain tumour Noah was diagnosed with, DIPG.

In just two years ‘Noah’s Rainbow’ has raised over an incredible £14,000. The money raised for Little Havens has paid for 24 hours of care at the hospice in Noah’s memory through the charity’s ‘Pay for a Day’ scheme.

Kat said, “We really hope by fundraising and paying for a day of care at Little Havens that, with Noah’s legacy, we are helping other families who need the support of the hospice.”

Nick, added, “If people didn’t donate before then we wouldn’t have had those experiences and all those memories that we have at Little Havens, and you can’t put a price on that.”

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Simon Lambert from Westcliff has tackled a 480-mile cycle from Scotland to Southend in memory of his son.

His five-year-old son, Archie, was cared for by Little Havens, at the end of his life after nearly two years of treatment for a DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) brain tumour.

After making it his mission to raise as much money as possible for all the charities that supported Archie, including Little Havens, Simon set off on his challenge in April to tackle the tough ‘Leigh to Leigh’ cycle.

Simon raised more than £10,000 with a share donated to Little Havens.

Speaking about Little Havens and the care his family received during Archie’s last days, Simon said, “We are eternally grateful for the support and memories they gave us. I was truly humbled by the help and support from the nurses and carers at the hospice.

“There was nothing they wouldn’t do for us, and helped us all. It gave us a place where we could just concentrate on spending what time we had left with Archie as a family. I’d hate to think of what it would be like without this place for other families, so hope I can raise some funds to go towards this amazing charity.”

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Ray was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019, which spread to his brain and spine. The father of seven stayed at Fair Havens for a week in July 2021 for symptom management care. Later that summer, Ray’s condition deteriorated, and he was admitted to Fair Havens for care at the end of his life. Ray died on 15th August at Fair Havens, surrounded by his family.

The care from Fair Havens left a lasting impression on his family and, since Ray died, they’ve been inspired to fundraise in his memory. Ray’s lasting legacy is making a difference to others like him who need hospice care, with his family raising more than £10,000 for Havens Hospices so far.

Kat, Ray’s daughter said: “Fundraising for Havens Hospices has become a big part of our lives, and it is very important to all of us, even our children (Ray’s Grandchildren). We are always looking for new ways to challenge ourselves and raise vital funds, and there is still so much more we can give because what Fair Havens did for our family was truly invaluable.”

To find out more about Fundraising for Havens Hospices,  visit www.havenshospices.org.uk/fundraising

Published 16th July 2024