Wigan & Leigh Hospice joins campaign urging people to leave gift in their will to protect future care
Everyone across the borough seems to know someone who has been supported by Wigan & Leigh Hospice. A neighbour. A grandparent. A friend from work. For many families, it is a place that steps in at the hardest possible time.
Now the hospice is joining 126 others across the UK to back Hospice UK’s This is Hospice Care campaign, which is encouraging people to consider leaving a gift in their will. In simple terms, that means choosing to leave some money to the hospice after you die, so it can continue caring for others in the years ahead.
New national figures show that gifts left in wills fund the equivalent of 400,000 nights of hospice care every year. It is a significant part of how hospices survive.
For Wigan & Leigh Hospice, money left in wills is not a bonus. It is essential. It helps pay for care on the 14 bed Inpatient Unit, but also for the teams working out in people’s homes, in care homes, in prisons and in homelessness services.
Last year, thousands of people were supported through specialist nursing, hands on care at home, bereavement support, counselling and a 24 hour advice line. Much of that care happens quietly, behind closed doors, supporting families who are trying to cope with terminal illness and loss.
Jo Carby, Chief Executive of Wigan & Leigh Hospice, said: “Legacy gifts are one of the quiet forces keeping our hospice going. Every year, people in this community choose to leave a gift in their will, and those decisions directly translate into nights of care, home visits, counselling sessions and support for families at their most difficult moments.”
She added: “We are here for Wigan and Leigh, but we can only continue to be here if we have the funding to meet rising demand. A gift in a will, of any size, helps ensure that future generations will receive the same compassionate care when they need it most.”
Across the UK, hospices support around 310,000 people each year. Around 82 percent of hospice care now takes place outside inpatient units, although many people still assume hospice care only happens on a ward. More than half of the public do not realise hospice services are free of charge.
With only around 40 percent of hospice funding coming from government, the rest has to be raised through donations, fundraising and gifts in wills. Rising costs and growing demand have already forced some hospices elsewhere to reduce services or close beds. Demand for palliative and end of life care is expected to rise by 25 percent by 2048.
Jo continued: “Our teams are out in the community every day, helping people manage symptoms, supporting families, training care home staff, and making sure people can stay where they feel most comfortable. But the cost of delivering this care increases every year. Legacy gifts help us plan ahead, protect services and make sure no one in Wigan or Leigh faces the end of life without the support they deserve.”
The campaign shares real stories from families whose lives have been changed by hospice care, showing how money left in wills helps create moments of comfort, dignity and connection when they matter most.
If you want to find out more about leaving a gift in your will to support Wigan & Leigh Hospice click here.
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