By KLTV Newsdesk – 

West Yorkshire charity backs Hospice UK campaign as new figures reveal legacy donations fund 400,000 nights of care each year

Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice has joined 127 hospices across the UK this week to spotlight the “vital” role gifts in wills play in keeping hospice services running.

The West Yorkshire charity is supporting Hospice UK’s national This is Hospice Care campaign, which launched on Monday, 16 February and will run across TV, radio and online platforms for two weeks.

New data released as part of the campaign shows that gifts left in wills fund the equivalent of 400,000 nights of hospice care every year, described as the lifeline keeping Britain’s hospices open.

Funding Care for Families Across West Yorkshire

Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice says legacy donations helped fund the care of one in five children with life-shortening conditions it supported in 2024–25.

Care is delivered both at its purpose-built facility, Russell House in Huddersfield, and in homes across West Yorkshire.

Across the UK, 310,000 adults and children facing terminal or life-limiting illness were supported by hospices last year.

Demand for palliative care is projected to rise by 25 per cent by 2048, placing increasing pressure on services.

Through real-life stories, the This is Hospice Care campaign highlights the wide-ranging support hospices provide, from pain management and specialist nursing to planning birthday parties and delivering grief counselling.

It also encourages people to consider leaving a gift in their will as part of their legacy.

“Powered by Our Amazing Community”

Gemma Redford, Memory and Legacies Fundraiser at Forget Me Not, said: “From day one, Forget Me Not children’s hospice has been powered by our amazing community of supporters.

“Their support means we can be here for local children with life-shortening conditions and their families, providing superb nursing care, hydrotherapy, creative therapy, days out, memory making, end of life care, bereavement support and counselling, and much more, beginning as early as pregnancy for some families.

“This year, those vital services will cost £6.5 million, over 80% of which we have to raise through fundraising, retail and other income generation initiatives.

“Gifts in wills play a key role in making all of this possible – last year they helped to fund one in five of the children we supported.

“It’s easy to leave a gift in your will too – we even offer a free will-writing service that you can find on our website www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/gifts-in-wills.

“Even a 1% gift will make a huge difference to our charity, while also ensuring your loved ones are protected in the future too.

“We hope this national campaign will help to raise the profile of hospice care and the difference gifts in wills can make, helping us and our many dedicated colleagues around the UK provide outstanding care to all who need it in their community.”

Growing Demand, Rising Financial Pressures

Hospice UK says financial pressures are making the situation increasingly fragile at a time when demand is rising.

Catherine Bosworth, Director of Income Generation and Grants at Hospice UK, said: “Gifts in wills are the lifeline keeping our hospices open. Every single hour, someone receives care that wouldn’t exist without the generosity of people who choose to support hospice care in their will.

“That’s the reality we’re working with, and it’s becoming increasingly fragile, as funding pressures threaten hospice services, right when demand is rising.

“Our ageing population means demand for hospice care will only continue to grow, so it’s vital that we do what we can to secure hospice care now.

“A gift in your will to a hospice doesn’t require parting with your money today; anyone can leave a legacy.

“Gifts of any size can make a significant difference – just £30 can fund a home care visit, £200 a specialist palliative care visit, it all helps hospices be there for people who need them.”

With demand forecast to increase significantly over the coming decades, hospice leaders say legacy giving will remain crucial in ensuring families continue to receive specialist care and support when they need it most.