Saint Francis Hospice is celebrating 40 years of caring for local people (see main story here).
Saint Francis Hospice’s story begins on 7th July 1975 when specialist care for people who were dying or in need of palliative care didn’t exist.
At a meeting organised Havering Community Health Council, a forum for health-related issues relating to local hospitals and the needs of the local community, a spark was lit that led to the opening of Saint Francis Hospice nine years later in 1984.
During the meeting Eddie Doran, a local man from Romford, stood up and asked,
“What about care for the dying? Are we really giving people in our hospitals the care they need at the end of their lives? Isn’t it time we had our own hospice?”
Other members of the community spoke up about the need for a service that would give people the comfort, care and support they needed at the end of their life.
Joan Matthews
Joan Matthews, who was working for the NHS at the time, and recognised the need for a more holistic approach to end of life care, was also present.
Before the end of the meeting, Joan was on the working party that was formed and became a key figure in ensuring the hospice became a reality.
The time was right for change and while still in its infancy, the modern hospice movement, led by Cicely Saunders, a nurse, social worker and doctor, was growing fast.
Fundraising for the new hospice
There was incredible support for a new hospice and fundraising started with three £5 notes donated by Joan Matthews, Peter Smith and Dr Dorothy Rule who were all part of the hospice project.
There was a huge response following an appeal for volunteers to help fundraise. They became known as ‘Friends of Saint Francis Hospice’ and were dedicated to raising funds for the new hospice.
To organise fundraising in local areas, four regional branches were set up and the volunteer fundraisers raised money in a variety of ways including dinners, sponsored events, organising concerts, fayres.
They were so successful that by the start of 1982, over £350,000 was raised thanks to their remarkable efforts.
In May 1979, The Hall, an imposing 19th century mansion with a sizable plot of land in Havering-atte-Bower, was purchased for £108,000.
Saint Francis Hospice Opens
Building work officially started in July 1982. On 6th January 1984, the first person was admitted to the ward.
In the first 12 months, 208 people, 123 woman and 85 men, whose ages ranged from 12 to 94 years (we now care for people aged 18 years and over) were cared for.
The hospice put a holistic approach into daily practice as the care team looked after every aspect of a person’s needs.
In November 1985, the late HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, made a private visit to Saint Francis Hospice and met with people on the ward and their families.
The Covid-19 Pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 brought challenges the hospice has never seen but through it all, Saint Francis Hospice remained open. By adapting our services, it was able to continue safely caring for people and their families.
Measures were put in place so people could still visit their loved ones as the hospice believes no one should be alone at the end of their life.
Demand for services increased as people were fearful of going to hospital. The care teams responded by making more visits to people in their homes and helped to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
The charity also developed its counselling service so it could still support people over the telephone or Zoom. It was even able to offer a bereavement helpline for people who had lost loved ones to the covid virus.
Digital transformation
The pandemic accelerated a digital transformation. Microsoft Teams and other digital applications have enabled the hospice to improve communication between care teams at the hospice and in the community. By saving time and resource, the hospice has been able to care and support more people than ever.
The Shops
Our services are free to access for people when they need them but there is a huge cost to running our extensive care and support services.
Our shops have always generated vital income to fund the charity, while raising awareness of hospice care.
The very first Saint Francis Hospice shop was opened in Westcliff-on-Sea, in 1981 and a second shop opened 3 years later in 1984 selling furniture.
We now have 15 shops across our catchment area, and we also sell donated goods online via eBay and Preloved.