Wigan & Leigh Hospice calls for legacy support

Wigan & Leigh Hospice are calling for legacy support as demand rises and their funding pressures grow. 

New national figures reveal that gifts in wills fund the equivalent of 400,000 nights of hospice care every year - support that hospices across the UK depend on to keep services running.

Wigan & Leigh Hospice is joining 126 other hospices in backing Hospice UK's 'This is Hospice Care' campaign, which is calling on local people to consider leaving a gift in their will to protect hospice care for future generations
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For Wigan & Leigh Hospice, legacy gifts are a lifeline. They help fund care for people across the borough - not only on the hospice's 14 bed Inpatient Unit, but in homes, care homes, prisons, homelessness services and community settings. Last year alone, the hospice supported thousands of local people through specialist nursing, hands on home care, bereavement support, counselling and 24 hour advice.

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.

"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."

Nationally, hospices support around 310,000 people every year, and 82% of hospice care now takes place outside inpatient units. Yet many people still believe hospice care is only delivered on wards, and more than half of the public are unaware that hospice services are provided free of charge. With only around 40% of hospice funding coming from government, hospices must raise millions every day to keep services running.

Financial pressures have already forced hospices across the UK to reduce services or close beds, and demand for palliative and end of life care is expected to rise by 25% by 2048.

Jo Carby 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."

Hospice UK's 'This is Hospice Care' campaign shares real stories from people whose lives have been changed by hospice support, showing how legacy gifts help create moments of comfort, dignity and connection when they matter most.

To find out more about leaving a gift in your will to support Wigan & Leigh Hospice, click or tap here.