A Crawley resident is backing St Catherine’s Hospice in a campaign that aims to protect the future of hospice care by encouraging the local community to consider leaving a gift in their Will. 

Barbara McCarthy is a proud Will pledger for St Catherine’s after her husband received end of life care from the charity both at home and on the hospice Ward. Now she is sharing her story as part of the national This is Hospice Care campaign, led by Hospice UK, highlighting the essential role charitable giving plays in ensuring hospices can continue providing compassionate palliative and end of life care for local people and their families. 

Barbara said: "I think it's pretty shocking that hospices rely on donations to run. Hospice care offers help and comfort and probably the most difficult time of your life – whether you be the patient or the spouse, or any relation of the patient. It offers you solace and help at what is going to be one of the hardest times you'll have to go through." 

Reflecting on the care Jim received on the Ward at St Catherine’s, Barbara said: “The atmosphere within the hospice was very calm and homely. Little touches like being offered a drink from the drinks trolley surprised me.  

“The care in general was lovely. There were little caring touches that you would not probably get if you were in the hospital environment. When Jim couldn’t really eat anything anymore, they cut him up pieces of mango, which he liked very much, and put them on a stick so I could put it in his mouth and he could suck the juice; things like that.  

“I had a chair by Jim’s bed, and I stayed there and slept there. Nobody minded the fact I was there all the time. A few days before Jim died, he had a boost of energy. The nurse asked if there was anything he would like, and Jim replied, ‘I’d like a bath and a glass of Guiness’. So, she ran him a nice bath and gave him a head massage, and how she managed it I don’t know, but she got him a glass of Guiness brought in from a local pub!  I have kept the glass next to his photo at home as a reminder ever since. 

“There are lots of worthy causes, but St Catherine’s is, in my view, in the top few. I’ve left a gift in my Will because I want hospices like St Catherine’s to flourish. They provide so many lovely caring touches that you just wouldn’t get in a hospital.” 

Danielle Murphy, Head of Public Fundraising at St Catherine's Hospice, said: "Hospice care is about helping people with a terminal or life-limiting condition make the most of every moment. Every day, we support people across East Surrey and West Sussex to live as fully and comfortably as they can, while also helping their families through some of life's toughest times. 

"The support of our local community makes that care possible. By choosing to leave a gift in your Will, you can help ensure future generations continue to receive the same compassionate care when they need it most." 

Last year, St Catherine's Hospice supported more than 1,700 people aged between 18 and 105 across East Surrey and West Sussex. It costs around £25,000 a day to provide St Catherine's services, yet only 30% of this funding comes from the Government. The remaining income comes from the generosity of local people, with the community raising around £8.8 million for the hospice last year alone. 

To find out more about leaving a gift in your Will to St Catherine’s Hospice visit www.stch.org.uk/donate/gift-in-will