Oakhaven Hospice part of national ‘This is Hospice Care’ campaign

Images from national TV campaign about hospices

Oakhaven part of national ‘This is Hospice Care’ campaign

This month, Oakhaven Hospice has once again joined 143 other hospices across England, Scotland and Wales, as part of a Hospice UK-led campaign to encourage you to leave a gift in your will.

A national television advert will hit our screens on 15 September, and will run for a fortnight.

First aired on national TV in February, the advert shows patients being cared for at home, surrounded by their families and with an ever-present hospice nurse on hand to support them. ‘This is Hospice Care’ delivers plenty of emotional punch.

Hospice care is provided free of charge, yet just a small proportion of funding is covered by the NHS - for Oakhaven, this is just 11%. The majority of money we need is delivered by fundraising and donations - including money left in wills. These gifts - whether a set amount or a percentage of your estate, large or small - play a vital part in allowing hospices like Oakhaven to continue to deliver their care.

‘This is Hospice Care’ creates an evocative picture of the vital work of hospices - from caring for patients in their own homes to nursing on inpatient units, and from support through grief and rehabilitation to support clubs and groups, getting people talking and sharing their experiences.

Take advantage of Oakhaven's 'Write a Will Month' this September!

This month is also Oakhaven Hospice's 'Write a Will Month'! A number of local solicitors and will-writers have generously agreed to waive their usual Will-writing fee when you make a donation to Oakhaven Hospice.

To ensure your wishes are fulfilled after you are gone, you should have a will in place. Whether you are writing a Will for the first time or updating your current Will, Write a Will Month enables everyone to write or update their Will - and to also support Oakhaven to make a difference for local families living across our New Forest, Totton and Waterside communities.

Click here to learn more about our Write a Will Month, to find out supporting solicitors and will-writers and to make your donation.

Watch the national TV advert below

We have added subtitles about Oakhaven to this advert for our YouTube channel, these do not feature on the TV advert.

For over 30 years, Oakhaven has been at the heart of our local community, providing compassionate care for thousands of patients and support for their families and loved ones. We’re here for everyone in the New Forest, Totton and Waterside, supporting from the diagnosis of any life-limiting condition to being there for loved ones in bereavement.

Hospice care is free at the point of use. But, unlike the NHS, it is not fully state-funded. Currently, just 11% of Oakhaven’s annual running costs are covered by the government. With rising costs and growing demand for hospice services, these gifts are more important to us than ever. A gift in your will can help make sure we will be here to offer compassionate, free care to thousands of people and their families each year, now and in the future.

Help us continue our story and be here for anyone who needs us, for generations to come.

Click here to find out more about leaving a gift in your will to Oakhaven, or to speak to a member of the team in confidence, please call 01590 677773 or email legacy@oakhavenhospice.co.uk.

‘A lifeline supporting local families’

Andrew Ryde, Chief Executive of Oakhaven, which serves the New Forest, Totton and Waterside communities, said: “Gifts in wills make a crucial difference to Oakhaven, enabling us to continue providing our vital care and support to patients and their loved ones, free of charge.

“As a charity, only 11% of our funding is covered by the NHS; for the remaining 89%, we rely on the generosity of our community. Last year, gifts left in wills to Oakhaven covered the cost of care for one in four of our patients — a true lifeline supporting local families at the most difficult of times.

“We are so very grateful for every gift left in a will, whatever its size. Your generosity allows us to make a real difference for families throughout the New Forest, Totton and Waterside, making every moment matter. Each gift in Will is a lasting legacy that ensures we will be here to care for loved ones in our community when they need us most for generations to come. Thank you.”

‘Kindness and forethought’

Laura Eastwood, Director of Fundraising at Oakhaven, said, “Gifts in wills play a crucial part in ensuring the expert care delivered by our staff is available now and will continue to be there for people who need us in the future. The compassionate care that our teams provide today is largely thanks to those who have previously left gifts in their wills to Oakhaven. To them, we say thank you for their kindness and forethought.

“Any gift, large or small, will support people who are dying, on our inpatient unit as well as those we care for in across our Totton, Waterside and New Forest communities, and the loved ones they leave behind.

“At Oakhaven, we know death can sometimes be difficult to think and talk about. Your decision to leave a gift in your will helps ensure that dignified, kind and expert care will continue to be available, should your loved ones need it in the future. Leaving such gifts is a true and lasting legacy that individuals can pledge to help us care for generations to come. I cannot think of a more powerful and compassionate show of support.”