On Wednesday 30th September, Trustees and staff of Oakhaven Hospice were joined by the family of the late Leon Crouch to unveil a plaque in his memory.

The plaque, located at the entrance of Oakhaven’s inpatient unit, commemorates the substantial gifts made by Leon Crouch to the hospice during his lifetime and beyond. These contributions have been instrumental in the recent refurbishment of the inpatient unit.

Leon’s daughter, Hannah Leonardi, said, “My sisters, Louise and Lara, and I are exceptionally proud of the positive impact our father's legacy and generosity continue to have following his death from cancer in 2019. It is a privilege to support Oakhaven Hospice, a charity of which our father was a patron during his lifetime and where he spent his final days surrounded by his family, receiving exceptional care and support from the hospice team.

"It is wonderful to see the newly refurbished inpatient unit and to appreciate the improved facilities and environment that patients and their families will experience. We are deeply honoured to unveil this memorial plaque in recognition of our father's support for Oakhaven. The hospice was always a local charity close to his heart, and it remains very dear to our family."

Melville Kendal, Chair of Trustees of Oakhaven Hospice, said, “On behalf of the staff and volunteers, and on behalf of our whole community, I would like to express our sincere gratitude. Leon has been a wonderful supporter of Oakhaven Hospice, and we are deeply grateful for the many donations he has made over the years. It is thanks to everyone else who so kindly supports Oakhaven that the New Forest has this hospice, here to provide specialist palliative and end-of-life care free of charge for everyone who needs us. Without this generous support, we simply wouldn’t be here.”

Across the UK, hospices are being forced to make difficult decisions regarding the care they provide. Nearly 60% have already made or are planning to make cuts to frontline services this year, while 380 beds sit unused due to staff shortages driven by funding pressures. At the same time, specialist community hospice visits have fallen by 150,000 in a single year.

Here in the New Forest, Totton and Waterside community, we are fortunate that Oakhaven Hospice has, so far, managed to continue all its services. However, the charity faces significant challenges. Costs are rising while demand for its services is increasing, and donations have declined substantially.

Hospice care is provided free of charge, yet only 14% of Oakhaven’s £10 million annual running costs are covered by the government. The remaining 86% is funded by donations, fundraising and gifts in wills, as well as income from its charity shops and social enterprise home care provider Oakhaven Care, which donates 100% of its profit to the hospice.

There are many ways you could support Oakhaven Hospice - click here to find out more.