Hospices unite to highlight the vital role of gifts in wills
New data from Hospice UK highlights the critical importance of gifts in wills in keeping our nation’s hospices going. The research comes as over 140 hospices, including Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, and Hospice UK come together to shine a light on gifts in wills and encourage people to consider leaving a gift to their chosen hospice in their will.
Although legacy giving is growing across the charity sector, legacy market share for hospices is declining. This means leaving a gift in your will can literally change lives. Legacy donations fund the equivalent of hospice care for 30,000 people per year, or 6,000 hospice nurses every year. On average, the amount received each year from gifts in wills to Shooting Star funds our entire Family Support team for a year.
There’s an urgent need to futureproof this vital source of income, while also empowering people to make their legacy count. The demand for hospice care is on the rise. Today, as many as 90% of people who die in the UK could benefit from receiving palliative care1. And by 2040, around 130,000 more people in the UK will die each year than in 20232. Now, more than ever, securing the future of hospices is crucial, to ensure that they can continue providing the life-affirming care that so many rely on.
At the campaign’s heart is a powerful collection of real-life stories that challenge misconceptions about hospices, showing the breadth of care and support they provide and highlighting their place at the heart of local communities. The campaign shows how hospice care relies on the generosity of people leaving a gift in their will to their local hospice, to ensure that support is available for everyone who needs it, both now and in the future.
Paul Farthing, Chief Executive of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices said, “We are proud to be part of this initiative and will be promoting it locally, working in partnership with the other local hospices. Gifts in will generate around 12% of Shooting Star’s income each year, so are a vital source of support from the community for our work. They ensure we can continue to be there for every family, today, tomorrow and for years to come.”
Visit our gifts in wills page to find out more about how you can leave a gift to Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, or to sign up to our free will writing service. If you would like to speak to a member of the fundraising team, please contact legacies@shootingstar.org.uk or call 01932 823115.
1 Marie Curie. How many people need palliative care? Updated estimates of palliative care need across the UK, 2017-2021. Data and evidence briefing. [Internet]. Marie Curie; 2023 [cited 2024 Apr 16].
2 Based on data from: Office for National Statistics (ONS). National population projections: 2020-based interim [Internet]. 2022 Jan 12 [cited 2024 Apr 16], and Office for National Statistics (ONS). Vital statistics in the UK: births, deaths and marriages [Internet] 2023 Feb 24 [cited 2024 Apr 16].
