Garden House Hospice Care

19/01/2026

can feel heavy for many of us. For people facing serious illness, loss, or the end of life, that weight can feel overwhelming.

For nearly 40 years, Garden House Hospice Care has been providing comfort and expert care for local people when it matters most. However, we are facing a £750,000 funding gap this year. Despite cutting costs where possible, rising bills and reduced income mean we are already having to turn people away as we reduce beds and scale back services.

💙 On a day that reminds us how important kindness and connection are, your donation can be a powerful act of good. It can ease fear, bring comfort, and help families spend precious time together; knowing their loved one is cared for with compassion and dignity.

🔗 If you’re able, please support our Crisis Appeal. Doing good today can change someone’s hardest days for the better. Head to www.ghhospicecare.org.uk/crisis-appeal

17/01/2026

Thanks to an egg-ceedingly generous delivery of 12,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs earlier this week, our much-loved Charlie Chicks are getting ready to return! A heartfelt thank you to Dianne Lee at DLRC Regulatory Consultancy for your wonderful, ongoing support.

This Easter, we’re aiming to raise £30,000 from these cheerful chicks toward funding our specialist services. Each one you buy and every penny you donate will help us move one step closer to reducing the £750,000 funding shortfall we face this year.

Kind members of our community have been knitting and crocheting thousands of chicks for months, with volunteers soon nesting the eggs ready for sale in our shops, schools, and local businesses. It’s a truly egg-stra special team effort that shows the power of community.

♻️🐥 And once again, we’re asking you to recycle your Charlie Chicks from previous years so they can be refilled and spread even more happiness. Every returned chick supports sustainability and gives knitted chicks a new lease of life, all whilst raising important funds for the Hospice.

💙 Please return chicks to our Hospice reception, any of our shops, or by post. And don’t forget to pick up a new one once they have been restuffed before they all fly the nest!

16/01/2026

Christmas Treecycling has come to an end for 2026 and we can now reveal a tree-mendous £21,742 has been raised for Garden House Hospice Care!

Our volunteers braved the winter weather to collect more than 1,100 trees from North Herts and surrounding villages over the past week. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made a donation. Your generosity will help to protect our core services and ensure we can continue providing our vital, compassionate care in your local area - both now and in the future.

Thank you also to the following companies for their involvement - Christmas Treecycling wouldn't be possible without you!

🌲 Standalone Farm for once again providing us with a location to drop off and shred the trees. Chippings will be used for upkeeping their internal footpaths, so you can feel good knowing you've made a positive environmental impact too

🌲 Settle Group and Arborcare for chipping the trees - 1,100 in four days is no mean feat!

🌲 All of the following for helping with collections: John O'Conner Grounds Maintenance Ltd | dormakaba UK & Ireland | Love Letchworth | Berry Events and Marquee Hire | Tesora | House Gardens Limited | Evolution Tree Works Ltd | The Blue Tree Company | Enterprise | Lannock Christmas Trees | M J Ryall Building Supplies Ltd

15/01/2026

We want to share an important update with our community following the conclusion of a recent consultation about the future of some of our services.

Like many charities across the UK, Garden House Hospice Care is facing significant financial pressures. Rising costs, increasing demand and limited funding mean we must make difficult decisions now to protect the specialist end-of-life care our community relies on.

Following careful consideration, we have made the extremely difficult decision to close a number of services that are funded entirely through charitable income. These include Compassionate Neighbours, the Wellbeing Hubs, the Admiral Nurse (Dementia Service), Healthy Memory Café, the Minibus and Transport Service, and our Schools, Colleges and Youth Outreach work.

These services matter deeply. Built with care and commitment, they have touched thousands of lives over many years by reducing isolation, strengthening community connections and extending hospice values far beyond our clinical services. While it is heartbreaking to see them close, their value is not defined by their end but by the difference they made while they existed. That legacy will endure, and we are immensely proud of what these services achieved and of the people who delivered them with such compassion.

Our patients and service users remain our highest priority. For those affected by service closures, teams are working closely with individuals, families, carers and volunteers to ensure people feel supported and are appropriately signposted to alternative sources of help.

We also want to acknowledge the people behind these services. Dedicated colleagues have been directly affected by these decisions, and we want to express our sincere thanks to everyone who has given their energy, expertise and compassion to these services and to the Hospice as a whole. Their contribution has made a lasting difference to patients, families and the wider community, and we are deeply grateful for everything they have given.

Alongside these service closures, we have made changes and efficiencies across a range of services and back-office functions to ensure the Hospice remains financially viable. These steps allow us to protect our core, NHS-commissioned services and continue delivering the specialist care our community relies on. This includes our Inpatient Unit, Hospice at Home, Care Home Support, Rehab and Wellbeing, Frailty Service, and Emotional and Psychological Support. Taking these decisions now places Garden House Hospice Care in a more sustainable position, helping ensure we can be there for patients and families who need us in the future.

We know this update will be difficult for many people - supporters, volunteers, former service users and partners who care deeply about Garden House Hospice Care and the services we provide. Your support has always been vital, and it remains so now. It is because of our community that we have been able to care for thousands of families over the past three decades, and it is with your continued support that we can protect hospice care for the future.

To read our statement in full, visit www.ghhospicecare.org.uk/important-update-services

15/01/2026

She did it 👏 Our incredible Community Services Manager, Cathy, bravely had her head shaved this morning to help raise vital funds toward our services, and we think you'll agree she looks phenomenal!

What's more, Cathy's hair is being donated to The Little Princess Trust who make wigs for children and young adults. This inspiring act proves what a selfless individual she is - someone we are lucky and proud to call one of our leaders in providing compassionate patient care.

A heartfelt thank you to Holly from Foundloveuk for coming into the Hospice to do the honours, and of course to our wonderful Cathy for your courage and commitment.

Cathy has absolutely smashed her original fundraising target, but here's still time for you to show your support too at https://www.justgiving.com/page/catherine-hunt-1767365012361 💙

15/01/2026

💙 Today, our amazing colleague Cathy is doing something incredible.

In a powerful and brave moment, she is shaving her head to raise vital funds for our Hospice services – supporting local patients and families when they need us most. Her hair, expertly prepared by Holly () will be donated to The Little Princess Trust to provide wigs for children.

As our Community Services Manager, Cathy sees the impact of this work every day, making her challenge even more meaningful. Thank you, Cathy – your courage and generosity inspire us all.

🔗 Please support by donating here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/catherine-hunt-1767365012361

12/01/2026

Grab a spot at the inaugural Farmers Dinner this coming February, all in aid of Garden House Hospice Care. Book now: www.farmhouseatredcoats.co.uk/whats-on/farmers-dinner-dance-in-support-of-garden-house-hospice/

12/01/2026

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09/01/2026

Remember this friendly face from our recent winter appeal? Today, we’re sharing her very special fundraiser that’s all in support of Garden House Hospice Care.

On 15th January, Cathy Hunt, our Community Services Manager, is having all her hair shaved off to raise vital funds for the Hospice.

Cathy was inspired to do this in memory of her mum and both mothers-in-law, who experienced the compassionate care of their local hospices and health services. It’s a cause that’s deeply personal to her, and one that’s at the heart of what we do every day: supporting people in their final days, where they want to be.

💙 Let’s rally around Cathy and help her turn this incredible act of courage into donations that make a real difference to local people needing our care.

🔗 Donate to her JustGiving page today: www.justgiving.com/page/catherine-hunt-1767365012361

🤳🏻 You can also watch this momentous haircut live on Facebook from 9.30am on Thursday 15th January – please tune in to see Cathy's new style!

07/01/2026

Thank you to our valued local supporter The Arena Tavern 💙✨

Help Savannah Joyce raise money to support Garden House Hospice

07/01/2026

We are truly grateful for The Jolly Savage Ltd's generosity and support. Thank you 💙

Throughout January, The Jolly Savage Ltd will donate 10p from every item sold to Garden House Hospice Care. This local charity is very close to our hearts, providing free, compassionate palliative care and vital support to patients and their families - support that is deeply meaningful to many of our team, both personally and as a business rooted in the local community.

Just one more reason to choose The Jolly Savage Ltd, along with unparallelled prices and service.

05/01/2026

A beautiful winter’s morning here at Garden House Hospice Care ❄️💙