A coalition of 143 hospices across Great Britain, including Great Oaks Hospice in Coleford, has launched a campaign to highlight the vital role of gifts in Wills in funding hospice care.

The national campaign, ‘This is Hospice Care,’ led by Hospice UK, aims to raise awareness of how legacy donations provide essential financial support, funding care for around 30,000 people every year.

However, Great Oaks Hospice, which serves over 1,000 people annually in the Forest of Dean, is keen to emphasise how crucial this support is for local residents.

While legacy giving is increasing across the charity sector, hospices are seeing a decline in their share of these donations.

As demand for hospice services continues to grow and organisers say securing future funding for services like those provided in the Forest of Dean is more important than ever.

Joe Feeley, chief executive of Great Oaks Hospice, said: “For many in the Forest of Dean, a hospice will touch our lives—whether for ourselves, a loved one, or a friend. But hospice care simply wouldn’t exist without the generosity of our supporters in this community.

“We rely heavily on charitable donations to keep our doors open, and that’s why we’ve joined Hospice UK in shining a light on the crucial role of legacy giving. By leaving a gift in your Will, you can help ensure we can continue providing this vital care to people across the Forest for generations to come.”

Catherine Bosworth, director of income generation and grants at Hospice UK, said: “Hospices ease the physical and emotional pain of death and dying, helping people focus on living right until the end. But they can only do this with enough funding.”

“While government support has provided some help, hospices like Great Oaks rely on gifts in Wills to continue offering exceptional care to the residents of the Forest of Dean.”