St. Gemma’s Hospice marks a fantastic year and celebrates the opening of a new space for young people dealing with bereavement.
St. Gemma’s Hospice stands as a beacon of compassionate care, dedicated to providing the best possible support for local individuals facing cancer and life-threatening illnesses. Specialising in palliative care, the hospice focuses on pain relief and symptom control, aiming to enhance the quality of life for patients throughout their journey.
Situated at the heart of the community, St. Gemma’s offers a friendly, warm, and secure environment, extending its expert services to patients, their families, and friends. Regardless of age, gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, or diagnosis, everyone is welcomed and cared for free of charge, embodying inclusivity and accessibility.
Notably, the hospice’s commitment extends beyond its walls through the Academic Unit
of Palliative Care, providing training to health professionals citywide. This dedication to education ensures the dissemination of best practices, ultimately benefiting patients across the region.
In a recent milestone, St. Gemma’s unveiled The Young People’s Cabin, a dedicated space for bereaved children and young people in Leeds. The project, designed with sustainability in mind, symbolises a collaborative effort. The opening ceremony, hosted by Chief Executive Kerry Jackson, celebrated donors, patrons, and architects, highlighting the community’s collective contribution.
Marilyn Stowe’s significant donation, dedicated to her grandmother’s memory, underscores the personal connections forged through philanthropy. James Arkle of ArkleBoyce Architects expressed the joy of working with children to bring their ideas to life, reflecting the hospice’s commitment to involving the community in its endeavours.
Behind the scenes, the hospice’s impact is quantifiable. With 492 patients cared for in the In-Patient Unit this year, most admissions within a day of referral, and nearly 20,000 contacts by a team of dedicated community nurses and doctors, St. Gemma’s exemplifies operational excellence. Additionally, the hospice’s outreach is evident in the training of over a thousand professionals and support for 128 student placements, ensuring a legacy of quality care for the future.
As St Gemma’s Hospice is a local, independent charity, the services provided are always free of charge to patients, families, and carers, but are not free to provide. It costs over £20,000 per day to run all the hospice’s services, and this needs to be raised from the generous local community, through donations, gifts left in wills, fundraising initiatives, a lottery, and our chain of charity shops. The annual Winter Ball, sponsored by Skopes is one of the flagship events and tickets are now on sale for the 2024 event on the St Gemma’s website.
St-gemma.co.uk