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Garden House Hospice Care

Garden House Hospice Care (GHHC) marks a significant milestone in 2020 as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. The Hospice provides a wide range of services for patients, their carers and families facing life limiting illness.

Along with a host of events and celebrations to mark their Pearl anniversary, GHHC will also be looking back on its rich history and the impact which it has made in its catchment area of North Hertfordshire, Stevenage and the surrounding towns and villages of Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

It was after a public meeting in October 1985 that the idea of a hospice being built in North Herts was mooted and an appeal launched. It quickly became clear that the old Letchworth Garden Hospital, which closed in 1987, would make the perfect site and while the North Herts Hospice Care Association was granted a 135 year lease at a peppercorn rent, the cost to convert the building and buy equipment meant that an appeal fund was started with a target of £750,000. However, thanks to earlier work with money coming in from Letchworth Garden City Corporation and the Provident Mutual Life Assurance Association, some £400,000 had already either been pledged or donated at the start of the appeal.

When the appeal reached half a million in July 1989, work on the building started in earnest, and a little under a year later in April 1990, Garden House Hospice was formally opened by the Duchess of Norfolk, with the then Chairman of Trustees, Peter Harkness.

Now Garden House Hospice Care serves a community of 230,000 people and provides care for 936 patients a year. It currently costs almost £5 million to continue providing these services and 2020 will see a number of fundraising events marking the anniversary.

Sue Plummer, CEO of Garden House Hospice Care added: “We are really looking forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary. It is a good time to reflect and look back at all that has been achieved in the last 30 years and we are very proud.

“Thanks to all our wonderful staff, volunteers, trustees, supporters and community spirit, we have been able to grow and provide a much-needed service to our community. Without this level of support, we simply couldn’t continue to provide the free care that we do today. We are really encouraging everyone to come out and support us, especially over the next 18 months, when we will be hosting a number of great events and activities that everyone can get involved in.”

Along with a prestigious Gala Dinner in April, there will also be a Roaring 20s evening at Knebworth Barns in February, running events such as Muddy Mayhem, a Three Peaks Challenge and a Cambodia trek in October. For further details contact the fundraising team on 01462 679540.

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