Awards for Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Hospice

We’re delighted the campaign has won several awards over the last year.

As a long-term supporter of local hospice, Bewley’s and local hospices, transformed “Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Hospice”, resulting in its most successful year ever.

There was a full campaign rebrand, recruitment of high profile and committed ambassadors, and a renewed media relations and influencer outreach campaign — all of which yielded major improvements in overall awareness, extensive media coverage, strong public participation and, most importantly, an increase in funds raised. Years of continuous decline in donations were reversed to see a 22% increase in Coffee Morning registrations and a 26% increase in donations.

Official opening of new specialist Palliative Care Unit in Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D. and Minister for Health Simon Harris T.D. joined in Harold’s Cross at the end of April for the official opening of our new specialist Palliative Care Unit, the most ambitious project in their 139-year history.

An Taoiseach said, “This redevelopment enables the Hospice to respond to the changing needs of the community and improve the environment where it provides the care for which it is renowned. Paying tribute to the dedication of our staff, Minister Harris commented, “The commitment, skills and expertise in this organisation are immense and it has tremendous potential to achieve even greater accomplishments in the future.”

Speaking about the seven years work that went in to this project, CEO Audrey Houlihan explained, “This is a real community effort to provide an essential service. From those who provided financial support to those who shared thoughts and ideas and volunteered their time, to our staff who brought this vision to life through their commitment to palliative care and patient needs. This modern facility will transform the quality of life for our patients and their families, as well as meeting the changing care needs of this, and future generations, something that has become crucially important with our ageing population.”

“I want to express our sincere thanks to our patients and families for their inspiration and courage, our staff for their dedication and all our supporters who made this possible. We are both humbled and enormously grateful to the public and donors whose donations funded 100% of the construction costs of the Unit. We would also like to thank the HSE for assisting in funding the furnishing and fit out of the building and for its ongoing and continued support. Our Founding Partners Massey Bros. Funeral Directors and Kilternan Cemetery Park have also both committed generously to the future of the Hospice, and for that we are very grateful. We were delighted that so many staff, volunteers and supporters were able to join us for this event and thank Rian for  proving the point that he is the most popular member of staff and stealing the show again!”

Turning of the sod for Wicklow Hospice

The Wicklow Hospice Foundation is delighted to announce that preparation works for the long-awaited 15-bed Hospice Facility at Magheramore are well underway.

The Contractors, Elliott Group, have been appointed and the first sod was turned in June.

Mr. Sean Dorgan, Chairman of the Wicklow Hospice Foundation, paid tribute to the people of Wicklow for their incredible generosity, which will bring the Wicklow Hospice facility to fruition by the 3rd quarter of 2019.

He said, “It is incredible that the community has independently raised a phenomenal €4,000,000 without which the project would never have come so far.”

The support of Minister Simon Harris, TD, leading to a further €1.25 million from the HSE, recently brought the total funds to €5.25 million allowing the charity to secure a bank loan for the balance to enable the works to get underway.

The Wicklow Hospice Foundation will not draw down the bank loan unless required and are truly grateful for the support of the local Wicklow community to date. They are confident that should they have to draw down on the bank loan, this on-going support and spirit of generosity in the community will enable them to repay the bank loan.

The Wicklow Hospice Foundation were delighted to have such a wonderful turnout at the official turning of the Sod on the 21st of June and will keep the public informed of the progress of the Wicklow Hospice, a dream to become a reality in the very near future.

The Wicklow Hospice Foundation is also delighted to announce that the new Hospice will be run by Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services, who already have two sites; Harold’s Cross and Blackrock so when Wicklow Hospice opens all three will be “under the one umbrella.”