Capital Appeal celebrates £5M milestone

Supporters of St Andrew’s Hospice celebrated reaching a £5m milestone on the way to the organisation’s £9m Capital Appeal at their Handbags & Gladrags Ladies Lunch held on Sunday 7 May.

The £9m Capital Appeal is set to fund a substantial upgrade of the existing Hospice building in Henderson Street, Airdrie and is scheduled for completion in Spring 2018.  Currently, patients are being cared for in a temporary facility at Wester Moffat Hospital in Airdrie, although outpatient services continue to be delivered from the Education Suite in Henderson Street.

Bruce High, Chief Executive, St Andrew’s Hospice said, “We continue to be amazed by the support and generosity we receive, not just locally, but internationally from people originally from the local area or with some connection to the Hospice.

“We know that we still have a long way to go but we are so delighted to have gone beyond the half way stage. This has given everyone involved a real boost.  Our fundraising team have lots of great events and activities planned so that we can continue on track and are able to deliver the best caring environment possible.”

The new Hospice building will retain the existing façade but internally it will be transformed to increase the number of single bedded rooms available alongside multi-occupancy rooms. Some of the rooms will also provide the space for loved ones to stay overnight, experience the comforts of home, and have direct access and views to the much loved gardens.  In addition, a separate patient entrance will be created, providing discreet admission to the wards.

Up to 120 patients are cared for by the Hospice each week, along with their family members and carers, under the care of three Specialist Palliative Care consultants, supported by a multidisciplinary team of Specialist Palliative Care doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and complementary therapists.

People can get involved in the ‘Nine4Thirty’ Capital Appeal in a number of ways including attending one of the Hospice’s fundraising events, holding your own fundraiser or help to fund an item from the team’s Room by Room Shopping List.  Items range from £80 for a visitor chair to £12,532 for a hydrotherapy bath.   Donations can also be made by sending the text NINE30£5 to 70070.

The £9m Appeal campaign was launched in 2016 as the Hospice celebrated its thirtieth anniversary.

St Andrew’s Hospice is the only Inpatient Hospice Service in Lanarkshire with support for thirty inpatients, and provides additional services including home based palliative care support and outpatient clinics and services for the three main district general hospitals; Hairmyres, Wishaw General and Monklands.

The new Hospice will include:-

  • 21 single rooms with en-suite bathrooms and space for overnight beds for families
  • 3 multi-occupancy rooms each with three beds
  • Improved access for patients from their rooms to the garden and courtyard of the hospice
  • Improved layout and state of the art equipment and facilities
  • Increased energy features to reduce running costs
  • A dedicated patient entrance
  • Enhanced reception area
  • Complete rewiring and upgrading of the electrical provision
  • Interior upgrade throughout including new spaces where medical equipment can be hidden from view