The main purposes of the merger is to sustain the future of Bedford Daycare Hospice and to ensure that more people can benefit from the range of services offered by both charities.
Both hospice sites will remain open and in their current locations, and retail stores run by Bedford Daycare Hospice and Keech Hospice Care will continue to operate as normal.
Keech Hospice Care provides free, specialist care for adults in Luton and Bedfordshire, and for children in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes who are living with a life-limiting illness. Care is provided from the hospice site in Luton and also in patients’ own homes, hospitals, schools and wherever support is needed the most. Keech Hospice Care has a retail portfolio that includes 33 shops across the region and over 1500 volunteers and 260 + staff. Keech Hospice Care is in the Best Companies Top 100 UK list, rated outstanding to work for, and is also rated Outstanding for caring with CQC.
Last year Keech Hospice Care supported over 2,500 adults, children and their families.
Bedford Daycare Hospice is an independent charity which works with other organisations to provide holistic care to patients over 18 who are living with a life-limiting condition. Their physical site in north Bedfordshire offers patients from north and mid Bedfordshire a relaxed, homely environment where they can focus on their health and wellbeing. Bedford Daycare Hospice has 5 retail stores and over 80 volunteers who support the 20+ staff to deliver the service.
Bedford Daycare Hospice offers, on average, 60 places a week to support regular and new patients.
Bedford Daycare Hospice Board has wanted for some time to secure a future and extend the care that is offered to patients. Merging the two organisations will help us reach and support more patients throughout our community and attract and retain outstanding clinical professionals, staff and volunteers. By combining our expertise, we will build a culture where staff thrive. Our increased scale will empower us even more to support patients and influence national policy and be a force for good in the interests of patients and families. Through economies of scale, we will be able to maximise our voluntary income, funding the delivery of more care and services.
No services will be closed as a result of the merger. In fact, a key objective of the merger is to broaden and enhance the range and quality of services, particularly at the Bedford site.
Volunteers will continue to be a major and important part of what we do and how we do it. All Keech Hospice Care and Bedford Daycare Hospice volunteers will be asked to continue exactly as they have been. We hope the new organisation will create even more opportunities for further volunteers to get involved.
We currently have no plans to close any shops and it is intended that all shops will continue to trade.
Fundraising will remain vital to support the delivery of our services and each organisation will continue to capitalise on the strong community support that its name, history and brand generates.
As usual, please do continue to donate using your normal channels at www.keech.org.uk or bedforddaycarehospice.org.uk.
We will post regular progress updates on our websites at www.keech.org.uk or bedforddaycarehospice.org.uk.
Please get in touch via our usual channels, on the phone, website. Social media or on email. Letmehelp@keech.org.uk.
“Merging the two organisations will help us reach and support more patients throughout our community and attract and retain outstanding clinical professionals, staff and volunteers. Both hospices are already well-known for the outstanding quality of care they provide. The merger serves to strengthen and enhance our current range of services and our combined efforts will ensure even more people in our community benefit from them.”
Liz Searle, CEO of Keech Hospice Care
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