Keech wins Hospice UK inclusivity award!

Wow, what an incredible day we had yesterday when Keech Hospice Care was announced as the winner of Hospice UK’s Improving Inclusivity Award!

This is such a prestigious award that hospices up and down the country enter and to say we were knocked sideways when we won is an understatement. This special recognition celebrates our dedicated team’s hard work in making sure that everyone in our diverse community knows that Keech is here for them – no matter their background, religion, or ethnicity.

So proud!
We couldn’t be prouder of our learning and community team members, Elaine Tolliday, Tracy Plunkett, Mohammed Rahman and Karen Hibbert, whose work connecting with people across our region, made for a standout entry that captured the judges’ attention. The team goes out of their way every day to help people feel welcome and supported at Keech. Their work has already changed lives and improved how we offer care.

Why Keech was chosen as the winner
Our community is made up of people from many different ethnicities, faiths and groups, and we want to ensure everyone feels included and understood when they need our help.
Through our partnership with the University of Bedfordshire, we’ve been able to identify gaps in how we deliver our services, and we’ve made real changes based on what people have told us. This means everyone in our area — Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes — can feel more confident that Keech Hospice Care is open to all, with no accessibility barriers.

Our inclusivity work
Some of the fantastic achievements of our award-winning team include:

• Organising community events: we have hosted discussions with faith leaders from many religions, including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Sikhism. This has helped us better understand how to support people from different cultures and faiths during end-of-life care.
• Launching the ‘No Barriers Here’ project: Mohammed Rahman, our Community Connector, holds workshops and tours of the hospice for South Asian groups, including local doctors and faith leaders. These events have helped change perceptions about what a hospice is and who it’s for.
• Opening our doors for Friday prayers: Every week, around 25 members of the local community attend Friday prayers at Keech. This simple act of inclusion has made a huge difference in showing that Keech is a welcoming and safe space for all.
• Introducing the Wellbeing Box for Muslim patients: This special box contains items like honey, scented oil, and prophetic sayings to help comfort our Muslim patients, and it’s been warmly received.

Our team’s efforts have so far inspired five other hospices in the UK to hire their own community connectors, spreading the message of inclusivity across the country.

What’s Next?
We’re incredibly proud of Elaine, Tracy, Mohammed, and Karen for their dedication and passion in making our services more inclusive. They’re helping to create a future where everyone feels they can turn to Keech Hospice Care when they need it most.
This award is a wonderful recognition, but the work doesn’t stop here. We will continue to listen, learn, and adapt so that everyone benefits from specialist hospice care.
To find out more about our services and how you or your loved ones can benefit from hospice care, reach out to us today.