#APlaceToThrive

Our founder Pam Macpherson said: “The Hospice of St Francis is for absolutely everyone, terminal illness is no respecter of age, race or sex.” She said, “Everyone has a talent and the Hospice needs all the talents” and she was passionate about this.

To be valued for who you are, is not guaranteed in our society. If our everyday experience is prejudice, discrimination or hatred, we learn to expect it, every day. Discrimination can shorten life expectancy and increase the likelihood of terminal illness and frailty. The stigma attached to illness, dying and bereavement can make people shun us. One of the sparks that fired the passion of our founder was to show how, by working together, with compassion, knowledge and expert care, we bring about change.

At The Hospice of St Francis, we want to:

• Be a Hospice trusted by everyone
• Draw our strength from many different faces and life experiences
• Be open, respectful and welcoming to human differences
• Stop discrimination

If we are seen, heard and valued for who we are, it creates the best possible start to being able to experience the life lasting difference of hospice care. At The Hospice of St Francis we want everyone to have that experience without fear of prejudice.

• To be able to relate to all the people we care for, we recruit people with different expertise and different life experiences.
• To explain Hospice care, we showcase many different life-stories.
• To help equip everyone for their role, we provide training about history, the law and the power of inclusion.
• To create a truly inclusive culture, we help each other to call out and change language and behaviours that if ignored, could perpetuate discrimination.

​​Our aim is for everyone to be able to recognise themselves in our Hospice.