Overgate Hospice

Overgate Hospice
PredecessorCharity for nursing home or homes[1]
Calderdale Society for Continuing Care[1]
Formation3 June 1979[2]
FounderDr Brian Quinn, Sylvia Graucob[3]
TypeHospice
Charitable organisation
Registration no."Overgate Hospice, registered charity no. 511619". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Legal statusCharitable company[2]
PurposeTo provide specialist palliative care services to the adult population of Calderdale[2]
Location
Coordinates53°41′2.5″N 1°51′18.1″W / 53.684028°N 1.855028°W / 53.684028; -1.855028
Region served
Calderdale
Websitewww.overgatehospice.org.uk


Overgate Hospice is a hospice and charity in Elland, West Yorkshire, England. It provides palliative care for the people of Calderdale.

History

In the 1970s two Calderdale doctors, Drs Brian Quinn and Geoffrey Hyman created a charitable trust called the Calderdale Society for Continuing Care to establish a nursing home for palliative care.[3][4] Initially they planned to convert and old convent in Boothtown;[3] however this and other sites failed to materialised. Slyvia Graucob — the wife of Find Graucob, a Elland-based fire extinguisher manufacturer — had purchase their old Elland home, Overgate and the adjoining property Hazeldene after her husband's death and donated the property to the charitable trust as a location for the hospice.[3][5][6] Funds required to convert the property and for running costs for the first year was then raised by public donations, the local health authority, and a loan from Halifax League of Friends.[3][7] The hospice was opened in September 1981 with facility for eight beds.[3][8]

In 1994, a new purpose-built in-patient unit was added to the hospice, increasing the number of beds to 12.[3][9][10] The hospice opened a day hospice for 5 days a week in 1995, which was initially in the original Overgate building.[3]

The day hospice was moved to a purpose-built space in 2005, which was extended in 2011.[11]

In April 2024, the hospice launched its Big Build Appeal to raise fundings for a new hospice facility, extending its current capabilities. The hospice has generated £9,700,000 of the required total, including funding from the Wolfson Foundation and is hoping to raise a total of £12,500,000 with the appeal.[12] [13] [14]

Fund raising

Fund raising to maintain the hospice is provided by public donations,[3] fund-raising events,[3] through the hospice's own choir,[15] charitable foundation grants,[16] a weekly lottery[17] and 16 charity shops throughout Calderdale.[18]

Overgate Hospice charity shop in Brighouse

Overgate Hospice Choir

The Overgate Hospice Choir was formed in 1991 initially to perform Joseph Haydn's choral work, The Creation as part of a National Voices for Hospices event.[15] The choir continues today, with 65 voices performing four concerts a year.[15]

Charity shops

Overgate Hospice charity shop in Halifax

The hospice maintains a network of 16 charity shops and a distribution centre throughout Calderdale to support its fund-raising efforts. The hospice's first charity shop was opened in Hebden Bridge in 1994.[19] The shops are located in Brighouse (four shops including a designer boutique, children's shop and furniture shop), Elland (two shops including a children's shop), Halifax, Hebden Bridge (furniture shop), Hipperholme, Illingworth, King Cross, Ovenden, Sowerby Bridge (two shops including a children's shop), Todmorden and West Vale.

Administration

In 1994 the hospice trustees appointed its first full-time administrator, Norman Witter.[19] The hospice is governed by a board of trustees, as of 2024 it is maintained by 12 trustees.[20][21]

In 1994 the hospice cost £325,000 to run.[19] In 2019, total expenditure was £4,250,000, with total income of £4,420,000.[21] In 2023 the income of the hospice was £6,800,000 with an expenditure of £5,920,000.[21]

References

  1. ^ a b "CHARITY FOR NURSING HOME OR HOMES – Charity 508707". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "CHARITY FOR NURSING HOME OR HOMES – Charity 508707". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Dixon, Liz (1 October 2011). "Because you care we can – and have done for 30 years". Halifax Courier.
  4. ^ "CHARITY FOR NURSING HOME OR HOMES – Charity 508707". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Widow's gift of hope to cancer sufferers". Halifax Evening Courier. 4 January 1982.
  6. ^ "The dream becomes a reality". Halifax Evening Courier. No. 16 May 1979.
  7. ^ "New aid for hospice". Halifax Evening Courier. 5 March 1980.
  8. ^ Hardcastle, Rayner (19 May 1983). "The caring community". Halifax Evening Courier.
  9. ^ "Hospice millions win approval". Halifax Evening Courier. 29 February 1992.
  10. ^ Hardastle, Rayner (21 April 1994). "Duchess opens flourishing hospice's medical wing". Halifax Evening Courier.
  11. ^ "40 faces of Overgate". Overgate Hospice. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Wolfson Foundation opens new opportunities for the Big Build Appeal". Overgate Hospice. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Big Build Appeal". Overgate Hospice. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  14. ^ Scargill, Tom (19 April 2024). ""We want to create something special" - Overgate announces plans for new £12.75m hospice and launch Big Build Appeal to help raise the £3m needed so work can begin". Halifax Courier. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Overgate Hospice Choir". Overgate Hospice. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Grants, Trusts & Foundations Supporting Overgate Hospice". Overgate Hospice. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Our Lottery". Overgate Hospice. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Our Charity Shops". Overgate Hospice. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  19. ^ a b c "Expanding hospice breaks new ground". Halifax Evening Courier. 10 August 1994.
  20. ^ "Governance". Overgate Hospice. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  21. ^ a b c "OVERGATE HOSPICE – Charity 511619". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2024.