Pioneering development that blends informality, self-help, peer support, information and sustainability in a unique mix of charitable and commercial income generation alongside community development.

Background Vision: That all in Central Lancashire facing life shortening illness have quality of life and dignity in death.

Our current model cannot deliver this.

Influences Dying for Change – Charles Leadbeater, 2010

• ‘support will be impossible unless we encourage conversations … so people are more able to shape what happens’

Commission into the Future of Hospice Care – Help the Hospices, 2013

• people want ‘easy access to information and regular conversations’

• the future lies in ‘maximising the potential that consumers and the community have’

Local discussion with patients and families about their experiences of end of life care

Practicalities Renovation of a dilapidated barn into Café and Community Palliative Care Centre

50% funded by Capital Grant

12 month building project

Opened 24th November 2014

Project aims

• Serving the whole population by empowering people to help each other

• Opening up to reach out

• Social enterprise through commercial and community development

• Sustainable income to support the main hospice

Key features

• Welcoming café serving high quality, wholesome meals

• Volunteers providing basic emotional support to bereaved, lonely, worried, anxious people

• Information sessions with experts to plan for end of life e.g. local solicitors, civil service

• An informal ‘introduction’ to the hospice

• A range of activities to attract new groups of supporters – craft workshops, light exercise classes, room hire to businesses

Impact Café sales 278% up on forecast

56 people supported through advisor service Dec 14 to Mar 15

53% of those that answered the question ‘had no previous connexion with the hospice’

What would they have done if they hadn’t spoken to an advisor, of those that answered the question

40% would have done nothing or had ongoing stress/anxiety

54% said that they would have sought help from a health professional