Article Text
Abstract
Background In order to meet the diverse needs of the community we serve, our hospice relies on the commitment of our supporters. The first step for a donor in supporting the work of the hospice is an awareness of who we are and what we do. In order to better understand the level of awareness for our brand, and the knowledge of our services, we commissioned a piece of research work.
Methodology Survey work was carried out across various sites in our catchment area. The areas identified were either places we felt awareness may be high, or areas where we want to expand our services and support. At least 100 surveys were conducted with members of the public in each site, focussing on questions which gave us an idea of each individual’s awareness of St Columba’s Hospice, and our work. The company we worked alongside interviewed a representative cross section of the public. The survey work was complemented by an analysis of our current and lapsed supporter databases which helped us interpret the results.
Results The research produced some fascinating results, not only in terms of the hospice’s position in the local community, but also with reference to some wider questions around death, dying and bereavement. We found that awareness of our logo was relatively strong (although could be improved), however, knowledge of what we actually do as a service, even amongst those who say they support us, was not as high as may be expected.
Next steps Following on from the survey we will conduct focus groups to better understand the reasons for this limited understanding. We also want to understand how we should articulate our key messages, which are fundamental to our success as an organisation.