History of Cotswold Care

Cotswold Care Hospice was founded in 1988 to improve the quality of life for people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

The modern hospice movement

The hospice movement is one of the UK’s success stories. It was founded by Cicely Saunders, a trained nurse. Through a friendship with a patient, she realised that the community needed a place to care for the terminally-ill. The patient she befriended spent the last two months of his life on a hospital ward, because there was nowhere else for him to go.

In 1967, Cicely (who later became Dame Cicely Saunders) oversaw the creation in London of the UK’s first modern hospice.

The creation of Cotswold Care Hospice

In 1987, Barbara Curd, a health visitor from Nailsworth, became concerned at the way cancer patients were left to fend for themselves at home following surgery or chemotherapy.

Along with Helen Hutchinson and Dr Andrew Bodham-Whetham the three identified the need for a hospice in south Gloucestershire. They were later joined by Bishop John Gibbs and the Cotswold Care Project was born.

Raising the funds

A team of dedicated volunteers launched a £500,000 appeal to purchase premises and to finance the hospice’s first year. Thanks to massive community support and the volunteers’ hard work they reached their target in three years.

Opening Cotswold Care Hospice

In 1989 the charity purchased Longfield, a house in Burleigh Lane, Minchinhampton, which was to become its home.

Around this time, Lady Westmorland agreed to become President of the Cotswold Care Project. She approached HRH the Prince of Wales, asking if he would officially open the hospice.

He remembered Helen Hutchinson, a MacMillan nurse and clincial nurse specialist, visiting Highgrove to care for the wife of an estate caretaker. As a result, The Prince agreed to be Patron of the charity.

On a wet and windy December 7, 1990, The Prince of Wales opened the hospice in front of an audience of 200 people.

In its first year, the charity opened its day hospice one day a week with an average of 11 patients.

Cotswold Care Hospice grows

The need for a hospice was shown by the fast uptake of its services. In 2005 the appeal to build a “Hospice for the 21st century” was launched.

The new building, which is 60 per cent larger than its predecessor, would be environmentally-friendly and built for purpose.

Three years later, on December 22, the Prince of Wales, officially opened the new eco-complex.

Now the charity cares and supports more than 500 people with life-limiting illnesses and their carers.

It continues to develop and grow. The day hospice is open three days a week. There are lymphoedema clinics, education services and counselling and bereavement support.

The charity can now provide support and care for people from pre-diagnosis onwards and covers the whole spectrum of support for people living with a life-threatening illness.

An important part of its service is Hospice at Home which supports people who wish to spend their final days in their own home.

Recent Developments

Cotswold Care Hospice has introduced hugely successful relaxation days for carers and looking to develop further support services for people who care.

It expanded its hospice at home service to cover Gloucester.

With the new building, the charity continues to extend its services. A palliative care consultant now holds weekly clinics at the hospice, a physiotherapist has joined the team and day therapy runs at full capacity.

The hospice has developed a five-year clinical strategy to help it provide the care that is needed.

The future

The charity is committed to building an inpatient unit which could provide respite and end of life care. Feasibility studies and investigations are being carried out on how to make a bedded unit become a reality.