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

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

History

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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  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.
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