On Saturday 7th December, we are celebrating 15 years to the day since we welcomed our first patient to Coventry Myton Hospice in 2009.
Ruth Freeman, Chief Executive Officer at The Myton Hospices, joined the organisation as Director of Fundraising to help secure the £7 million needed to open Coventry Myton Hospice. She said:
Raising the funds to open Coventry Myton Hospice was an incredible challenge, and seeing the impact we’ve made over the past 15 years fills me with pride. The progress we’ve achieved in terms of the care and services we provide for patients and their families is fantastic, and I’m excited to see how this will continue to evolve in the years to come. The last 15 years wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our local community and everyone who has helped us. We are incredibly grateful, thank you!
Gurinder Cheema, who has been a Nursing Assistant at Coventry Myton Hospice since its opening, said:
We joined in November of 2009 to get everything ready to admit patients before the opening in December. It’s been a pleasure to work at Coventry Myton Hospice ever since – I like meeting people, caring for them and their families, and being part of a team that truly makes a difference during challenging times.
Over the last 15 years, we have cared for increasingly complex patients, and many return to us when they need support, which reflects the environment we’ve created. Coventry Myton Hospice is vital to the local community, providing respect and dignity to everyone we care for.
Since opening, we have supported almost 9,000 patients living with life-limiting illnesses, and their families, through our Inpatient Unit and Patient & Family Support services at our Coventry Myton Hospice. The introduction of new services, such as our Wellbeing services, ensures that the care we provide continues to meet the evolving needs of our community.
However, more people need a Hospice Bed at Myton than ever before, as demand for our Inpatient Units across our Coventry and Warwick sites has increased by 11% in the last 12 months.
Too many people on the waiting list for a Hospice Bed at Myton will die before they can access one, and as the only provider of Inpatient Beds in Coventry and Warwickshire, we are aware of the need for more, but are limited due to funding constraints.
Just 20% of our funding comes from the NHS and we have to raise over £11 million each year to continue providing our services free of charge to patients and their loved ones.
In response to this growing need, we recently launched our Urgent Appeal to raise £240,000 to fund the recruitment, training and salary of five registered nurses for a year to ensure everyone can access a Hospice Bed when they need it for the next 15 years and beyond. We have been overwhelmed by the support shown for the appeal so far but there is still time to help us reach our £240,000 target to ensure more people can access the care they need, now and in the future.
You can find out more and make a donation HERE!
Coventry Myton Hospice is hosting its Christmas Fayre this Saturday, full of festive fun to celebrate this special milestone.
For more information on our Christmas Fayre, click HERE!
We would like to thank everyone who has supported us within the last 15 years and we are looking forward to the next 15 years and beyond.
