A symbol of eternal gratitude
A gift in your will means we can keep on caring, forever.
The future care of our patients and families is reliant on gifts in wills; legacies. Every year a few inspirational people leave us a gift which we are so grateful for, it means we are able to continue caring for people in the comfort of their own homes and on our bedded unit. It means we are able to continue filling the last days of someone’s life with happiness and memories which their family can treasure forever. It means we are able to continue being the light in the dark for thousands of local families when they need us the most.
The Forever Stone rests in our gardens as a symbol of our gratitude to those who remember us in their will. Hidden within the stone itself will be the names and a few words from some of those wonderful people, their legacies can be observed with the use of the hospice iPad and will remain part of the stone, forever.
It is with many thanks to the team at Bray Leino for the creation of the Forever Stone concept and materials, Hearson Quarries for kindly donating the stone, Diamond Drilling for creating the hole, and Loosemore Builders for installing it into its forever place. It is only through the kindness of these local companies offering their services free of charge that we are able to hold such a wonderful focal point within our hospice grounds.
If you would like to know more about our Forever Stone or how to leave a gift in your will, please get in touch with our Fundraising Team who will be happy to discuss your wishes at a time convenient to you. Call 01271 344248 or email leaveagift@northdevonhospice.org.uk.
The importance of gifts in wills to North Devon Hospice
Amy's story:
“Four days before she died, she painstakingly dictated a letter to me. Her voice was barely a whisper, but her intent was strong as an ox. Mum never forgot her duties as a mother, and as a human being. So grateful for the care and attention she had received at the hospice, she was adamant to give something back and left a generous donation.”
Amy Cole admits that losing her mum was a “shattering experience”. But the care that Lyn received at North Devon Hospice meant they were able to share some precious moments in her final weeks. Experiencing this care first-hand led Lyn to leave a gift to the hospice after she died. “North Devon Hospice means the world to me and my family.” said Amy. “When I used to visit mum, I felt time stopped for a while.”
Knowing that she wanted others to be able to experience this same loving care, Lyn told Amy of her desire to leave a gift to the hospice. “I couldn’t be happier that my dear mum chose to support the hospice in the way that she did." said Amy. "I relished those few, precious days at the hospice and will treasure them for the rest of my life. Money simply can’t buy that joy, but it can help fund the care that will help other families come away with good memories too. I feel so proud of her."
Ken's story:
“I paint pictures that people seem to like, which is nice. If my body of work is sold and goes into the hospice coffers, that's great. It’s an important part of our society and it’s just a wonderful organisation. The hospice must be supported and this is how I think I can do it.”
Ken Hildrew has been painting full time for 50 years. Having spent many years painting the inspiring landscapes of Exmoor and gaining a considerable following, Ken’s world was turned upside down when his wife, Alison, was diagnosed with cancer. In her final weeks she was cared for at North Devon Hospice. Ever since, Ken has been supporting the hospice cause, but his biggest gift has been left in his will, as Ken has chosen to leave his collection of paintings to the hospice.
“I thought, ‘What can I do?’ There will be a body of work left and I thought what better thing to do than leave it to the hospice. A lasting gift if you like." Ken said. "My motivation is gratitude as much as anything, because of the fact that my wife was treated so beautifully by the hospice. I just felt that I needed to acknowledge that as best I could, and the only way to do that was to leave the hospice these paintings.”
Philip and Serena's story:
Having supported the hospice regularly it just seemed like a natural progression to then remember them when we’ve gone.”
Philip and Serena Hughes, a husband and wife from Ashford, saw first-hand how vital hospice care can be, when Serena’s Mum was supported in her final days. “I will never forget what they did for her, and will never be able to thank them enough.” said Serena.
Serena and Philip have chosen to leave a gift in their will, so that others in the future could benefit from the same care and support. “We hadn’t actually made a will, so it just made sense to get one done and include the hospice at the same time.” said Philip. “We have some idea of how costly it is to provide hospice care to the community, so we hope our gift will provide a lot of care to people in the future.”
Serena added: "The care the hospice gives people is just so complete, and so sensitively done. It will be lovely to think that we can help with that in years to come with the gift in our will.”
See the Forever Stone poster here.
