Torbay councillor Patrick Joyce backs hospice’s No One Alone Appeal

Torbay Councillor for Wellswood Patrick Joyce is backing Rowcroft Hospice’s No One Alone Appeal to support the charity in its drive to deliver specialist care to more patients across South Devon.

Patrick is a keen advocate for the hospice, having had direct experience of Rowcroft’s palliative and end-of-life care when his late husband Alexander Hall was cared for at home by Rowcroft’s Community Team following a diagnosis of oesophageal cancer in 2018; Alexander was later admitted to Rowcroft’s Inpatient Unit in Torquay where he passed away. Reflecting on those difficult days, Patrick said:

“I’ve never been in such a dark place in all of my life. And it frightens me to think of the consequences if Rowcroft hadn’t been there to pick up the pieces when I needed them.

“As a charity, Rowcroft is there for our community, ensuring that the people of South Devon are loved and embraced in our darkest days. We need to make sure that we nurture and protect our hospice, and support it so that it’s fit for purpose for generations to come. Everyone can play a part in that.”

Rowcroft’s No One Alone appeal aims to highlight the harsh reality that each year too many people in South Devon are unable to access the essential end-of-life care they need due to a critical gap in resources and funding. While Rowcroft is playing a key role in delivering specialist end-of-life care and support to patients and their loved ones in South Devon, the charity stresses that a surging local demand for its services is placing unprecedented pressures on the hospice.

"The need for palliative and end-of-life care is on the rise due to an aging population with increasingly complex needs," remarked Mark Hawkins, CEO of Rowcroft Hospice. "Projections indicate that by 2050 one in four people will be aged 65 or over, so the demand will continue to escalate."

Each year, Rowcroft cares for 2,500 patients with life-limiting illnesses, and their loved ones, across South Devon. By 2026 The No One Alone Appeal aims to raise an additional £500,000 every year to help Rowcroft expand its specialist services to care for an additional 260 patients annually amid the rapidly increasing demand in the community. This will be a key milestone towards the hospice’s longer term goal of supporting an annual total of 3,000 patients and their loved ones by 2030.

Mark Hawkins added:

“We’re so grateful to Patrick for helping to raise awareness about our new appeal. As a charity, we‘re working towards our vision of specialist end-of-life care for all by expanding our care services so that we can reach hundreds more people who need us across South Devon. But we are dependent upon the support of our community to help us achieve this.

“There are so many ways in which people can support our No One Alone Appeal including: making a donation, supporting our shops and cafés, playing our lottery, pledging a gift in your Will, volunteering, and taking part in our events.”

To find out more about Rowcroft’s No One Alone Appeal and how you can get involved, please see: rowcrofthospice.org.uk/no-one-alone