Specialist end of life care across Shaftesbury and North Dorset has been given a significant boost following an £880,000 donation to Weldmar Hospicecare from local charity Cedars Castle Hill.
The funding follows the sale of Cedars Nursing Home to an established care provider and Castle Hill House for development by a family-run business specialising in the restoration of historic buildings. Trustees have directed the proceeds towards supporting local hospice services, ensuring continued care provision in the area.
The donation will fund Weldmar’s Specialist Hospice at Home North Dorset hub, which enables patients with life-limiting illnesses to receive care in their own homes. The service brings together nurses, doctors, therapists and counsellors to support both patients and their families, often working alongside GPs and district nurses.
Caroline Hamblett, CEO of Weldmar Hospicecare, said: ‘We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Cedar Castle Hill Trustees. At a time when hospice funding is under immense pressure nationally, this injection of funds is a lifeline. It ensures our teams can continue to provide comfort and reassurance to families in Shaftesbury and the surrounding area when they need it most.
Cedars Castle Hill has been providing exceptional care for people in Shaftesbury for over forty years now, and we are delighted that their gift will provide a solid foundation for the continuation of care and support of the local community.’
Martin Thomas, Chairman of Cedars Castle Hill, added: ‘As Trustees we’re delighted that Cedar Castle Hill’s legacy will lead to the strengthening of local care and support services so ably provided by Weldmar.
We are also proud to have achieved our twin goals of securing continuity of care for our former residents and job security for our staff, in response to a very challenging economic environment.’
Weldmar supports adults across Dorset who are thought to be in the final twelve months of life, with most care delivered at home rather than in its inpatient unit in Dorchester.
Selina Heaton, who leads the North Dorset hub, said: ‘North Dorset is a unique patchwork of close-knit towns like Shaftesbury and Gillingham, alongside many beautiful but isolated villages. For patients living in rural communities, the idea of travelling for care can be daunting. This incredible donation means we can keep our ‘hospice at home’ moving, bringing expert clinical care and emotional support directly to people’s doors. It ensures that no matter how rural your home is, you aren’t facing a life-limiting illness alone.’
Weldmar Hospicecare is an independent charity which must raise more than £27,000 each day to provide its services free of charge across Dorset.
