St Helena Hospice

St Helena Hospice
Formation11 August 1980
TypeBritish hospice charity
PurposeEnd-of-life care
HeadquartersColchester, Essex
Location
  • Colchester
Coordinates51°54′28″N 0°54′53″E / 51.907796°N 0.914719°E / 51.907796; 0.914719
Region served
North-east Essex
Co-Chief Executive
Karen Chumbley
Kate Heslegrave
Staff348 (2024)[1]
VolunteersAround 900[2][3]
Websitewww.sthelena.org.uk

St Helena Hospice is an independent hospice charity based in Colchester, Essex, providing end-of-life care for people in north-east Essex.[4][5] They operate 24 shops across north-east Essex.[6][7]

Around 4,500 people use the charity's services every year of which less than 10% become inpatients. According to the former Chief Executive Mark Jarman-Howe the charity needs about £22 million a year to function.[3]

Services

St. Helena Hospice charity shop, Essex

Care at Saint Helena is offered via inpatient hospice care, home care, counselling and bereavement support for adults and children, and coordination services for end-of-life care in the region.[4][8] Total Clean is a subsidiary of St Helena Hospice offering cleaning services.[9][10]

History

On 6 July 1979, a public meeting was held to discuss creating a hospice in Colchester. The meeting included doctors, nurses, civic leaders and about 140 members of the public. The group was lead mainly by Dr Elizabeth Hall,[11] Deirdre Allen, Dr Peter Kennedy, and Dr George Rhys Lewis.[12]

On 17 May 1980, a £250,000 public fundraising appeal was launched and the organisation would be named after Saint Helena. On 11 August 1980, the organisation was formally incorporated as St Helena Hospice Limited. The hospice opened on 20 May 1985 and admitted its first patient. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on 11 April 1986.[13][14] In April 1988, Diana, Princess of Wales met with local benefactor Robin Tomkins at the hospice to open a new day centre built in memory of his late wife, Joan.[15]

From 2013 till September 2025, the hospice was run by Mark Jarman-Howe as CEO.[16][17][18] In August 2025, Karen Chumbley and Kate Heslegrave were appointed as Co-Chief Executives.[19][20][21]

Fundraisers

St Helena Hospice hosted its first half-marathon, a 13.1 miles (21.1 km) race in Harwich on 7 September 2025 raising £70,000 with 670 people participating.[22] That same month, a group called the "Wrinkled Wheels" cycled from Land's End to John o'Groats, about 1000 miles.[23]

References

  1. ↑ "St Helena Hospice Limited Report and financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2024". Archived from the original on 13 July 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  2. ↑ "Hospice calls for volunteers in its 40th year". St Helena Hospice. Archived from the original on 17 February 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  3. 1 2 Deady, Elliot (8 October 2024). "'There's much more to a hospice than end-of-life'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  4. 1 2 "St Helena Hospice". CareQuality Commission. Archived from the original on 12 May 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "St Helena Hospice". Bee Forever. Archived from the original on 3 August 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "St Helena Hospice". Colchester 10k. Archived from the original on 13 July 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  7. ↑ Adams, Lewis (30 March 2024). "Essex St Helena Hospice patient's family to keep fundraising". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  8. ↑ "Adult services in Suffolk and Essex". East Anglia's Children's Hospices. Archived from the original on 8 July 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  9. ↑ "Total Clean in support of St Helena Hospice - a commercial cleaning service that gives back!". St Helena Hospice. Archived from the original on 10 February 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  10. ↑ "St Helena Hospice has launched a commercial cleaning company with franchise partner Total Clean, with 100% of the profits going to support hospice care". St Helena Hospice. Archived from the original on 29 April 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Heritage stories: Dr Elizabeth Hall". St Helena Hospice. Archived from the original on 17 November 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "The beginning". St Helena Hospice. Archived from the original on 13 July 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  13. ↑ "Our heritage". St Helena Hospice. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "Nostalgia: "The Queen Mother was charming and lovely - I couldn't stop talking"". Gazette. 23 April 2021. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  15. ↑ Howlett, Sue (29 April 1988). "Thousands greet radiant princess". Clacton Gazette. p. 2. Archived from the original on 13 July 2026. Retrieved 7 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Anne Suslak (9 July 2025). "St Helena Hospice chief executive steps down after 12 years". Colchester Gazette. Archived from the original on 9 July 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  17. ↑ Juliet Rix (20 November 2019). "Hospice boss Mark Jarman-Howe: 'Why am I the only one speaking out on assisted dying?'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  18. ↑ Emily Harle (10 July 2025). "Hospice chief to move on after 12 years". ThirdSector. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  19. ↑ Anne Suslak (18 August 2025). "Two new co-chief executives appointed at St Helena Hospice". Clacton Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 August 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  20. ↑ "St Helena's Hospice announces new leadership". eHospice. 18 August 2025. Archived from the original on 13 July 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  21. ↑ Dami Adewale (18 August 2025). "Hospice charity appoints interim co-chiefs". Archived from the original on 27 August 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  22. ↑ Brandon Perry (9 September 2025). "St Helena Hospice host first half-marathon in Harwich". Harwich and Manningtree Standard. Archived from the original on 10 June 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  23. ↑ Séamus O'Hanlon (1 August 2025). "Group cycling 1000 miles for urgent funds for St Helena Hospice". Clacton Gazette. Archived from the original on 3 August 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
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