St Richard’s Hospice has received a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Sharing Heritage1 grant, it was announced today. The project, ’30 years of memories,’ has been given £10,000 to capture an oral history of the hospice since it was first started in 1984.
The project aims to record the memories of the key figures including the hospice founders, clinical staff, families, volunteers and decision makers who brought the vision to a reality. It will collect and share digital recordings, photos and documents charting the development of St Richard’s from small beginnings around a kitchen table in Droitwich to the centre for palliative care it is today.
St Richard’s Chief Executive Mark Jackson said, “it’s wonderful that we have been awarded this grant and we can’t wait to get started. We have been celebrating our 30th anniversary this year and this project will help us mark such a significant milestone in the history of St Richard’s care.”
He added, “We will have a unique set of recordings which will ensure that the extraordinary stories of our history are saved for the future. St Richard’s was at the forefront of the hospice movement and this project will also record the changes in attitude towards care for the dying amongst the medical profession and the public during that time. “
Reyahn King, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands said: “Sharing Heritage is a wonderful opportunity for communities to delve into their local heritage and we are delighted to be able to offer this grant so that ‘30 years of memories’ can embark on a real journey of discovery. Heritage means such different things to different people, and HLF’s funding offers a wealth of opportunities for groups to explore and celebrate what’s important to them in their area.”
The St Richard’s Project will be led by a professional oral history specialist with the help of a team of volunteers.
St Richard’s Hospice provides free specialist palliative care for patients living with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses and supports their families. Each year the hospice team supports over 2,500 patients and family members in Worcestershire.
Patients are cared for in Day Hospice, the 17-bed In-patient Unit or in their own homes by a specialist professional team as well as many trained volunteers.
In the In-patient Unit, specialist staff are on hand 24 hours a day to manage patients’ symptoms and where, if appropriate, patients may spend the last few days of life in comfort and dignity. St Richard’s is an independent charity and is grateful for all donations to help it to continue its work.
Sharing Heritage
1Sharing Heritage is for any not-for-profit group wanting to explore their community’s heritage. With a commitment from HLF of £3m each year, Sharing Heritage grants between £3,000 and £10,000 are available to groups who want to discover their local heritage. Projects can cover a wide spectrum of subject matter from exploring local archaeology and a community’s cultures and traditions to identifying and recording local wildlife and protecting the surrounding environment to managing and training volunteers, and holding festivals and events to commemorate the past.
Heritage Lottery Fund
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported almost 36,000 projects with £5.9bn across the UK.www.hlf.org.uk. Images available on request.