31-05-2025
Nightingale House launch Longest Day, Lasting Care
Longest Day, Lasting Care is a powerful fundraising initiative designed to help ensure more families receive expert, compassionate care at the most challenging times in their lives.
Thanks to generous match funding from charitable trusts, foundations, and local businesses, every donation to the campaign will be doubled, making your support go twice as far in helping patients and their loved ones.
For families like the Purchases, the support Nightingale House provided them has meant everything.
Terry Purchase and his wife Carol.
When Carol Purchase was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her journey was filled with uncertainty and delays in getting the help she desperately needed. But everything changed when she arrived at Nightingale House Hospice.
Carol's daughter, Louise Dale said: "The staff treated my mum with such dignity and care.
"It wasn't just about her illness. They saw her as a person, and that made all the difference."
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The hospice team worked to ease Carol's symptoms, keep her comfortable, and most importantly, offer emotional support for the whole family. It became a place where they could find peace, make memories, and smile again.
Louise said: "Mum felt safe at Nightingale House. We even had a little birthday party for my daughter at the hospice, which the hospice staff helped to organise.
"Mum couldn't go home, but we were still able to celebrate together."
Carol Purchase with her son Simon Purchase, and her two grandchildren.
Since Carol's passing, her family have been inspired to give back, her son Simon completed a skydive to raise vital funds, and her husband Terry now volunteers his time at the hospice.
The Longest Day, Lasting Care campaign runs now through to June 21 and offers a variety of ways for individuals, schools, businesses and community groups to get involved:
• Take on a challenge or complete a fundraising event.
• Call the hospice during their 90s-themed telethon on the longest day of the year, June 20-21 on 01978 314292
• Donate to the campaign directly -
• Or text LONGEST10 to 70490 to give £10, or LONGEST20 to give £20 (plus standard network rate).
Every pound raised will go towards core hospice services, including rehabilitation, complementary therapy, wellbeing sessions, respite services, bereavement support and end-of-life care.
Tracy Thomas, director of clinical and patient services, said: "We only get one chance to get palliative care right.
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"Thanks to the kindness of our supporters, we're able to provide care with dignity, comfort and compassion, not just for patients, but for their whole families."
In 2025, it will cost £5.6million to run Nightingale House Hospice, with only 20% of this funded by the government. The rest is made up from voluntary donations and fundraising. It costs £15,351 per day to keep the hospice running.
Tracy added: "By supporting our Longest Day, Lasting Care campaign we can continue to be there for families like Carol's, when they need our support the most."
• To find out more, get involved or make a donation, visit: or call 01978 314292.
