Next month the Ayrshire Hospice in Ayr, Scotland, will be opening its doors to the public as part of Doors Open Day.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the charity, on Sunday 8 September visitors will have the opportunity to hear about the history of the hospice and the people of Ayrshire who have raised millions for the charity over the years. On the day there will be a guided tour for people to learn about the services the hospice provides to patients and families across the whole of Ayrshire.
Margaret Wilkie, Patient Services Director at the hospice, explains:
“We’re so looking forward to being part of Doors Open Day on Sunday 8 September and warmly encourage the people of Ayrshire to come in and see for themselves just what hospice care is all about.
“As we mark 30 years of the hospice it’s important to recognise the invaluable support that has been offered to the hospice by the people of Ayrshire over the years and we want to let them see first-hand the difference that support has made. There will be interactive displays from all our clinical teams, the opportunity to join a short guided tour of our day services centre and beautiful gardens, and staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer any questions visitors may have. To top it all off there’s also the offer of some delicious home baking and refreshments in our drop in café!”
The Ayrshire Hospice first opened its doors in 1989 when it welcomed its first in-patients at 35 Racecourse Road in Ayr. Since then it has cared for over 30,000 patients and families offering services that now range from an in-patient unit, day centre and specialist community nursing team to an education and training facility and patient and family support team.
Margaret adds:
“Doors Open Day is an opportunity for the hospice to try and break down barriers and dispel the many myths that often surround hospice care. It’s really important we try to allay fears and often the best way of doing that is to invite people in to experience our care environment for themselves. As one lady recently said: “When I first heard of the hospice I thought it would be full of doom and gloom, how wrong I was…it’s the most caring place I have ever been!””
Doors Open Day began in 1990 in Glasgow and Ayr as part of Glasgow’s status as European City of Culture. Around 1,000 buildings are expected to open during September, generating over 200,000 visits to sites and hidden architectural gems of all kinds in locations throughout Scotland.
For more information visit Ayrshire Hospice
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