Deputy Civic Mayor visits St Christopher’s Hospice.

St Christopher’s Hospice, the home of the modern hospice movement, was pleased to welcome the Deputy Civic Mayor of Croydon, Councillor Scott Roche, to visit the hospice on Thursday 6 August.

The Deputy Civic Mayor met with the hospice’s Care Director, Amanda Mayo, Director of Inclusion and Social Innovation, Mary Hodgson, and other clinical and community staff as he was shown around the hospice.

During the visit, the Deputy Civic Mayor heard about St Christopher’s work across Croydon, including its Death Literacy Project facilitated by the Community Action team. The project helps local people feel more confident talking about death, dying and loss, and understand the support available to them and their families.

Through workshops, Compassionate Chats, hospice awareness sessions and visits to the hospice, Croydon residents can learn more about end-of-life care, ask questions in a safe and supportive space, and find out what help is available for them and their families.

Amanda Mayo, Care Director of St Christopher’s, says: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Deputy Civic Mayor to St Christopher’s and to showcase the important work our hospice carries out for the community.

“Community engagement is at the heart of everything we do. Through our work across southeast London, we aim to build strong relationships, raise awareness of the support available and ensure that people from all backgrounds feel informed, included and able to access the care they need.

“Visits such as this are an important opportunity to highlight the vital role hospices play in supporting patients, families and communities every day.”

The Deputy Civic Mayor also saw firsthand St Christopher’s Inpatient Unit, which recently underwent a £3.6 million upgrade, of which more than £2 million came from the government’s emergency funding for hospices, announced in December 2024.

The upgrades at St Christopher’s focused on improving the look and feel of the Inpatient Unit, making rooms bigger and more homely, and addressing essential infrastructure issues in a building that is almost 60 years old.

The work also included enhancing staff areas for dedicated teams and installing a hoist system so people can be moved more safely and comfortably, whilst also protecting staff.

The Deputy Civic Mayor, said: ” It was a privilege to visit St Christopher’s Hospice and I did not expect to have such a positive and memorable experience. I learnt about the incredible work delivered with kindness and dignity that makes a real difference and significant impact on family, friends and loved ones. The emotional and practical support offered and most notably bereavement support to those left behind was something that St Christopher’s does so well. They ensure that nobody should face these issues alone and the team of employees and volunteers offer compassion and commitment at times when people need it most. The impact of their work makes a difference to individuals, their loved ones and the wider communities here in Croydon.”

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About St Christopher’s Hospice 

• We were founded by Dame Cicely Saunders, who started the global hospice movement with the opening of St Christopher’s in 1967.

• We are a charity, and we provide care and services free of charge. Though we are partially funded by the NHS, the majority of our running costs are very generously met by public donations. Each year, we need to raise over £19million.

• Our vision is of a world in which all dying people and those close to them have access to equitable care and support, whenever and wherever they need it.

• Our goal is to help people live well until they die, and support those affected by the loss of a friend or relative.

• Each person is unique, so we ask ‘what matters to you?’ and then tailor our care to meet social, emotional and spiritual needs, as well as manage physical symptoms.

• Everyone should have access to the best care at the end of their lives and through a blend of expert practice, education and research we work with people across the world to improve and develop hospice care.

• We usually have over 1,800 people under our care at any one time, and last year we provided care and support to over 4,700 patients and 1,724 carers at home, out in the community and in the hospice.

• We supported 364 children through our Candle Child Bereavement Service.

• We supported 760 people with in-person or face-to-face adult bereavement sessions last year.

• We have over 500 dedicated staff and over 1,000 amazing volunteers.

• More than 6,000 attended an event hosted by our Centre for Awareness and Response to End of life from 76 different countries.

• You can support the hospice by donating, volunteering or shopping at one of our 23 local high street shops.

• You can find our website by searching “stchristophers.org.uk” online, and we are also on social media – search @StChrisHospice on Twitter and Instagram.