Securing Our Future, Together: An Update From Michael Crowther

Like many hospices across the UK, The Kirkwood has faced a perfect storm of rising operational costs over the past few years. With demand for hospice services increasing year on year, huge rises in salaries and the price of essential equipment, energy, and food have put a major strain on our finances.

Only around 25% of our funding comes from the NHS, meaning The Kirkwood relies heavily on the generosity of our local community to fund the majority of our services. While contributions from our amazing supporters have continued to grow each year, the effect of the cost-of-living crisis has meant these efforts have not been enough to keep pace with the charity’s increasing financial needs.

Back in January we announced proposals to reduce costs by £1.7m each year to put our finances back on a secure footing. We also revealed proposals to make significant cuts to services, with up to 33 roles at risk as we faced the worst financial crisis in its almost 40-year history.

In this discussion with The Kirkwood's Chief Executive, Michael Crowther, we discuss the difficult decisions we've taken to secure our future, including changes to our workforce and clinical services, and the many ways you can help.