Icon: more useful research from Intelligent Giving
    Sarah, the sleuthing hound

Hospices

HOSPICES GET VERY LITTLE SUPPORT from government. For reasons best known to themselves, politicians have been reluctant to support them, and there's little chance this will change any time soon. So hospices rely heavily dependent on donations.

Although on the balance sheet they look relatively well-off, the fact is that hospices require an enormous amount of money just to keep going. Given the complexity of the work they do, a budget of £7 million, for example, doesn't stretch very far.

Local charities in a national movement

Hospices come in all shapes and sizes, caring for patients with a range of different conditions, and in a variety of different ways. Many of them have a religious ethos - so be careful giving if you're not comfortable with this - and the vast majority are small-ish, local concerns, concentrating their fundraising activities in a relatively small geographical area.

Most people support a hospice with which they have a direct connection. If you don't fall into that category, consider giving to the hospices' national charity, Help the Hospices (see profile), or its children's equivalent, the Association of Children's Hospices. These will spread your cash around the country, encourage co-operation between hospices and lobby for the cause at Westminster.

Our hospices charity listings