Hospice Tairawhiti staff, patients and volunteers, are enjoying a far broader and more comfortable range of services since the opening of the new day services and administration building last year.
It was a huge effort from all to raise the $3.2m required for the project, with the money coming from grants, donations and plenty of fundraising. Hospice Tairāwhiti general manager Barbara Grout said it had been a real community effort, and she thanked all of those involved who had helped the organisation's dreams become a reality.
The new space is airy, light and sporting a calming array of colours. “It has allowed us to move to a more social model,” says Barbara. “Patients can see a nurse or doctor in a clinic, take part in complementary therapy, join support groups, and actively participate in day programmes. We just weren’t able to provide that in our previous building.”
The Trust’s $1m distribution was a turning point in the project and gave the team a confidence boost. “I don’t think we would have been able to progress with the project without that support.”
The new building was blessed in November last year. It costs $1.5m to run Hospice annually, with $700,000 needed to be raised through the Hospice Shop, grants, donations and fundraising.
Each year around 217 people and their whānau receive care and support from Hospice. The organisation relies heavily too on volunteers who give around 16,000 hours annually.
The ethos behind Hospice Tairāwhiti aligns well with the Trust’s wellbeing framework He Rangitapu He Tohu Ora, and it provides far-reaching impacts not only for an individual but their whānau and community.