35th Anniversary of St Ann’s Hospice,
Heald Green

17 May 1971: St Ann’s in Heald Green received its first patients although the site was officially opened the following month by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

As May 17th 2006 marks the 35th anniversary of the opening of St Ann’s Hospice at Heald Green, we take a look at ‘then and now’.

Recently, a fascinating article on St Ann’s Hospice which appeared in a 1976 copy of Cheshire Life magazine was sent to our Communications department. Written by a former patient, Harold Howarth, who referred to himself as a “guest” at St Ann’s in the early seventies, the feature provided a very real account of hospice care “from the inside”. Surprisingly however, reading through his fascinating story, it was the number of similarities – not differences – which captured our attention.

Thirty five years ago, the then Bishop of Manchester (the late Dr W.D.L Greer) gathered the local community to raise £250,000 to build and run a ‘Home’ for patients with a life threatening illness where they could receive skilled nursing and medical care, day and night. Then as now it offered its wide range of services totally free of charge and, despite demanding pressures to meet ever increasing fundraising targets and deliver the highest standards of care around the clock, nothing has altered the warm working environment since Mr Howard’s stay three decades ago.

“There is no room here for the doom and gloom merchants, and this goes for the domestic staff, as well as for the wonderful band of volunteers who give up their time to help the Hospice in numerous ways,” wrote Mr Howarth. He also recalled the quality of care and catering - which continues to receive the highest commendations, similar to those of its former resident: “So far I have used the word ‘patient’ for those in the care of the Hospice… but I feel the word ‘guest’ is more suitable. If ‘guest’ appears to be more applicable to a hotel resident, I do not apologise, for the quality of the food is well up to that found in good class hotels – expertly prepared and in great variety, so that especially at meal times a patient can be forgiven for feeling that he is a guest in a well run hotel, with excellent service.”

Essentially then, the main difference is the diversity of care provided and the scale on which money is raised. Today’s running costs total £16,000 a day compared to £2,000 a week when Mr Howarth was a guest. Equally the number of beds has increased from 42 to 59, one purpose built hospice and a Cancer Centre have been acquired at Little Hulton and the Neil Cliffe Cancer Care Centre, and several extensions have taken place to accommodate the increasing number of staff.

Yet despite the challenges, fundraising initiatives remain as innovative as ever and continue to attract participants of all age groups. A prime example is that of the spectacular outdoor concert of symphonic rock music from the legendary band Queen, staged on June 3rd at Capesthorne Hall in Macclesfield to celebrate this 35 year milestone.

Meanwhile, patients continue to brighten walls with their paintings while staff brighten the wards with their smiles. And the secret formula behind it all? Perhaps Mr Howarth put his finger on it thirty years ago: “Cash, however vital for the running of the Hospice, is not its driving force – the motivation of St Ann’s is love, not money.”