Bedford Daycare Hospice has merged into Keech Hospice Care with immediate effect, the charities have announced.
The main purposes of the merger are to sustain the future of Bedford Daycare Hospice and to ensure that more people can benefit from the services offered by both charities.
Keech will retain its name but it has not been decided what Bedford Daycare’s services will be called in future.
Bedford Daycare Hospice, which has an income of around £600,000, is an independent charity which provides holistic day care to adults in north and mid Bedfordshire living with a life-limiting condition. It has a physical hospice site.
Keech Hospice Care, which has an annual income of more than £15m, provides care for adults in Luton and south Bedfordshire, and children throughout Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes.
All jobs at both organisations will remain secure, and both hospice sites will remain open and in their current locations.
The retail stores run by Bedford Daycare Hospice and Keech Hospice Care will continue to operate as normal.
‘We hope the merged organisation will create even more opportunities’
Liz Searle, chief executive of Keech Hospice Care, said: “Merging the two organisations will help us reach and support more patients throughout our community and attract and retain outstanding clinical professionals, staff and volunteers.
“Both hospices are already well-known for the outstanding quality of care they provide. The merger serves to strengthen and enhance our current range of services and our combined efforts will ensure even more people in our community benefit from them.”
Liz Searle will be chief executive and the Keech Hospice board of trustees will comprise representatives across Keech Hospice Care and Bedford Daycare Hospice.
She said one of the main reasons this merger came into being was due to how closely aligned the two hospices are.
“There is great synergy also between our cultures and values, with both organisations known for their friendly and welcoming environments. These things will not change. The only change we will experience, which is a positive one, is that our services will grow and be available to more patients and families, where there are gaps,” she said.
“Volunteers will continue to be a major and important part of what we do and how we do it. We hope the merged organisation will create even more opportunities for further volunteers to get involved.”
‘It is wonderful to know that our legacy will go from strength to strength’
Donald Parsons, chair at Bedford Daycare Hospice, said: “Over the years, sustaining the charity has sometimes been challenging.
“However, we are delighted to be merging with Keech Hospice Care, a charity that shares our vision and values. By merging together there is a bright and secure future and the opportunity to continue to expand services for our local community,” he said.
“As a founding member of Bedford Daycare Hospice, it is wonderful to know that our legacy will go from strength to strength and is in safe hands.”
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