Hospiscare celebrates Searle House

We celebrated last night as our city hospice was officially named Searle House in recognition of the dedicated local family which helped establish this vital service.

Our trustees, staff, volunteers and some of the founders gathered to thank Liz and John Searle and their four adult children for their contribution to the foundation and continuing success of Hospiscare. Lady Clarissa Clifford, our patron and Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, a vice-president also attended.

Some of the Searle grandchildren came along too and had lots of fun playing in the garden and hospice. Patrick Beasley, chairman of trustees, said naming the hospice Searle House had received widespread acclaim throughout the whole organisation.

John Searle said he and the family were deeply conscious of this honour and paid tribute to the significant contribution made by Liz and the children and the “amazing team who helped found Hospiscare. Liz and John Searle were the driving force behind the group which 33 years ago established us as a local charity.

Starting with just two community nurses Hospiscare quickly expanded and we opened the hospice on the RD&E Wonford site in 1992.

Today Hospiscare has 160 staff, 1,000 volunteers, three day centres and a 12 bed hospice; these services cost us £6m a year to run, with £1.25m funded by the NHS and the rest by fundraising events, community and business support, Hospiscare retail services, grants and gifts in Wills.

John was the long-standing chairman of Hospiscare and has served as our president for more than 15 years.

Every year more than 2,000 people, living in Exeter, East and Mid Devon, receive the very best of end of life care in what is frequently described as a “five star” service, which is free of charge.