Hospice celebrates 40 years of caring

Treetops Hospice is celebrating 40 years of caring for people in the local community.

The team at the Risley hospice is thanking everyone who has played a part in the charity achieving this significant milestone, from supporters and donors to volunteers and staff.

Chief executive Julie Heath said: “This is an amazing milestone for Treetops Hospice.

“We’re really proud to have cared for thousands of patients and their loved ones at the most challenging time of their lives since the charity began.”

The hospice grew out of a campaign started by a local woman, Cally Cheetham, in 1983, following her own experiences of caring for relatives with cancer.

In the very early days, the hospice began by offering a volunteer home sitting service and bringing patients to the hospice once a week.

Explaining how the hospice’s services had developed over time in response to local need, Julie said: “Our care has changed such a lot over the last 40 years.

“Now, more than ever, patients are choosing to receive our care in the comfort of their own home.

“We’re also taking our support and information out into the local community to make it even more accessible.

“We support more than 2,000 people and their loved ones every year.

“This is thanks to the hard work and dedication of our staff, our volunteers who help across the whole hospice and out in our charity shops, and our wonderful supporters.

“Without them all, we just wouldn’t be the charity we are today.”

The charity has several birthday celebrations planned throughout the rest of the year.

This includes a car raffle and distributing birthday cake through Treetops charity shops, plus several surprises throughout the year to say ‘thank you’ to supporters.