Simon, a businessman from Taunton, has long known about St Margaret’s Hospice, having grown up in nearby Bishop’s Hull. Though he had raised funds for the hospice over 20 years ago, it wasn’t until more recently that he experienced its services firsthand, shaping his deep appreciation for the care it provides.
Simon has been a long-time supporter of St Margaret’s, taking part in various fundraising efforts, including driving to Le Mans in Reliant Robins and participating in the Big Somerset Cricket Bash. His dedication doesn’t stop there—he’s encouraged his employees to get involved too, with plans for a team skydive in 2025.
However, Simon’s connection to the hospice became personal when his father was admitted to the Taunton In-Patient Unit (IPU) for respite care. Before this, Simon had thought of St Margaret’s solely as a place for end-of-life care. But his father’s stay, although brief, showed him that the hospice also offers critical respite services. “Dad’s medications were simplified, and his quality of life improved during those few weeks,” Simon explains. Though his father passed shortly after returning home, Simon was struck by the transformation in his health during his time at St Margaret’s. “It was amazing and unexpected,” he recalls. ““Sadly, he didn’t survive much longer after returning home, but the respite care and improvement in his health in that window was amazing. And a surprise too, because I’ve always historically just thought it was purely end-of-life.”
Simon was particularly impressed by the continuity of care at the hospice, comparing it to his father’s hospital experience. “The NHS do a great job, but they are stretched, In the hospital, there were too many people involved, and the different areas don’t always meet up, whereas at the hospice, it was different—everything came together quickly, and my dad saw the same caring staff regularly. That made a huge difference.”
Talking about his father’s passing, Simon said “It was obviously very tough, but the service and care that he had at the hospice was amazing, so it made his life and end-of-life much easier than it would have been otherwise. The staff really care and deliver a great job, it just seems that they really enjoy what they do.”
Dad was much happier there than anywhere else and that’s from a guy who’s quite stubborn in his life as he was determined to stay at home. He saw the same people most of the time; they knew the individual’s needs."
“They just felt caring, it was noticed in the atmosphere. They were always very professional but quite relaxed at the same time, everybody knew what was going on and that was the major difference to the hospital, the continuity was much clearer.”
The hospice’s personal touch also helped Simon’s close friend, who passed away at St Margaret’s two years ago after battling cancer. His friend’s family could no longer provide the care he needed, and the hospice became a place of comfort for him in his final days. He needed high level care and St Margaret’s was his place.
Simon passionately advocates for the hospice’s complementary services and its impact on the community. “St Margaret’s offers so much more than end-of-life care,” he says. “The level of care and excellence in every aspect is unmatched, and people locally don’t realise how fortunate they are to have it.”
I was shocked to find out the hospice relies mostly on donations and fundraising, with little NHS funding."
“People need to know this, or they’ll assume it’s fully funded by the government. We need to shout about this more, get more people engaged and involved. To me it’s blatantly obvious that needs to be really shouted from the rooftops, get more engagement, get more energy into the real reason for fundraising”.