Why We're Supporting St Oswald's Hospice at Our Christmas Fair in Newcastle
Living North's chosen charity for this year's Christmas Fair is St Oswald's Hospice
St Oswald’s Hospice has been part of the community in Gosforth for 40 years, providing care for people from across the North East. ‘We know many people think of us as “a place for dying” and only know us for our end-of-life care, but we’re much more than most people realise,’ says fundraising marketing manager Nikki Maguire. St Oswald’s Hospice aims to help everyone with a life-limiting condition make the most of the life they have, no matter how long that life may be. They provide expert, compassionate hospice care and support for people living with a range of progressive, life-limiting conditions (not just cancer), and they support their families and loved ones too.
‘Providing quality time matters to us, whether that means easing pain or symptoms, offering emotional support, or helping families make special memories together,’ says Nikki. ‘For babies, children, young adults and adults, we offer specialist palliative and end-of-life care. For those who have experienced the death of a loved one, we offer pre- and post-bereavement support. We are the largest specialist lymphoedema service provider in the North East and are proud to be recognised as a national centre of excellence.’
According to Nikki, one in three people will be touched by hospice care at some point in their lives, either directly or through a friend or family member. ‘Hospice care is so important because it helps people live as well as possible when they are facing a life-limiting illness,’ she adds. ‘It focuses, not just on medical care, but on the whole person, providing physical, emotional, social and spiritual support. At St Oswald’s Hospice, our team works hard to make the time our patients have left as comfortable and dignified as possible.’
This year St Oswald’s Hospice is celebrating its 40th anniversary and has received messages of support from well-known northerners. ‘We hosted a Big Birthday Bake at the hospice, which saw staff and volunteers whipping up some incredible creations. There wasn’t a shortage of people offering to judge the bakes! More recently, we launched our 40th Birthday Appeal to help raise £40,000 towards vital running costs. Like many hospices across the country, St Oswald’s is operating in an increasingly difficult financial environment. Demand for our services continues to rise as people live longer with more complex conditions, while the cost of providing specialist care continues to increase. Unfortunately, statutory funding does not keep pace with this growing need.’
This summer also saw 96 individually-designed sculptures inspired by Beatrix Potter’s famous and much-loved character, Peter Rabbit, take to the streets of Newcastle and North Tyneside. ‘The trail was a huge success, with thousands of people, both locally and from further afield, spending their summer rabbit-spotting,’ says Nikki. ‘The trail has now finished, but the fun hasn’t, as there is still the Farewell Weekend to look forward to. This will see the full fluffle take over Newcastle Civic Centre on Saturday 10th October and Sunday 11th October, and people of all ages are invited to come along and see them one more time. There will be lots to see and do, including raffles, stalls, refreshments, as well as a chance to meet the trail artists, unlock any missed rabbits in the app and take some selfies with your favourites!’
The grand finalé auction will take place at the Civic Centre, on Tuesday 13th October. ‘Forty of the rabbits will go under the hammer at an exciting live auction, hosted by Alfie Joey,’ Nikki adds. ‘Prospective bidders can check out the sale catalogue now, which includes six brand-new lots created especially for the event, and register to bid online, from home or in person on the night. All funds raised on the night will support the work of St Oswald’s Hospice.’
Donations are key to supporting St Oswald’s Hospice, the charity has also just launched its Great North Run 2027 places, and another way to support a charity is by leaving a gift in your Will. Visit the St Oswald’s Hospice stand at Living North’s Christmas Fair at Newcastle Racecourse (22nd–25th October) to find out more about the charity, learn about their current campaigns and discover more ways to support their local hospice.
They’ll also be highlighting their Donate Monthly campaign, which helps provide regular, reliable funding for hospice care. ‘By purchasing items from the stand, making a donation or finding out more about our monthly giving programme, visitors can help fund the work of our doctors and nurses and support improvements to our services, which are provided free of charge,’ says Nikki.
