Harbour Hospice marks milestones

Forty years of care in the community have been celebrated by Harbour Hospice, in tandem with the official opening of its upgraded Takapuna facility.

More than 200 donors, supporters, volunteers and staff gathered at the multimillion-dollar redevelopment at Shea Tce last month, to hear hospice chief executive Jan Nichols put the project and the organisation’s success down to “the unwavering support and loyalty of the community”.

“Forty years ago, a pioneering group of volunteers started the very first hospice on the North Shore. We now care for more than 1200 patients and their families from Devonport to Te Hana each year, with more than 230 staff and 1200 volunteers.”

The redevelopment, built over two years and opened in stages from last year, helped future-proof the organisation, she said. It meant hospice could extend its reach to more people, young and old, and lead the way in providing world-class, specialist end-of-life care. This was both at the hospice, with its 15 patient rooms, whanau area and extended space for day programmes and staff, but also to the nearly 40 per cent of people in its care who died at home.

The day proved an emotional one for many attending, with it being the first time many had been in the completed hospice.

The charity raised $10 million from the community for the redevelopment, which Nichols said was humbling.

The remaining $10 million for the project came from money accrued over many years in its development foundation.

“We are so very proud of what we’ve achieved together, which will serve the community for decades to come,” Nichols said.