What St Gemma's Hospice does

St Gemma's Hospice is an independent registered charity (Charity No. 1015941; Company No. 2773867) founded in 1978 in Leeds, providing expert palliative and end-of-life care to local people with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Self-described as Yorkshire's largest hospice, it was formally designated the world's first University Teaching Hospice in 2017. The organisation operates from a four-acre campus at 329 Harrogate Road, Moortown, with an In-Patient Unit, outpatient services, day hospice, and a community nursing team caring for around 250 patients at any one time across Leeds.

The core service offering combines direct clinical palliative care with the Academic Unit of Palliative Care (AUPC), a formal partnership with the University of Leeds that integrates research, teaching, and clinical practice. The AUPC delivers training courses (Advanced Communication Skills at £450/person, Difficult Conversations at £160, Ethical Issues at £80) to healthcare professionals and has educated over 1,400 professionals and hosted nearly 200 student placements. Operational technology is limited to clinical workflow tools such as an Electronic Prescribing System for the community nursing team and CCTV surveillance across hospice and retail premises; no proprietary software platform, API, or technology product is offered.

The revenue model is hybrid and donation-led. Approximately one third of funding comes from the NHS as statutory support, with the remaining two thirds raised through community donations (over £8 million last year), 17+ charity shops across Leeds, an eBay online storefront, a lottery programme, gifts in wills, and fundraising events such as skydives, the Leeds Running Festival, and the Open Your Garden programme. Go-to-market is community-led: social media, email newsletters, corporate partnerships, earned media (notably £200,000 of free advertising donated by The Ark Media across 50 Leeds sites), and a volunteer base of over 700 individuals supporting clinical, retail, and event operations. The hospice currently operates a deficit budget and has earmarked £675,000 from the UK Government's £100 million capital funding programme for hospices in England.

Name

St Gemma's Hospice

Legal name

St Gemma's Hospice

Website

https://st-gemma.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

St Gemma's Hospice is Yorkshire's largest independent hospice and the world's first University Teaching Hospice, delivering palliative and end-of-life care to patients with cancer and life-limiting illnesses across Leeds, supported by NHS funding, community donations, and a network of 17+ charity shops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice & Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051)

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC), Hospital-Based Palliative Care (Inpatient Consult Services) (HLADAHAG), Non-Hospice Serious-Illness / Community-Based Palliative Care (In-Home) (HSABAFAF), In-Home Hospice Nursing Visits (RN/LPN) (HSABAFAL), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO)

Keywords

• Palliative care
• End-of-life care
• Hospice services
• Bereavement support
• Palliative care education

Headquarters

HQ city

Moortown

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. NHS Funding: Approximately one third of funding comes from the NHS, providing a baseline of statutory funding for hospice operations.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The remaining approximately two thirds of funding is raised through the generosity of the local community, including donations, fundraising events, and special campaigns. The hospice raised over £8 million last year through community support.
3. Retail Shops: A large chain of charity shops across Leeds selling donated items and pre-loved goods, with an online presence on eBay. Profits support local patient care.
4. Gifts in Wills: Legacy giving through wills, where supporters leave a gift to the hospice as part of their estate planning.
5. Lottery: A hospice lottery programme where supporters can participate for a chance to win prizes, generating ongoing donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

St Gemma's Hospice provides expert palliative and end-of-life care for local people with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, delivered both in its in-patient unit and through community nurse specialists who support approximately 250 patients at any one time across Leeds. Surrounding the clinical service is the Academic Unit of Palliative Care - a research and education partnership with the University of Leeds offering paid training courses for healthcare professionals - plus a fundraising and retail operation spanning 17+ charity shops, an eBay online shop, a weekly lottery, an annual raffle, a calendar of challenge events, and a gifts-in-wills programme. All hospice clinical services are provided free of charge to patients and families.

Product overview

St Gemma's Hospice is Yorkshire's largest hospice, providing expert palliative and end-of-life care as a unified service rather than a technology platform. The core offering is hospice care services delivered both in the inpatient unit and through community nursing teams. Supporting this are the Academic Unit of Palliative Care (a research and education partnership with the University of Leeds) offering palliative care training courses, and a network of charity retail shops. Fundraising activities include a lottery, raffles, and challenge events (skydives, running festivals, garden openings). The organization operates as a local independent charity and does not offer a software product, API, or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hospice Care Services Expert palliative and end-of-life care for people with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, delivered by Palliative Care Consultants and Community Clinical Nurse Specialists in the In-Patient Unit, Out-Patient services, Day Hospice, and in patients' own homes and care homes across Leeds. Includes complex symptom management, pain relief, advanced clinical care, emotional support, bereavement support, and a specialist Inclusion Service for vulnerably housed patients. Services are free at the point of use.
• Palliative Care Training Courses (Academic Unit of Palliative Care) Education and training programmes for healthcare professionals covering palliative and end-of-life care, including Advanced Communication Skills Training (£450 per person), Difficult Conversations at the End of Life (£160 per person), Ethical Issues in Palliative Care (£80 per person), Compassionate Communication, and End of Life Care and Dementia. Delivered in-person and virtually, with funded places for partner organisations including Leeds Community Healthcare, Harrogate District Foundation Trust, Leeds Primary Care Teams and Leeds City Council.
• Charity Retail Shops Network of 17+ charity shops across Leeds selling donated and pre-loved goods, accepting donations of unwanted items from the public, and offering an online presence on eBay for curated pre-loved items. Profits support local patient care.
• Lottery Weekly lottery programme allowing supporters to participate for a chance to win cash prizes, including a top prize of £3,000. Generates ongoing community donations to support hospice funding.
• Summer Raffle Annual raffle campaign offering supporters a chance to win cash prizes, with a top prize of £3,000, promoting community engagement and fundraising.
• Skydives 2026 Tandem skydiving challenge events available year-round at 18 airfields across the UK, offering adrenaline-fueled fundraising for supporters. Registration fee £395 with a £70 minimum sponsorship request.
• Leeds Running Festival 2026 Chip-timed community running event offering 5K, 10K, and half marathon distances around Roundhay Park, Leeds. Entry fees £10-£20 with corresponding sponsorship targets of £100-£250.
• Open Your Garden Programme 2026 Community garden opening initiative inviting gardeners to share their outdoor spaces with the public between May and September 2026 to raise funds for patient care. No registration fee - gardens open by donation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £8 million raised last year through community support
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Cuore Chamber OrchestraminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 March 2026Partnership with Cuore Chamber Orchestra for a fundraising concert supporting St Gemma's Hospice on 6th March at Howard Assembly Room, Leeds. Will Dutton founded Cuore and has a family connection to St Gemma's through his grandfather Professor Gerald Richards, who helped establish St Gemma's and its Academic Unit. Cuore musicians also performed for hospice patients on 5th March.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Academic Unit of Palliative Care (AUPC) is a formal partnership between St Gemma's Hospice and the University of Leeds. This partnership established St Gemma's as the world's first University Teaching Hospice in 2017. The collaboration integrates research, teaching, and clinical practice to improve palliative and end-of-life care, training healthcare professionals locally, nationally, and internationally.
• The Ark MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Ark Media donated tens of thousands of pounds worth of free advertising to St Gemma's, with £200,000 of advertising across 50 sites in Leeds for 17 weeks. The campaign was run in memory of their co-founder and Managing Director John Ainley, who was a patient at St Gemma's. The partnership significantly raised community awareness of hospice services.
• ITV Calendar NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate volunteering partnership where ITV Calendar News employees use their employer-provided volunteering days to support St Gemma's. Producer Tina Gelder spent two days with the Marketing and Communications team and the Meanwood charity shop.
• Hospice UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt Gemma's works with Hospice UK as part of advocacy for sustainable hospice funding. Hospice UK led a campaign 'Hospice Care is More Than You Think' and continues to advocate for the sector. St Gemma's also participates in the West Yorkshire Hospice Collaborative, collectively advocating to government.
• West Yorkshire Hospice CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective of hospices across West Yorkshire working together to advocate for sustainable hospice funding and share best practices. St Gemma's participated in a joint Westminster visit to deliver the collective voice to Downing Street.
• Leeds Community Healthcare (LCH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Leeds Community Healthcare for Advanced Communication Skills Training for senior clinicians. LCH staff have access to funded training places at St Gemma's AUPC courses.
• Leeds Primary Care TeamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Leeds Primary Care Teams for Advanced Communication Skills Training and funded places on AUPC courses for palliative and end-of-life care professionals.
• Harrogate District Foundation Trust (HDFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with HDFT for Advance Care Planning, Communication Skills, and Difficult Conversations training for their clinical staff. Funded training places available for HDFT employees at AUPC courses.
• Leeds City Council (LCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Leeds City Council to provide 'Introduction to End of Life Care Study Day' for social care staff working within LCC. Funded places available for LCC employees.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Marie Curie: The largest UK charitable provider of hospice and palliative care, operating inpatient hospices and community nursing services across the country. Highly comparable to St Gemma's in mission, clinical model, and reliance on community fundraising to supplement NHS funding.
• Sue Ryder: UK charity running a network of hospices, neurological care centres, and community palliative care services. Comparable to St Gemma's in delivering in-patient hospice care, community-based end-of-life support, and education for healthcare professionals, with a similar charity-shop funded model.
• St Catherine's Hospice: Hospice serving Lancashire and South Yorkshire with in-patient, community, and day therapy services. Closely comparable to St Gemma's in service mix and regional UK hospice operating model.
• St Luke's Hospice Sheffield: Sheffield-based hospice providing specialist palliative care across South Yorkshire, with in-patient, community, and bereavement services. Directly comparable as a Yorkshire-based hospice charity with a similar community fundraising model.
• Wakefield Hospice: Hospice serving the Wakefield district of West Yorkshire, providing in-patient and community palliative care. Most directly comparable as a neighbouring West Yorkshire hospice competing for community donors and NHS relationships in the same region as St Gemma's.
• Pilgrims Hospices: Charitable hospice operating across East Kent with in-patient units, community teams, and education programmes. Comparable to St Gemma's in its integrated hospice and community palliative care offering, supported by an active fundraising and retail operation.
• ellenor hospice: Hospice in Kent providing hospice at home, in-patient, and bereavement support, with a comparable mix of NHS funding and community fundraising. Similar to St Gemma's in its emphasis on community-based palliative nursing.
• Dorothy House Hospice Care: Hospice serving Bath and surrounding areas with in-patient, community, and education services. Comparable to St Gemma's in operating model, NHS funding reliance, and community-driven income generation.

Broad incumbents

• Macmillan Cancer Support: Large UK cancer charity providing palliative and end-of-life support services alongside broader cancer care. Overlaps with St Gemma's in palliative care provision and community fundraising, but operates at much greater scale and scope as an incumbent national brand.

Others

• Hospice UK: National umbrella body for hospice and palliative care providers in the UK. Not a direct operational peer but the sector body that St Gemma's works with on advocacy, funding, and sector standards, making it a strategically relevant adjacent organisation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stgemmashospice
• Facebookfacebook.com/st.g.hospice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st.-gemma's-hospice
• Instagraminstagram.com/stgemmashospice

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St Gemma's Hospice