What Isabel Hospice does

Isabel Hospice Limited is a registered UK charity (No. 1046826) founded in 1982 by Isabel Last in Welwyn Garden City, providing free palliative and end-of-life care to adults with progressive, life-limiting illnesses across eastern Hertfordshire — specifically the boroughs of Broxbourne, East Herts and Welwyn Hatfield. Core clinical operations comprise an Inpatient Unit at Howlands in Welwyn Garden City for complex symptom management and end-of-life care, a Community Palliative Care service delivered via Clinical Nurse Specialists and Hospice at Home teams in patients' own homes, nursing homes and residential homes, and a Family Support Service providing bereavement counselling, children's services, spiritual care, and art therapy. A 24-hour clinical advice line supports all services, and the caseload has deliberately broadened — on average 41% of patients now have non-cancer diagnoses.

The hospice operates as a donation-funded nonprofit and provides all clinical services free of charge; it must raise approximately £8 million annually to fund operations, with the NHS contributing less than one-third. The revenue model is structurally diversified across at least seven streams: individual donations (one-off and monthly giving), Gifts in Memory, legacy income (which funds approximately 1 in 5 patients), a network of 17 charity shops complemented by an eBay storefront and a Vinted presence, mobile and drive-through donation points, the Local Hospice Lottery (£6/month subscription delivering at least £1.2M over five years from April 2024), corporate partnerships through the Good Company Club (with named partners including Tesco, Astute Electronics, Borras Construction, Rimex Metals, Konform and Bentley HR Owen), meeting room hire at the head office, ShareGift share-donation processing, and an educational training programme delivered jointly with the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. Trading activities are ringfenced within a wholly-owned subsidiary, Isabel Hospice Trading Ltd, alongside a second subsidiary IHL Services Limited. For every £1 raised, 71p goes directly towards delivering and improving care.

The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Terry Philpott and led operationally by Chief Executive Dr Helen Glenister (in role since 1 March 2020). The Executive Team comprises Dr Glenister, Director of Clinical Services Andy Kilduff, Director of Fundraising Katy O'Sullivan, Director of Finance & Resources Michael Wood, and People Director Lydia Hopley. Headcount is reported in the 251–500 range, supplemented by a large volunteer base. Operations are located primarily at 99 Bridge Road East, Welwyn Garden City (AL7 1GD), with a CQC "Good" rating in place since 14 September 2016.

Name

Isabel Hospice

Legal name

Isabel Hospice Limited

Website

https://isabelhospice.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Isabel Hospice is a UK registered charity providing free palliative and end-of-life care to adults with life-limiting illnesses across eastern Hertfordshire, funded primarily through donations, 17 retail shops, lottery, legacies, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice (Routine Home Care) (HLADAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Hospice / Hospice House (Facility-Based) (HLADAHAC), Community-Based Palliative Care (Home-Based Non-Hospice) (HLADAHAH), End-of-Life 24/7 In-Home Care (Hospice Support) (HSABAHAG), Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

Keywords

• Palliative care services
• Hospice care
• End-of-life care
• Bereavement support
• Charity fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Welwyn Garden City

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The hospice relies heavily on donations from the community, as well as income from fundraising events. All services are free of charge to those who need them.
2. Retail Operations: 17 charity shops across eastern Hertfordshire selling donated goods including clothing, accessories, books, bric-a-brac, CDs, DVDs. Also operates eBay shop and Vinted presence.
3. Local Hospice Lottery: Partnership with Local Hospice Lottery where players pay £6 per month per game number for chances to win weekly cash prizes up to £25,000, with proceeds supporting the hospice.
4. Meeting Room Hire: Professional meeting rooms available for hire at 99 Bridge Road East, Welwyn Garden City for groups up to 20 people, with audio/visual equipment and free WiFi.
5. Legacies and Gifts in Wills: The hospice receives support from gifts left in wills, with approximately 1 in 5 patients funded by legacy income.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships including Charity of the Year programmes, sponsorships, volunteering opportunities, team building events, match funding, and payroll giving.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Isabel Hospice provides free palliative and end-of-life care services to adults with progressive, life-limiting illnesses across eastern Hertfordshire, delivered through an Inpatient Unit, Community Palliative Care teams, Hospice at Home services, and a Family Support service. The hospice also runs 17 charity retail shops, a weekly lottery, an events programme, and corporate partnerships to generate the ~£8 million needed annually to fund care.

Product overview

Isabel Hospice offers a portfolio of palliative care services centred on its core clinical offerings: an Inpatient Unit for complex symptom management and end-of-life care, Community Palliative Care delivered in patients' homes via Clinical Nurse Specialists and Hospice at Home teams, and a Family Support Service providing bereavement and counselling support. The organisation supplements government funding through diversified revenue streams including a network of 17 charity retail shops with online presence via eBay and Vinted, a Local Hospice Lottery, an events programme, and a Corporate Partnerships Programme. Additional services include meeting room hire and professional education and training for healthcare colleagues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 41% of patients have non-cancer diagnoses, showing breadth of service
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Hospice LotterycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Local Hospice Lottery - a weekly, hospice-owned lottery. Players pay £6/month for chances to win cash prizes. Between 60-80% of profits from players supporting Isabel Hospice go to the hospice, expected to be at least £1,200,000 over five years from April 2024.
• Elliot Heath Estate Agents LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner who has donated over £20,000 to Isabel Hospice since 2016, helping fund vital palliative care services.
• Borras Construction LtdcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership announced to support Isabel Hospice's vital work and mission of providing outstanding palliative care.
• Astute ElectronicscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership with Astute Electronics to support Isabel Hospice's palliative care services in eastern Hertfordshire.
• Rimex MetalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Isabel Hospice through the Good Company Club partnership programme.
• KonformminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Isabel Hospice through the Good Company Club partnership programme.
• Bentley HR OwenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Isabel Hospice through the Good Company Club partnership programme.
• TescominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner through Good Company Club supporting Isabel Hospice.
• ShareGiftminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialist charity that processes share donations for Isabel Hospice. Since 1996, ShareGift has donated almost £17,000 to Isabel Hospice from grouped share donations. Accepts shares of all values at no cost to donors.
• The Good Company ClubcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership programme for local businesses to support Isabel Hospice through various engagement opportunities including volunteering, events, and donations.
• East and North Hertfordshire TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with NHS trust for educational training and sharing palliative care expertise.
• Other Local HospicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative working relationships with other local hospices to provide educational training and share best practices.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Marie Curie: Major UK charity providing hospice care and end-of-life nursing services across the country, including hospice beds and a community nursing service. Comparable in clinical model and diversified fundraising (donations, legacies, retail, lottery) but at significantly larger national scale with an explicit research/policy arm.
• Sue Ryder: UK national hospice and palliative care charity operating multiple inpatient hospice sites, hospice-at-home, and bereavement services. Comparable to Isabel Hospice in core clinical model (free palliative care, multi-channel fundraising, volunteer base) but operates at national scale across England with a broader retail portfolio.

Direct peers

• St Clare Hospice: West Essex and East Hertfordshire hospice providing inpatient care, community palliative care, Hospice at Home and bereavement support. Overlaps Isabel's eastern-Hertfordshire catchment and matches its clinical and fundraising model closely.
• Trinity Hospice: London-based adult and children's hospice providing inpatient palliative care, community services and bereavement support. Comparable clinical offering to Isabel Hospice with similar retail and donations-led fundraising, though operating in central London with higher costs.
• Dorothy House Hospice Care: Bath-area hospice providing inpatient, community and family support services funded by community donations and a network of charity shops. Comparable in scale, service scope and the multi-channel fundraising approach Isabel uses.
• North London Hospice: North London hospice charity providing inpatient, day hospice, community and bereavement services funded by donations, legacies and retail. Similar size, service mix and urban-fringe operating model to Isabel Hospice, just in a different London borough catchment.
• Peace Hospice Care: Watford-based hospice serving south-west Hertfordshire with inpatient unit, day services, Hospice at Home and family support. Direct operational peer to Isabel Hospice — similar size, similar Hertfordshire geographic base, comparable reliance on community fundraising and charity shops.
• Rennie Grove Hospice Care: Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire-based hospice charity providing Hospice at Home, day hospice, family support and 24-hour advice — very similar service mix to Isabel Hospice and overlapping Hertfordshire catchment. Closest geographic and operational peer for benchmarking fundraising, patient throughput, and care model.

Others

• Local Hospice Lottery: Weekly lottery operated on behalf of multiple UK hospices including Isabel Hospice, generating committed multi-year income via £6/month subscriptions and prize draws. A commercial-enablement partner rather than competitor, but central to Isabel's fundraising strategy and £1.2M committed income contract.
• Hospice UK: National umbrella body for UK hospices, providing advocacy, training, grants and sector data. Not a direct care peer but a key sector reference point, and several Isabel Hospice trustees have direct involvement with Hospice UK (e.g., former Vice Chair of Forum of Hospice Chairmen UK).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/isabelhospiceshops
• Xx.com/isabelhospice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Isabel Hospice