St Nicholas Hospice Care

What St Nicholas Hospice Care does

St Nicholas Hospice Care is a registered UK charity (No. 287773) founded in 1984 and headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, providing specialist palliative and end-of-life care, bereavement support, and community outreach services across the West Suffolk and Thetford catchment area. The organization operates an integrated service portfolio spanning inpatient care (Sylvan Ward), home-based specialist palliative care (Community Specialist Team), community hubs (Haverhill Hub, Orchard Day Centre), volunteer-led practical support (Hospice Neighbours, serving 120-150 people at any given time), children's bereavement support (Nicky's Way), and adult counselling and emotional support. Education programmes such as GraveTalk and professional courses extend its reach to healthcare professionals and the wider community.

The hospice operates on a diversified non-profit revenue model. Service delivery is provided free of charge to patients and families, with funding sourced from NHS clinical commissioning contracts (notably the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust partnership), charitable donations and regular giving (Friends of St Nic's), a weekly Lottery programme, charity retail shop operations (high street shops, donation centre, online shops), corporate partnerships, fundraising events (Sunset Walk, Hidden Gardens of Bury, Light Up a Life, Firewalk, Skydive), and legacy gifts. The organization publishes an operational target of £11,000 per day. Its technology stack comprises industry-standard clinical (SystmOne), compliance (Radar Healthcare), finance (Access), HR (CIPHR), communications (Office365, NHS Mail, Mailchimp), and payments (Stripe) systems; no proprietary AI or platform technology is disclosed.

Name

St Nicholas Hospice Care

Legal name

St Nicholas Hospice Care

Website

https://stnicholashospice.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

St Nicholas Hospice Care is a UK charity (founded 1984) delivering specialist palliative care, bereavement support, and community hospice services across West Suffolk and Thetford, funded through NHS grants, donations, retail, lottery, and legacies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Bury Saint Edmunds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Fundraising: One-off donations, regular giving programmes (Friends of St Nic's), lottery membership, fundraising events, community appeals, corporate partnerships, and legacy gifts in wills
2. NHS/Clinical Commissioning: NHS funding for clinical palliative care services through clinical commissioning groups
3. Retail Operations: Charity shops including high street shops, donation centre, and online shops generating retail revenue
4. Lottery Programme: Regular lottery membership programme with weekly draws
5. Education Courses: Education courses for professionals and community members including workplace training, GraveTalk, and online resources

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St Nicholas Hospice Care provides free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to people with life-limiting illnesses across West Suffolk and Thetford, delivered through Sylvan Ward inpatient beds, the Community Specialist Team for home-based care, the Haverhill Hub community centre, the Hospice Neighbours volunteer support programme, Nicky's Way children's bereavement service, and counselling and emotional support. The hospice is funded by charitable donations, fundraising events, lottery membership, charity retail, legacy gifts and NHS clinical commissioning.

Product overview

St Nicholas Hospice Care is a charitable hospice organization offering a comprehensive range of palliative and end-of-life care services across West Suffolk and Thetford. The organization operates as a unified service portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core clinical services include Sylvan Ward (inpatient care), the Community Specialist Team (home-based care), and the Haverhill Hub (community center). Support services include Hospice Neighbours (volunteer-led practical support for 120-150 people at any time), Nicky's Way (bereavement support for children), and counselling services. Fundraising operations include a network of charity shops, the Lottery and Friends membership programmes, and events such as the Hidden Gardens of Bury, Light Up a Life, and Sunflower Memories. Education services provide professional training on end-of-life care. All services work together to provide holistic palliative care, bereavement support, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hospice Neighbours: A community-based and volunteer-led project providing practical support and companionship to people and families with long-term and life-threatening illnesses.
• Sylvan Ward
• Nicky's Way
• Orchard Day Centre
• Haven Garden Café

Products and services

• Sylvan Ward inpatient care Inpatient hospice care ward at Hardwick Lane, Bury St Edmunds, providing residential palliative care services for patients with life-limiting illnesses.
• Community Specialist Team Home-based specialist palliative care services delivered by the community hospice team to patients across West Suffolk and Thetford.
• Hospice Neighbours Community-based and volunteer-led project providing practical support and valued companionship to people and families with long-term and life-threatening illnesses, helping 120-150 people at any given time.
• Nicky's Way Six-week bereavement support programme for children and young people, run in small groups of no more than six, providing a safe space to share worries, fears, hopes and feelings.
• Counselling and Emotional Support Bereavement counselling and emotional support services including spiritual care, chaplaincy, and understanding grief programmes for patients, families and carers.
• Haverhill Hub Community hub offering hospice services in Haverhill, including the Garden of Life, The Haven Garden Café, a charity shop, and room booking facilities.
• Orchard Day Centre Day centre at the hospice providing care and activities for day patients.
• Education Courses Education courses delivered by hospice experts to professionals and community members on end-of-life care, dying, death and grief.
• GraveTalk Structured programme designed to help people talk about death and dying, delivered to community groups and workplaces.
• Lottery Regular giving programme allowing supporters to participate in hospice fundraising through weekly lottery contributions and draws.
• Friends of St Nic's Regular giving membership programme for hospice supporters providing a recurring income stream.
• Charity Shops Network of high street and specialist charity shops selling donated items to raise funds for hospice care.
• Light Up a Life Festive memorial event and donation programme allowing people to remember loved ones during the Christmas season.
• Sunflower Memories Memorial event and dedication programme allowing supporters to dedicate a sunflower in memory of loved ones.
• Hidden Gardens of Bury Annual community garden opening event raising funds for the hospice.
• Wills Weeks legacy programme Annual Wills Weeks event allowing supporters to write or update their Will at a reduced rate while supporting the hospice through gifts in wills.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Suffolk NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalliative care partnership providing shared consultant presence between hospice and West Suffolk Hospital. Dr Mary McGregor and Dr Sarah Mollart work across both organisations ensuring seamless patient care and discharge processes.
• R & D ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBased in Walsham-le-Willows, chose hospice as charity of the year. Raised £940.05 through donation pots, bake-offs, and dress-down days.
• Bury St Edmunds Audi (Marriott Motor Group)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLoaned Audi A1 to fundraising team and sponsors events including Girls Night Out. Previously provided similar vehicle loan support.
• Treatt and The Coffee HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint Cup of Love fundraising initiative creating special flavoured drink with 50p per sale donated to hospice. Treatt developed unique flavour, Coffee House sold the product at their branches.
• Thetford Lionesses (Breckland)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLadies group continued multi-year support with £1,000 donation to Nicky’s Way children's bereavement service.
• Chassis CabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing corporate supporter donated iPads for Orchard Day Centre and £1,675 towards kitchen refurbishment at Haverhill outreach centre.
• The Phoenix PartnershipcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of SystmOne clinical system used by the hospice for patient records management.
• Suffolk County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in creating video highlighting neighbourliness and acts of kindness for people facing dying, caring and grief.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Macmillan Cancer Support: National UK charity providing palliative and bereavement support alongside information and fundraising. Overlaps with St Nic's palliative care mission but at national scale and with broader cancer focus.
• Marie Curie: National UK charity running Marie Curie Hospices and a large community nursing service for terminal illness. Overlaps directly with St Nic's hospice-at-home and inpatient care model at significantly greater scale.
• Sue Ryder: National UK hospice charity operating multiple inpatient and home hospice services. Comparable service portfolio (palliative, bereavement, neurological) but at national scale rather than regional.

Others

• Hospice UK: National membership and advocacy body for UK hospices. Not a direct service peer but the sector umbrella and policy voice that shapes funding and operating environment for St Nic's.

Direct peers

• St Helena Hospice: A regional UK hospice serving North East Essex from Colchester, offering inpatient, community, and bereavement services. Most directly comparable to St Nic's in scale, regional catchment model, and service mix.
• Farleigh Hospice: Mid Essex hospice providing hospice-at-home, inpatient, and bereavement support. Closely comparable geographically and operationally to St Nic's as a community-rooted, donation-funded hospice.
• Dorothy House Hospice Care: Hospice serving Bath and surrounding areas with inpatient, community, and bereavement services. Comparable in mission, service breadth, and donation-funded operating model.
• Norfolk Hospice Tapping House: Hospice serving Norfolk providing inpatient, community, and bereavement care. Comparable in regional catchment scope and mixed service portfolio.
• ellenor hospice: Kent-based hospice offering hospice-at-home, inpatient, and family support services. Closely comparable in community-led operating model and reliance on local voluntary income.

Regional players

• East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH): Children's hospice serving the East of England including Suffolk. Comparable in region and mission but specialises in paediatric palliative care, complementing St Nic's adult focus and Nicky's Way children's bereavement service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stnichhospice
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/StNicholasHospice
• Facebookfacebook.com/stnicholashospicecare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-nicholas-hospice-care
• Instagraminstagram.com/stnicholashospicecare/?hl=en

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Nicholas Hospice Care