What St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth does

St Luke's Hospice Plymouth is an independent UK charitable company limited by guarantee (registered charity number 280681), founded in 1980 and operating across Plymouth, South West Devon, and East Cornwall. It delivers specialist palliative and end-of-life care to adults with progressive life-limiting illnesses — including cancer, motor neurone disease, heart failure, multiple sclerosis, and chronic lung disease — together with emotional, practical, and bereavement support for their families and carers. The care model is hub-and-spoke: a 12-bed specialist inpatient unit at Turnchapel anchors the system, while the St Luke's at Home service delivers the majority of care in patients' own homes, supported by a Marie Curie-partnered Urgent Care Service operating seven days a week from 8am to 10pm, an in-house Patient and Family Support Service, Therapy Services (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, complementary therapies), and the Patches pre-bereavement programme for children and young people. Approximately 300 people are cared for at any one time, with 43% of care delivered outside Plymouth city centre.

The organisation funds its £13.6 million annual operating cost through a diversified income model rather than fees to patients, who receive all services free at the point of use. Revenue streams include individual donations and in-memory giving, the St Luke's Lottery (15,000 weekly plays at £2 per entry generating £832,763 in FY24/25 with a 68% profit margin), a network of 16+ charity shops across Plymouth and Devon plus an eBay online store and furniture collection service, legacies facilitated through a Farewill partnership, payroll giving, a Key Investor major donor programme for gifts over £1,000, trusts and foundations grants (including the Hospital Saturday Fund and Armed Forces Covenant Fund), corporate sponsorship of flagship events (Morgan Sindall for Guiding Lights 2026, Pyramid AV for Tour de Moor), and fee-based Education and Training courses including Level 6 and Level 7 university modules with the University of Plymouth and the Six Steps+ programme for care homes.

The workforce comprises 251–500 paid employees supplemented by 650+ volunteers supporting retail, fundraising events, social care, and administrative roles. Technology infrastructure consists of online donation platforms (JustGiving, easyfundraising), the weekly lottery draw system with rollover mechanics and direct debit processing, e-commerce retail operations, and standard charity CRM/digital channels spanning the website, social media (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters, and a podcast for healthcare professionals. The organisation holds a CQC Outstanding rating (16 January 2025) for its Turnchapel location and Veterans Aware accreditation, and is governed by a board of trustees with executive leadership from Chief Executive George Lillie and Director of Clinical Services Tricia Davis.

Name

St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth

Legal name

St Luke's Hospice Plymouth

Website

https://stlukes-hospice.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

St Luke's Hospice Plymouth is an independent UK charity delivering specialist end-of-life care to adults with life-limiting illnesses and their families across Plymouth, South West Devon, and East Cornwall, operating a 12-bed inpatient unit, hospice-at-home services, and family support, funded primarily through donations, lottery, and 16+ charity shops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Hospice Serious-Illness / Community-Based Palliative Care (In-Home) (HSABAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), End-of-Life Emotional & Spiritual Support (Chaplaincy/Counseling) In-Home (HSABAFAH), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO)

Keywords

• Palliative care services
• Hospice care
• End of life care
• Community fundraising
• Charity retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, tribute funds, memory tree contributions, and general fundraising from community events. Includes corporate donations and major gift program (Key Investor) for gifts over £1,000.
2. Lottery and Raffle: Weekly lottery draw with 15,000 weekly plays generating £832,763 income in FY24/25. Prizes include £1,200, £200, and £25 winners with rollover bonuses up to £10,000. Summer raffle with £2,000 top prize.
3. Charity Retail: 16+ charity shops selling donated goods including clothing, furniture, books, and bric-a-brac. eBay online store for expanded reach. Retail Gift Aid scheme boosts donations by 25%.
4. Legacies and Wills: Gifts in wills and legacy donations. Partnership with Farewill for free will writing service with suggested donation of £150 single will or £250 mirror will.
5. Trusts and Foundations: Grant funding from charitable trusts and foundations. Recent grants from Hospital Saturday Fund (£113,000 shared across 25 South West charities) and Armed Forces Covenant Fund for military compassion project.
6. Payroll Giving: Tax-efficient regular giving program where employers deduct donations before tax from employee salaries. Higher-rate taxpayers receive additional tax relief.
7. Education and Training: Fee-based palliative and end of life care courses, university modules (Level 6 and Level 7), and Six Steps+ programme for care homes and domiciliary agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

St Luke's Hospice Plymouth provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to adults with progressive life-limiting illnesses across Plymouth, South West Devon, and East Cornwall. Services are delivered at home, through a 12-bed specialist inpatient unit at Turnchapel, and via an Urgent Care Service, supplemented by patient and family support, therapy, and bereavement programmes. All clinical services are provided free at the point of use, funded by charitable donations, lottery, retail, and community fundraising.

Product overview

St Luke's Hospice Plymouth operates as a hospice care charity providing integrated end-of-life services through a hub-and-spoke model. The core care delivery comprises St Luke's at Home (majority of care), the Urgent Care Service, and the 12-bed Turnchapel specialist inpatient unit, supported by Patient and Family Support Services, Therapy Services (OT, physio, complementary therapies), and Patches children's bereavement support. The organisation funds its £13.6 million annual operations through a diversified fundraising portfolio including donations, the St Luke's Lottery (68% profit margin), Sponsor a Nurse programme, charity shops, major donor Key Investor programme, Trusts and Foundations partnerships, and events (Midnight Walk, Tour de Moor, Guiding Lights). Additional services include Education and Training for healthcare professionals, a network of retail charity shops, and a Patient and Carer Information Hub providing resources including podcasts and easy-read materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• St Luke's at Home Hospice at home service providing specialist advice, care, and support to people with progressive life-limiting illnesses in their own homes, delivered by trained nurses, social workers, and occupational therapists. For adults with cancer, motor neurone disease, heart failure, multiple sclerosis, and chronic lung disease across Plymouth, South West Devon, and East Cornwall.
• St Luke's Urgent Care Service High-quality, coordinated urgent care at home for terminally ill patients, delivered in partnership with Marie Curie. Provides support upon discharge from hospice or hospital and bespoke care for ongoing individual needs, operating 7 days a week from 8am to 10pm across Plymouth, South West Devon, and East Cornwall.
• St Luke's at Turnchapel Specialist 12-bed inpatient unit at Turnchapel for patients with complex needs, offering symptom control, psychosocial support, and terminal care. Includes facilities such as WiFi, television, on-demand streaming, and an on-site coffee shop. Rated Outstanding by the CQC in January 2025.
• Patient and Family Support Service Emotional and practical support service delivered by social workers, support workers, students, and trained volunteers to patients and families whether at home, in residential/nursing homes, or in the specialist unit. For families and carers of patients receiving hospice care.
• Therapy Services Therapeutic services including Occupational Therapy for maintaining independence, Physiotherapy for movement and mobility, and Complementary Therapies such as aromatherapy, massage, reflexology, and reiki for hospice patients.
• Patches (Pre-bereavement Service for Children) Pre-bereavement support service for children featuring an interactive website with activities, a downloadable storybook, and a dedicated Family and Children's Support Worker to help children understand and cope with what is happening.
• Education and Training Services Expert-led courses, Level 6 and Level 7 university modules in partnership with University of Plymouth, and the Six Steps+ programme for care homes and domiciliary agencies. Designed for healthcare professionals, care home staff, volunteers, and the wider healthcare community.
• Charity Shops and Retail Network of 16+ charity shops across Plymouth and Devon accepting donations of clothing, furniture, books, and electrical items, with online sales via eBay and a free furniture collection service. Open 7 days a week. Retail Gift Aid scheme boosts donations by 25%.
• St Luke's Lottery Weekly lottery with £2 entry providing two chances to win prizes including £1,200, £200, and six £25 prizes, with rollover bonuses up to £10,000. Generates approximately 68% profit for patient care. 15,000 weekly plays generating £832,763 in FY24/25.
• Sponsor a Nurse Regular giving programme allowing supporters to sponsor St Luke's nurses who provide care at the specialist unit and through home visits. Corporate sponsorship option available. Monthly billing cadence.
• Trusts and Foundations Programme Partnership programme for trusts and foundations to fund hospice services, offering measurable outcomes, responsible governance, and clear alignment with charitable objectives. Recent grants include Hospital Saturday Fund (£113,000 across 25 South West charities) and Armed Forces Covenant Fund for the End of Life Military Compassion Project.
• Key Investor (Major Donor) Programme Major donor programme for gifts over £1,000, providing donors with updates on projects and invitations to visit the hospice. Includes corporate partnership tiers and key investor relationship management.
• Donations and Fundraising Online and offline donation collection including one-off and regular gifts, in-memory giving, payroll giving, tribute funds, memory tree contributions, and fundraising event participation across the hospice's community events programme.
• Patient and Carer Information Hub Online resource providing information for patients and carers including easy read resources, advance care planning tools, videos, podcast content, and links to partner organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68% of lottery income (£832,763 annually) goes directly to patient care
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Pyramid AVflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Title sponsor of Tour de Moor cycling event. Supporting the annual fundraising bike ride across Dartmoor.
• Morgan Sindall ConstructionflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Presenting Partner of St Luke's Guiding Lights 2026 lighthouse art trail. Supporting the art initiative that brings creativity and community spirit to Plymouth while raising awareness of hospice services.
• Livewell SouthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated care partnership as part of One Devon, working alongside other healthcare professionals to deliver coordinated end of life care. Teams of specialist doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and social workers work alongside Livewell Southwest.
• Marie CuriecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in delivering the Urgent Care Service, providing high-quality coordinated compassionate support for terminally ill patients who need specialised care at end of life and want to be looked after at home.
• Need-A-CabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the Sponsor a Nurse programme. Plymouth's largest locally owned taxi company supporting hospice nursing teams.
• FarewillcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership offering free will writing service for supporters. Farewill provides online and telephone will writing with suggested donation to hospice.
• University of PlymouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for palliative and end of life care university modules at Level 6 and Level 7. Collaboration ensures evidence-based, up-to-date training reflecting latest best practice.
• University Hospitals Plymouth NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for integrated care delivery and medical education. Historical provision of specialist end of life services at Derriford Hospital.
• Wild in ArtflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent production partner for Guiding Lights lighthouse art trail. Wild in Art produces large-scale public art events that engage communities and raise awareness.
• Plymouth Golf CentreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of golf days, donating prize packs including rounds of golf, golf lessons, and footgolf for raffle events.
• Devon Chamber of CommerceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusiness membership organisation promoting corporate partnerships and community engagement with hospice.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marie Curie: UK's largest end-of-life charity, providing hospice care at home and inpatient settings, plus the Marie Curie Support Line. Directly comparable as a multi-site hospice operator and named strategic partner of St Luke's on the Urgent Care Service.
• Rowcroft Hospice: South Devon hospice charity serving Torbay and surrounding area. Geographically adjacent to St Luke's catchment, with comparable hospice-at-home, inpatient, and fundraising model.
• St Barnabas Hospice: Regional hospice operating across Lincolnshire with inpatient units, hospice at home, and charity shops. Highly analogous operating model, scale, and service mix to St Luke's.
• Dorothy House Hospice Care: Regional hospice charity serving Bath, West Wiltshire, and parts of Somerset. Closely comparable community hospice model with home care, inpatient unit, family support, and charity retail network.
• Sue Ryder: National UK palliative and bereavement charity operating hospices, home care services, and a network of charity shops. Highly comparable multi-site hospice model with retail fundraising engine.
• Pilgrims Hospices: East Kent-based hospice charity providing inpatient, community, and therapy services with extensive fundraising and retail operations. Direct regional-hospice peer.

Others

• University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust: Local NHS trust providing general hospital services including end-of-life care at Derriford Hospital. Strategic partner of St Luke's and a key referral source, though not a competing operator.

Broad incumbents

• Hospice UK: National umbrella and membership body for UK hospices, representing over 200 hospices. Comparable as the sector's coordinating and advocacy body; St Luke's references Hospice UK within its information hub.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: Major UK cancer charity funding specialist nurses, palliative care support and end-of-life services. Overlapping mission in supporting people with life-limiting illnesses and raising funds through events and retail.

Emerging players

• Together for Short Lives: UK charity for children with life-limiting conditions and palliative care services. Partial overlap via pediatric palliative care (St Luke's operates the Patches children's pre-bereavement service).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/@StLukesPlymouth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/stlukeshospice
• Facebookfacebook.com/stlukesplymouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-luke%27s-hospice-plymouth
• Instagraminstagram.com/stlukesplymouth/?hl=en

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth