East Cheshire Hospice

What East Cheshire Hospice does

East Cheshire Hospice is a UK registered charity (charity number 515104) and company limited by guarantee, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Macclesfield, providing free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to adults with life-limiting illness across East Cheshire. The organisation serves communities including Macclesfield, Buxton, Congleton, High Legh, High Peak, Knutsford, Poynton, Wilmslow and surrounding areas. Services are delivered free of charge to patients and families. The hospice operates an integrated care platform anchored on an Inpatient Unit and the Hospice @Home community service, supplemented by the Sunflower Living Well Centre (day care, dementia support, complementary therapies, MND wellbeing, lymphoedema care), the PACE 24/7 palliative advice line, Family Support Services including bereavement care and chaplaincy, a Befriending Service, and a Blood Transfusion Service.

Core technology infrastructure consists of an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system for care coordination and NHS GP Connect integration for authorised patient information sharing. Operational logistics for the Christmas Tree Collection use the Optimoroute routing platform. The hospice does not use proprietary technology platforms beyond standard charity-sector tooling.

The hospice operates a diversified fundraising-led revenue model that covers over 80% of its £9,362 daily operating cost (£3.42M annualised). Revenue streams include NHS grant funding (~21% of operating costs), a weekly hospice lottery (£1 per entry, 22 cash prizes weekly, rollover up to £10,000, funds one day of care per week), six charity shops (Congleton, two in Macclesfield, Poynton, Handforth, Knutsford) generating income plus Gift Aid, the Christmas Tree Collection (over £160,000 in 2025, cumulative £2M+ since 2001), challenge events (£147,000 in 2024/25), corporate partnerships (Business Club, AstraZeneca, Swift Tree Services), memorial programmes (Memory Tree at £120 per leaf, Sunflower Tribute pages, Light up a Life, funeral donations), legacy gifts, and individual donations via JustGiving, CAF Donate, and Give as you Live platforms. The hospice employs 101-250 staff and benefits from 300+ active volunteers, is CQC-regulated, Gambling Commission-licensed, and UK GDPR compliant.

Name

East Cheshire Hospice

Legal name

East Cheshire Hospice

Website

https://www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

East Cheshire Hospice is a UK charity founded in 1988 providing free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to adults with life-limiting illness across East Cheshire. Core services include an inpatient unit, Hospice @Home, the Sunflower Living Well Centre, a 24/7 PACE advice line, and family bereavement support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice & Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Hospice / Hospice House (Facility-Based) (HLADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Hospice (Routine Home Care) (HLADAHAA), Routine In-Home Hospice Care (HSABAFAA), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Respite Hospice Care (Short-Term Relief) (HSABAFAD), End-of-Life 24/7 In-Home Care (Hospice Support) (HSABAHAG)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Macclesfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. NHS/Government Grant: The hospice receives grant funding from the NHS, which covers approximately 21% of operating costs. This provides a baseline of predictable income for core services.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through one-time and regular payment options, fundraising events, community group activities, and direct mail. Regular givers provide predictable income for budgeting. Over 80% of daily expenses (over £9,362 per day) are financed through fundraising efforts.
3. Lottery: The hospice operates a weekly lottery with entries at £1 each. Each week there are 22 cash prizes: 1 x £1,000, 1 x £100, and 20 x £10, plus a rollover prize up to £10,000. Lottery income funds an entire day of hospice care every week.
4. Retail Shops: Six charity shops in Congleton, Macclesfield (Chestergate and Thornton Square), Poynton, Handforth, and Knutsford sell donated goods. Gift Aid on donated goods adds an additional 25% claim from HMRC.
5. Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy: The Business Club brings together local organisations for regular, reliable income. Corporate sponsors support specific programmes such as the Christmas Tree Collection. Donations can be matched by employers through schemes such as Barclays matched funding.
6. Legacies and Wills: Supporters are encouraged to leave gifts in their wills. Legacy income forms part of the hospice's long-term funding strategy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

East Cheshire Hospice provides free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to adults with life-limiting illness across the East Cheshire region. Services are delivered through an Inpatient Unit, Hospice @Home, the Sunflower Living Well Centre day-care programme, the 24/7 PACE telephone advice line, and family/bereavement support services, including dementia and complementary therapy programmes. The hospice is funded primarily through donations, NHS grants, six charity shops, a weekly lottery, and community fundraising initiatives such as the annual Christmas Tree Collection.

Product overview

East Cheshire Hospice is a healthcare charity providing palliative and end-of-life care services to adults facing life-limiting illness in the communities of Macclesfield, Buxton, Congleton, High Legh, High Peak, Knutsford, Poynton, Wilmslow and surrounding areas. The organization operates as a unified care platform centered on its Inpatient Unit and Hospice @Home services, supplemented by the Sunflower Living Well Centre offering day care, dementia support, and complementary therapies. Additional services include the 24/7 PACE (Palliative Advice Centre East) telephone advice line, family support services including bereavement care, and befriending services. The hospice generates approximately 80% of its £9,362 daily operating costs through fundraising activities including six charity shops, the Christmas Tree Collection (raising over £160,000 annually), a weekly lottery (funding one full day of care per week), challenge events, and memorial services including Memory Tree dedications and Sunflower Tribute pages. Since 2001, the Christmas Tree Collection alone has raised more than £2 million for the hospice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bed Appeal: Campaign to raise funds for purchasing 16 new specialist beds for the Hospice, costing approximately £137,760.
• Christmas Tree Collection
• PACE
• Hospice @Home
• Sunflower Living Well Centre
• Light up a Life
• Memory Tree
• Sunflower Tributes

Products and services

• Inpatient Unit Specialist palliative and end-of-life inpatient care provided 24/7 to adults facing life-limiting illness in East Cheshire, with comfortable rooms and specialist beds for patients and visiting families.
• Hospice @Home Home-based palliative care service bringing hospice-level clinical and practical support to patients in their own homes, seven days a week, via branded vehicles.
• Sunflower Living Well Centre Day care and wellbeing centre offering structured programmes for people affected by life-limiting illness, including dementia support, fatigue and breathlessness management, complementary therapies and motor neurone disease wellbeing services.
• PACE (Palliative Advice Centre East) 24/7 Advice Line 24/7, 365-days-a-year telephone palliative care advice line for healthcare professionals, patients and families, providing specialist guidance and support.
• Family Support Services Emotional and practical support for families of patients, including adult therapy, art therapy, a Children and Young People's Bereavement Service, and chaplaincy.
• Befriending Service Companionship service providing regular visits, conversation, walks and meaningful relationship-building for people during their final year of life.
• Dementia Support Specialist dementia care and wellbeing services including weekly sessions at the hospice and at community hubs in Congleton, Poynton and Knutsford, led by specialist healthcare assistants.
• Lymphoedema Support and Physiotherapy Specialist lymphoedema treatment and physiotherapy to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life for patients with life-limiting illness.
• Complementary Therapies Therapeutic services including massage, Indian head massage, reflexology, reiki and aromatherapy delivered by qualified therapists to enhance patient wellbeing.
• Blood Transfusion Service Clinical blood transfusion service delivered by trained healthcare professionals for hospice patients.
• East Cheshire Hospice Charity Shops Network of six charity shops in Congleton, Macclesfield (Chestergate and Thornton Square), Poynton, Handforth and Knutsford selling donated goods, with Gift Aid claimed on eligible items to boost income for patient care.
• Christmas Tree Collection Annual community recycling initiative collecting real Christmas trees from households across seven postcode areas in exchange for donations, with over 300 volunteers and partner-led logistics, raising over £160,000 in the 2025 collection.
• Hospice Lottery Weekly lottery with entries at £1 per number (1 to 20 numbers allowed), offering 22 cash prizes weekly including a £1,000 top prize and a rollover up to £10,000; income funds a full day of hospice care each week.
• Memory Tree Memorial tree in the hospice garden featuring 400 inscribed leaves that families can dedicate to loved ones for a suggested donation of £120 per leaf (or £10 per month instalments).
• Sunflower Tribute Pages Online memorial pages hosted on the MuchLoved platform allowing families to share photos, videos, music and memories and collect donations in memory of loved ones.
• Light up a Life Annual memorial campaign where individuals can dedicate lights in memory of loved ones at special Christmas services held at the hospice and local churches.
• Funeral Donation Collection Service helping families collect donations at funerals and memorial services, with options for cash, card, cheque payments and Gift Aid envelopes.
• Furniture Collection Service Free collection service for donated furniture from donors' homes for resale in hospice shops, with house clearance also available.
• Challenge Yourself fundraising programme Sponsored challenge fundraising programme including DIY challenges, third-party events, running events and the Ultra Challenge Series; raised over £147,000 in 2024/25 with over 200 supporters taking part.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 Christmas trees collected and recycled in 2025, raising over £160,000
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Cheshire Vehicle RentalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides vans for the Christmas Tree Collection at advantageous rates.
• AstraZenecacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAstraZeneca is a main sponsor of the Christmas Tree Collection and has a long-standing relationship with the hospice, having been one of the original supporters. AstraZeneca colleagues also gifted funding for the Memory Tree. The partnership demonstrates corporate support for community healthcare.
• Swift Tree ServicescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSwift Tree Services is a main sponsor of the Christmas Tree Collection, providing practical support for the annual tree recycling operation.
• ANSA Environmental Services LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANSA Environmental Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheshire East Council, is the recycling partner for the Christmas Tree Collection. They chip and mulch collected trees into compost for soil improvement or biomass boilers across Cheshire. The partnership is essential to the environmental credentials and operational success of the collection.
• One Project UkraineminorOthersHumanitarian organisation that received 15 specialist beds from the hospice for use in emergency medical care in Ukraine.
• Macclesfield Ukrainian AidminorOthersLocal humanitarian aid organisation that received specialist beds from the hospice for distribution to hospitals in Ukraine.
• EnergiCityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVan sponsor for the Christmas Tree Collection, providing a vehicle for the collection operation.
• Luxury HubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVan sponsor for the Christmas Tree Collection.
• LoveLiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVan sponsor for the Christmas Tree Collection.
• Spiral PrintminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVan sponsor for the Christmas Tree Collection, providing bespoke print and signage.
• Jordan FishwickminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVan sponsor for the Christmas Tree Collection, a local estate agency.
• CRJ Services LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides mulching equipment for the Christmas Tree Collection operation.
• Congleton Town CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides promotional help for the Christmas Tree Collection.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St Ann's Hospice: Greater Manchester-based hospice providing inpatient, day therapy, and Hospice @Home services. Direct comparable to East Cheshire Hospice in service model, regional scale, and community-funded operating structure.
• Willow Wood Hospice: Tameside-based hospice offering inpatient palliative care, day services, and community support, funded predominantly through community fundraising — a closely analogous regional UK hospice peer.
• Trinity Hospice (Blackpool): Lancashire-based hospice providing specialist palliative and end-of-life care across inpatient, hospice-at-home, and wellbeing services. Comparable in NHS-funded + community-funded hybrid model.
• Pilgrims Hospices: East Kent-based hospice with three inpatient sites, hospice at home, and community programmes funded through donations and NHS grants. Closely comparable regional UK hospice with similar charity shops and lottery income.
• St Luke's Hospice (Cheshire): Cheshire-based hospice providing inpatient palliative care, hospice at home, and wellbeing services under a directly comparable community-funded operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Hospice UK: National membership body for UK hospices that sets standards, advocates for funding, and provides operational support. Relevant as the broader sector incumbent with which East Cheshire Hospice is connected.
• Marie Curie: National UK charity providing hospice and end-of-life care across multiple sites; relevant as a broader hospice-sector incumbent offering overlapping palliative and bereavement services.
• Sue Ryder: National palliative and bereavement care operator with hospices across the UK. Comparable in offering inpatient and community palliative care, with broad fundraising infrastructure.

Regional players

• Derbyshire Dales Hospice (Helen's House): Nearby Derbyshire hospice serving High Peak / Buxton-adjacent populations — geographically adjacent peer with overlapping East Cheshire catchment and similar NHS + community funding mix.

Others

• Macmillan Cancer Support: National UK charity providing palliative and end-of-life support services alongside fundraising infrastructure (coffee mornings, retail partnerships). Relevant as a thematically related, larger-scale charity-sector peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ECHospice
• Facebookfacebook.com/eastcheshirehospice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-cheshire-hospice
• Instagraminstagram.com/eastcheshirehospice
• TikToktiktok.com/@eastcheshirehospice

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 East Cheshire Hospice