Garden House Hospice Care

What Garden House Hospice Care does

Garden House Hospice Care is a registered charity (No. 295257) founded in 1990 and headquartered in Letchworth Garden City, England, providing free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to patients with life-limiting illnesses across North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Central Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, serving an estimated catchment population of 500,000 people. Clinical operations comprise a 24-bed inpatient unit, a Hospice at Home community nursing service operating seven days a week, a Frailty Service that supports nursing, care and learning disability homes (reducing A&E admissions by 300 in the reported period), rehabilitation and wellbeing programmes including physiotherapy, an Emotional and Psychological Support service covering pre- and post-bereavement counselling, a Compassionate Neighbours community companionship programme, and 11 Wellbeing Hubs delivered across the catchment. Clinical records are managed on SystmOne, the NHS electronic patient record system, supporting interoperability with NHS partners and a 24/7 palliative care advice line.

The hospice is funded through a diversified model that mixes partial NHS grants, charitable donations, community fundraising events (Sunset Starlight Walk, Muddy Mayhem, Christmas Treecycling), corporate partnerships, a regular giving programme, gifts in wills, Gift Aid reclaim (25% on donated goods via HMRC), and the Local Hospice Lottery partnership with Local Hospice Lottery Ltd. Trading activities are operated through Garden House Hospice Trading Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary running 11 high street charity shops, The Depot donation and upcycling centre, the Threads vintage fashion boutique, online shops on eBay and Vinted, and house services covering furniture collections, house clearances and office removals. Customer channels are regional: clinical services delivered via the inpatient unit, home visits, and care home partnerships; fundraising via events, community groups, corporate Charity-of-the-Year tie-ups (Stevenage FC), digital channels and lottery; and trading via retail storefronts and marketplaces. In FY2025/26 the hospice supported 4,755 patients, delivered 5,995 community home visits, and reported a 24% year-on-year rise in Hospice at Home referrals alongside 84% inpatient bed occupancy, while operating with 200 staff and 800+ volunteers.

Recent strategic activity has emphasised community-based service expansion (Frailty Service launched March 2024, 11th Wellbeing Hub in Knebworth August 2024, Stort Valley Healthcare lead-provider appointment April 2025) and retail diversification (Threads 2023, The Depot 2023, eBay/Vinted channels). At the same time, the organisation entered formal consultation in November 2025 and announced service changes in January 2026 to protect core end-of-life care in response to an escalating national hospice funding crisis, with leadership under CEO Lisa Hunt (appointed January 2023) overseeing a refreshed Board of Trustees.

Name

Garden House Hospice Care

Legal name

Garden House Hospice Care

Website

https://ghhospicecare.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Garden House Hospice Care is a UK registered charity providing free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to roughly 500,000 people across North Hertfordshire and surrounding areas, funded through NHS grants, community donations, and an 11-store retail trading subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (62399)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Hospice / Hospice House (Facility-Based) (HLADAHAC), Home Hospice (Routine Home Care) (HLADAHAA), In-Home Hospice Nursing Visits (RN/LPN) (HSABAFAL), Community-Based Palliative Care (Home-Based Non-Hospice) (HLADAHAH), End-of-Life 24/7 In-Home Care (Hospice Support) (HSABAHAG)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Letchworth Garden City

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. NHS Funding: Partial government funding received from the NHS to support hospice services.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Monetary donations from individuals, community fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and regular giving programmes. The hospice needs to fundraise £7,435.62 every day.
3. Charity Retail: 11 high street stores plus The Depot and Threads shops selling preloved clothing, homewares, furniture, and antiques. Online sales through eBay and Vinted. All profits support hospice care.
4. Local Hospice Lottery: Lottery programme run in partnership with Local Hospice Lottery Ltd, providing regular income stream.
5. Gifts in Wills: Legacy donations from supporters leaving gifts in their wills.
6. House Services: Furniture collections, house clearances, and office removal services. Revenue generated from collection/clearance fees supports hospice funding.
7. Gift Aid: Claiming 25% tax relief on donated items through HMRC Gift Aid scheme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Garden House Hospice Care provides free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to patients with life-limiting illnesses across North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, and surrounding areas. Core clinical services are delivered through a 24-bed Inpatient Unit, Hospice at Home community nursing, a Frailty Service supporting care homes, Rehab and Wellbeing programmes, and Emotional & Psychological Support, all funded by charitable donations, partial NHS funding, and trading income. A network of 11 charity shops, The Depot donation hub, an online eBay/Vinted operation, and house services (furniture collection, house clearance, office removals) generate unrestricted income to support the hospice's £6.5M annual operating cost.

Product overview

Garden House Hospice Care operates as a charitable healthcare provider offering free specialist palliative and end-of-life care services to patients and families across North Hertfordshire, Stevenage and surrounding areas. The organisation delivers its core clinical services through an Inpatient Unit, Hospice at Home community teams, a Frailty Service working with care homes, Rehab and Wellbeing programmes including physiotherapy, and Emotional & Psychological Support for patients and bereaved families. Complementing direct patient care, the hospice operates an extensive retail portfolio comprising eleven high street charity stores, The Depot donation centre with online sales operations, a dedicated Threads vintage fashion shop, and eBay/Vinted e-commerce channels. House services including furniture collections, house clearances and office removals generate charitable income while promoting sustainability. Fundraising activities encompass events, regular giving programmes, lottery partnerships, corporate sponsorships and legacy giving. The hospice serves approximately 500,000 people in its catchment area with a team of 200 staff and over 800 volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Threads: Preloved fashion shop in Hitchin, home to a curated selection of 90s, Y2K and handpicked fashion items. Also features The Outlet, a second floor with preloved items for £5 and under.
• The Depot
• The Depot Shop
• The Upcycling House

Products and services

• Inpatient Unit

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,755 patients supported in 2025/26
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Stort Valley HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Appointed as lead provider in new care home pilot. This partnership enables the Frailty Service to expand support to more care homes in the region.
• Stevenage FCsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 September 2023Official Charity Partner. The football club dedicates matches to the hospice and players visit to show support. Generates fundraising opportunities and community awareness.
• Local Hospice Lottery LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to run the Local Hospice Lottery. Local Hospice Lottery Ltd is a private limited company (registered company number 03226004) based at Farleigh Hospice, Chelmsford, Essex. The lottery generates regular income for the hospice with player data shared monthly.
• NHS ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical records can be accessed by NHS providers. Information shared via SystmOne and secure NHS email. Provides partial government funding to support hospice operations.
• JustGivingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline giving platform used for processing event registrations and donations. Supports fundraising activities.
• Garden House Hospice Trading Ltd Board MemberscoreOthersTrading company board includes Richard Dearden (Chairman), Lisa Hunt (CEO), Richard Wayment (Director of Trading), James Hyde, Mike Thompson, and Richard Warren (Directors). Operates 11 retail stores and online sales.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• North London Hospice: London-based hospice providing inpatient, day therapy and community palliative care services. Direct peer operating the same UK hospice service portfolio with comparable NHS grant funding and charity retail fundraising.
• Rennie Grove Hospice Care: Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire hospice provider offering Hospice at Home and outpatient palliative care. Direct peer: comparable community-led hospice-at-home model serving an adjacent Hertfordshire geography with similar NHS and donation funding mix.
• Peace Hospice Care: Watford-based hospice providing specialist palliative care, Hospice at Home and outpatient wellbeing services to the west Hertfordshire population. Direct peer: same service model, NHS partial funding, and reliance on community fundraising and charity retail.
• St Luke's Hospice (Hertfordshire): Hertfordshire hospice providing specialist palliative care, day services and community support. Direct peer operating an analogous hospice service model in an adjacent county with comparable NHS and donation funding structure.
• Isabel Hospice: Welwyn Garden City-based hospice serving eastern Hertfordshire with inpatient care, Hospice at Home, wellbeing services and a network of charity shops. Direct regional peer operating the same hospice service mix within an overlapping Hertfordshire catchment.
• Farleigh Hospice: Chelmsford, Essex-based hospice providing inpatient, hospice-at-home and community palliative care. Direct peer: same UK hospice operating model, similar NHS partial funding structure, and the operating partner behind the Local Hospice Lottery that Garden House participates in.

Others

• Hospice UK: National membership body for UK hospices. Not a direct service competitor but the industry association setting standards and lobbying on the hospice funding crisis that Garden House is currently navigating.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: UK-wide cancer charity providing specialist nursing, information and financial support. Adjacent: Garden House's Director of Income Generation previously led Macmillan's regional fundraising, and Macmillan co-funds palliative care roles that overlap with hospice services.

Broad incumbents

• Marie Curie: UK-wide charity running hospices and a large community nursing service for people with terminal illness. Broad incumbent: overlapping palliative and end-of-life care mission, but operates at national scale across multiple sites rather than a single regional catchment.
• Sue Ryder: UK charity operating hospices, neurological care centres and bereavement support. Broad incumbent with overlapping palliative and bereavement services, but a wider portfolio and national footprint versus Garden House's regional focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheUpcyclingHouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/threadshitchin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/garden-house-hospice-care

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Garden House Hospice Care