St Luke's Hospice Plymouth

16/02/2026

Hospice care is everything you’d expect…and everything you wouldn’t.

When you're researching symptoms at 3am - we’re up at 3am too, ready for a call. When
you’re caring for your mum and don’t know what to say next - we help you find the words. When you feel the weight of tomorrow on your shoulders - we remind you of the joy in today.

Somewhere in your life - in your family, your friendships, your community - hospice care is already making a difference.✨



Leave a gift in your will and help it live on for all, for now, forever.

https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wills-and-legacies/

Visit our City Centre Drake shop today or our Plymstock shop tomorrow where we will be on hand to answer all your questions.

Hospice UK

15/02/2026

“Working for a hospice is honestly really special. Compassion isn’t just talked about; you see it every single day."

Charlotte Mowbray is a Clinical Nurse Specialist within our St Luke’s at home team and Clinical Lead for our Co-ordination Hub, offering advice and support to people in the last year of their life.

She is currently undertaking a MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice with Plymouth University.

“I decided to complete my MSc because I wanted to push myself and keep growing as a nurse. I love my role in the community and I wanted to develop my clinical decision-making and leadership, so I can give the best possible care to patients and support colleagues in the community."

As National Apprenticeship Week draws to a close, we want to celebrate Charlotte, Rachel, Selina and all the amazing apprentices at St Luke's who are growing their skills, building their confidence and taking the next step in their careers - all while continuing to make a difference every day. 🌟

Read more about Charlotte and her unwavering dedication on our blog: https://bit.ly/4aslgaZ

14/02/2026

Share the love this Valentine's Day by sponsoring one of our nurses.

Our nurses are a fundamental part of the services that St Luke’s provides to the community, without them the care we provide simply would not be possible.

St Luke’s nurses are a special breed; they choose to use their skills in an environment and situation that many would find difficult. But that’s why they do it – they know they have something very precious to offer; advice, support and compassionate care to patients and their families at the end of their own lives, or someone they are close to.

You can make a real difference to a patient’s life by sponsoring our nurses working at our specialist unit and visiting you at home. Your generous gift will help us to continue to provide much needed care to the people in your community.

Help to make a real difference and sponsor a nurse today: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/nurse/

14/02/2026

🌿 Our Open Gardens 2026 season is here! 🌿

We’re delighted to invite you to explore our bumper collection of beautiful gardens for the 2026 season! Each garden has been specially selected to inspire, captivate, and celebrate the wonderful rural communities where our St Luke’s team cares for patients at home - helping them stay in familiar surroundings, close to those they love.

🌸 Why visit?
Many of the gardens in our programme are rarely open to the public, giving you a unique chance to discover stunning planting schemes, creative designs and peaceful hidden spaces. Every visit helps raise vital funds for the compassionate care we provide in your local area.

💚 Thank you for your support
Over the past 15 years, thanks to our amazing garden owners, volunteers and visitors, Open Gardens has raised over £625,000 for patient care. Your kindness continues to make a real difference.

🎟️ Don’t forget the raffle!
Take part in our annual Open Gardens raffle for the chance to win fantastic prizes - including a framed original artwork created especially for this year's brochure cover by our talented feature artist, Jackie Gale. Tickets will be available at all our gardens.

🌼 We hope you enjoy exploring the gardens on offer this year. Your support helps us continue to care for local families when they need it most.

Take a look at our brochure to see our upcoming gardens: https://bit.ly/2FVApUY

Our Open Gardens is proudly sponsored by NFU Mutual Plymouth

13/02/2026

Men of Plymouth - the countdown is on! Just ONE month until Men’s Day Out returns on Saturday 14 March!

This epic day of walking, rugby and friendship - proudly supported by JEM Scaffolding Ltd - always sells out fast. So don’t get caught at the back of the pack…grab your spot now!

For just £35, you’ll get:
👕 Your official Men’s Day Out T-shirt
🥤 Post-walk refreshments including a well-earned pasty and drink
🏉 A ticket to the rugby
📣 And all event costs covered

But here’s where you can really make an impact…

Why not set yourself a fundraising target? If every walker raised £100 in sponsorship, together you'd help deliver specialist care at home for 300 local people and their families.

Your sponsorship and donations are what keep St Luke’s caring for patients - at home and at our specialist unit - 365 days a year.

So rally your mates, lace up your boots, and do something incredible.

Set up your JustGiving page and see how much you can raise!

Secure your place now before they’re gone: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/mensdayout/

13/02/2026

12/02/2026

Another Compassionate School joining us! It is wonderful to see all the hard work and dedication from staff and children in achieving this.

Learn more about our Compassionate Schools here: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/compassionate-schools/

We are pleased to announce that on Thursday 29th January at Fountain Head House School we were visited by Judy and Tracy from St Luke’s Hospice to present the Compassionate Schools Award to our school.

Judy from St Luke's Hospice said, "You have truly embraced the ethos of what it means to be a compassionate school, and it was wonderful to see this reflected so clearly across your community. We appreciate that this presented more of a challenge in an SEN setting, but you took this in your stride and made it work so well. I’m sure you will go on to inspire other SEN schools."

We started the journey to become a Compassionate School in December 2024 led by Kate Buck, Deputy Headteacher and Vikki Freeman, Play Therapist. Since embarking on this journey staff have been trained to become Compassionate Friends, this promotes a approach, with compassion at the heart of our support for pupils, families and staff.

We have developed a library of resources available, including therapeutic stories, cuddly toys and weighted starfish, for pupils to access as and when they need, in a safe space within the school. Additionally, trees have been planted in pots to develop an area for reflection, creating a space for pupils to remember loved ones at special times in their own way.

St Luke's Hospice Plymouth Plymouth Compassionate City

11/02/2026

This National Apprenticeship Week we are shining a light on the nurses who have been leading the way for career development.

Selina Rogers is one of our Nursing Associates, working with our St Luke’s Urgent Care team, delivering end of life care in the community, supporting our patients within their own homes. Having previously undertaken a foundation degree to become a Nursing Associate, she is now in the process of a Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship with Plymouth University.

“Working within the Urgent Care team I feel is extra special, we care for people and support their families within their own homes, working within this environment makes the person’s final journey so much more personal, you enable a person to fulfil their final wish to remain at home. This is something I take such great pride in.”

“Having the opportunity from St Luke’s to follow a dream of mine is something I feel very thankful for. Being able to complete my education but remain within St Luke’s and still have financial stability has been so important. Without this I probably would not have followed my dream of becoming a Registered Nurse.

"I know I want to continue to help people on their end of life journey. By becoming a Registered Nurse I can offer even more support to my patients and their families which I’m so excited to do. I take pride and care in my work, I want people to have a good experience at the end of their life, so this has become more than a job to me, it is an utter privilege.”

Read more about Selina on our blog: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/blog-supporting-our-people-to-learn-grow-and-thrive-national-apprenticeship-week-2026/

10/02/2026

This Apprenticeship Week, we’re celebrating the people at St Luke’s who are growing their skills, building their confidence and taking the next step in their careers - all while continuing to make a difference every day.

This week we wanted to shine a light on the nurses who have been leading the way for career development. Three of our nursing team are currently in the middle of apprenticeships, either advancing their clinical practice with an MSc or taking the next step from Nurse Associate to Registered Nurse.

Rachel works at our specialist unit at Turnchapel as a Student Nurse Apprentice. She is currently undertaking a Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship with Plymouth University.

“I’ve been with St Luke’s for 10 years now, and they’ve played such a huge part in helping me keep my dream of becoming a nurse alive, something I wasn’t sure would be possible once I had children, a home to run, and financial responsibilities.

“Being able to provide the kind of care we do makes everything worthwhile,” she says. “The hospice is such a calm and compassionate environment where we can give patients the time and attention they truly need. Being there at the end of someone’s life and helping to provide dignified, person centred care is a real privilege and it aligns completely with my own personal values.”

Read Rachel’s full story on our blog: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/blog-supporting-our-people-to-learn-grow-and-thrive-national-apprenticeship-week-2026/

This Apprenticeship Week, we’re celebrating the people at St Luke’s who are growing their skills, building their confidence and taking the next step in their careers – all while continuing to make a difference every day.

09/02/2026

Here at St Luke's we believe in compassion in every classroom.

Many of the people we care for have children or grandchildren who will be having to deal with their illness too.

This is one of the reasons why we feel so passionately that there needs to be open conversations in schools and colleges about death and dying so that children and young people are equipped to have a better understanding of loss and the emotions associated with it.

We have been working with over 30 local education establishments, including primary, secondary, and higher education as part of our Compassionate Schools programme, encouraging and empowering conversations about death and dying.

Leigham Primary School in Plymouth, is a shining of example of how becoming a Compassionate School not only benefits children and families coping with loss, but also promotes a more caring, understanding and supportive environment for everyone.

Find out more about our Compassionate Schools here: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/compassionate-schools/

08/02/2026

Lighting the way for Plymouth this summer…

Plymouth’s business community is coming together to help something truly special shine.

This July, St Luke's Guiding Lights – our major new public art trail - will transform Plymouth into a vibrant outdoor gallery of over 30 artist-designed lighthouse sculptures. Each one sponsored by local organisations who believe in the power of compassionate hospice care.

Sponsors recently gathered at the National Marine Aquarium to choose their favourite designs from more than 90 incredible submissions. Their selections will soon become the full size lighthouses that families, visitors and art lovers will follow across the city this summer.

Behind every sponsorship is a shared belief in the care St Luke’s provides - expert, compassionate support for people facing the toughest of times, and a guiding light for loved ones experiencing fear, grief and loss.

From boosting footfall to bringing joy to thousands, this trail, delivered in partnership with Wild in Art, will celebrate creativity, community and the businesses who make it possible.

Read more on our blog: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/blog-lighting-the-way-businesses-back-citys-summer-art-trail-and-auction-in-aid-of-local-hospice-care/

🎨 Want your organisation to be part of something truly meaningful for Plymouth?
There’s still time to sponsor a lighthouse and shine a light for local hospice care.

👉 Find out more: www.stlukesguidinglights.com/sponsors

Ridge LLP Plymouth Waterfront Partnership Molyneux Associates BLOCK Workspace
GA Solicitors Porteous Groundworks Ltd

Stlukesguidinglights

07/02/2026

Celebrate the life of a creative and talented musician on Saturday 14 March as the Red Lab Project returns for 2026.

The annual music event is held in memory of Darren Burch, who was cared for by St Luke’s back in 2017 aged just 42.

The event will be taking place at The Junction on Mutley Plain and will begin at 1pm and continue until late.

Entry is £5, Children are free. A variety of merchandise will be available to buy, of which all proceeds will be donated to St Luke's.

The event has run every year since 2018, raising close to £10,000 which is truly amazing.

If you are taking part in our Men's Day Out make sure to stop by and show your support on the day! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100027731845257