An uncomfortable truth

It’s a strange irony that death is an inescapable part of life. 57% of employees in the UK have experienced a bereavement in the last five years and, although workplaces now recognise the importance of mental health and wellbeing support, a stigma remains around the uncomfortable subject of death and dying.

Hospice UK, Ruder Finn’s charity of the year, is doing its best to address and overcome this stigma – bringing conversations about death, dying and grief into the mainstream. Last week we were lucky enough to be joined by Sam Nowell, Corporate Development Manager at Hospice UK, who talked to us about the work that Hospice UK is doing to reduce the inequality of access to end of life care. As a national charity, Hospice UK works to ensure everyone who is affected by death, dying and bereavement, regardless of their background or experiences, gets the care and support they need, when they need it. This person-centred approach aims to preserve the wishes, dignity, and autonomy of individuals approaching end of life – something that we may not consider as a privilege, yet one in four people are still not getting the care they need.

Putting our values into practice

We’ve got a set of five core values at Ruder Finn, one of which is loyalty. We take pride in building loyal and trusted relationships with clients and colleagues alike, and we also show loyalty to our charity partners – through fundraising, pro-bono work and volunteering days.

Over the past few years, we have supported Hospice UK by doing what we do best – writing compelling and engaging communications. From drafting their fundraising narrative, to preparing their application for The London Marathon, we have been doing our bit by supporting a charity that is often overlooked. (One surprising statistic Sam shared with us was that zoos and museums in the UK currently receive more Government-funded support with utility bills than hospices do.) With rising energy and staff costs, and 96% of hospices budgeting for a deficit in 2023/24, fundraising plays a huge part in making sure that they can continue to deliver vital services to those in need.

So, last year, we levelled up our commitment to Hospice UK and took on another of our Ruder Finn values: bravery. Wanting to further our support of this worthwhile charity, we ventured outside of our comfort zone and into the choppy waters of the River Thames, to take part in their annual Dragon Boat Race. After a rocky start, we pulled together and somewhat miraculously ended up in fourth place. Ever competitive (yet another Ruder Finn value: tenacity), we have signed up for the challenge again this year, ready to row our way to the top of the leader board and raise £2,000 in the process.

Hope for the future

The money we raise for Hospice UK can have a huge impact on people at the end of their life, along with their families. For example:

• £5 could help someone who’s struggling to care for a dying relative to find the support they need.
• £10 could help give a family everything they need to know about hospice services in their area.
• £50 could help someone who’s terminally ill and desperate to find the support they need at home.
• £175 could help us connect someone with a terminal illness to others going through the same experience, helping them feel less alone.
• £1,000 could ensure your local hospice is joined up with its local health services, giving patients the care and support they deserve.

If you’d like to sponsor us and support this very worthy cause, please visit our JustGiving page.

Hospice UK is a charity registered in England and Wales No. 1014851 and Scotland No. SC041112