Alt text lookup failed for: https://staging.khh.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Community-United-campaign-banner-without-strapline-455x285.pngAlt text lookup failed for: https://staging.khh.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Katharine-Gadsby-from-The-Last-Song-764x1024.jpgAlt text lookup failed for: https://staging.khh.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hospice-early-photos-1024x642.jpg

News

Katharine House Hospice celebrates its history

Back in 1985, Neil Gadsby MBE set up the official Katharine House charity and rallied the local community to start raising the significant funds needed to create the hospice.

24 July 2025

To celebrate this milestone, the Katharine House team is delving back into its history books to remember some of the incredible people and companies who united to reach the fundraising goal… and is asking you, the local community to share your memories too!

Your local hospice is named after Katharine Gadsby, who sadly died of cancer at the age of 20. Between 1985 and 1991 Neil and the local community worked so hard to raise enough funds to build your local hospice. The first day hospice patient was recorded in 1991, and then the Inpatient Unit formally opened in 1992. The hospice was officially opened by HRH Princess Diana on 14 October 1991.

90th birthday celebrations

This year also marks Neil’s 90th birthday, and the hospice team can’t think of a better way to celebrate Neil and his achievements, and all he has done for our community.

Since opening in 1991, Katharine House Hospice has provided compassionate, specialist palliative care for nearly 18,000 adults with an incurable illness in your local community, and continues to be a vital, highly respected and much-loved organisation.

Founder Neil said, “Looking back 40 years, my first thought is one of deep satisfaction that we have been able to turn a desperate family tragedy into something positive and worthwhile for so many people in the community. I am reminded of the words of the American anthropologist Margaret Mead who said ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world’. I think we did.

“I also have a sense of gratitude that so many members of the local community wanted to succeed and that they were stronger than the doubters and opponents, which has led to a wonderful symbiotic partnership that has lasted for four decades.”

Please share your memories

Members of the public are encouraged to share their own Katharine House Hospice memories and the team are especially interested in:

Fundraising: Did your company, school or community group raise money in those early days? Did you attend an early fundraising event? Did you take part in the 10k run on the M40 before it opened?
Staff: Were you an original member of staff?
Volunteering: Or maybe your were anearly volunteer? Were you part of the team who originally worked on the garden?
Patients: Thinking of our early patients and their loved ones, did Katharine House support one of your family members in those early days?
Christmas memories: If the hospice looked after one of your loved ones during Christmas over the years, please share these memories with us too.

To share your memories: