St John’s Hospice in North London has been at the forefront of care for forty years, providing, quality, holistic care to more than 4,500 people living with life-limiting illnesses and their families each year. This number is set to increase further thanks to the opening of their all-new Wellbeing Centre.

The newly created St John’s Hospice Wellbeing Centre encompasses their belief that hospice care is long-term and holistic. Its name aptly reflects that its focus is not just on physical care but on supporting patients and their families to maintain their quality of life, mental health and wellbeing.

While the new centre is located in the heart of St John’s Wood, it cares for any person living with a life-limiting illness (aged 18 or over) within the London boroughs of Brent, Camden and Westminster.

There, they can access specialist nursing and medical care, benefit from treatments and therapies, meet with the hospice’s social workers and take part in workshops and activities. It also provides an opportunity for them to meet other people who are living with life-limiting illness, have lunch together and share experiences.

For those with reduced mobility or access issues, a palliative care ambulance service is also made available, to ensure they can easily access the services on offer within the community. All of this care is provided completely free of charge.

The new centre which was brought into being by FacilitateSpaces was meticulously and thoughtfully planned and designed by top architects at Black Pine. This was done alongside their own staff and patients to ensure the most accessible, versatile, and patient and staff-sensitive spaces were created. This has included a more effective design of the main space and the addition of new therapy rooms, a larger clinical room, and a private counselling room, meaning the hospice can welcome more patients through its doors as well as offer more outpatient clinics, therapy sessions and group classes.

The refurbishment also included new staff areas and an administrative office to better promote the health and wellbeing of the hospice’s own staff.

As part of the project, the hospice administrative office, which sits in the footprint below the centre, has also been refurbished creating a positive and professional space for their staff. The much-needed changes to this space have not only created a more conducive work environment to better promote their health and wellbeing but it will enable the hospice to house the extended team required to support this expansion in their care.

Upon the opening of the new centre Simon James, Chief Executive of St John’s said: “This marks the start of an exciting new chapter for our hospice. Thanks to the kind generosity of our donors, we now have a physical building which reflects the gold standard of care we provide and for which we are known in the community. It also reflects our commitment to the physical and mental health and wellbeing of not only our patients and their loved ones but also of our staff.”

This transformative project has only been made possible through the generous support of the hospice’s philanthropic donors including; Bernard Sunley Foundation, Bradbury Foundation, Brampton Trust, Herbert Kennard, Kusuma Trust, MariaMarina Foundation, The Helen Harriet Williams Charity, Wolfson Foundation as well as many others.

Thanks to their generous support the hospice is now beginning refurbishment works on the centre’s garden creating a space which is fully accessible to all patients and which will allow them to introduce garden therapy, and outdoor movement sessions as well as create an area for patients and their families to enjoy together. The hospice plans to reopen the centre’s garden in line with their 40th birthday celebrations in June.

If you would like to know more about the new centre and how St John’s can support you, or if you are a health or social care professional and wish to refer a patient, please visit www.stjohnshospice.org.uk/our-care/day-services.

If you would like to learn more about St John’s and the various ways you can get involved and support them, please visit www.stjohnshospice.org.uk/get-involved.