ST. MICHAEL’S Hospice in Basingstoke is celebrating its 30th anniversary of seeing patients at Basil de Ferranti House on Aldermaston Road.

To remember the extraordinary ways in which the community has kept the hospice going, St Michael’s has issued an appeal for stories from residents.

People are being encouraged to share stories and photos about the care they or their loved ones received from the hospice in the past 30 years.

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Sue O’Flinn, communications manager at the hospice, said “We hope to connect the community to the extraordinary difference it has made to the lives of its neighbours and telling stories is the perfect was to do that. People might think they are not connected but we are sure that everyone is some way, you may know someone who has had our care but equally you may have worn a crazy hairstyle for Mad Hair Day or brought in donations to a store.

“It has been so much fun to look back over old photos as we prepare for the anniversary. We’d love to know where some of the people in these photos are now, like Michael Rogan a third year student at BCOT who created the marbling behind the bust of Basil de Ferranti which has sat in the hospice since day one, or the cyclists in red on the tandem at our Big Wheel in 2001.”

“There’s a very charming baby all in blue shaking a fundraising tin in 2004 and a group of children at Big Wheel in 2003.”

A lot has changed since the day patients first started being admitted in April 1992. At that time, the hospice had four-bedded wards and it only cost £700,000 to run for a year. Now there are ten private rooms to allow quality time for families, but costs are more than £5.5m.

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Iain Cameron, chief executive of the hospice, said: “We are really excited to be celebrating this anniversary.

“It gives us an opportunity to look back and reflect on how far we have come but also to get share with the community where St. Michael’s is heading as we expand our services.”

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