Overgate Hospice's Big Build Appeal surpasses £10m mark in fundraising

Overgate launched the public phase of their Big Build Appeal in April this year, asking Calderdale to support them in raising the final £3m of their £12.75m total to build a brand-new hospice for Calderdale and transform their current facilities.

Their total is currently at £10.3m, meaning the people of Calderdale have already helped to raise over £500,000 and they now have £2.45m left to raise of their total.

Alongside the launch of the Big Build Appeal, Overgate launched the Foundations Appeal.

This campaign called on their supporters to donate to kickstart the building project and help the hospice lay the foundations of the new inpatient unit.

As part of the campaign, supporters were invited to write a message on a love heart which would be buried within the foundations, creating a legacy of love and support that will welcome everyone who enters through the doors of the new inpatient unit.

This appeal alone has raised £210,000 – the most any campaign has ever raised for the hospice.

Hannah and Amy are two local girls whose mum, Angela, was cared for at Overgate in her final days of life in August 2023.

They shared their touching story as part of the Foundation’s appeal, detailing the incredible care their mum received whilst expressing how it could have made their experience even better if their mum was able to have her own private room.

They have given their thanks to their community for getting behind the appeal, so that families like theirs will be able to access the care they need in the future…

“Our experience of Overgate was incredible and we will be thankful to them for the rest of our lives, but we can’t wait to see what the Big Build Appeal will do for families like ours in the future.

"The care they give honestly couldn’t be better, but if we were able to stay with our mum in a private room, in our own beds, it would have made even more of a difference.

"It will give families the choice to just be on their own in their own private room, or to socialise with others in the communal space which the hospice doesn’t currently have.

"We’re so grateful to join Overgate on this journey and will support the Big Build Appeal until we can be there on the opening day of the new hospice.

“We would urge anyone to donate to the Big Build Appeal if they can. And on behalf of families like ours who will be able to receive the life-changing care they need when they need it most, we want to thank anyone who has donated to this incredible appeal.”

Laura Golding, director of income generation at the hospice, said: “It’s hard to put into words how grateful we are to our community for their instant and overwhelming support to the Big Build Appeal.

"From direct donations to wild and whacky fundraisers, coffee mornings and incredible physical challenges, the people of Calderdale instantly got behind the appeal and have raised the most we have ever seen in any of our campaigns.

"We still have a long way to go to raise the full total of the build cost, but with the backing of our community, we know we will get there.”

Rebecca Ryan, head of fundraising at the hospice, said: “Everyone at the hospice would like to collectively give the biggest thanks to our amazing community.

"We are truly on the way to building the hospice that Calderdale deserves and can’t wait to welcome families to the new inpatient unit in 2026. However, there is still a long way to go before we reach our total.

"I would say to our community, don’t stop now! Keep jumping out of planes, climbing the highest peaks, getting together with friends to raise funds and simply donating if you are able to.

"We have lots of ways for people to get involved and all our events are listed on our website. And if anyone would like to create their own fundraiser, just get in touch and we can support you in every step of your fundraising journey.

"Remember, this is our hospice, and we need to do this together.”

To find out more about the Big Build Appeal, or to get involved in any way, just visit the Overgate website at www.overgatehospice.org.uk.