Hospice building $1m closer thanks to ECT

One million reasons to smile: “It’s huge” was the reaction from Hospice Tairawhiti general manager Barbara Grout on news the Eastland Community Trust has given the organisation $1 million. This means a new building for Hospice Tairawhiti is now two-thirds funded. The grant had buoyed the whole organisation, Mrs Grout said. “It is just huge, just amazing.” From left are ECT community engagement advisor Erina Hurihanganui, Mrs Grout and ECT community engagement manager Audine Grace-Kutia. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell

Hospice Tairawhiti is now $1m closer to building new facilities for the region.

Eastland Community Trust has distributed $1m to Hospice Tairawhiti, more than doubling the $950,000 already in the kitty.

General manager Barbara Grout said news of the million dollar Eastland Community Trust grant, had buoyed the whole organisation.

“It is just huge, just amazing.

“It really means we can progress with the initial plans that will give our community a building that will meet its current and future needs.”

An estimated $3.1 million is needed overall.

ECT trustee John Clarke said the trust was thrilled to give Hospice Tairawhiti funding the green light.

“As a community trust it is our responsibility to make decisions that awhi and improve the Tairawhiti region.

“We believe staff and our communities — patients, whanau and friends — deserve and most importantly need, these upgraded, future-proofed facilities.”

ECT chief executive Gavin Murphy said it took a special kind of person to work in the end-of-life sector.

“Hospice provides a vital service for our communities. There are few whanau in Tairawhiti that have not needed, or known someone who needed, the support of hospice in some way.”

ECT has been the major contributor to the fundraising efforts, with hospice reserves and targeted donations also put aside for the new building.

Mrs Grout hopes 2020 will be the grand finale that fills the coffers to the necessary amount.

“With more than $1m to go, we will also need the community to continue to contribute as they have been,” she said.

The new building will include outpatient rooms, a clinical area, and a large multi-purpose education area.

“We will be able to run day programmes where patients and families can come to us and spend time connecting with others in similar situations, our staff and volunteers.”

Hospice Tairawhiti will continue to run its home-based services but the new building will give patients and families the option of either.

“This is extremely important for the future of Tairawhiti,” said Mrs Grout.

“We have looked at the ageing population and the growth in demand that will be happening. That ageing population will put pressure on the services we now provide and we know we would not be able to meet that demand without making changes to the way we deliver our services and having the facilities to do that.”

Hospice Tairawhiti is waiting to see if it is successful in other grant applications and all things going well, Mrs Grout hopes a start will be made on the new facility towards the end of the year, with opening scheduled for October 2020.

The new facility will still be on Gisborne Hospital grounds and will be around 700 square metres, with room for expansion if an in-patient unit is required in the future.