In 1986 the idea of a hospice for terminally ill adults in South Bedfordshire was instigated by Dr. 'Wink' White, a local retired GP.
After five years of planning and fundraising, what was then called the Luton & South Bedfordshire Hospice was built on land generously donated by Mrs Betty Robinson and became operational in April 1991. The building was later extended to create a new, purpose-built day hospice.
In 1997, the charity launched a £3 million appeal to build a second hospice for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families, initially from Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Today the children’s hospice also cares for children in Milton Keynes.
Land for the building was again given by Mrs Robinson and a local businessman, Mr Dennis Keech, boosted the appeal with a £1 million donation. Keech Cottage Children’s Hospice was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal in March 2000.
Since then, the charity has continued to develop and improve the services it offers to patients and their families across both hospices.
In 2002, work on a specialist hydrotherapy pool was completed, linking the two hospices together.
In the same year, the organisation was renamed ‘The Pasque Charity’. The name, which was chosen with the locally grown Pasque flower in mind, was also applied to the Pasque Adult Hospice. The children’s hospice retained its association with its major benefactor with the name Keech Cottage.
Recognising that much had changed in palliative care since the adult hospice first opened its doors, in 2008 the charity launched a fundraising appeal to build a new In-patient Unit. A state-of-the-art facility was designed to better accommodate modern practices in medical and nursing care and promote the maximum levels of comfort and dignity for patients. The unit opened to patients in October 2009.
On 1st October 2009, the charity changed its name to ‘Keech Hospice Care’. Working under the umbrella name ‘The Pasque Charity’ with two separate names for each hospice had been problematic and confusing. The new name was chosen to reflect the strongest elements of the charity’s previous identities – Keech because this was highly recognised in the community; Hospice because this clearly describes the charity’s work; and Care because this is at the centre of the hospice’s values.
From that first germ of an idea back in 1986, Keech Hospice Care today has grown into one of the region’s most respected and supported charities.
