A combination of rising costs and falling donations is hitting UK hospices revenue, a provider told the BBC.
Havens Hospices in Essex said it was making it harder to meet increasing demand at its Southend and Benfleet sites.
The average value of one-off donations to the charity has halved since April and its energy, food and staff costs are rising, boss Steve Smith said.
About 80% of Havens’ revenue comes from donations, he added.
“It comes from people jumping out of planes, running marathons, having bake sales and all sorts of other activities,” he said.
“But we are losing supporters at the moment. People are giving less and cannot afford to make regular payments.”
Mr Smith said the charity expects their energy bills alone to increase by 85% from £40,500 to around £75,000 over the next 12 months.
In addition, the adjustment of NHS pay rates for hiring and retaining staff has pushed up wage bills by 37% – a further £2.8m a year.
The charity has also seen the cost of food increase, as well as fuel for the vehicles its community teams use.
Havens isn’t the only hospice facing financial uncertainty.
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Charity Hospice UK estimates hospices across the country will face additional costs of up to £100million this year due to rising inflation and the cost of adjusting NHS salaries.
That’s an extra £500,000 a year for the average hospice.
As well as looking for other ways to raise money, Mr Smith said Havens is trying to make savings where it can.
“We’ve looked at getting groceries through donations, we’re using motion sensors to make sure the lights aren’t left on and we’re looking into switching to electric vehicles to reduce our fuel costs,” he said.
Havens Hospices has to raise around £85,000 a week to run all of its services, which are free to those who use them.
In addition to inpatient care, they offer advice, creative workshops and free therapies such as massages and Reiki.
Amanda-Jane Freemantle, who has a congenital heart defect, has been going to Fair Havens in Southend for about a year.
“The free therapies relax me,” she told the BBC. “I can bring a family member or friend and they can relax with me too.”
“It gives me a purpose to go out,” she added. “I meet people who have an illness like me and we can talk and have fun. And I’m learning new skills, which is amazing. Without the funding, I wouldn’t be able to do all of this.”
Amanda-Jane also supports the hospice by putting together pampering packages for inpatients. Elsewhere, hospice staff help lead fundraisers.
Station manager Pamela Houghton-Clarke plans to run the London Marathon next year with two colleagues.
“It will be a challenge, none of us are runners!” She said. But she and the team are “very aware” of the challenges of the hospice and ready “to do our part”.
It is clear that the cost pressures hitting UK households could affect funding for essential hospice services.
Mr Smith says Havens is considering “different avenues to raise funds and diversify our income,” a process already underway and looking forward to the next few years.
But he acknowledges there could be difficult choices.
“The risk is that we have to consider what we’re offering and how to most effectively use the revenue we’re receiving. Essentially, we need to prioritize these services to those who need them most.”
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