Recently, we donated to Ashgate Hospice to show our support from one part of the care sector to another.
Ashgate is a vital local hospice based in Chesterfield, and over the past few months, it has been facing some of the toughest pressures in its history. In a joint statement from their Board of Trustees, Ashgate announced that they are facing severe financial strain due to a funding system that has not kept pace with rising costs. These challenges are not of their making — yet they have led to difficult consultations and the heartbreaking need to reduce costs and protect core services.
No one who works in care reads news like that without feeling it in their chest. Because we know what sits behind those words: people, families, staff, and precious time.
You can read Ashgate’s statement in full here: https://ashgatehospice.org.uk/2025/11/21/joint-statement-from-ashgate-hospices-board-of-trustees/
The local community has responded with real heart, launching schemes such as “Save a Precious Bed Appeal”, which speaks volumes about how deeply valued this hospice is.
But why does it matter to us at Premier Community?
We care for many people across Chesterfield in their own homes. Some of the people we support are receiving palliative care and choose to die at home, surrounded by what they love. Others choose to access Ashgate’s inpatient or community support.
We see, first-hand, the peace that great end-of-life care can bring. Not just to the person nearing the end of their life, but to their wider family too. The reassurance, dignity, relief, and steady presence that make an unbearable moment feel a little less lonely.
When hospice services are stretched, it doesn’t just affect a building or a budget line. It affects people’s choices at the most vulnerable point of life.
Choice, dignity, and community care
We believe that choice should be protected at every stage of care — including the final chapter. A strong hospice is part of the wider community care “safety net” that Chesterfield deserves.
Ashgate has been a place of compassion and specialist support for thousands of local families over many years. It is a cornerstone of end-of-life care in North Derbyshire, and it matters deeply that it remains there for the people who need it now and in the future.
Supporting Ashgate isn’t about politics. It’s about people. It’s about a community looking after its own.
How you can help
If you’re reading this and wondering what you can do, there are many ways to stand alongside Ashgate:
- Donate if you’re able
- Fundraise in your own way — big or small
- Share their appeal and help spread awareness.
- Simply, talk about what hospices mean to families.
Every gesture matters. Every voice matters. And every show of support reminds Ashgate’s staff and patients that they are not facing this alone.
To Ashgate, with respect and solidarity,
We see you. We value you. We stand with you.
Your care changes lives. Your presence eases fear. Your work holds families up when they feel they might fall. Chesterfield is better because you are here, and we want you to stay here, strong and supported, for generations to come.
