Forest Holme Hospice, which provides palliative and end of life care and support to people with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses across Poole, Wimborne and the Isle of Purbeck will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary next year.

1994 was the year the Channel Tunnel officially opened, Forest Gump was a box office hit at the cinema, the sitcom Friends hit our TV screens and Wet Wet Wet had spent 15 consecutive weeks at number one in the UK charts. It was also the year that Friends of Forest Holme, as it was known then, started to fundraise for the life-enhancing work of Forest Holme, part of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.

Since then the Forest Holme Hospice Charity has grown to meet the increasing demand for the hospice services, led by a team of specialist doctors, nurses, counsellors and specialist care teams who provide practical and emotional support for adults of all ages and their families in a variety of settings, such as their own home, nursing home, care home, in Poole Hospital or in the hospice itself.

To coincide with its anniversary, the Charity has also announced details of a number of fundraising events and initiatives taking place throughout the year, which includes various challenge events, quiz and bingo nights, a special art installation and two memorial events.

The demand for palliative and end-of-life care is ever increasing as people are living longer and have more complex illnesses, so the Charity relies on local support from individuals, companies and groups to help continue the provision of excellent care to patients and their families during the most difficult time of their lives.

Paul Tucker, Communications Manager at Forest Holme, said, “The 30th anniversary is a time to reflect on all that has been achieved, remember all those whose lives touched by Forest Holme, and thank everyone who has been a part of making the hospice what it is today and get ready for whatever the future might bring.”

For more information visit www.forestholmehospice.org.uk