£880,000 legacy of Shaftesbury nursing home charity provides future security for Weldmar services in North Dorset

The future of specialist end of life care in Shaftesbury and the surrounding area has been secured following a landmark donation of £880,000 to Weldmar Hospicecare.

This substantial sum comes from the local charity Cedars Castle Hill, following the sale of its Cedars Nursing Home to an established care home operator, and Castle Hill House for development by a family run business with expertise in the sympathetic restoration and management of old buildings.

The donation will directly fund the services provided by Weldmar’s Specialist Hospice at Home North Dorset hub. This vital service allows local residents with a life limiting illness, and their loved ones, to receive care and support from the charity’s team of nurses, doctors, therapists, counsellors, and other healthcare professionals.

Caroline Hamblett, CEO of Weldmar Hospicecare, said: “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Cedar Castle Hill Trustees. At a time when hospice funding is under immense pressure nationally, this injection of funds is a lifeline. It ensures our teams can continue to provide comfort and reassurance to families in Shaftesbury and the surrounding area when they need it most.

Cedars Castle Hill has been providing exceptional care for people in Shaftesbury for over forty years now, and we are delighted that their gift will provide a solid foundation for the continuation of care and support of the local community.”

Martin Thomas, Chairman of Cedars Castle Hill, added: “As Trustees we’re delighted that Cedar Castle Hill’s legacy will lead to the strengthening of local care and support services so ably provided by Weldmar.

“We are also proud to have achieved our twin goals of securing continuity of care for our former residents and job security for our staff, in response to a very challenging economic environment.”

Weldmar provides specialist care for adults in Dorset who are expected to be in the last twelve months of life. Patients and their loved ones are visited at home by nurses and heath care assistants from their local Specialist Hospice at Home hub, who offer advice, support, and hands on care, often coordinating with other health professionals such as GPs and district nurses.

Additional services such as Weldmar’s own doctors, complementary therapies, counselling, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and support for carers and loved ones are also on hand for those at home.

Whilst the charity has an Inpatient Unit in Dorchester, most of the care provided takes place in the comfort of patients’ own homes. Selina Heaton leads the Specialist Hospice at Home hub in North Dorset, and said:

“North Dorset is a unique patchwork of close-knit towns like Shaftesbury and Gillingham, alongside many beautiful but isolated villages. For patients living in rural communities, the idea of travelling for care can be daunting. This incredible donation means we can keep our ‘hospice at home’ moving, bringing expert clinical care and emotional support directly to people’s doors. It ensures that no matter how rural your home is, you aren’t facing a life-limiting illness alone.”

Weldmar Hospicecare is a local independent charity which must raise over £27,000 every single day to provide its services free of charge to local communities across Dorset. This significant legacy gift provides both financial resilience and renewed confidence in the continued delivery of exceptional care in Dorset.

Pictured above: Stephen Baynard and Martin Thomas, Chairs of Weldmar Hospicecare and Cedars Castle Hill respectively, alongside trustees from both charities and Weldmar’s Specialist Hospice at Home North Dorset team