Cuddle Bed Appeal launches

At St Leonard’s Hospice, we believe no one should have to say goodbye from a distance. 

Today, we are launching our Cuddle Bed Appeal to raise £75,000 to purchase five additional cuddle beds, so that every bedroom in the Hospice has one. 

These specialist beds allow patients to lie beside the people they love at the end of life. Holding hands, sharing memories and simply being together when it matters most.

Nikki and Darren’s Story 

Nikki is a Healthcare Assistant at St Leonard’s Hospice. Every day, she supports families through the most difficult moments of their lives. 

But Nikki has also experienced the Hospice from the other side. 

When her partner Darren became ill, she cared for him at home for months before he was admitted to the Hospice. She remembers sitting beside his hospital bed, holding his hand through the rails. 

“I’d say goodnight from inches away, but it felt like miles apart,” she says. “Somewhere along the way, I had stopped being his partner and had become his carer.” 

When Darren arrived at St Leonard’s, there was a cuddle bed in his room. The larger, adjustable bed meant Nikki could lie beside him safely and comfortably. 

“For the first time in a long time, we were together again. We talked, laughed and rested in each other’s arms. That closeness meant everything.” 

Now, through her work, Nikki sees just how much cuddle beds mean to other families. She also sees the heartbreak when one isn’t available. When a loved one has to spend the night in a chair, saying goodbye from a distance. 

“That’s why this appeal matters so much,” she says. “Every family deserves the chance to simply be together.”

Click below to find out more about the Cuddle Bed Appeal, and join us in helping bring comfort, closeness and dignity to local families when they need it most.