Maidstone Borough Council awards us £3.53m
Heart of Kent Hospice secures more than £3.53m million to create a new home for hospice care
We are so grateful to share some wonderful news. Maidstone Borough Council has awarded us £3.53m in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding, and we cannot thank them enough for this generous support for our new hospice.
The award will support the relocation of Heart of Kent Hospice from its current base in Aylesford to a new, purpose-built hospice and community palliative care hub in Linton, nr Coxheath.
With this significant award, we have now secured over a third of the project costs of £18.5m, which is a remarkable step forward in making the future hospice a reality. However, Heart of Kent Hospice still must raise a further £12m to make this vision a reality.
Ann-Marie Kelly, Chief Executive said:
“We are delighted to be awarded this substantial funding from Maidstone Borough Council’s CIL funding which will future-proof the provision of outstanding palliative and end-of-life care for terminally-ill people in our community. Our new hospice will be a community asset, where patients and their loved-ones will benefit from the expertise and compassion of our dedicated teams of colleagues and volunteers. Flooded with natural light and open-spaces, we are eager to welcome our community and to support terminally-ill people to live with comfort, independence and dignity to the end of their lives.
"We are hugely grateful to Maidstone Borough Council for their commitment to planning for the longer-term health needs of local people.”
Caring for a dying relative is often one of life’s most challenging experiences, with many feeling overwhelmed as they navigate unfamiliar and emotional terrain. Yet those supported by hospice care describe a different journey - one grounded in compassion, expertise and reassurance: where the message is clear “We’ve got you, and we’re going to help you through this.”
The current hospice, based in Aylesford has served its community well for 35 years, but it is no longer equipped to meet the growing demand for specialist palliative and end-of-life care. With people living longer, often with more complex conditions and with the population aged 65 and over in Kent set to rise significantly, the hospice must plan to ensure they can meet the future needs of our community.
Hospice care is not defined by walls, but by the people and expertise within them. And yet, to continue meeting the needs of a growing community, that care must have a place to call home.
“The future of Heart of Kent Hospice is full of ambition and hope. Demand for their care continues to grow, and plans for a new, purpose-built site will help them reach even more people. But the future of hospice care depends on all of us continuing to stand together and support it.” John Roberts, Hospice Supporter.
The new hospice is thoughtfully designed on a larger, semi-rural site overlooking the striking Greensand Ridge. Its location, central to the hospice’s catchment area, will improve access for patients and their loved-ones across the region, creating not just a building, but a welcoming hub at the heart of the community.
