Care that connects us all: celebrating 40 Years of Princess Alice Hospice

We were delighted to celebrate our 40 year anniversary last month. On Friday 20 March at 3.30pm, staff and volunteers were invited to join in a Moment of Unity, wherever they were, to reflect on all that Princess Alice Hospice meant to them, personally. It was chosen because it was the exact time and date that HRH The Queen Mother had opened Princess Alice Hospice in Esher 40 years ago.

Sally Harris, Nigel Seymour, Petery Munday, Monica Harding Earlier in the week, colleagues had been invited to attend one of several gatherings held at the Hospice. The occasions were an opportunity to look back at old memorabilia and photographs on display and to enjoy time with colleagues over tea and cake. Nigel Seymour, our Chief Executive, shared poignant memories of his own 20 years at the Hospice and thanked everybody for their contribution, which was echoed by members of our Board of Trustees. Colleagues were shown a beautiful, short film about the Hospice that was produced by one of our talented volunteers. Afterwards, Nigel introduced ‘Care that connects us all’, which is the name of the plan the organisation will be working towards in the coming years. It’s a shared commitment to go further together – connecting people, services and communities so care reaches everyone who needs it. We’re working towards three main goals:

Extend our reach: by reaching people earlier and delivering more care, day or night, with more specialist care on our In-Patient Unit, in homes and communities, we can support more people before, during and after death.

Evolve our role: by sharing our expertise and working more closely with GPs, hospitals, social care and voluntary organisations, we will help care become more joined up, consistent and effective.

Engage our communities: by working with local communities and supporting the people who care for one another every day, we can ensure our services reflect real lives, cultures and experiences.

On Friday 20 March, we welcomed our amazing volunteers to the Hospice and asked them to share their special memories, too. Each volunteer has their own reason for giving their time to Princess Alice Hospice and we are so grateful for their support.

On Friday afternoon, we marked the Moment of Unity. At the Hospice, we invited our founding Trustee, Peter Munday, his former Vice Chair, Roger Wyatt, and our Honorary President, Jane Formby MBE, to attend a tree planting ceremony. Jane Formby, Monica Harding, Nigel Seymour

The ceremony was led by Sally Harris, Chair, and Nigel Seymour, Chief Executive, who were joined by the Hospice’s local MP and former trustee, Monica Harding MP, who referred to the Hospice as ‘one of the jewels of the community’. Afterwards, our guests spent time reminiscing and sharing memories over a slice of the beautiful cake made by Jo Lambert, our very talented community duty nurse.

Alain Bakas

We will never be able to thank the team at Princess Alice Hospice enough for the love, care, dignity, and compassion they showed our papa and our whole family. They cared for my papa for a month, and then welcomed him back again for his final 8 days before he passed on 3rd April 2026. Every single member of staff became like family to us during the hardest time of our lives. Their kindness, patience, support, and genuine compassion will stay in our hearts and minds forever. They not only cared for our papa with dignity and respect, but they also supported all of us emotionally every step of the way. We are so grateful for everything they did for our papa and for the comfort they brought him in his final days. Thank you again to the entire team for the incredible work you do every day. You are truly special people, and we will never forget you.

Darek Kubik

The shop in Claygate on Parade is well run and stocked place. The manager Mrs Roheana is helpful and friendly person...well done

Nicola Jeebaun

So grateful for the kind and caring team at Easher. They supported us so much while spending our last days with mum Will always be grateful From the Greenaway family

Stephen Nicholson

I'm deeply grateful for the exceptional care and support provided by Princess Alice Hospice in Esher. Their warm and helpful staff made a significant difference during a difficult time after losing my grandfather to prostate cancer in July 2017. The bereavement team and therapy offered were invaluable in helping me cope with the loss and navigate my grief. I'm thankful for their kindness and dedication. Massive shout out to Lynne my bereavement councillor who was incredible with me, I’ll never forget you.

Jo G

My Mum was there for 3 weeks before she passed away in Nov . The staff and level of care was amazing, she was loved by the staff. They couldn't of done more for her. Myself and my sister were also supported. We donated a large memorial feather in our Mums memory. It's such a shame that most if their funding comes from donations.

Robert Crapnell

1st class care for my wife, I will never forget the care and attention. My will has provsion to say thank you.

Ruby Bhurji

My dad passed away in jan 26th 2005. The staff was amazing. So supportive through our difficult times. They really looked after dad. They always had a smile on their faces. So grateful for everything they did for dad and us. Just want to say a big thank you and keep up with all the hard work you all do.

Rosanna Stech

The call out night service team of Princess Alice were amazing with my Granny in her last few days. She was able to stay in her own home and have their amazing team look after her when we called them. I would like to especially say a big thank you to Camilla who was always so cheerful, professional and put us at ease when we really needed it. She would remember our family members names despite being called out to a number of houses every evening and was always a reassuring voice when she answered the phone. She made a real difference to my Granny’s end of life and I wouldn’t have wanted her to be under any other care. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

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Care that connects us all: celebrating 40 Years of Princess Alice Hospice

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