History

A brief outline of our history from 1990 to 2012

1990: Local residents campaign for a hospice.

 

 

 

 

 

1991: A Steering Committee, led by Lady (Kirsty) Pilkington, assessed the viability of building a hospice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1992-1993: Fundraising Committees worked tirelessly to raise £1,800,000 to build the Hospice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1994: St Helens Council donated land on the Knowsley and St Helens boundary. 

1995: The Hospice Lottery was launched.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1996: 11th January – Lord Derby ‘turned the first sod’ and the building work at Portico Lane began. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1997: 20th July – St Helens & Knowsley Hospice opened its Day Therapy unit. 

1998: The first inpatient was admitted in July. 

1999: 20th May – HRH Princess Alexandra officially opened the Hospice and from this date it was known as Willowbrook Hospice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2006: Healthcare Commission Inspection Report credits Willowbrook Hospice as being the only hospice in the country to meet all the required standards. 

2007: Willowbrook Hospice was awarded £604,000 by the Department of Health towards building a dedicated Outpatient Suite. 

2008: Work on the new Outpatient Suite began. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009: The Cedarwood Centre opened for Outpatient Services in June. Volunteers at the Hospice were awarded St Helens CVS Team of the Year. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2010: HRH Princess Alexandra re-visited Willowbrook Hospice and officially opened the Cedarwood Centre, which later was awarded the Local Authority Building Control Award for best small commercial building in the country. Willowbrook Hospice was awarded a further grant of £663,000 to build a dedicated Day Therapy facility. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011: The new Day Therapy Centre opened in June and was officially opened in September by Secretary of State Andrew Lansley. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2012: Willowbrook Hospice celebrates its 15th anniversary.

Download the timeline.pdf

For a more in-depth time line of Willowbrook Hospice please contact the Fundraising Office on 01744 453 798.