A place of hope, not doom

4:19pm Friday 31st March 2006

The Peace Hospice, which provides care for terminally ill Hertsmere residents, faces a £400,000 funding deficit. Chairman Stuart Nagler tells LOUISA BARNETT how his own experience of its valuable work helps drive his mission to bridge the funding gap.

Like so many others, Radlett resident and former mayor of Hertsmere, Stuart Nagler, has been touched by cancer.

His father and three of his friends have died from the disease. Having seen at first hand the difference hospices makes to people's lives, Mr Nagler, a 59-year-old accountant and father-of-two, decided to help the Peace Hospice in Watford.

The lives of hundreds of terminally ill patients from Hertsmere are enhanced by staff and services at the hospice, which serves two-thirds of Hertsmere.

Mr Nagler, who is a former Conservative leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, said: "When my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999, I saw first hand what the hospice movement was all about and what it did for people like him.

"He was a very private man and couldn't deal with his illness or pain. But I saw how the hospice can bring out the best in people. He opened up to his family and his quality of life in his last 18 months was first class.

"So many people who are ill die at home alone or in a hospital bed somewhere being completely ignored. The hospice seemed to be a beacon of hope and great support, and I decided that one day I would get involved in some way."

Shortly after this, Mr Nagler, who is also a Hertsmere representative on the Hertfordshire Police Authority, became a trustee of the hospice, and last year, was made chairman.

As chairman, Mr Nagler oversees its current struggle to overcome a £400,000 deficit and raise enough funds to keep its valuable work going.

The hospice, in Peace Drive, Watford, is currently looking at ways to bridge a funding gap. It needs to reduce its costs and cut back on expenses, such as cleaning bills. Its annual budget is £3 million, with just under 20 per cent of that money coming from Hertsmere Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Watford and Three Rivers PCT. This amounts to about £550,000, so the hospice has to rely on the community to raise the remaining £2.5 million.

But Mr Nagler is not panicking about the shortfall.

"We believe we will get the money as the community are always very supportive," he said.

Last month a foundation set up by a Shenley family in the memory of Raz Gold, a hospice resident who died last year after an 18-month battle with melanoma, donated £100,000.

"At the end of the day, the figures speak for themselves.," said Mr Nagler. "One in three of us will get cancer and one in four of us will die from cancer.

"It's a startling statistic and something which touches everybody, so it's close to all of our hearts."

Since taking up the role of chairman, Mr Nagler has drawn up a mission statement, including three main objectives.

These are; to increase the occupancy of the in-patient unit by pushing up referrals from GPs and Macmillan nurses; to set up a service called hospice at home, which would allow many patients to be treated and cared for in the comfort of their own homes; and to increase the amount of people who use the day care service.

"We want to reach out to as many people as we can, including the ethnic communities who may only look for help within their own community," he said.

"People have such a morbid view of hospices and see it as the place of doom and gloom, but as soon as you step in there, your perceptions will change straight away.

"It's one of the most peaceful and calming places in the world where your every need is catered for so you feel as comfortable as possible."

"Three of my friends have died from cancer and all three of their families said they couldn't believe the level of support and care they received."

If you are interested in fundraising or donating money to the hospice, contact Gill Crowson, community fundraising manager, on 01923 330340.

For more information about the hospice, visit www.peacehospice.org.uk

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