Investing in comfort and dignity at the end of life

The Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge is pleased to make a further £2,500 contribution to Overgate Hospice, Calderdale’s only hospice, to help fund a new OSKA Series 5 specialist pressure-care mattress for its Inpatient Unit. This follows the Club’s earlier support for the Big Build Appeal and reflects our ongoing commitment to compassionate, community-based care and to the wonderful people who work at the hospice.

Overgate Hospice provides patient-centred, holistic palliative care to local people living with life-limiting illness, alongside support for their families and carers. Through its Inpatient Unit and Day Hospice, a multidisciplinary team works to manage pain, ease distressing symptoms and help patients maintain dignity and independence at some of the most difficult times in their lives. The hospice is a registered charity with robust governance, strong clinical standards and sound financial management, with all funds held in hospice bank accounts and independently audited.

Why this equipment matters:

Many patients admitted to the Inpatient Unit are extremely frail, living with advanced illness, severe immobility or complex neurological conditions. Some are no longer able to reposition themselves or may struggle to communicate when they are uncomfortable. For these patients, a mattress is not just a piece of equipment; it becomes central to their comfort, safety and sense of calm.

The OSKA Series 5 lateral tilt pressure-care mattress provides advanced pressure relief by gently redistributing weight, supporting natural movement and helping to regulate heat and moisture. This reduces the risk of painful pressure ulcers, helps to manage pain and improves rest and sleep, which is especially important in the final weeks or days of life. Several of the hospice’s existing specialist mattresses have now reached the end of their safe working life, and without replacement there is a real risk of increased pain, disturbed sleep and pressure damage for patients.

Once purchased, the mattress will be brought into service immediately on the current Inpatient Unit and will then transfer into the new hospice building in Spring 2026. It will continue to support patients from Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Luddenden and surrounding villages for many years to come.

This request builds on a longstanding relationship between Overgate Hospice and the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge, including a significant Club contribution of £5,000 towards the Big Build project in 2024. By helping to fund this specialist mattress, we are not only investing in the fabric of the new building but also in the comfort, safety and dignity experienced by patients and their families in the moments that matter most.

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