Dove Cottage Day Hospice closes monthly support group at Empingham Cricket Club in Rutland

A social support group for people receiving end-of-life care has been scrapped.

Trustees from the Dove Cottage Day Hospice only gave clients a month’s notice of their decision to close the group at Empingham Cricket Club.

Volunteers had been running sessions there since 2021 when the charity closed its hospice in Ridlington.

The group was seen as a lifeline for those living with terminal cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.

Helpers were shocked and saddened by the sudden decision to close but are hoping to find a new venue where people can continue to meet the in the short-term.

Volunteer cook Joanne Beaver said: “I’ve been volunteering with Dove Cottage since it first opened in Rutland. My late husband had cancer and when I heard about Dove’s plans to open in Rutland, I realised it was just what Peter needed but it wasn’t available when he was alive.

“I thought if I could help in some way, it would be something positive to honour his memory.”

Joanne continued in her role as a cook when the hospice closed and the groups moved to Empingham.

She said: “The guests loved it and said it was somewhere they could talk to other people in their shoes. We were all shocked by the decision to close because there was no hint of it until the email arrived.

“People were left asking what they would do.”

Although the trustees of Dove Cottage have said they will continue to look for new premises, Joanne hopes to find a short-term solution for those who were regularly attending the meet-ups in Empingham.

She is keen to hear from people who organise other social groups locally which might be able to accommodate some of the Dove Cottage users. The venues would need to have disabled access and toilet facilities.

Joanne’s appeal is backed by Sara Gray, from Barrowden, who joined the group last year after having a tumour removed from her kidney.

She said: “It’s really sad and quite shocking to pull the plug on it.

“There were two of us in our 50s but the other members were all elderly. Lots of them don’t leave the house from one month to the next so it was awful to hear the group was closing.

“Everyone was so nice and it was wonderful to see that it put a smile on people’s faces.”

Anyone who might be able to offer a space at an existing social group can contact Joanne Beaver on 01572 737286 or email beawingj@gmail.com

The trustees of Dove Cottage said they will continue to look for alternative long-term premises. The venue would need to be fully accessible with a private area for counselling and treatments, appropriate seating and infection control.

Anyone who can help should call 01949 860303.

They said: “This is not a decision that has been taken lightly. We are very grateful to Empingham Cricket club for allowing us to use the space for the past two years, however the cricket pavilion is not set up to deal with guests with more complicated healthcare needs.

“Whilst we have been willing to adapt and make do for a short while, we knew this could never be a permanent alternative for a hospice service.

“Also due to staff changes the group is now primarily run by a very loyal base of volunteers and although they are well-intentioned and dedicated, without qualified nursing staff we are no longer able to offer the service in the way that it was originally intended.”