Les Bourgs Hospice has been described as a passion project ‘built by the community, for the community’.
And as such, despite funding challenges, Greville and Lisa Mitchell said that they have confidence that as the hospice turns 35, islanders will continue to support it through another 35 years.
The couple said that during the 1980s they had recognised the island’s need for free, compassionate palliative care after losing several friends to cancer, who they said died in inappropriate circumstances.
They soon found it was no easy feat, and faced a tough battle ahead. The States did not feel that Guernsey warranted a residential hospice and would offer no support initially, or into the future. It said a population of the island’s size would only be entitled to 0.74 of a bed.
But Mr and Mrs Mitchell disagreed.
‘It might sound funny, but it was the best thing that could have happened,’ said Mr Mitchell.
‘I have many failings, but I’m a pretty determined individual. The greater the obstacle – the more I was not going to let this drop.’
After realising it could not be a new build, the couple searched for a suitable property – knowing that it needed to be open market, to accommodate all local residents, and importantly, that it needed to feel like ‘home’.
‘My background is construction and development,’ said Mr Mitchell.
‘Goldman Sachs in New York was sending a project model back to me – from New York to Guernsey. But it didn’t arrive.’
The package had been incorrectly delivered to Les Bourgs, Rue du Tertre, in St Andrew’s, rather than to Le Bourg in Route du Tertre, Castel.
‘I got a phone call from Grace Spittal who said that a package had been sent to her house,’ said Mrs Mitchell.
‘No letter or anything had ever gone astray before – this was God giving us a big kick up the bottom. As I drove into her drive to collect it – it still gives me goosebumps – I just knew, “oh my goodness, that’s the hospice”.’
The house was on the market, and Mr and Mrs Mitchell bought it, before gaining planning permission to convert it into its destiny. Mr Mitchell project-managed the development over a two-year period and when it opened in 1991, he provided enough funding to see it through the first year.
‘We knew nothing about the practicalities of building a hospice,’ said Mr Mitchell.
‘We went over the mainland and visited about 12 hospices and they were extremely helpful. If Great Britain ran like the hospice movement, it would be flying. Too often, people hold onto knowledge rather than share it – for fear of loss of power. But people in the hospice movement are absolutely open books. We learnt a lot. The Spittal’s house had such a wonderful atmosphere from the start – and it was our mission to keep it that way.’
Maura Stacey was appointed as the first director of nursing and the couple said she became the heart of the hospice, bringing together a fantastic team and taking the cause out into the community.
‘People were always anxious on the funding, wanting to get institutions involved,’ said Mr Mitchell.
‘But I said to them – forget the people of Guernsey, and I mean the man in the street, at your peril. These individuals were the construction team, staff members, volunteers and supporters. It really was the locals who gave us that support in the beginning, and still do to this day. I call it “Guernsey’s Hospice”. The support of the community has been absolutely incredible.’
Mrs Mitchell had been interested in palliative care for years before the establishment of Les Bourgs.
The couple found that it took some time for islanders to grasp its concept, and that it still holds a certain stigma.
‘The problem is, most people think of a hospice as a death house,’ said Mr Mitchell.
‘But actually we have four elements – respite care, pain control, medication supervision, and to pass away. Three out of four people who come in, go back home.’
Les Bourgs opened as a five-bed unit in the original building, with two small single rooms upstairs and a three-bed unit downstairs, and it was not long before it was at full capacity.
‘Very soon after opening, we noticed that there definitely was a need for a hospice on the island,’ said Mr Mitchell.
Over its years, the hospice has touched many hearts and become an integral part of the community – with thousands of individuals contributing to its success.
‘It just has affected so many families and lives within the island,’ said Mrs Mitchell.
‘We still get comments from people sharing their experience and saying thank you. There’s so many stories, and they’re lovely stories.
'So many people were so scared to come in – but once they did, said it felt so right, and so comfortable. We always wanted it to feel like home – with home comforts. Not that clinical environment, no hospital smell. The people here are residents not patients, and they are treated as individuals who can have what they like.
‘We have a bar trolley, dogs are allowed, people can sit on beds. We had a lady ask for porridge and a bottle of red wine for her breakfast – and that’s what she got. The nurses are sensational, and helped us develop with new ideas.’
In 2006, Jo Boyd became the director of nursing. She brought experience of expanding hospices in the UK, and in 2007 first plans were submitted and rejected for the development of Les Bourgs. Following an amendment, the plans were accepted – estimated to cost £4m. Despite initial controversy, the hospice reached its fundraising target in 2012.
It continues to raise millions every year, some of it through the ever-popular hospice shop.
‘Without the store and without our volunteers, there would be no hospice,’ said Mr Mitchell. ‘Lisa’s involvement in developing the store has been really incredible.’
He added that the relationship between the hospice and the States had also been transformed over time.
‘I will say the hospital’s attitude to the hospice now is brilliant. Totally different from how it was at the start – they used to charge us 15% on top of the cost of drugs, and a surcharge on disposable bedding and all those sorts of things. But that doesn’t happen any more.’
And the leaders of the hospice have surpassed expectations.
‘It was brilliant how matters progressed. Absolutely perfect for the growth of a company. Maura was awesome for the start – tough, creative, she led from the front. And then we had Jo, who had all the management skills and competence to see us forward.’
Rob Jones has been Les Bourgs Hospice CEO for the past two years, and Mr and Mrs Mitchell said they were pleased with his work.
Though no longer directors, the couple are still involved with the charity and visit the hospice regularly to catch up with the nurses and staff.
‘We actually feel now that we are extremely unimportant,’ said Mrs Mitchell.
‘We’re guests when we come – it belongs to the people of Guernsey. But our hearts are here, and we’ll never stop coming.’
‘It’s now a privilege to be involved,’ added Mr Mitchell.
‘The biggest challenge it faces going forward is that horrible word – money. We would not have got to where we are today without being independent of the States. If you go back to when we started, the major thing we gave was love – with limited resources.
‘And yet, it has grown and evolved with progress. It will be interesting to see what comes out next. But, of course, we are optimistic.’
