"Rossendale Hospice were absolutely brilliant whilst my mum, Stephanie, was on palliative care. My mum received hospice at home for 10 months, during which time she was completely bed bound and reliable on others 24 hours a day. My family and I would have never coped with caring responsibilities and work/life commitments without them.

I have a huge medical phobia and was so scared about things being so clinical at home but it didn’t feel like that at all. Words cannot describe how amazing they all were. It never felt invasive even though they were entering our family home 4 times a day and they brought joy and laughter whenever they visited.

I was really worried about the personal care side of it but they were so respectable with my mum and family. The night sitters were equally as amazing and it was a real safety net for us having them there through the nights. My mum spoke so highly of everyone. They kept the perfect balance of professional but friendly, in the end it felt like we’d known them for years. They picked everyone up, especially my dad, through some dark and difficult days. It meant that I didn't have to worry about him so much as I knew he always had the hospice nurses to talk to and it was always guaranteed they brought a smile to his face.

There were many scary times when mum would be taken in to hospital but they were always a shoulder to cry on. They even went out of their way to attend my mum's funeral which just shows the compassion they have for their patients and it meant a lot to our family.

I also accessed bereavement counselling through the hospice. As this was my first big loss that I had experienced and I was only 25 I had no idea how to process my feelings but Sarah was the best listener I could’ve asked for and helped me work my way through the chaos of emotions I felt.

It’s now 2 years since my mum died and I cannot express my thankyous enough for the hospice. It was always my mums wishes to stay at home for as long as she could and Rossendale Hospice made that possible. I will be forever grateful for the support they gave us and will continue to donate when I can."