Charity launches new centre in Wood Green for people with life-limiting illnesses

The Living Well Centre will support people to have a better quality of life despite their life-limiting condition

The official opening event for the Living Well Centre in Wood Green was attended by Southgate and Wood Green MP Bambos Charalambous (second from left) and Haringey mayor Ahmed Mahbub (credit North London Hospice) — The launch of the Living Well Centre in Wood Green attended by Southgate and Wood Green MP Bambos Charalambous and Haringey mayor Ahmed Mahbub (credit North London Hospice)

A new hub offering support for people with a life-limiting illness has been launched in Wood Green by a local charity.

North London Hospice opened the Living Well Centre on the first floor of The Mall, neighbouring its newly-opened hospice shop.

The Living Well Centre is described as “a bold forward-looking initiative that will redefine and bring hospice wellbeing services directly to the community” which will reach “under-served populations” and enabling the charity to “be more responsive to the needs of local people”.

The charity, founded in 1984, has committed to reimagining how hospice care is accessed and experienced.

‘Living well’ services support people to have a better quality of life despite their life-limiting condition. The creation of the new Wood Green centre follows a transformation by North London Hospice to make its services “more sustainable”. The new model of care for the centre has been designed to be “flexible, inclusive and community based”.

Wolfie Smith, director of patient services and quality at North London Hospice said: “The development of our joint retail and service delivery model offers a bold, innovative response to the challenge of expanding our services to include members of the community who traditionally have not accessed hospice services.

“We will use the space to engage with the local community to understand what they would value from the Living Well Centre, and together, using our expertise and experience, deliver a range of individual and group wellbeing services, reflecting the needs of the community.

“We hope that by bringing hospice wellbeing to the high street, we will be breaking down barriers, removing fear and anxieties associated with end-of-life care, making it more visible, approachable and accessible for everyone.”

The costs to refurbish the unit to accommodate the Living Well Centre was paid for through a Department for Health and Social Care grant for capital expenditure.

North London Hospice has been helping local people for over 40 years and is a leader in community-based palliative care. The Living Well Centre will become a hub for wellbeing activities and support sessions, although the full range of services will be decided following community consultation early next year.

Peter Brook, director of retail at North London Hospice, said: “We are delighted to open a brand-new shop in The Mall, right in the heart of Wood Green. In a first for our charity, we are creating a community hub where people can learn more about hospice services whilst also bagging a bargain and helping to raise vital funds for the hospice.”

Chief executive Declan Carroll added: “We are really excited to be expanding our reach and providing wellbeing services in a vibrant, community-orientated setting. It is anticipated that our Living Well Centre will transform community-based palliative care, as well as drive inclusion, helping us to realise our vision of providing the best of life, at the end of life, for everyone.”

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