TGT Meets...Emily Wigmore from Lewis-Manning Hospice Care

TGT Meets Emily Wigmore from Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, a charity dedicated to providing life-enhancing care to people with life-limiting illnesses across East Dorset. Emily shares insights into the vital work the hospice does...

Could you introduce yourself and share what motivated you to join Lewis-Manning Hospice Care?

My name is Emily, and I’m the Marketing and Communications Executive at Lewis-Manning Hospice Care. I was drawn to the role because I believe in the power of storytelling to inspire connection and support. My day-to-day work spans across social media and website content to promotional materials for our clinical services, fundraising, shops, and more. It’s incredibly rewarding to help raise awareness of the charity and ensure people know we’re here for them when they need us most.

What is Lewis-Manning’s core mission?

Our mission is to engage you and your community in exceptional, proactive hospice care, support and education.

Who do you support, and through which services?

We support over one thousand patients and families every year in their homes, virtually, and at our hubs across Swanage, Wareham, Poole, Wimborne, Christchurch and Bournemouth. We offer a range of free hospice care services supporting local people to:

• Live well through their illness
• Alleviate the huge pressures on families and carers as well as NHS services, reducing ambulance call outs, hospital admissions and GP appointments
• Increase physical and social well-being
• Reduce isolation and loneliness

You offer flexible care—from at home support to clinics—how do you tailor services to individual needs?

We listen carefully to what matters most to each person, because it’s important to us that care reflects their individual values and wishes. Our person-centred approach means our fantastic clinical team builds care plans around each person’s unique needs, helping them feel truly supported in the way that’s right for them. We want our patients to live well through their illness by having fun, laughing, and still being able to feel like themselves.

How do partnerships with the NHS, local hospitals, and businesses support your mission?

We work closely with the NHS, including local GPs and hospitals, as well as care homes, to ensure we can best support and reach those who need us most.

Business partnerships also play a vital role. Whether it’s sponsoring an event, choosing us as your charity of the year, donating a percentage of sales, or encouraging staff to volunteer, we’re proud to work with companies that want to give back to their local community. Every partnership helps us continue delivering care to people and their loved ones in our community.

How can individuals, businesses or the community best support you now?

Receiving only 12% funding from the NHS, we need your help to raise money to continue providing our important services for patients and their families.

You can help by donating, leaving a gift in your will, volunteering, shopping in our charity shops, taking part in events and challenges, hosting your own fundraising activity, or partnering with us as a business. Every bit of support makes a real difference and without it we could not exist. Visit https://lewis-manning.org.uk/support-us/ to find out more.

What do you hope people will remember after seeing your story?

That hospice care is about life - living well through illness, with the right support in place. We are here for local people and their families when they need us most. 

To find out more, please visit lewis-manning.org.uk.