St Oswald's celebrates 40 years this year - we look at photos from then to now

This year St Oswald’s Hospice celebrates four decades of supporting people from the North East at times where support matters the most. The hospice opened on July 7th 1986 as a 10 bed inpatient unit and has continued to expand its services from children to the elderly, ensuring all those who need them in the North East can get the care and support they need.

Many will have seen the hospice's fourth art trail, with many beautiful Peter Rabbits hopping up over the city to add onto their Snow Dog, Elmer and Shaun the Sheep trails success. But this year is extra special as St Oswald’s Hospice celebrates 40 years of service to the community.

Officially opened in 1987 by Princess Alexandra, the hospice has continued to expand and grow in line with the needs of those who need the services. Steph Edusei, Chief Executive of St Oswald’s Hospice said: “We have learnt so much about how we can change. People have changed, what their grandparents wanted is very different to what they want.”

This dedication to change and the community has been seen as the services of the hospice have grown including a dedicated day service building in 1997, the children services building in 2003 and was visited by King Charles in 2004, the outpatient suite in 2009, the young adult services in 2012, the stand alone bereavement centre in 2013, the addition of the Focus on Living Centre in 2014 and their most recent development of their Young Adults Accommodation building which was completed in 2025. All of these services are free to those in the community with a referral by any health care professional, not just a GP.

Angela Egdell, Director of Care Service, was one of the first team of 40 nurses who started in 1986. She said: “40 years ago, I walked through the doors of St Oswald’s Hospice as a recently qualified nurse. We spent those first few weeks learning about palliative care, getting to know one another and getting lost in the building. Looking back, it was a mix of fun and nerves as we all realised how little we felt we knew.”

But from stepping through the doors and caring for their first patient, Angela never imagined the future could look like this. She said: “None of us could have imagined what St Oswald’s would become over the next four decades.”

Linsey Preston, who was 10 years old and part of the school children who lined the streets in 1986 to welcome the royal visit that would announce the opening of the hospice. She said: “I never imagined that the Hospice I waved flags for as a child would one day become such an important part of my daughter’s life.”

Take a look at St Oswald's Hospice's journey through our pictures below.

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