AUDIO
Dame Cicely wanted the hospice to be open to all; for it to feel part of the community, not simply a place to hide away the dying.
For that reason she chose a site that had good public transportation links; this made it easy for people to visit, being just 20 minutes from central London, and also allowed the people staying at the hospice to see trains go by and watch life all around them.
Within the hospice itself, Dame Cicely also created an environment for all, a ‘community of the unlike’.
This meant that whilst there were people who were nearing the end of their lives at St Christopher’s, there was also a nursery for the children of those who worked there, and Draper’s Wing, a part of the hospice established to provide long term care for the elderly.
This brought everyone together, and a community was formed.
RESOURCES
The items below will require an internet connection (WiFi, 3G or 4G)
LISTEN
As part of the St Christopher’s Oral History Project, hear from Mavis Bird on the Community of St Christopher’s and the Home Care Service.