The team at the Anne Robson Trust are grateful to Austin’s for choosing us as their Charity of the Year, and supporting our work to improve the compassion and companionship people receive at the end of their life.

Too many spend their final days alone, with no one at their side. While many services exist to support those who are bereaved, there is very little support available for the period before someone dies – helping people to cope when a death is anticipated.

Anne Robson was our founder’s mother. She died soon after being discharged from a week-long stay in hospital. In hope of creating something positive from this terrible experience, her daughter Liz Pryor began working in NHS hospitals to improve their provision for people at end of life. In 2018 she founded the charity to provide emotional support for people nearing the end of their life, and those caring for them.

• We help hospitals set up volunteer teams to visit patients who are in the last days of life, prioritising those with no other visitors.
• Our telephone support provides somewhere to turn for people who are nearing the end of their life or caring for a friend or family member who is dying.

The volunteers at our partner hospitals read to patients, talk with them about their grandkids, or simply hold their hand. Four years on from our launch we have enabled over 13,000 visits to people spending their last days in hospital, and are a trialling a weekly support hub in Stevenage Old Town to support local people living with a terminal diagnosis, and those caring for someone who is approaching the end of life.  

This work would be impossible without the generosity of individuals and organisations like Austin’s. We are proud to join Austin’s in serving the people of Hertfordshire and beyond with compassion and sensitivity at such a poignant point in their life.

To donate to our work, or access support, please visit www.annerobsontrust.org.uk.

Our end-of-life support line is: 0808 801 0688