Keeping Hospice Care Free Takes All of Us: Community put their Hands Up for Hospice

Throughout May, our community once again showed what can happen when people come together with a shared purpose. The 2026 Yondi Foundation Hands Up for Hospice appeal has now come to a close, and while the events and activities may be over, the impact created continues.

This year’s campaign centred around a simple but powerful message: 1 in 3 of us will need hospice. Help us be there for the future. For many people, hospice can feel like something that happens to someone else until it suddenly becomes part of your own story. The reality is that one in three people in our community will require hospice care during their lifetime, and behind every patient is a wider circle of family, friends and loved ones also receiving support. Throughout May, the Nelson Tasman community responded in remarkable ways, putting their hands up to help ensure specialist palliative care remains available for everyone who needs it.

The campaign invited people to Heave, Host, Raise or Donate, and the response was extraordinary.

Across the month 20 teams competed in The Breeze Heave for Hospice on 29 May, High Teas were hosted, 26 public fundraising events took place, including 13 Sprig + Fern quiz and bingo nights, individual and business-led fundraisers were organised, 10 businesses supported Hospice through salesbased fundraising initiatives, Nelson Tasman Hospice colleagues spoke with local groups and organisations about hospice care and countless volunteers, supporters, donors and event attendees gave their time, energy and generosity.

“Hands Up for Hospice is a reminder that hospice belongs to our community,” says Tony Gray, Chief Executive of Nelson Tasman Hospice. “Every event attended, every business that got behind us, every volunteer and every donation reflects people choosing to invest in the future of care for local families. The reality is that one in three of us will need hospice, and the support we’ve seen throughout May helps ensure we can continue being there when that moment comes.”

The campaign also saw the launch of Hops for Hospice, a special collaboration with Sprig + Fern Brewing Co that brought together local businesses, suppliers and communities in support of hospice care. More than just a seasonal brew, Hops for Hospice became a celebration of connection and community, with every pint helping support care for local families.

Major events across the month brought people together in different ways, from the sell-out Hands Up for Hospice – The Fashion Edition at the beginning of May sponsored by Smart Business Centre, to Fabric-a-brac, community gatherings and local initiatives supported by groups including Fresh FM, Tahunanui Community Hub and Cultural Conversation.

The appeal was also strengthened by the support of the Yondi Foundation as naming rights sponsor, continuing a partnership built on a shared commitment to supporting local people and local care.

The funds raised through Hands Up for Hospice will go directly back into our community and will help our local team of more than 55 clinicians continue supporting around 210 patients and their families and whānau every month to live well until they die. At the time of writing, we are sitting at $167,692 raised, every contribution made throughout the campaign is already helping ensure hospice care remains available for local families, now and into the future.

The need for hospice care continues to grow, and so does the need for community support with a projected 50% increase in demand for palliative care by 2045. Hands Up for Hospice may only happen during May, but ensuring care is available for the future is something that continues every day. Because one day, for one in three of us, hospice care may become part of our own story.

To every person, business, volunteer, sponsor and supporter who put their hands up this May – thank you. Together, you are helping ensure Nelson Tasman Hospice can continue to be there for our community when they need it most.