Widely recognised as the world’s first modern hospice, St Christopher’s Hospice was founded in 1967 by Dame Cicely Saunders and has been transforming end of life care ever since. By combining expert pain and symptom management with compassionate emotional, social and spiritual support, it helped shape the modern hospice movement and continues to influence palliative care around the world.
Today, St Christopher’s provides world-class palliative and end of life care across five south London boroughs, supporting patients and their families through inpatient, community, wellbeing and bereavement services. Dedicated to helping people live well until the end of life, the hospice also leads pioneering research, education and innovation to improve care for future generations.
Caring for more than 4,000 patients each year, St Christopher’s inpatient wards had not undergone any major refurbishment for over a decade. The spaces were becoming tired and no longer fully met the needs of patients, families and staff.
The hospice wanted to create more welcoming and homely ward environments, while also addressing essential infrastructure issues including drainage and air conditioning. The refurbishment needed to respond to changing patient demographics, including supporting more people living with dementia, and introduce modern healthcare innovations such as a new hoist system to improve the moving and handling of patients.
A key priority throughout the project was maintaining high-quality end of life care, with two of the hospice’s three wards remaining operational during construction to minimise disruption and ensure beds remained available for the local community.
St Christopher’s Hospice approached CRASH for support with the major refurbishment of its inpatient unit, including three wards and associated facilities.
A number of CRASH Corporate Patrons collaborated on the project, providing professional expertise to help shape the refurbishment from the earliest stages. Arcadis supported with an initial project visit and project advisors report to assess the feasibility and scope of the project. CRASH facilitated architectural expertise through the help of supporter, Black Architecture. During the design phase of the project, Dalkia facilitated mechanical and electrical designs, AECOM supported with structural engineering principals, Cundall did the lighting design for the building. London Building Control provided expertise on the building regulations. Gardiner & Theobald supported with cost consultancy, managing all costs from initial calculations to final figures, to ensure the build was completed to budget, on time, and provided value for money. Dulux Trade helped to create a welcoming feel throughout with a tailored colour pallet focused on calming, healing tones and donated paint and decorating products to transform the building. Through CRASH’s network, St Christopher’s was able to access valuable construction industry expertise and support that helped minimise costs and maximise impact. The total gift in kind for this project was £188,566.41 including a £75,000 grant given by CRASH in March 2023 which was made possible by our Corporate Patrons, supporters and charity partners.
“Having undertaken the original site assessment and meeting with the Hospice teams in March 2022, followed by the further stakeholder engagement work that Arcadis supported on to interpret and formulate the full project brief with the Clinical teams, it is immensely rewarding to see the successful transformation of the Hospice accommodation. The completed works have significantly enhanced accessibility, flexibility and operational efficiencies, creating spaces that better support the needs of staff, patients and visitors while working within the constraints of the existing building footprint. The project has successfully repurposed redundant or underutilised spaces to provide high-quality facilities that are both functional and adaptable to future requirements. The commitment to future-proofing the accommodation and promoting wellbeing is evident throughout, reflecting the dedication, care and compassion demonstrated by all those involved in the project. It is wonderful to see the positive and lasting impact made possible through the support of CRASH and its Patrons, whose contribution has helped deliver meaningful benefits for the St Christopher’s Hospice community.”
Associate Principal at Arcadis
“AECOM is proud to have supported St Christopher’s Hospice and CRASH on this important refurbishment project. By providing structural engineering expertise, we helped develop solutions to modernise inpatient facilities while maintaining the integrity of the existing building and keeping vital services running throughout the works. This project is a great example of how collaborative working between charities and the construction industry can help deliver safe, resilient and welcoming environments that support compassionate care when it matters most.”
Technical Director, Building Engineering at AECOM
The hospice also worked alongside healthcare construction specialists Innova Care Concepts, the project’s principal contractor. Inspired by the impact of CRASH’s work throughout the project, Innova chose to become a Corporate Patron of the charity, further strengthening its commitment to creating caring environments for vulnerable people.
“St Christopher’s Hospice was a significant and complex refurbishment project, and we were proud to act as principal contractor, consolidating the construction programme and specialist equipment packages through one coordinated team. Working alongside CRASH during the project gave us first-hand experience of the impact their support, expertise and industry network can have. Becoming a CRASH Corporate Patron was therefore a natural next step for Innova and reflects our shared commitment to creating better, more accessible care environments for people and communities who need them most.”
Managing Director at Innova Care Concepts
The refurbishment was completed in January 2026 and formed part of a wider £4.5m capital improvement programme, of which St Christopher’s received £2.8m from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), via Hospice UK over 2024/25 and 2025/26 as part of their national funding programme for hospice capital funding.
The refurbished wards now provide a more welcoming, dignified and comfortable environment for patients and their loved ones.
While the inpatient unit retains 32 beds across three wards, reconfigured layouts have created larger, more flexible rooms that better support patient care. Essential upgrades to the building’s infrastructure have improved the functionality and resilience of the hospice, while the installation of a new hoist system enables safer and more comfortable movement of patients.
The project has also helped ensure the hospice can continue meeting the evolving needs of its community for years to come, providing high-quality end of life care in spaces that feel safe, calm and homely.
“The refurbishment of our inpatient wards is a major milestone for St Christopher’s and, most importantly, for the people and families who rely on our care. These spaces are now more welcoming and better equipped to meet people’s needs, including safer moving and handling through the new hoist system, more flexible rooms and essential improvements to the building’s infrastructure. We are extremely grateful to CRASH for their early support and for connecting us with construction industry expertise and partners who helped us plan carefully and minimise costs. Their contribution has helped us create calm, dignified environments where our teams can continue delivering high-quality end of life care for many years to come.”
Director of Finance and Business Development at St Christopher’s Hospice
“This project demonstrates the power of the construction industry coming together to support charities delivering vital services in their communities. Through the expertise, products and funding provided by CRASH and our Corporate Patrons, St Christopher’s Hospice has been able to create more welcoming and resilient spaces for patients, families and staff. We are particularly pleased that through their involvement as principal contractor, Innova Care Concepts experienced the impact of our work first-hand and chose to become a Corporate Patron, helping us support even more projects in the future.”
Chief Executive at CRASH
“Supporting St Christopher’s Hospice on this important project reflects Dalkia’s commitment to using our expertise to deliver lasting social value. We are proud to have worked alongside CRASH and a fantastic group of industry partners to help create spaces that provide comfort, dignity and reassurance for patients and their loved ones. The success of the refurbishment is a testament to the power of collaboration, and we are pleased to continue supporting both St Christopher’s Hospice and the wider CRASH community in helping charities create environments where people can receive the care and support they need.”
Chief Executive Officer at Dalkia UK
“Hospices provide care and support during some of life’s most important moments, and the surroundings in which that care is delivered can have a meaningful impact on the experience of patients and their families. We were proud to support St Christopher’s Hospice with colour expertise and decorating products to help create spaces that feel warm, welcoming and comforting. Thoughtfully designed environments can help people feel more at ease, while also supporting the wellbeing of staff delivering exceptional care every day. Seeing the refurbished wards come to life and knowing they will benefit patients, families and caregivers for years to come is something we are delighted to have been part of.”
Sustainability Project Manager at Dulux Decorator Centre
“Gardiner & Theobald’s cost management team was delighted to work with St Christopher’s Hospice and all the supply partners through to the completion and the opening of this important project for the local community. The result greatly improves the inpatient experience and complements the first-class care provided by St Christopher’s. It was a truly collaborative approach in a challenging building with attention to logistics and phasing required at all stages for the hospice to remain operational 24/7.”
Partner at Gardiner & Theobald LLP
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