On April 29, I’ll Always Remember... a legacy giving campaign developed by FlexMR for St John’s Hospice, and brought to life by McGill Productions, was named Best Legacy Giving Campaign at the Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards. The recognition places the campaign among the very best in the sector, alongside work from leading organisations including Amnesty International, BBC Children in Need, Oxfam, Macmillan Cancer Support and Shelter.
The campaign began with a challenge. Hospices play a vital role in enabling dignity, compassion and care at the end of life, yet they remain significantly underfunded. For St John’s Hospice, a cornerstone of the North West community, this challenge is particularly acute. Generations of families have been touched by its work, but communicating its value in a way that inspires long-term support required a fundamentally different approach.
I'll Aways Remember...
Legacy giving, while increasingly important, is inherently sensitive. It asks supporters to think about what they leave behind. For hospices, this creates a tension: how do you speak about end-of-life care in a way that resonates emotionally, without reinforcing discomfort or avoidance? The answer, according to our research was not to focus on legacy itself or even the vital end-of-life care the hospice provides, but reframing the narrative entirely.
I’ll Always Remember shifts attention from the hospice experience to the enduring impact it creates. The campaign centres on intergenerational storytelling, capturing how compassionare care ripples outward, living on in the memories of families and communities. The message underpinning it is that hospice care isn't, as we might typically think, a short term endeavour. It's impact lasts a lifetime.
The campaign, grounded in deep audience insight from FlexMR and realised through the thoughtful, cinematic storytelling of McGill Productions, places people, place and community at its heart. It tells the four unique stories from real families, reflecting on the unique role St John’s Hospice plays not just in individual lives, but across the wider social fabric. And demonstrating that its impact extends far beyond the time spent within its walls.
This award is a testament to the vision and dedication of everyone involved in bringing the campaign to life, particularly Elizabeth Edmondson and the team at St John’s Hospice. It also highlights the power of insight-led, emotionally intelligent storytelling to transform how we engage with some of society’s most challenging yet important conversations. Watch the award winningcampaign here.
About St John's Hospice
St John’s Hospice provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to people with life-limiting conditions across North Lancashire, the South Lakes and surrounding areas. Since 1986, it has delivered free, holistic support to patients and their families, at home and in the hospice, combining medical, emotional and bereavement care to ensure people can live as well as possible, for as long as possible. Rooted in its community and sustained by public support, the hospice plays a vital role in providing compassionate care when it matters most.
About the Legacy Giving Awards
The Legacy Giving Awards, hosted annually by Smee & Ford,celebrate excellence and innovation in fundraising, recognising organisations and individuals who are advancing long-term philanthropic impact. They provide a platform to showcase best practice, inspire sector-wide learning, and elevate the role of legacy giving in sustaining charitable missions.
