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Whānau Ora Day 2025 was another wonderful celebration of community connection – and a beautiful reminder of why we do the mahi we do.

Since June, Low Cost Bins has been helping Hospice Whanganui reduce refuse costs – allowing more funds to go directly into patient care. Their partnership also helps the community give quality, reusable items a second life through a dedicated drop-off bin at the Whanganui Re:Sort Transfer Station. Every load saved from landfill helps support free, compassionate hospice care for patients and whānau. 🌿

When people think of hospice care, they often picture a building. But for Hospice Whanganui, most of our work happens out in the community – in homes, aged-care facilities, and rural areas across our rohe. Every day, our nurses, HCAs, and whānau support team travel wherever they’re needed. This is hospice care in motion: personal, local, and full of aroha.

Volunteers are the heartbeat of Hospice Whanganui. From our shops to our gardens, from sitting with patients to helping at events, their aroha is woven through everything we do. With more than 130 volunteers giving their time and skills freely, we are able to continue offering free, compassionate care to patients and whānau across Whanganui.

When Graham Dixon was diagnosed with renal cancer, his wish was simple — to remain at home, surrounded by whānau and the land he loved. With the support of Hospice Whanganui and community services, Graham was able to live with dignity, comfort, and aroha until the very end. His whānau share their story of resilience, compassion, and the difference hospice care made in their lives.

Each year, local farmers Mike and Cath Cranstone of Riverton Ezicalve Herefords auction a special Hospice Bull at their annual on-farm sale, raising funds to support hospice care. This year’s Lot 76 sold for $5,600, with proceeds shared between Hospice Whanganui and Arohanui Hospice – a generous tradition that blends farming legacy, community spirit, and aroha in action. 🌿

Many people believe hospice care is only for the very end of life – but that’s just one of the myths we hear every day. At Hospice Whanganui, care can begin months earlier, supporting patients and whānau with comfort, dignity, and aroha. Here are five common myths about hospice care – and the truths behind them.

Whanganui’s Bullocks Group has dedicated one of their concrete trucks to Hospice Whanganui, with $1 from every cubic metre poured donated to support free, compassionate care for patients and their whānau. The newly branded truck, designed by Morrie Gibbons Signs, was unveiled on 29 September as part of a unique community partnership.

Hospice care is more than medical support – it’s about comfort, dignity, and aroha for patients and their whānau. At Hospice Whanganui, care includes symptom management, emotional and spiritual support, whānau services, and guidance for life’s final chapter. Our integrated team of nurses, HCAs, whānau support, doctors, and volunteers walk alongside people so they don’t have to face the journey alone.