St Columba’s Hospice Care is delighted to announce it has been awarded a grant of up to £32,700 by the Wolfson Foundation to support the partial refurbishment of its Education and Research building for a new social enterprise venture.

The transformed space will offer luxury holistic therapies and counselling services to the local community, with all proceeds reinvested directly into the hospice’s vital palliative and end-of-life care services across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Jackie Stone, CEO of St Columba’s Hospice Care, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Wolfson Foundation. This support helps us grow in a sustainable, innovative way, allowing us to offer high-quality therapies and counselling services to the public, while funding the vital care we provide. These new initiatives are helping us to redefine what hospice fundraising can look like. It’s a perfect example of social enterprise meeting social impact.”

The initiative forms part of the Hospice’s wider strategy to create sustainable income streams that support core hospice services. St Columba’s is already seeing strong engagement with its other social enterprises, including Studio15 Hair Salon (located within the grounds of the Hospice), the North Berwick Café and Bookshop at Westgate and most recently, it’s new Furniture Centre in Bonnington.

Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “At a time when hospices across the UK face mounting pressure, the launch of St Columba’s new social enterprise offers a creative and sustainable response to today’s challenges. The project builds on St Columba’s experience in running social enterprises and a wider strategy to expand community reach. It is a compelling example of how to increase financial resilience while removing the fear that sometimes surrounds hospice care. We’re delighted to be part of it.”