Forty years of the Katharine House charity
22/07/2025
The hospice is named after founder Neil Gadsby’s daughter
Its forty years since Neil Gadsby MBE set up the Katharine House charity and rallied the local community to start raising the significant funds needed to build a Hospice on land in Adderbury.
Katharine House is named after Katharine Gadsby, Mr Gadsby’s daughter, who sadly died of cancer at the age of 20.
The hospice was built and officially opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Diana in 1991.
The year also marks Mr Gadsby’s 90th birthday.
The hospice team want to mark the 40th anniversary of the Katharine House journey beginning and celebrate Mr Gadsby’s achievements and all he has done for our community.
They are hoping local people will share their own memories of Katharine House, including the fundraising events and hospice staff, the volunteering opportunities and the people who have been cared for over the years.
Its hoped to build a picture of the many ways the hospice has been an important part of our community.
Mr Gadsby said: “Looking back 40 years, my first thought is one of deep satisfaction that we have been able to turn a desperate family tragedy into something positive and worthwhile for so many people in the community. I am reminded of the words of the American anthropologist Margaret Mead who said: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world’. I think we did.
“I also have a sense of gratitude that so many members of the local community wanted to succeed and that they were stronger than the doubters and opponents, which has led to a wonderful symbolic partnership that has lasted for four decades.”
A special page to mark the anniversary has been created on the Katharine House Hospice website, where contributions can be uploaded. They can also be emailed to [email protected].
Since opening Katharine House has provided compassionate, specialist palliative care for nearly 18,000 adults with an incurable illness.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
Reader's opinions
