Our history
We've been caring for our community for 25 years.
Our history
What's in a name?
Ever wondered what the bird in Martlets’ logo represents?
A martlet is a mythical heraldic bird which is thought to represent the swift or house martin. Martlets have been traditionally associated with Sussex for centuries and appear on the Sussex county crest. They are typically shown in perpetual flight with open wings and no feet, never stopping to sleep.
As part of our logo, the bird represents Martlets’ ethos of round-the-clock care – we are always ready to respond to the needs of our community.
A city with a history of high-quality care
Brighton & Hove has a long history of providing charitable care for those affected by terminal illness. In 1935 the Tarner Home was established which, through a generous endowment, provided care to the seriously ill who could not afford private nursing home fees. On a similar basis, Coppercliff (which later became Coppercliff Hospice) came into existence in 1967.
As charities, both Tarner and Coppercliff were unique in providing their services free of charge to everyone. Over the years, medical conditions became more complex and it was becoming impossible to meet patients’ needs from the restricted facilities of converted houses. In 1994, fundraising began to build a purpose-built hospice to meet the changing needs of the local community.
In 1997, Martlets opened with an 18-bed inpatient unit with two ensuite rooms. Six months later, day services were offered and Hospice at Home was launched five years after that. A decade after opening we launched Martlets Care, a commercial domiciliary care company providing quality care in the home. This helped to provide vital funding for the Hospice.
Martlets has always relied on the support of the local community for the majority of its funding, along with grants from the NHS. Since opening we have benefitted from three major grants (exceeding £1.2 m) from NHS England. These funds have enabled us to adapt to meet the changing needs of our patients and their families through the refurbishment and extension of our facilities.
Since we opened our doors 25 years ago expectations of hospice care have changed, and to ensure Martlets is fit for the future we needed to upgrade our facilities.
In June 2022, we temporarily closed our Hospice doors in Wayfield Avenue while we built a new home to ensure the communities we serve continue to be treated with dignity and respect.
Work completed on our new Hospice in autumn 2023. We have now moved back to Wayfield Avenue to be in our new Hospice home.
What's in a name?
Ever wondered what the bird in Martlets’ logo represents?
A martlet is a mythical heraldic bird which is thought to represent the swift or house martin. Martlets have been traditionally associated with Sussex for centuries and appear on the Sussex county crest. They are typically shown in perpetual flight with open wings and no feet, never stopping to sleep.
As part of our logo, the bird represents Martlets’ ethos of round-the-clock care – we are always ready to respond to the needs of our community.
A city with a history of high-quality care
Brighton & Hove has a long history of providing charitable care for those affected by terminal illness. In 1935 the Tarner Home was established which, through a generous endowment, provided care to the seriously ill who could not afford private nursing home fees. On a similar basis, Coppercliff (which later became Coppercliff Hospice) came into existence in 1967.
As charities, both Tarner and Coppercliff were unique in providing their services free of charge to everyone. Over the years, medical conditions became more complex and it was becoming impossible to meet patients’ needs from the restricted facilities of converted houses. In 1994, fundraising began to build a purpose-built hospice to meet the changing needs of the local community.
In 1997, Martlets opened with an 18-bed inpatient unit with two ensuite rooms. Six months later, day services were offered and Hospice at Home was launched five years after that. A decade after opening we launched Martlets Care, a commercial domiciliary care company providing quality care in the home. This helped to provide vital funding for the Hospice.
Martlets has always relied on the support of the local community for the majority of its funding, along with grants from the NHS. Since opening we have benefitted from three major grants (exceeding £1.2 m) from NHS England. These funds have enabled us to adapt to meet the changing needs of our patients and their families through the refurbishment and extension of our facilities.
Since we opened our doors 25 years ago expectations of hospice care have changed, and to ensure Martlets is fit for the future we needed to upgrade our facilities.
In June 2022, we temporarily closed our Hospice doors in Wayfield Avenue while we built a new home to ensure the communities we serve continue to be treated with dignity and respect.
Work completed on our new Hospice in autumn 2023. We have now moved back to Wayfield Avenue to be in our new Hospice home.
Donate
Support Martlets by making a donation today
Donate
Support Martlets by making a donation today.