Our history

Rennie Grove and Peace Hospice Care are merging to form Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care

Rennie Grove Hospice Care’s history  

Two local women – Moira Rennie and Mary Groves – were key players in Rennie Grove’s history. They saw the need for specialist hospice care in the local community and so worked tirelessly to fulfil that need. More than 35 years on, thousands of families in Herts and Bucks have benefited from our founders’ foresight.

Rennie Grove Hospice Care was formed in 2011 from the merger of Iain Rennie Hospice at Home and Grove House, a day hospice in St Albans . Both charities had the same patient-centred ethos :

  • believing patients should have the choice to lead a good quality life at home for as long as possible
  • wanting to keep families together and prevent the distress of unnecessary hospital visits
  • working  with other healthcare professionals in palliative, community, and primary care with these goals in mind.

Since the merger in 2011, Rennie Grove Hospice Care has continued to grow and improve its services for local families and patients with life limiting illnesses.

Key milestones in Rennie Grove's evolution

 

October 2022: Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care formed

By merging with Peace Hospice, we will be able to combine resources to support more people to ensure every local person receives the care they need, when they need it.

Summer 2020: Grove House refurbishment completed

Although we completed the refurbishment in summer 2020, the full opening of the new-look Grove House was delayed until June 2021 due to rising COVID-19 cases and restrictions. By trebling the space available, the refurbishment is enabling us to expand our range of services for patients, families, and carers and has created facilities for children and young adults.

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2011-2013: Merger of Iain Rennie Hospice Care and Grove House

After years of collaboration, Iain Rennie Hospice at Home and Grove House merged in 2011 and launched its new name and branding in 2013.

2009: Clinical integration between Iain Rennie and Grove House

Iain Rennie’s Director of Nursing oversaw Grove House’s clinical services from the early 2000s. Full integration of clinical services occurred in 2009 between Iain Rennie Hospice at Home and Grove House.

1994: Grove House welcomes patients to its purpose built hospice in St Albans

After a successful £1m appeal, led by the late Lord Robert Runcie, Grove House was able to build a purpose-built hospice in St Albans. This enabled us to serve more patients with a wider range of services. On opening, the building was named the Macmillan Day Hospice - its name was changed a few years later to Grove House.

1993: First Iain Rennie charity shop opens in Tring

Peggy Bainbridge, a long-standing volunteer, began the retail fundraising operation with a market stall in Tring on Fridays. This stall became our first shop. located in Tring. Driven by Peggy’s determination and passion for the charity’s work, donations grew and volunteers were recruited. More shops followed and today Rennie Grove’s Retail and Trading department boasts 26 shops, an ebay and Depop store and raises around £3 million in a typical year.

1985: Iain Rennie Hospice At Home established, led by Dr Mary Groves and Moira Rennie

The charity was named after its first patient, Iain Rennie. Iain was only in his mid-30s and his sons were very young when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Five local nurses joined forces and worked with Iain’s GP and Iain’s wife, Moira. Together they cared for him at home on a 24-hour responsive basis.

1982: St Albans and City District Hospice Care Team established

With concerns deepening about the inadequacy of services for the terminally ill, Dr Mary Groves, helped to establish the first St Albans and City District Hospice Care Team. In addition to a Home Care Volunteer Group, a team of specialist Macmillan Nurses started providing specialist care from 1984.

Ways to support us in our work

Your support is invaluable to us, whether that be donating, volunteering, participating in one of our events or fundraising on our behalf.