Our history

Canon Richard Norburn, MBE, was a truly remarkable man.

Inspired by the experiences of some of his parishioners, he had a vision to ‘strive for something better’ for people who needed support at the end of life. He set out to create a hospice that would provide that care and support within the local community.

With the help of some very dedicated people and after a lot of hard work, he achieved his goal. St Nicholas Hospice Care was founded on 24 August 1983 and registered as a charity a few months later. Fundraising started and, with the generous support of our community, Sister June Storey became the Hospice’s first community nurse. She began providing care for people at home in May 1984. Later that same year, we’d raised enough money to purchase our first home at Turret Close in Bury St Edmunds.

By 1989, it was clear that we needed more space and the facilities of a purpose-built hospice. Following a successful £2.5 million fundraising appeal, the foundation stone of our Hardwick Lane building was laid on 5 November 1991. The first patients were admitted to the ward in March 1993, followed by a formal opening by Diana, Princess of Wales, later that year. We’ve been caring for people here – and in our community – ever since.

August 24, 2023, marks 40 years of St Nicholas Hospice Care. Those words spoken 40 years ago by Richard remain true to this day and are at the very heart of everything we strive to do.

Find out more about how we plan to celebrate this milestone during 2023/24 by clicking here.

How the Hospice began

Canon Richard Norburn tells the story of how the Hospice began