Masked intruders tore down fencing to gain access to the grounds of Rotherham Hospice in broad daylight before being disturbed by a neighbour. The break-in, the second at the Broom Road site within a week, has led the charity to bring forward a £750,000 fundraising campaign ahead of schedule.
The hospice states it urgently requires £15,000 to enhance security at the premises.
Incident details
Two masked individuals pulled down sections of fencing and entered the site at approximately 5pm on Wednesday, October 7. They made their way through the woodland and planned car park extension before accessing the existing car park, where they circled vehicles belonging to staff and visitors and moved towards outdoor storage units.
The hospice believes the duo were searching for tools or other items to take. A neighbour noticed the men and called out, disrupting them before they fled.
Previous incidents
Temporary fencing had been installed around the land roughly a week earlier, but it was forced open and the site breached on the first night. The hospice reinstalled and reinforced the fencing, but it was torn down once more during Wednesday's incident.
It marks the latest in a series of incidents targeting the charity over the past three months. Its Donation Centre was broken into twice by the same individual in one evening, while its Parkgate Superstore experienced a separate theft.
Chief executive's response
Mat Cottle-Shaw, chief executive of Rotherham Hospice, said: "First our Donation Centre was broken into twice in one evening. Then our Parkgate Superstore suffered a theft. Now intruders have entered the grounds of the hospice itself, where people come for care and families spend precious time with someone they love.
"All of this has happened in just three months. It is deeply upsetting that a charity dedicated to caring for Rotherham keeps being targeted in this way.
"We repaired and strengthened the fencing after the first intrusion at the hospice, but it has happened again. We now need to move faster. That is why we are launching our Wishes House Appeal early and asking our community to help us secure the site and build something better for the families who need us."
Wishes House Appeal
The Wishes House Appeal will help fund the purchase, renovation and equipping of 83 Broom Road, the property next door but one to the hospice, alongside woodland, security, parking and accessibility enhancements.
Wishes House will become Rotherham's first dedicated bereavement centre, uniting counselling, bereavement and family support services away from the hospice's clinical Inpatient Unit.
Currently, counselling and bereavement support occurs in rooms shared with other hospice functions, meaning some families must return to the same premises where they said their last goodbye. The new facility will feature private counselling rooms, spaces for entire families, expanded accommodation for grief support groups and creative sessions, plus dedicated indoor areas for the Sunbeams children's bereavement service and for young people.
During 2025/26, the hospice handled 354 counselling referrals and 234 bereavement referrals, with its counselling service delivering 2,100 face-to-face and telephone contacts. Demand for emotional and bereavement support has increased by more than 30 per cent.
The hospice anticipates that Wishes House will boost its capacity to support bereaved adults, children and families by approximately 40%.
The proposals also feature a therapeutic Woodland Walk on previously inaccessible land, incorporating accessible pathways, seating areas and space for outdoor counselling sessions, alongside expanded parking provision and accessible bays.
Rotherham Council approved planning permission for Wishes House, the additional parking and the outdoor therapeutic space on July 29.
Less than 40% of the hospice's £10m-plus annual running costs are met through government funding.
Mr Cottle-Shaw added: "Please look beyond the collapsed fencing and see what this space can become: somewhere a grieving child feels safe, a family finds support and someone can sit quietly among the trees and remember.
"We cannot undo what has happened, but together we can decide what happens next. Please give whatever you can. Help us secure the site, open the doors to Wishes House and support more local families through some of the hardest days of their lives."
Donations to the appeal can be made online, while businesses are also encouraged to contribute through staff fundraising initiatives, or by offering materials, equipment, trade skills and professional services.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or holds relevant information, including CCTV or dashcam footage, is urged to contact South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting crime reference 14/177477/26.
