Pilgrims Hospices Canterbury Modernisation: Update on our progress

We’re pleased to share that at the end of January 2026, we reached an important milestone: our full planning application for the modernisation and redevelopment of our London Road hospice was submitted to Canterbury City Council.

This follows months of careful design work, conversations with staff and volunteers, and feedback from patients, families, and our local community. It’s been a real team effort, and we’re grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their thoughts and ideas along the way.

What the modernisation will bring?

Modernising our site will ensure that the facilities for patients, families, staff and volunteers at Canterbury will meet the future needs of our community.

Your support is helping us shape a hospice that feels welcoming, calm and fit for the future. Our plans include:

• A brighter, more accessible hospice environment, with spaces that feel comfortable and private for everyone who walks through our doors
• A brand-new Inpatient Unit (IPU), with better access to the gardens, designed to meet the needs of people who rely on our care now and in the years ahead
• Modernised Victorian buildings, keeping the character of our much-loved site while improving how the space works day to day
• A new therapy centre, gym, sanctuary space and landscaped gardens, giving patients and families more places for gentle activity, reflection, and wellbeing
• Environmentally responsible features, such as air-source heat pumps, solar panels and improvements to biodiversity
• Better movement around the whole site, making it easier for visitors, staff and volunteers to get where they need to go

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These changes will help ensure that the high-quality care we’re known for is matched by the setting in which it is delivered.

We’ll keep you posted as the planning process continues, and there will be plenty of opportunities for supporters to follow our progress and stay involved.

Looking ahead together

Pilgrims has been caring for local people from our Canterbury site for more than 40 years. This modernisation is an important step in ensuring we continue to offer specialist end-of-life care to our patients, and their families, in buildings that fully support the work of our teams.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Your encouragement and support for our plans is helping to shape the future of hospice care for your community. Follow our progress by visiting our dedicated website.

Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.