Galway and Mayo Hospices Celebrate World Environment Day with a Focus on Sustainable Care

At Galway and Mayo Hospices, caring for people and caring for the planet go hand in hand. As we mark World Environment Day, we’re proud to share some of the steps we’re taking to build a more sustainable hospice — one that supports patients, families, staff, and the wider community every day.

Green Spaces for Wellbeing

Nature can offer moments of peace, connection, and healing — especially in palliative care. We’ve created meaningful green spaces where patients and families can spend time together and reconnect with simple joys:

• In Castlebar, we’ve installed a large, wheelchair-accessible greenhouse fitted with raised beds and potting stations. It’s used by both inpatients and Day Care patients as part of their therapeutic activities, supported by staff and volunteers.
• In Galway, smaller raised beds give Day Care patients the chance to grow herbs and vegetables with the support of weekly volunteers.
• Produce from both locations — such as strawberries, garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, and courgettes — is used in our kitchens and Day Care programmes.

These spaces offer patients moments of creativity, calm, and connection to the world around them — while also contributing to local, sustainable food use.

Sustainable Daily Practices

We’re also making changes in how we manage waste and promote sustainability throughout our facilities:

• A large composter was installed in Castlebar in August 2024. Since September, 100% of food waste is composted on site — resulting in over 1 tonne of compost used for gardening and planting.
• We’ve removed individual waste bins in offices and single rooms and replaced them with central waste stations, encouraging better waste sorting and environmental awareness.
• Across both sites, we take part in Ireland’s Re-turn scheme, with bins for bottles and cans. Volunteers bring these to return points weekly, and the funds collected support our green initiatives.

Greener Transport

We’ve also taken steps to reduce emissions beyond our buildings. Our community homecare fleet has been transitioned from diesel to hybrid vehicles, reducing our environmental impact while continuing to deliver care in people’s homes.

Improving Energy Efficiency

In Castlebar, we’ve introduced several initiatives to reduce energy use and transition to renewable sources:

• 320 rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels were installed and have generated 40 MWh of electricity since going live in October 2024 — currently covering 30% of the facility’s energy use.
• A live energy display in reception shows current energy production and usage, raising awareness among staff and visitors.
• Four EV charging points have been installed and are available to staff, patient families, and the local community 24/7.
• Continued to optimise energy use with our Building Management System (BMS).

In Galway, a detailed energy audit helped identify opportunities for improvement. We’ve since:

• Switched 90% of lighting to LED in high-use areas.
• Upgraded heating controls and installed heating schedules.
• Reduced heating fuel use by over 4,600 litres in 2024.
• All wall heaters in our prefab unit were replaced with infrared ceiling panels, increasing the number of units while lowering energy consumption.

A Shared Commitment

Reflecting on this work, Brian Nally, Maintenance and Facilities Manager, shared:

“I think the efforts we have made thus far show the organisation’s commitment to sustainability and its importance to our service users. We recognise that we have a responsibility to promote and support sustainability initiatives within the organisation and will strive to do so well into the future.”

At Galway and Mayo Hospices, sustainability is more than just an initiative — it’s a reflection of our commitment to compassionate, forward-thinking care. From therapeutic gardens to clean energy, every step we take is guided by the same purpose: to provide the best possible care for patients and families while caring for the world they live in.

Happy World Environment Day — and thank you to all our staff, volunteers, and supporters helping us grow greener, together.