LIVING with DIGNITY Spring 2018 Knowledge." NEWS | THREE DECADES of SERVICE
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Registered Charity No. 275913 LIVINGWITH DIGNITY Our news for our supporters SIR TREVOR West Ham legend swaps claret and blue for hospice orange. Read more on page 4 TO THE CHURCH ON TIME! ROYAL RECOGNITION How we made a grandmother's wedding Queen awards British Empire Medal to wish come true volunteer hospice chaplain, Sister Philomena WE ARE FAMILY ART, FREEDOM AND CREATIVITY The importance of family time when The impact of our new art group on young someone special is seriously ill people experiencing grief Welcome to your Spring edition of Living With Dignity magazine. You receive this magazine because you are one of our The past six months have seen us continue to innovate highly-valued supporters. We work hard to make sure we so that our services meet the demand and expectations tell you the most important news and inspirational stories of the people we look after. Read on page 6 about the about your charity. I love using this process as a chance to launch of Pemberton Place and the extra-special guests refl ect on everything we have achieved - with thanks to who joined us (clue on the cover!) and our wonderful you. I hope you fi nd it a good read. new art therapy group on page 5. We’re experiencing increasing demand for our You’ll fi nd no fi ner example of the personalised and community services. More of our patients have a thoughtful care we give than that of Joyce, whose story life-limiting condition other than cancer, and we’re you will fi nd on page 4. She was seriously poorly on the noticing more family members and loved ones need day of her grand-daughter’s wedding, but our staff made emotional support. As such, the backing that you and our sure she got to the service on time! community provides is paramount. Kwabena’s story on page 8 reminds us how important it April sees the start of a new fi nancial year, when we is that we look after not only the patient, but also those wipe the slate clean and start raising income to fund the closest to them too. His wife’s story has formed part of next 12 months. We need to generate well over £8m in our spring appeal and will help us raise more money so voluntary income to cover our running costs, so we can we can continue to help families, like his. be there when local people need us. Living With Dignity features stories to be proud of, but In addition to the challenges I mentioned earlier, we’re they serve only as an example of the work our teams fi nding that fundraising is getting tougher. We need our do every day of the year - and that is thanks to you, for supporters’ help more than ever. If you’re in the middle of being by our side. Long may it continue. a gruelling training regime for a fi tness challenge or your business is hosting a charity day or you’ve thrown a few Pam Court, CEO. coins into a tin (or anything else!); thank you for allowing us to keep telling stories like those in this magazine. Top L-R: A wheely good time! Frankie's Car Show proved a great success at Ford Dunton Technical Centre. Our volunteer photographer, Nevil, joined us for our Light Up a Life Service at the Hospice. Story teller Gyles Brandreth charmed as the guest speaker at our Ladies Lunch. Saint Francis Hospice in numbers £2.3m 98% 1 in 5 6,260 raised by retail, in shops and of service users told us they of our patients are funded by people play the hospice online auctions. had good care. * gifts left in wills. lottery every week. 810 900 2,756 378 followers on Instagram - join people attended a Light Up a home visits were made by our equipment aids were loaned them @saintfrancishospice Life service in December '17. Hospice at Home nurses. * by Occupational Therapy. * 2 | LIVING WITH DIGNITY | Spring 2018 *in 2016/17 www.sfh.org.uk NEWS | A QUICK UPDATE TOP AWARDS FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL GARDENS Gardens category, along with Royal Gardener at the Hospice, who was Trinity Hospice in Clapham. at the Guildhall with her dedicated volunteers to pick up the awards. This means Saint Francis Hospice will get to look after the Worshipful “We are incredibly proud of our Company of Gardeners' Trophy, a beautiful gardens and we know silver salver, for six months before that they make such a difference to passing it on to Royal Trinity Hospice patients, families, staff, volunteers and for the next six months. visitors. We celebrated our blooming The trophy is on show in the glass “Our dedicated volunteers work hard success after scooping a series of cabinet in the Hospice dining room, to ensure the gardens are always top garden awards for the third where it also held pride of place in such a relaxing and peaceful space for consecutive year. 2008, 2009 and 2013. everyone to enjoy, and it is wonderful to be recognised in this way.” At the London Gardens Society Last year the Hospice won a gold Awards on 5th October our medal for its patio hanging baskets If you are interested in nature and gardening team was presented with a and window boxes, and a silver medal gardening and have a few hours to gold medal in both the 'small garden' in the 'large gardens' category. In spare or know someone who would and 'patio and container' categories 2015 it won a silver medal and a like to get involved, please go to our and a bronze medal in the 'large bronze medal in the same categories. volunteer section on our website at garden' category. www.sfh.org.uk/volunteer “We are over the moon to have Best of all, we were awarded a joint received these prestigious awards,” overall first in the London Hospice said Claire White, former Head FAMILY UNITES TO UPGRADE WARD TVS A family’s dedicated fundraising efforts have been invested in new they had so many more important “The new 19 inch TVs are mounted technology on the inpatient unit. things to do - and didn’t want other on a wall arm at the bed head for patients to feel the same,” explained improved access - with the remotes New TVs have been purchased thanks Amanda. attached,” said Val Harding, Head of to the united efforts of Amanda Green Corporate Services. “We are delighted and her family, who have been busily So when it was suggested they could that we have been able to replace the fundraising since her mum, Salli, died in purchase new equipment, the family old models, which were varied in age the hospice in November 2016. set their minds to fundraising. Through a combination of generous funeral and condition.” “The care Mum received was just donations, Amanda completing her “When you’ve experienced the amazing,” said Amanda. “When she was first Star Walk last summer along Hospice, that level of care, love and in the Hospice she liked listening to the with six friends, and her son, Matt, compassion, it’s impossible not to give radio, and sometimes would want the tackling the Bristol Half Marathon in back,” said Amanda. “The first year in TV on”. September, they were able to make particular without Mum was so raw and But the TV units were in need of their contribution. so difficult and it helped us get through replacement as they didn’t always work “I can’t believe how generous everyone - we will always support Saint Francis properly and the remote controls has been,” said Amanda. “Matt would Hospice.” would often go missing. be the first to admit that he’s not a L-R: Our head gardener and volunteers. “It was a frustration - only a minor one natural runner so the half marathon Matt and his Granddad, Howard, hug was a huge challenge for him. I know after he ran the Bristol Half Marathon in - but we hated bothering the lovely memory of his Nanny Salli. Amanda's Star nurses to help us find a remote when Mum would be so proud.” Walk team, 'Walking with Hope'. www.sfh.org.uk Spring 2018 | LIVING WITH DIGNITY | 3 NEWS | A QUICK UPDATE “She was so happy as she went off in the cab - she looked like royalty as she waved to everyone.” Joyce’s daughter Sue Learmouth said Alex originally planned to tie the knot in Majorca but decided to get married New ultrasound in The Lion Inn in Chelmsford because she wanted her nan to be there. machine makes waves Patients are benefiting from When staff discovered a patient “When mum arrived at the Hospice quicker diagnosis which avoids wished to attend her grand- she was so poorly we did not think from the stress of having to be daughter’s wedding, they pulled she would make the wedding,” said transferred to hospital for scans, out all the stops to make it happen. Sue. thanks to a generous donation from QBE Foundation. Joyce Turner, 89, who had chronic “We were overwhelmed by what all obstructive pulmonary disease the staff did for her. Laura Hill, Trusts and Grants (COPD), was admitted to the inpatient Manager at the Hospice, unit on 12th September for symptom “We cannot believe they found the successfully applied to the control and she was so unwell her time to do what they did - they put Foundation for a lightweight family didn’t think she would be able themselves out no end.