Winter/Hotoke 2019

Sister Margaret Lancaster outside Mary Potter Hospice, Calvary Hospital, 1986. Margaret sees her role on the board is to keep the legacy and spirit of Mary Potter alive. “I am a link to the Mary Potter values, and I am a link to the Little Company of Mary Sisters who are still alive. I am a link to how it started.”

Forty years and still going strong – thanks to your support Providing free-of-charge, high quality Running the Mary Potter Ward was expensive for the hospice care has been the vision of Mary Little Company of Mary, and Sister Margaret and her Potter Hospice for four decades. team spent many long hours gathering support and fundraising. In 1978 they gave Mary Potter Hospice This year we celebrate 40 years of incredible support to the people of Wellington. In 1979, George Gair, from the Wellington, Porirua and Kāpiti communities, the Minister of Health, formally opened Mary Potter who have made that care possible. But our history Hospice as New Zealand’s first hospice. goes back further than that. After a huge fundraising effort, the Newtown Inpatient The Little Company of Mary set up the Mary Potter Unit was built in 1990. Since then the Hospice has set Ward for the aged, sick and dying at Calvary Hospital. up community bases in Warrimoo Street in Kāpiti in In 1974 the Mary Potter Ward at Calvary started to 1996 and in Porirua, first with a community base at operate as a hospice. Over the next three years the Kenepuru Hospital in 2002. Just this year we have whole ground floor was converted to the care of cemented our presence in Porirua with the purchase terminally ill people. of a community base – Te Whare Rānui. Sister Margaret Lancaster is the last nun in Wellington Mary Potter Hospice is now a secular organisation with the Little Company of Mary. Margaret planned that runs for the people of Wellington, Porirua and and then ran the hospice for its first 12 years, and has Kāpiti, and exists because of your support – now served on the board for the past six years. thank you. Kia ora tātou, In this, our 40th anniversary year, along the way, we have been able I am pleased to write and thank to continue. you for everything you have done We are bigger and provide a to help us to meet the needs of broader range of services now than our patients and their whānau. ever before. Social work, cultural It is inspiring to see how people support, Enhanced Hospice @ have stepped up time and time Home and much more have been again to help the Hospice to added to the mix. This year we will flourish. support about 900 patients – 40 We rely heavily on the support of years ago it was about 200. the people of Wellington, Porirua This special issue of our and Kāpiti for our survival. There newsletter includes some of the Everything we’ve achieved has have been many times when the fascinating stories from our early been with your support – thank financial situation appeared dire, days. As you read this I hope you you. but a combination of amazing feel pride and satisfaction that this generosity, good governance and Brent Alderton Hospice is truly your hospice. what appear to be little miracles Chief Executive

Nurse Di sees improved quality of life for dying patients In 38 years of nursing at Mary Potter Hospice, Di Florence has seen many people die. “It’s part of life; we’ve all got to do it,” she says. But some cases make her feel particularly sad. “I guess the younger people, which doesn’t seem fair – like parents losing their children.” Di, 71, is the longest serving member of staff at Mary Potter Hospice. She trained in Wellington Public Hospital and worked in theatre, orthopaedics and district nursing. She was employed by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary in March 1981. Her children were young, and she was looking for evening shifts. Di has seen many changes over the years at Mary Potter “The hours suited both them and me because I Hospice. But one constant has been the Hospice values: would come on and relieve the nuns because they Respect, Compassion, Dignity, Hospitality, Stewardship. would go to mass at 6 o’clock,” she says. She says the huge difference in hospice care is the medication that is now available, along with Our thanks to Bee Dawson, palliative chemotherapy and radiotherapy to control author of ‘With You: The Mary the symptoms and the cancers themselves. “We Potter Hospice Story’. She has have come a long way with pain relief and how we given permission to use excerpts can control symptoms.” from the book, which was written In 1984, her father was admitted to Mary Potter in 2014 to commemorate the Hospice and she then learned what it was like to be Hospice’s 35th birthday and 100 the family of a patient. She continued working while years since the first Sisters of the her colleagues cared for him. “I knew he was being Little Company of Mary arrived in Christchurch. We well looked after. He was 67, younger than I am now.” have 10 copies of the book to give away, so if you’d like a copy please email [email protected]

Wellington: 48–52 Mein St, Newtown Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter facebook.com/ @MaryPotterNZ Nth Wellington: 10 Awatea Street, Porirua MaryPotterHospice [email protected] Kāpiti: 36 Warrimoo St, Paraparaumu © 2019 Mary Potter Hospice, Wellington, New Zealand. No reproduction without permission. complex. complex. $650,000 torepair aleakingroof at theNewtown In 2009ina‘Double theAppeal’campaignraised with a$364,000 contributionfrom thecommunity. In 1996theKapitiCommunityHospicewasopened record for alocalcommunity. success of theappealwasregarded asanational the Wellington phonebooktoraise$800,000. The – asmallarmyof volunteersrangtheirwaythrough new MeinStreet Hospice.Itwasahugeundertaking campaign in1989toraise$6.3 milliontobuildthe Over theyearsthishasincludedanambitious provided thesupportfor thehospice. hearts aswelltheirwallets,for thehospiceand individuals have alwayskept awarmplaceintheir Hospice. Serviceorganisations, businessesand community goesbacktotheearlydaysof the The storyof theHospice’sstrong connectiontothe pays justunderhalfof thiscost. $38,000 day. every Governmentfunding with terminalillnesses.That’s around $14 milliontoprovide servicestopatients Potter Hospice.Thisyearitwillcostabout In 1979itcostaround $600,000 torunMary from the community Four decadesofsupport it wascalled TheHouse of Ladies. had something of achequered pastincludingwhen Newtown. Nowadays thisbuilding isarestaurant, but fundraising foranewInpatient Unit inMein Street, Boulcott Street wasbeingconstructed, theHospicewas As theMajesticCentre onthecornerof WillisStreet and project for the Hospice. project fortheHospice. Wellington membersandtheir bedinafundraising Rotary In 1986theEvening Postranthis photo showingagroupof Ngāti Toa. Porirua, calledTe Whare Rānui,anamegiftedby renovation of itsnewestcommunityhospice,in The Hospiceiscurrently fundraisingfor the coin donation andsellingraffle tickets. will againbevolunteerswrappinggiftsfor agold- Wellington andPoriruacomeChristmasthere Appeal, theHospiceStrawberry FestivalsinKāpiti, Other regular fundraisersare theAnnualStreet community to survive. community tosurvive. the generosityof the the Hospicestillrelieson may have changed,but his way towork.Fashions who gave adonation on was oneof themany guard, MrEvan Lawrence, an assistant Railways Potter Hospicein1984 was collectingforMary When SisterElizabeth Volunteer army started by taking out the tea trolley Edna Cooke was the first person to volunteer at Mary Potter Hospice. She was at the head of what is now a volunteer army of more than 600 people. In addition are over 1000 volunteers who help collect for the annual street appeal. This photo taken at Wakefield Hospital shows Betty Fowler in the foreground the Hospice’s first volunteer Edna arrived at the Mary Potter Ward at Calvary coordinator. From left in background: Edna Cooke, Hospital in 1976 and asked what she could do to Vernon Hall and Josie Usmar. help. Charge Nurse Sister Margaret suggested she take around the morning tea trolley. Volunteers still take charge of the tea trolley – and the drinks trolley – and offer a huge range of other skills. The first Hospice car Volunteers now contribute more than 60,000 hours a year to Mary Potter Hospice and this is Sister Margaret critical in keeping the service free for everybody. In Lancaster shares the the Inpatient Unit in Newtown volunteers serve story of the Hospice’s meals and drinks, work on reception and first car. administration, and do the flowers. In the early days Sister Margaret nursed one of In the Hospice Day Units in Newtown, Porirua and the directors of the Shell Oil Company. Highly Kāpiti they provide transport to patients, art therapy impressed by the care he received, he made and cook meals. A free biography service is offered provision for Shell to give the Hospice petrol with trained volunteer biographers. for a car. As demand grows for more volunteers in the “When we explained that we didn’t have a community Companion Volunteers provide Hospice car he said that the contract would companionship to patients at home while carers remain until we needed it,” says Sister Margaret. take a break. So Sister Margaret rang the Evening Post, and Volunteers are critical to Hospice fundraising they wrote a story about the Hospice needing a efforts, working in Hospice shops and as Hospice car and three were offered. Strawberry Festival assistants, Street Appeal “We chose a small cream car that had belonged collectors and collection box checkers, and to the recently deceased husband of an elderly Christmas gift wrappers. They wash cars, they wash lady. She believed that the Hospice was where windows and look after the gardens. he would like the car to go.” All Board members on the Mary Potter Hospice Today Mary Potter Hospice owns or leases 25 Foundation are volunteers. cars. They are mainly used by the community To volunteer at a Hospice Shop, clinical teams of doctors, nurses, social workers call 04 237 2300 or email [email protected] and other therapists to visit patients and whanau. There are also three Hospice vans which pick up For all other volunteering roles, goods donated to the retail stores. email [email protected]

Sad farewell to Olive Stempa We sadly farewelled our longest serving volunteer Ollie Stempa who died at the end of May. Ollie, who received an award at the annual meeting last year, volunteered for nearly 40 years. She was a keen Hospice supporter, serving meals in the Inpatient Unit just a day before her death. She was much-loved and made a very big contribution to staff and patients. The photo shows her at the 2018 annual meeting with Hospice Nurse Heather Bennett and Board member Sister Margaret Lancaster. Spreading our wings Newtown was where the foundation stone for Mary Potter Hospice in Wellington was laid, but thanks to the incredible support of many thousands of donors, we have been able to spread our wings much more widely over the last 40 years. Te Whare Rānui means the house of light and warmth, After the Newtown Hospice was built, attention the perfect name for the new Porirua community base. turned to the Kāpiti Coast. Mary Potter Hospice This photo was taken at the naming ceremony in April 2019. community base in Paraparaumu was opened on 8 October 1996. There was an overwhelming response from the Kāpiti community to raise the Her Majesty knew who to congratulate funds. In all, the community contributed $364,000 to the project. When Queen Elizabeth II arrived to lay the foundation stone for Mary Potter Hospice in Mein Next was Porirua, first with a care coordination team Street, Newtown, she knew exactly who had done set up in 1997, and in 2002 the Porirua Community the hard work. Hospice team operated from the Kenepuru Hospital campus. In 2012 the Hospice rented premises at In her speech of 8 February 1990, she 1 Prosser Street, with a large Hospice shop and congratulated her people of Wellington who had warehouse next door. raised the money to build the Hospice. The appeal to raise $6.3 million had been launched by Last year the community team, warehouse and shop Prime Minister David Lange only nine months staff urgently evacuated Prosser Street when heavy earlier. And when building began in June, the rain dislodged asbestos from the ceiling. Emmerson Hospice had only a fraction of what they needed. House at 10 Awatea Street, Ranui Heights was Starting construction was a show of faith in the purchased by Mary Potter Hospice to set up a major community’s support. community hub to support community patients from Khandallah to Pukerua Bay. On 22 August that year, and only 15 months after construction started, Mary Potter Hospice was Ngāti Toa gifted the name Te Whare Rānui to Mary officially opened by Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer. Potter Hospice expressing their support for the project and our presence in the region. The community is now being asked to contribute $1 million to the renovation of Te Whare Rānui which is expected to fully open early 2020.

At the 20th birthday of the Kāpiti base two years ago, this Butterflies of Remembrance was created to remember Queen Elizabeth lays the foundation stone for the each and every Newtown Hospice with Lady Norma Beattie looking patient that the base on, 8 February 1990. had supported. I am privileged to be a part of Mary Potter Hospice Olinka and Graeme Ching are loyal hospice supporters. They volunteer their time for fundraising events and they are members of the Camellia Heritage Club. What’s more, Olinka is the Hospice’s Bequest Fundraiser. “Working at the Hospice has given me great insight into the incredible work that Mary Potter Hospice does,” says Olinka. “Every day I see patients and their families warmly embraced by our palliative and holistic care from the moment they arrive – it’s so Loyal supporters Olinka and Graeme Ching. inspiring to see real care given with such devotion, grace and respect. “I’m privileged when our inspirational supporters “We both wanted to help the Hospice services stay share their stories with me - each one so poignant free for another 40 years – and beyond – so we’ve and special. Sometimes we cry and sometimes we pledged a gift in our Will.” laugh. It’s an honour to be entrusted with these very personal memories of their Hospice experience. Olinka’s role involves her regularly being out and about meeting with those who have said they are Graeme, as past President of the Karori Lions Club, leaving a gift in their Will to the Hospice. She’ll often has been involved in many community fundraising pop in to catch up with our valued supporters projects, and helps with Hospice events. carrying a packet of shortbread or other treats. “I’d love you to share our special connection to the Hospice - do join us in sharing that future together – your generosity will mean so much.” Annual Meeting: 25 October 2019 If you want to help Mary Potter Hospice by Thank you again to KPMG for hosting us. It’s a leaving a gift in your Will, please phone Olinka time to celebrate our fantastic volunteers and on 04 381-0163 for a confidential chat, or email: partnerships from the past year. From 5:30pm, [email protected] and ask for a copy 10 Customhouse Quay. of our brochure ‘A Lasting legacy’. without permission. No reproduction New Zealand. © 2019 Mary Potter Hospice, Wellington,

BNI Positively Wellington Capiche Design The Lion Foundation BNI Wellington, Porirua Go Media I & B Newton Family Trust Thank & Kāpiti Chapters MetService Trust House Foundation Farmers - Caring Connections in One Foundation NZ Community Trust our Community you to our Pub Charity Westpac Stadium Four Winds Foundation Limited QMS Media WN Pharazyn Trust generous Wellington Community Legacy Fund administered by Perpetual Guardian Resene Paints supporters Mary Potter Hospice NZME Trusts and businesses Forever Foundation December 2018 to June 2019 $10,000+

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Registered Charity CC30221 Mary Potter Hospice, Freepost 3053, PO Box 7442, Newtown, Wellington 6242 WIN2019