News
Autumn/Winter 2017
Inside:
Ivy-Rose and Louisa’s story Support our 2017 Light up a Life appeal Meet our amazing volunteers
01909 517 360
Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice
Photos/graphics: Ant Oxley Photography, Dean Atkins, Freepik Charity no. 1076958 Company no. 3809663
@BluebellWoodCH
www.bluebellwood.org
Sponsored by:
Lilly-Mai and Brooke’s story Bluebell Wood has been a big part of mum Gemma’s life for the last few years; both of her incredible daughters were helped at the hospice. Her eldest daughter Brooke was five when she first came to Bluebell Wood. At birth she was diagnosed with a number of conditions including cerebral palsy, a liver condition and brain damage. Gemma said: “Brooke was always smiling and happy, she loved the attention she got when she stayed at Bluebell Wood. When we first came here, we just felt at home. Brooke would come to visit and it was so comforting knowing that she was in such safe hands.” Then, three years ago, Brooke’s sister Lilly-Mai started coming to the hospice for day care after being diagnosed with liver and heart conditions at just six months old. “Lilly-Mai loves it here. She loves to be creative – dressing up, painting, everything really! She loves Bluebell Wood.” Towards the end of 2014, Brooke became unwell and her whole family, including Lilly-Mai and their brother Jordan and step-dad Luke, came to stay with us. Together, they spent precious moments together knowing the Care Team were on hand for anything they needed. “I knew that we wanted to be here for Brooke’s end of life care and we wouldn’t have asked for anything to be any different. All our family could be here throughout and it meant so much for us to be around familiar faces, and have the chance to say goodbye. Now, Lilly-Mai continues to come to Bluebell Wood for short breaks, and Jordan loves being part of our sibling group. Gemma also sees our Counsellor, which she finds really helpful: “I don’t know what we’d have done without Bluebell Wood. This place is just so welcoming and we’ve made some amazing memories here. “We’re really grateful for all the help Bluebell Wood has given our family over the years; Lilly-Mai and Jordan both really love it here and feel so supported.”
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Fantastic Fundraising From Barnsley to Bolsover, we’ve had some incredible support from you all this year. Here are just some of the incredible fundraisers who are helping us make a real difference to our children and families. Over £1 million in bequests Since they started supporting us in 2016, Buchanan and Co solicitors are aware of over £1 million left to Bluebell Wood from legacies in clients’ Wills. Alex Gibbons said: “We’re so pleased to be working with Bluebell Wood; they’ve become very close to our hearts thanks to the fabulous work they do with children and young adults.”
Kyan’s team takes on Europe’s Toughest Mudder Kyan Batty and his colleagues from RAF Leeming have raised an incredible £1,300 after completing the gruelling ‘Europe’s Toughest Mudder’. Kyan has now completed 15 Tough Mudders and multiple marathons in memory of his son Owyn, who passed away at Bluebell Wood in 2013.
Spin-a-thon success A one hour spin class wasn’t enough for fitness instructor, Gavin Levitt, who persuaded friends and gym members to cycle for up to 12 hours, raising over £1000 for Bluebell Wood. Gavin has just completed his latest fundraising challenge, 20Twenty, this August - a 20 day journey from Lands End to John O’Groats all in a self-propelled wheelchair!
A Pennine adventure Alan, John, Karlos, Andy and Ellis from the Milestone Pub in Crystal Peaks have trekked 247 miles on Wainwright’s Pennine Journey, and have raised over £500 so far. Andy said, “Bluebell Wood means so much to us. If we can make a small difference to these families that’s all that matters.”
Young citizen nominates Bluebell Wood Abbey Booker, 15, from Doncaster chose Bluebell Wood to receive her £500 prize money after she won the Rotary Young Citizen Award, for the inspiring work she does with children in care.
Oh yes they did! Panto audiences have dug deep yet again to raise almost £4,000 at Mansfield Palace Theatre’s annual Christmas Panto, Peter Pan. That brings their six year total to an impressive £33,157. We can’t wait for this year’s show!
At Bluebell Wood, we keep your contact details on our database. This is so we can make sure you’re updated on how your support is making a difference to families, and so you know about all the fantastic ways you can support us. If you don’t want to be contacted by us again, or would prefer to hear from us by e-newsletter only, please email mailings@bluebellwood.org or call 01909 517 360 and let us know.
Have you heard about our Fun-draising Club? Could your child be a fundraising superstar? We’re looking for children and young people to join our brand new Bluebell Wood Fun-draising Club! Becoming a Bluebell Wood Fun-draiser is a great way for your child to have fun while helping to raise money for our children and families. When your child joins our Fun-draising Club, we’ll give them lots of tips and tricks to help them turn their ideas into fantastic fundraisers. As a member, they’ll get lots of exciting rewards including: A Fun-draising Club t-shirt, membership card, and drawstring bag A special birthday card from Bluebell Wood Our fantastic Fun-draising Club newsletter A new Fun-draiser badge ever time they reach their next fundraising goal. To find out more - or to sign up - please visit www.bluebellwood.org/fun-draisingclub.
Fabulous furniture From stylish sofas and coffee tables to beds and wardrobes, if you’re looking for that perfect piece of pre-loved furniture, our shop in Hellaby is the place to go. The best part is - we’re now open Sundays! Located on Denby Way, our large showroom offers the very best in second hand home furnishings, homeware and electrical items, with free delivery available on all large items. If you have any furniture you no longer need, why not support us by donating it to Bluebell Wood? We’ll collect all suitable pieces direct from your door, although fabric items, such as sofas and beds, should have fire labels and be clean and undamaged. Making a donation is a really easy way to help us, and if you Gift Aid your items we can claim an extra 25% on the sale of your goods at no cost to you. We’re also on the lookout for volunteers to help us in store, so if you have any spare time on your hands, give us a call on 01709 530055 or call in to see us at Unit One, Denby Way, Hellaby, Rotherham, S66 8HR. Our furniture shop is open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am-4.30pm and the first Sunday of every month from 10am-3pm. You can see what’s on offer right now by heading to our Furniture Shop Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BluebellWoodFurniture.
Wow!
In the last six months our Hellaby shop has sold
7,844
pieces of furniture and bric-a-brac
Extraordinary events There’s so many things going on at Bluebell Wood this year; why not find out how you can get involved and do something amazing to support our children and families?
Fire Walk - Saturday 4th November Lakeside Village Shopping Centre, Doncaster Feeling adventurous? Why not get ready for Bonfire Night by taking on our fiery walk over 15ft of hot coals? There really is no better way to keep warm this winter than stepping over sizzling coals. Places cost just £30 per person plus a minimum of £100 sponsorship.
Colour Dash - Saturday 28th April 2018 Rother Valley Country Park, Sheffield Our Colour Dash is back for the fifth year running with more fun and laughs than ever before. This year the dash will feature our very first foam station, guaranteed to cover you in bubbles from head to toe! Best of all, our colourful course is completely family and wheelchair friendly - whether you want to walk, jog, run or wheel round the 5K course, you’ll finish in a rainbow of colour. To find out more about our upcoming events, please email our Events Fundraiser, Jo Berry, on jo.berry@bluebellwood.org, call 01909 517 365, or visit www.bluebellwood.org. You can also sign up to any of our events by downloading the free Bluebell Wood Events App. Just search for “Bluebell Wood Events” in the Apple or Google stores.
Fired up to fundraise This year we’ve welcomed some new (and familiar!) faces to our Fundraising Team. Say hello to Community Fundraising Manager, Sally Baker, Community Fundraiser, Lucy Rathbone, and Corporate Fundraiser, Russ Hall.
Sally Baker, Community Fundraising Manager Sally supports community fundraising in Doncaster and is nannan to Harrison, who came to Bluebell Wood for end of life care after contracting meningitis. Thankfully, he made a miraculous recovery, and is now a bubbly four year old. Sally said: “It’s a pleasure to join the Bluebell Wood team as I know first hand the difference it makes to families facing the toughest of times. I want to do all I can to help Bluebell Wood deliver our amazing services.”
Lucy Rathbone, Community Fundraiser Lucy, our new Community Fundraiser for Derbyshire and Chesterfield, is an Events Management and Tourism graduate. Lucy said: “Fundraising is my passion so it’s really exciting to join Bluebell Wood and use everything I’ve learned so far to help support children and young adults with life-threatening conditions.”
Russ Hall, Corporate Fundraiser Russ is a familar face to many of our supporters. After working as a Community Fundraiser for Derbyshire and the surrounding area, he has returned to Bluebell Wood as a member of our Corporate team. Russ said: “I’m really excited to be coming back to Bluebell Wood; it’s a privilege to have the chance to make a difference to children and families in our care.” Last year our supporters ran, baked, dived, splashed and laughed their way to raising over
£1.4 million
Our amazing volunteers Whether they’re welcoming customers in our shops, or keeping our hospice spick and span, each of our volunteers brings something different to Bluebell Wood. Read on to discover just some of the amazing things our volunteers do for us each and every day. Meet Dominic Dominic Lo has been volunteering with Bluebell Wood for just over a year, after being introduced to the hospice by a family member. He said, “I’m a musician, so I thought volunteering with the Music Therapist would be a good way to give back. I help clean the instruments, play music in the therapy sessions, and lead the choir, which is great fun. “I’d encourage everyone to give volunteering a go. The people here are so friendly, and you feel like you’re making a big difference. You can help out as much or as little as you like - there really is no pressure.” During his spare time Dominic writes musicals, and is about to head to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the second year to perform one of his creations.
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hours of t Say hello to Carrie Carrie Bowers started volunteering with us in January, after she decided to become a Children’s Palliative Nurse. She said, “Over the last few months I’ve been looking at university courses and talking to a friend at another hospice. She told me I should get experience working in a hospice, and introduced me to Bluebell Wood.” Carrie currently helps out in the kitchen, where she prepares vegtables, cleans the dishes, and bakes delicious cakes and flapjacks, but will soon be volunteering in our Care Team, which she is really looking forward to. “Volunteering at Bluebell Wood has given me a great insight into what a children’s hospice is like. It’s such an open, positive place; I hear laughter every day, and the people I work with are so lovely. Every day I go home and tell my family and friends how happy it is here.”
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Read Gary’s story After his wife heard about our volunteering opportunities at our Birthday Bash three years ago, Gary Mason decided to dedicate his time as part of our eBay team. Gary said, “I was in the army for forty years, and we regularly held golf days for Bluebell Wood, so once I retired it seemed natural to give something back to the hospice.” As an eBay volunteer, Gary packs up our sold items and sends them out to customers all over the globe. In the past year alone he has helped package over £28,000 worth of vintage treasures and collectables, which included everything from plates and books to sewing machines and bikes. Gary is also a keen gardener and golfer, and enjoys helping us organise our annual Golf Day.
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Meet Lesley and Christine Lesley Percival and Chistine Bullivant are part of our Worksop Support Group. Together they organise fundraising events, help with bucket collections, and support the hospice in whatever way they can. Lesley said, “I joined the Worksop Support Group in 2012 after losing my mum. I’ve met some lovely people since then, and I really enjoy working together for something as important as fundraising for Bluebell Wood.”
their time
Christine added, “I love working with Lesley; we get along so well. When we’re not volunteering, we both enjoy dancing so we recently organised a Tea Dance at Manton Athletics Club. The event was a great success; the Lah Di Dah ladies sang for us, and there was line dancing and Old Time sequence dances. We raised £508, which was amazing, and we can’t wait to plan another one next year!” We’re so proud of each and every one of our volunteers, who give us whatever time they can. If you would like to join our team of incredible volunteers, or would like to find out more about the roles available, please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator, Terry Lowell, on 01909 508 116 or email terry.lowell@bluebellwood.org.
Ivy’s special Christmas When Ivy-Rose was born, Fiona and Chris knew they would only have a short time to spend with their precious girl. They stayed with Ivy at Bluebell Wood for three magical weeks before she passed away; making wonderful memories and even creating Christmas in the middle of May. Mum, Fiona, shares her story: “At my 20-week scan, the doctors noticed that Ivy’s heart didn’t look right, and said we needed to go for a scan at Leeds General Infirmary. I knew straight away that we weren’t going for tea and biscuits.” Fiona and Chris found out that one of the valves in Ivy’s heart was narrow, and that she might have cystic fibrosis. Fiona said, “When they told us there was something wrong with her heart, my whole world just crushed. We couldn’t believe it.” Despite months of testing and scans the hospital still didn’t understand quite what was wrong, but Fiona and Chris knew they wanted to carry on and hold Ivy in their arms. Ivy was born on 19th March in Leeds, and Fiona and Chris spent the next six weeks in hospital with their baby girl, before doctors told them the devastating news that the thickening in Ivy’s heart had got worse and there was nothing more they could do. “The hospital put us in touch with Bluebell Wood, and we decided to come and stay with Ivy. Within the first five minutes of arriving, we felt at home. I walked Ivy down to her room - which I’d never been able to do before - and we unpacked all her clothes, and bathed her for the first time. “Bluebell Wood helped us learn to be a mum and dad to Ivy. We were able to go outside and push her in her pushchair – the sun was on her face, and the wind blew her hair about. It was such a special moment and we did it together.” One of the things Fiona always wanted to do was have Christmas with Ivy and her family, so on a sunny afternoon in the middle of May we helped her turn Bluebell
Wood into a special winter wonderland. “I knew we’d never really have Christmas with Ivy, but the Care Team helped us create our very own Christmas Day. We decorated the tree together, pulled crackers over a roast dinner, and played festive music. We even got a special card from Ivy which we’ll treasure forever. It was such an exciting and emotional day, and it was great to see Louisa, Lucy and Heather having fun with their baby sister.” After creating some magical memories together the family went home for three days, but on Sunday 28th May Ivy took a turn for the worse and Fiona decided to call Bluebell Wood. “Diane came out and saw us and said Ivy didn’t have much time left. We wanted her to be christened so the Care Team arranged for someone to christen her at the hospice, with all our family around her. “At 11:18pm Ivy did her very first and last smile, and four minutes later she passed away in my arms. It felt right knowing that I’d brought her into the world and that she’d left the world in my arms.” Fiona and Chris spent the next two weeks in our Forget-Me-Not suite, where they could be away from the world but could still see the Care Team whenever they needed. Fiona said, “It was lovely being in Forget-Me-Not. Pam helped us decorate Ivy’s bed with hedgehogs and butterflies, and create special pink memory boxes for all the family, filled with moulds of her handprints and locks of her beautiful hair. “In the short time we had at Bluebell Wood, we got to be mummy and daddy to Ivy. The moments we had there aren’t just in our memories; they’re in our hearts. If we couldn’t have come here, I don’t know what we’d have done.”
In 2016-2017 we were there for 27 families during the toughest of times by providing 196 nights of end of life care. It’s thanks to you that we’re able to be there when families need us.
As easy as Thank you so much to Air Compressors and Blowers North, who have proudly sponsored this edition of our supporter Newsletter. ACB North are a member of our 365 Business Club, and supply and service compressed air and vacuum equipment to a variety of industries, including universities, power stations, and engineering companies. Chris Hall, ACB North’s Managing Director, said: “Every day at ACB North is different, as we have such a wide clientele. One day we could be in a university, the next day a prison, and then it could be an engineering company. We decided to join the 365 Club because our Head Office is in Dinnington and we’re so close to the hospice. We want to support the great work they do in any way we can.” Find out more about ACB North at www.acbnorth.com, call 01909 547 220 or email chris.hall@acbnorth.com. To see your company here, please call Rachael Dawes on 01909 517 365 to find out about our sponsorship opportunities.
A voice for parents
Our parents are at the heart of everything we do and bring an invaluable voice to our board, so we’re delighted to introduce our new parent trustee, Beth Atkinson. Beth runs her own speech and language therapy business in Nottinghamshire. Her son, Dougie, first came to Bluebell Wood when he was just eight months old, so she understands first hand how important our services are. Beth said: “Dougie uses a ventilator overnight to help him breathe, and is fed directly into his tummy. There are few people who can give him the specialist support he needs, but he loves coming to Bluebell Wood. It’s one of the rare places where he knows he feels relaxed. “I’ve wanted to work with Bluebell Wood for some time. I hope I can bring my skills both as a parent and a professional working with children with different language needs. I love being with people and want to help Bluebell Wood increase its strengths as a communication friendly environment for families.”
Corporate catch up We have been hearing about some fantastic fundraising from our wonderful corporate supporters. Here are a few of the stories that have been making us smile over the past few months.
Lakeside Village chooses Bluebell Wood as their charity of the year! Lakeside Village in Doncaster has been taking its fundraising to a whole new level, after customers voted for Bluebell Wood as their chosen charity for 2017. The shopping outlet has pulled out all the stops with their fundraising, turning the centre purple for Children’s Hospice Week and holding monthly Bag it Days, with staff taking part in our Colour Dash and Shoesday, and even dedicating their time to volunteer in the hospice.
Insight - a corporate partner with a difference Since adopting us as their charity of the year for 2017/18, staff at Insight UK have been going above and beyond in their fundraising, donating 412 bags to our shops, giving almost 100 days of volunteering, and taking part in nine of our events. James Wenninger, UK Finance Director at Insight, said: “Insight is delighted to be working with Bluebell Wood. Our team are enjoying raising awareness for this amazing charity, and having lots of fun together too.”
Matchroom Foundation sponsor our nurses An £83,333 donation by Matchroom Sport Charitable Foundation is the first part of an incredible £250,000 pledge to fund two nurses over the next three years. Jason Ferguson from the Foundation said: “Bluebell Wood is one of ten charities we’re supporting through ticket sales and extra fundraising activities. Sponsoring these nursing roles at Bluebell Wood is fantastic because it helps us and our supporters see exactly how we’re making a difference.” Interested in working with Bluebell Wood? Contact Rachael Dawes on 01909 517 365 or email rachael.dawes@bluebellwood.org for more information.
Christmas Jumper Day Friday 8th Dec
Do your bit in a festive knit at work or school!
Wear your silliest seasonal sweater and donate ÂŁ1. Find out more at www.bluebellwood.org
Christmas, wrapped up
This Christmas, give the gift of love and laughter to our children and families, by doing some festive fundraising for Bluebell Wood. Here’s a few ways you can support us this winter.
Christmas boxes Ever wondered what to do with your spare change? Why not put your pennies and pounds to great use by putting your coins in one of our Christmas collection boxes? Call our Fundraising Team on 01909 517 365 to request your box now, and help Christmas sparkle for our children and families. When it’s full, simply drop your box into one of our shops or post the amount to us at: Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, Cramfit Rd, North Anston, Sheffield, S25 4AJ.
Christmas gift parties If you’re looking for a fun stocking filler or perfect present for the festive season, why not host a Bluebell Wood Christmas Gift Party? From clutch bags and cosy slippers to toys to entertain the whole family, our party pack comes with a range of great gift ideas and helps raise more funds for our families. Our Christmas Gift Parties are a good excuse to get together with friends over a glass of mulled wine or cup of coffee, and do your Christmas shopping at the same time in the comfort of your own home. All our beautiful gifts are supplied on a sale or return basis, although with your help we’re sure they’ll be snapped up quickly! If you’d like more information, please contact Sally Baker on 01909 517 365 or email sally.baker@bluebellwood.org. If you fancy buying our children and families a gift this Christmas, why not take a look at our Amazon wishlist? Head to www.bluebellwood.org/wishlist to browse the toys, games and gadgets, and choose an item to donate. Don’t forget to leave your contact details so we can get in touch to thank you for your generosity.
Light up a Life 2
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Remember a loved one this Christmas, and help us be there for families during the toughest times imaginable.
Christmas is a time for making memories and spending time with family, but for some of us, it’s also a time to remember the loved ones we’ve lost. This year we’re asking you to take part in our Light up a Life appeal by making a donation in memory of someone special. When you donate, we’ll send you a limited edition sparkling star to hang on your Christmas tree, and dedicate a star to your loved one in our special, virtual night sky which will shine brightly throughout the festive season.
To make a donation, or to view our twinkling night sky, please visit www.bluebellwood.org/light2017.
LUAL17N
Donation form
Please fill in the form below and return it to us at: Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, Cramfit Road, North Anston, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S25 4AJ. Title
Name
Address Postcode Email
Tel.
If you are happy to hear from us about fundraising campaigns, future events, or other products, please tick here: By email By post
Dedication names: 1.
£
2.
£
3.
£
4.
£
To thank you for your donation, we will send you a star decoration to hang on your tree as a keepsake. If you would like more stars for friends or family, these can be bought for £2 each.
Number of extra stars:
Total £
Total order value £
Two easy payment methods: 1. By cheque - made payable to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice 2. Please charge my Credit/Debit Card with the total order value. Card Number Valid From Switch Card Issue No
Expiry Date
Security No. (Last 3 digits on back of card)
Signature
Gift Aid Declaration: Boost the value of your donation to us by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate at no extra cost to you. • I want to Gift Aid my donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past four years to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. • I declare that I am a UK taxpayer and that if I pay less UK Income Tax/Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference. • I will notify Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice if I change my name or address, no longer pay sufficient UK Income Tax/Capital Gains Tax, or if I wish to cancel my declaration. If you pay Income Tax at a higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief that is due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.
Signature
Tick here:
Win
SUPER17N
£ 2 5 0 0
in our seasonal Superdraw
s t e k Tic h c a e £1 Visit www.bluebellwood.org/superdraw to play! A winner will be drawn on Friday 15th December. To buy your tickets visit our website or fill in your details on the ‘Light up a Life’ donation form, let us know below how many tickets you want, and return this page to us at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, Cramfit Rd, North Anston, Sheffield, S25 4AJ. Quantity
Total £
Promoter: Helen Mower, registered with the Gambling Commission www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk. PLAYERS MUST BE 16 YEARS OR OVER. Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, Cramfit Rd, North Anston, S25 4AJ. Telephone 01909 517 360 www.bluebellwood.org. A company limited by guarantee no. 03809663 Registered charity number. 1076958.