WELCOME SUMMER/AUTUMN 2017
K e e c h m a t te r s
T h e m a g a z i n e o f Ke e c h H o s p i c e C a r e
We bring the world to Jacob
Frost m a d A r e n e d r a TV g asis creates a calm o
Celebs turn their ab fab clutter into great care
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Letter from Liz In my last letter, I shared that learning and innovation would be our key themes for 2017 – and, so far, I’ve been proved right! In May, we launched our first-ever research project, in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire, looking into parents’ opinions on the barriers to services and the care their life-limited or terminally ill children need. The launch itself was exciting as we had a lot of national media coverage, with TV cameras in the children’s unit. Equally exciting - thinking ahead - is how we can share our knowledge and expertise once the research is completed: we can make a national difference to palliative care. I am also a member of the NHS England Steering Group considering how hospices can help reduce hospital admissions and length of stay so that patients get home more quickly. Keech Hospice Care is already an innovative frontrunner in this area: our My Care Coordination Team were runners up in a national award for its excellence in coordinating care services in our local community. While on the
subject of awards, forgive me if I blow a trumpet for the hospice a little longer! In February, we made it onto The Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit list, showing we are an organisation which looks after and values its staff and volunteers. Then the Care Quality Commission, who inspect all organisations that deliver care services against five criteria, awarded us an ‘Outstanding’ for caring – a wonderful achievement as a CQC inspection is very rigorous. Find out more about these stories opposite. Finally, I learnt a lot about what it takes to participate in our events when I entered this year’s 5km Colour Dash. I got thoroughly coated in powder paint and foam (great fun!) while running, walking and talking my way around the circuit, and was inspired by the many reasons participants gave for getting involved with our charity. Truly, our wonderful supporters – donors, sponsors, volunteers, fundraisers – teach me something new every day. Thank you so much for helping us and for being part of making the difference when it matters the most. Wishing you all the best.
In this edition 3 News in brief 5 Will you Hand in. Help out?
Joanna Lumley donates her absolutely fabulous clutter to our shops. You can join her!
6 Bringing the world to Jacob
Read how we were one family’s lifeline when Jacob couldn’t leave his house for a year.
9 Make a splash!
Be a volunteer lifeguard. 10 Living well for longer
Liz Searle, CEO, Keech Hospice Care
Stay in touch!
We want our supporters to know what’s going on at Keech Hospice Care so we give you many ways to keep in the loop. Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/keechhospicecare Follow us on Twitter @KeechHospice
When Pete got Parkinson’s, he lost everything. Thanks to a new service at Keech Hospice Care, Pete has a new lease of life.
12 “A beautiful gift…”
Watch us on YouTube youtube.com/keechhospicecare Visit our website keech.org.uk
Check out our new Courtyard Garden by TV gardener Adam Frost.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about getting involved, email us at:
15 Will you remember us in your Will?
letmehelp@keech.org.uk
16 We help teenager Aaliyah fulfill her
dreams 18 Fundraising fun
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News in brief What’s happening at Keech Hospice Care. Leading the way It’s official! Keech Hospice Care is Outstanding at caring. So says the Care Quality Commission, the chief independent regulatory body for health and social care in England, who visited us in June. The CQC assessment is very stringent so we’re also very proud of achieving ‘Good’ in all other areas. In other award news, our My Care Co-ordination Team (MCCT), pictured right, has been recognised nationally for its work in person-centred support, being one of just three finalists for a prestigious ‘Effective Co-ordination of Care’ award. Working with many local services, the My Care team supports patients with long-term or end-of-life conditions to stay in their own homes, preventing around 20 unnecessary hospital admissions a month. Finally, our passion and belief in the work we do translates into a caring workplace ethos. This ethos has been recognised by The Sunday Times Top 100 Awards, which uses employee surveys to find the UK’s best employers. Keech Hospice Care has been placed 71st in the Top 100 NotFor-Profit Organisations - something Liz Searle, our CEO, said was a ‘real achievement’, given it was the first time the charity had been on the list.
“Everyone’s passion and belief in the work we are doing is what continues to drive us forward. I have no doubt that we will continue to grow and provide an amazing service to all our patients, their relatives and professionals.” Sarah Myford, MCCT clinical lead nurse Our children #UpTheVolume Children’s day support decamped into the garden for a loud and lively singalong with parents and staff, all to “up the volume” on children’s hospice care. #UpTheVolume was the theme for this year’s Children’s Hospice Week (22-28 May), drawing people’s attention to the fantastic work children’s hospices are doing around the country. At Keech Hospice Care, we all dressed ‘loud’ and the children sang ‘If you’re happy and you know it’ while we live-streamed the event on Keech Hospice Care’s Facebook page. Why not follow us at /keechhospicecare and see what’s happening at the hospice every day? During Children’s Hospice Week, we also launched our exciting, first-ofits-kind research project, working in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire. The research will look into parents’ experiences of palliative care. Read more about our new research project on page 7.
www.keech.org.uk
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News in brief Keech Hospice Care is now on eBay!
Keech Hospice Care is on
We have a wide range of quality donated items – mostly collectables – for you to bid on. Recent celebrity items on our eBay site included a Dr Who DVD signed by Peter Capaldi and Matt Lucas, which sold for £157, and an evening bag donated by Dame Maggie Smith, which sold for £100. Shop with Keech Hospice Care on eBay at www.keech.org.uk/ebay and pick up some great bargains!
10 years of amazing fundraising Friends of Keech Luton and South Bedfordshire celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, having raised over £100,000 for Keech Hospice Care across the decade. Its first fundraisers included an annual fundraising weekend at Barnfield College and live-band dances at New Farm just outside Luton. The volunteer group has also raised a lot of money through smaller local events such as murder mystery nights and summer fetes. We’re so grateful to our Luton and South Bedfordshire Friends - and all our other fantastic supporters - for their hard work and enthusiastic involvement. If you’re interested in joining a Friends group in your area, call our supporter relations team on 01582 707940 and we’ll tell you more.
Remembering Jack and Bruce Keech Hospice Care has sadly seen the death of two of its founder members this year. In February, Jack Sapsworth, MBE, DL, died at the age of 75, after an illness where he benefitted from care at the hospice he helped to establish nearly 30 years before. Then, just a few weeks later, we learnt of the death of Bruce Skinner, aged 91. Bruce was closely involved with our charity up to his death, his last event being the royal visit of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last year. Both men were big local characters, long-standing Rotary Club members and fundraising powerhouses for Keech Hospice Care.
“Jack was a valuable member of the initial team as he had many connections with local businesses, and he could make fundraising out of everything. It would be impossible to list everything he did, as the list would go on forever.” Dr Wink White
“I got to know Jack right at the beginning,” remembered Dr Wink White, who originally had the idea to build the adult hospice. “Jack was a valuable member of the initial team as he had many connections with local businesses, and he could make fundraising out of everything. It would be impossible to list everything he did, as the list would go on forever.” Bruce was also closely involved in fundraising from the start, organising the first Charity Golf Day at South Bedfordshire Golf Club and the annual summer fete at Barnfield in Luton, both of which became firm local fundraising favourites.
“We owe Bruce an enormous debt of gratitude for all the time, involvement and devotion he donated over several decades. He will be much missed by everyone who knew him.” Liz Searle, CEO www.keech.org.uk
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OUR SHOPS
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Will you Hand in. Help out? Famous faces are coming out in force to donate their great clutter. It’s easy for you to join them.
It’s absolutely fabulous that much-loved actress Joanna Lumley has found time to support #DeclutterForKeech. She’s given us a van full of “some bits I still love and adore but would much rather went to help the hospice, and some things I think might be quite fun.” To help, the former Bond girl has donated a rare photograph of the Beatles taken by the late Linda McCartney and a portrait of her as Patsy Stone from the TV series Absolutely Fabulous, commissioned for the National Treasures Collection in 2003.
Joanna isn’t the only celebrity to get involved: actress Dame Maggie Smith, comedians Matt Lucas and Jo Brand, entertainer Graham Norton, Doctor Who’s Peter Capaldi, and Hollywood actor Colin Salmon have all donated some of their great clutter too. Be part of
#DeclutterForKeech
Will you turn your great clutter into great care?
How do I get involved?
Most of us have kitchen cupboards we’ve been meaning to clear out, clothes in our wardrobe we’ll never wear and attics full of items we won’t use. By handing in your goodquality clutter to our charity shops, you are really making a difference to seriously ill adults and children.
First, have a decisive declutter then bag your items and get them to Keech Hospice Care. You can donate your quality clutter:
As a charity, we need to raise over £5.6 million every year to continue helping patients and their families when they need us the most. A massive £1 million of our funding comes from money generated by our 32 shops – and we’ve seen a drop in saleable donated items over the last year. So, we really need you to please:
• at any of Keech Hospice Care’s 32 charity shops
across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes
• at the hospice in Great Bramingham Lane, just off the A6 as you go into/out of Luton.
• You can arrange for furniture to be collected for free by calling 0800 032 3440.
• For more information (including where to find a shop near you), visit www.keech.org.uk/declutter.
www.keech.org.uk
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01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
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OUR CARE • YOUR SUPPORT
Bringing the world to Jacob How would you cope if you couldn’t leave the house for a year? This was life for Jen and her son Jacob, now 5, before Keech Hospice Care became the family’s ‘lifeline’. “Jacob has Hurler Syndrome, which is a short way of describing an incredibly complex medical condition,” said Jen, from Baldock. “But he’s still a little boy who wants to do all the things little boys love to do. Keech Hospice Care is a massive part of allowing him to live his life to the full.
Fear of infection “When Jacob came home from having his bonemarrow transplant, his immune system had basically been destroyed. Our home had to be kept as sterile as possible – and Jacob couldn’t leave it. Not only that, we couldn’t risk visitors for fear that they would bring infections in with them. That’s when Keech Hospice Care entered our lives. “We met Jennie, Keech Hospice Care’s play specialist, while we were in hospital and, after we arrived home, Jennie came out to see us every week and would spend a couple of hours giving Jacob a therapeutic-play session. He loved every moment. But Jennie was also helping Jacob learn new skills as well as how to interact with the world. “Those sessions were a lifeline for me, too, because caring for Jacob is a 24/7 job. Those afternoons were the only breaks I had – time that I could spend just being a mum to my younger son, Milo.
A day for ducks “Jennie also had the idea that, if Jacob couldn’t get out into the world, then Keech Hospice Care would bring the world to him. Jacob loves ducks but he couldn’t go out to feed them for fear of being exposed to infections.
“After his bonemarrow transplant, Jacob’s immune system had basically been destroyed.”
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01582 707940
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OUR CARE • YOUR SUPPORT
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“Thanks to this amazing charity, Jacob’s beginning to have his childhood. Keech Hospice Care is there when we need it – in the hospital, at home or at the hospice itself.”
“So Jennie arranged for four ducks to come to the house and Jacob fed them in the garden. “For us as a family who had been locked away at home for over a year, it was a memory to treasure forever. “When Jacob had recovered enough from his transplant and was off oxygen, we could – for the first time – think about taking him outside. One of the first places we brought him and Milo was Keech Hospice Care, where he’s now a regular at the weekly Tots ‘n’ Toys playgroup. He loves it – and I know it’s safe for him at the playgroup. The nursing staff play and care for him at the same time, and we can relax, knowing he’s in expert hands.
“If Jacob couldn’t get out into the world, then Keech Hospice Care would bring the world to him.”
Party time “All through Jacob’s life, my husband Matt and I have never really dared to plan ahead for anything – we just never knew from day to day how Jacob would be. Now though, we can. “For over a year, we were in our ‘oxygen tent house’, with no family or friends around us. Now Jacob (and Milo!) are doing more ‘normal’ things like a birthday party – again, thanks to Keech Hospice Care, who put it all together for Jacob on his birthday! “The support Keech Hospice Care gives us is so precious and unique – there’s nothing else like this for Jacob. Keech Hospice Care is there when we need it – in the hospital, at home or at the hospice itself. The charity has been our lifeline.”
Keech Hospice Care gets its first research student Keech Hospice Care, together with the University of Bedfordshire’s Institute for Health Research, is leading first-ofits-kind research to find out if the care needs of families like Jen’s are being met. “I hope this research will shine a light on problems families like mine are facing every day,” said Jen. “Palliative care can transform people’s lives and the support you get is something every family with a child like Jacob needs.” The research will be carried out at Keech Hospice Care by Georgina Constantinou, a PhD student from the University, who comes from Bedford. She will be talking to families at Keech Hospice Care to find out what their experiences of palliative care have been. “I’ll be finding out if their needs are being met and to what degree improvement is needed,” said Georgina. Liz Searle, CEO, believes that, as a leading hospice, Keech Hospice Care should be generating new knowledge to share at a national level: “This research will help us review what we can do better as we work to understand how best to care for children with complex conditions as they live longer.” The research project will span three years with findings released at key stages – so watch this space!
Did you know Keech Hospice Care relies on donations to raise 70% of our funding? You can help more children like Jacob by making a donation to us at www.keech.org.uk/donate. www.keech.org.uk
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01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
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WELCOME
A 5km sponsored fun run for all the family!
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FINISH
FINISH
Santa Run On your marks, get set, ho ho ho! ]
Sunday 3 December 2017, The Embankment, Bedford Sunday 10 December 2017, Wardown Park, Luton For more information and to sign up
visit www.keech.org.uk/santarun Call 01582 707940 Email letmehelp@keech.org.uk
OUR VOLUNTEERS
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Make a Splash Being a volunteer lifeguard is a special job. At Keech Hospice Care, we’ll train you and you’ll get a nationally recognised qualification. Keech Hospice Care’s hydrotherapy pool - with its specialist lighting and water fountains - is much loved by patients, their families and the local community. It offers lots of therapeutic benefits as well as helping our families to be, well, families just having fun.
We need more volunteers (aged 16 or over) to train as lifeguards at Keech Hospice Care.
“My boys love Keech Hospice Care’s amazing hydrotherapy pool,” said Mary, mother of Jack, who has Down’s syndrome. “Jack can’t swim in a public pool - it’s too cold. But at the hospice’s pool, Jack and his brother love splashing about together and, as a mum, it’s brilliant to watch. In Keech’s hydrotherapy pool, we can be a family.”
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“I took early retirement and was looking for something to do. When you’re in that lifeguard chair, you see people get better. That’s so satisfying watching a patient’s life improving.” Adrian
You only need to donate a few hours a week to make the difference when it matters the most – and it offers benefits to you, too.
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Free training A nationally recognised qualification Flexible hours – a few hours a week makes a big difference A new skill added to your CV Meeting new people A feeling of doing something worthwhile and giving something back.
The importance of our volunteers • We need volunteers in all areas - care, support services,
fundraising and in our 32 shops across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes. • Last year, we benefitted from the commitment of over 1,500 volunteers. • In total, volunteers contributed approximately 189,300 hours.
THANK YOU! To find out more about volunteering, call 01582 497829 or visit www.keech.org.uk/volunteer.
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk www.keech.org.uk
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OUR CARE• YOUR SUPPORT
Living well for longer Pete, 64, from Luton, says if it wasn’t for the new service based at Keech Hospice Care, his life would be in a very different place right now.
“I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in April 2005 but I know I had it in 2000 because I lost the dexterity in my left arm and I had depression. In the long run, it meant I lost my house, my family, my job and, well, everything really.
Parkinson’s is sneaky “I remember when I first found out I had Parkinson’s. This huge noise went off in my head and I swore. I’m lucky, though, as I’m still driving and I’m still active. I’d describe Parkinson’s as sneaky - just when you think you’ve got control, it changes. Parkinson’s affects me physically but it’s more the mental side which gets me. Making decisions is difficult – I’ve lost my mental dexterity. www.keech.org.uk
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“I was referred to Keech Hospice Care by my Parkinson’s specialist nurse. I was showing signs of depression. I’d said I didn’t want to live with my brain locked in a body that wasn’t under control, and I’d do something about it. What I meant was, I’d do away with myself. Well, thank goodness I was supported by Keech Hospice Care.
A brilliant service “Although I’d got this image of Keech Hospice Care as being somewhere you just come to die, I went along anyway to see what it was all about. What I learnt was Keech Hospice Care is where you come to live. 01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
OUR CARE• YOUR SUPPORT
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“The new Macmillan Independence and Well-being Service at Keech Hospice Care is all about helping people like me to live well for the time we have left. It’s brilliant and enhancing my life. I’ve got involved in three out of the four groups – circuits, walking and the book club (pictured opposite). Lunar, the occupational therapist, and Kerry, the physiotherapist, are upbeat and I trust them both implicitly. They set out an exercise regime for me that does me good. Lunar will push me, encouraging me to do more each time. At Keech Hospice Care, I am monitored all the time; it’s like being wrapped in a cozy blanket.
Making the difference when it matters the most “I’d certainly miss the service if I didn’t have it - it gives structure to my day and is making a real difference to me both physically and mentally. The thing is, with Parkinson’s, depression is always lurking in the shadows – it can be a real problem. At any time of day, I know I am welcome at Keech’s Palliative Care Centre, and its fantastic care team will always have the time to sit and talk one-toone. You’ve got somebody who is focusing on you and trying to make you physically more agile. “Living with Parkinson’s is a fight. I have Parkinson’s but it hasn’t got me. Keech Hospice Care plays a big part in my attitude. I’m a happier person for having this new service.”
“At Keech Hospice Care, I’m Pete, I’m not just a patient.”
About the adult hospice “It only took me a couple of visits to Keech Hospice Care to realise there is more to life than just thinking about the end. The charity has given me the tools to deal with my illness, fight back and say, ‘I do have more time left and I can enjoy myself.’” Catherine, patient, Keech Palliative Care Centre. Keech Hospice Care’s adult hospice provides specialist in-patient and out-patient support for adults with life-limiting and terminal illnesses, and their families, in Luton and South Bedfordshire. In the community, nurses from Keech Hospice Care’s My Care Coordination Team support life-limited adults and their families at home. At the adult hospice itself, we offer:
üü day support at the Keech Palliative Care Centre, which includes symptom and pain management
üü care from our team of doctors, nurses, therapists, counsellors and social workers
üü a holistic approach encompassing art and music therapy, To find out more about Keech Hospice Care’s outpatient services, including a film about Pete and this new service, visit www.keech.org.uk/ wellbeing. Help us to help more patients like Pete by donating at www.keech.org.uk/donate. www.keech.org.uk
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complementary therapies like massage and reiki, and counselling
üü stays at our adult in-patient unit üü end-of-life care. Your donations make the difference for our adult patients. In 2016/2017: •
1,366 patients were cared for by adult hospice services
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there were 2,110 patient attendances for adult day support
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125 adult patients benefitted from in-patient stays.
01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
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“A beautiful gift…” …is how Liz Searle, CEO of Keech Hospice Care, describes our new Courtyard Garden, designed by TV gardener Adam Frost.
A drab, concrete-paved yard at the hospice has been transformed by landscape designer and Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost into a colourful, relaxing garden paradise for seriously ill adults and children, and their families. Adam designed the new garden to be a vision of bright colours, with a gently bubbling water feature at its centre surrounded by bold, circular patterns to take visitors on a calming journey. “I’ve tried to bring the wildlife and the garden inside the hospice and give patients, and their families, here at Keech Hospice Care a place that is calm and reflective,” said Adam. Elaine Tolliday, Clinical Director, who heads up care at the hospice, agreed that the new garden offers “a space for reflection, peace and tranquillity” - not only for patients and families
but also for the hospice’s dedicated care teams and volunteers, who often encounter difficult situations and need their own time and space. The garden transformation has been germinating for some time. Keech Hospice Care - which relies on supporters and the local community for 70 per cent of over £5.6 million it needs every year – planted the idea for the project with the gardens charity, Greenfingers, in 2015 and was finally awarded funding when Homebase agreed to back it using proceeds from the 5p carrier-bag tax. The garden was designed by Adam Frost working with landscapers Bespoke Outdoor Spaces. So, all told, our beautiful gift comes courtesy of many people’s time and effort, and will support and inspire our patients for many years to come. www.keech.org.uk
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01582 707940
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WELCOME
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“It’s the perfect place to just sit and be still, and for families to sit, laugh and make memories.” Liz Searle, CEO
www.keech.org.uk
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01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
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WELCOME
Free Parking
Beautiful crafts
Saturday
25 November 2017 and
Sunday
Delicious festive food
26 November 2017 Over 40 stalls
10am – 4pm
New Bedford Road, Luton
www.keech. org.uk/christmasmarket
Tel: 01582 707940 www.keech.org.uk
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Registered Charity No. 1035089
01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
letmehelp@keech.org.uk
YOUR SUPPORT
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Will you remember us? Retired midwives Daphne and Audrey devoted their lives to bringing new life into the world. When they died, they made sure local people would be equally well cared for at the end of their lives.
Daphne, 85, and Audrey, 92, died last year within seven months of each other. With incredible generosity, they left their joint estate - totalling over £100,000 - to Keech Hospice Care. Although both were originally from Brighton, they moved to our area over 30 years ago, working as nurses at Luton and Dunstable Hospital until their retirement. Audrey and Daphne devoted themselves completely to their work and both were sticklers for high nursing standards. Sister Audrey, the self-proclaimed “Pied Piper of Luton”, helped set up the first special baby unit outside London and delivered over 16,000 babies during the course of her career. Daphne - first a midwife, then a matron - reached the highest levels of nursing management at the hospital. Both families are proud of Daphne and Audrey’s generous donation to Keech Hospice Care and know it will play a part in helping us continue to support patients and their families at a time in their lives when they need us the most.
Daphne and Audrey’s generous donation to Keech Hospice Care will play a part in helping us continue to support patients and their families.
We’d like to thank Daphne and Audrey for their incredible generosity, but also extend our thanks to everyone who has so thoughtfully remembered Keech Hospice Care by leaving our charity a gift in their Will.
Help ing you mak If yo ea
Will you remember us in your Will? Did you know supporters who leave a gift for Keech Hospice Care in their Will help us to care for one in seven seriously ill adults and children, and their families? If the time is ever right for you to remember Keech Hospice Care in your Will - thank you. We’re enormously grateful for whatever you can give.
You can find further information about how to leave a gift in your Will at www.keech.org.uk/will or call us on 01582 707940.
www.keech.org.uk
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01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
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WELCOME
Confident about life Keech Hospice Care is helping 14-year-old Aaliyah to fulfill her dreams
Imagine you are a teenager filled with dreams for your future. You love dance, gymnastics and roller-skating. You want to go travelling. You are already planning for university. Then the unimaginable happens. A rogue virus causes irreparable damage to your heart. You can’t run, dance or roller-skate anymore – not without putting your heart under lifethreatening pressure. Two years ago, this is exactly what happened to sporty teenager Aaliyah from Bletchley, Milton Keynes. “I now have dilated cardiomyopathy, which means my heart works at onethird of the rate of everyone else’s. It doesn’t beat normally – it has a kind of wobbly beat - and the valves don’t shut properly,” Aaliyah explained.
I can’t run anymore “Because of this, I suffer from extreme tiredness, dizziness and palpitations, and must be very careful when it comes to physical activity. I can’t run anymore. I used to do a lot of sports but I can’t do those either now. I have had to give up dance and gymnastics, and limit myself to only doing roller-skating once a fortnight.” Aaliyah and her mum Sabrina think she contracted the virus in late spring of 2015 but it wasn’t until six weeks later that it was picked up, by which time it had developed into a serious problem. “Aaliyah’s heart had suffered irreparable damage,” said Sabrina, “and her organs had started to close down. It was a very traumatic time for us as a family.”
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Emotional fallout
“I also go to day support at Keech Hospice Care,” Aaliyah added. “I’m part of what we call the Girls Aloud group. We go shopping together, have pizza and movie nights, and are planning to see an ABBA tribute band soon! I love it because I’m doing normal things.”
Keech Hospice Care stepped in to help in February 2016, offering Aaliyah short stays at the children’s unit. Sabrina recalled: “Aaliyah was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, following the emotional fallout of everything that had happened. We were all having difficulty coping.”
Keech Hospice Care is also helping to give Aaliyah back her future. “I was trying very hard to be at school full time but nearly every lesson ended with a visit to the school nurse. It was a vicious circle. I got further behind in my schoolwork, which made me more stressed, so I ended up missing more lessons.”
“A short stay gave me relaxed time with my dad,” Aaliyah said. “Dad is a bit of a worrier but, at Keech Hospice Care, he felt safe because he knew that – if anything happened, if anything went wrong – the nurses would be there.
“A short stay gave me relaxed time with my dad. Dad is a bit of a worrier but, at Keech Hospice Care, he felt safe because he knew that – if anything happened, if anything went wrong – the nurses would be there.”
01582 707940
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OUR CARE • YOUR SUPPORT
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“Her heart had suffered irreparable damage and her organs had started to close down.” Building confidence So the children’s support team at Keech Hospice Care stepped in with a plan of action focused on building up Aaliyah’s confidence. This included short-term educational support with a volunteer teacher as well as talking therapies to help her work through her worries. “Keech Hospice Care has even been to my school to talk about what’s going on,” said Aaliyah, which means that her school friends have a much better understanding of her situation. ”At school I felt confused. With Keech Hospice Care’s help, my confidence has risen.’ Mum Sabrina confirmed that Aaliyah “has had a massive growth in confidence”.
What is Keech Hospice Care’s children’s service? Keech Hospice Care is the children’s hospice for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes. Every day, our community nurses visit streets near you, supporting seriously ill children and their families in hospitals, in schools or in their own homes. At the children’s hospice itself, we offer:
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day support with activity groups, such as Tots ‘n’ Toys and Girls Aloud
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care from our team of doctors, nurses, therapists, counsellors, play specialist and social worker
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support services including art and music therapy, complementary therapies, social worker and counselling
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in-patient stays end-of-life care.
“I’m determined to get where I want to be and Keech Hospice Care is helping me make my dream future a reality.”
How your donations make the difference for children. In 2016/2017, we supported:
• 317 children and 188 relatives • 60 children with day support • 99 children with stays at the unit • 302 families in their own home • 19 children with end-of-life care, at the hospice and at home
Please help us to make the difference when it matters the most by donating at www.keech.org.uk/donate or call 015982 707940. www.keech.org.uk
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01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
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Fundraising fun Supporters shine for Keech Hospice Care
MARCH Glow in the dark Over 600 supporters from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes took to the streets for our new 10km night-time Glow Walk, all wearing glow paint and anything neon they could get their hands on! An amazing success, it’s raised over £50,000, helping us to continue to be there for our patients at a time in their lives when they need our care the most.
MAY Sun shines for Keech Trail Run The weather was perfect for the second Keech Hospice Care 10km trail run, which took a stunning route through the Chiltern Hills. Our winning man crossed the finish line in an amazing time of 32:20; the first woman crossed the line at 43:35 incredible times for both!
“This was our first event and we’ll definitely do it again. Very worthy cause.” Paul Gamble, part of a team of 12 running at Colour Dash. JULY A dash of colour Our gloriously messy 5km Colour Dash saw nearly 1,000 people braving Colour Bandits, powder paint, obstacles and foam to raise much-needed funds for our charity. Liz Searle, CEO of Keech Hospice Care, took part and was “very moved by the many participants walking in remembrance of a loved one”. At the time of going to press, it has raised around £40,000.
A huge Thank You to our brilliant volunteer marshals – we couldn’t do it without you! www.keech.org.uk
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01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
YOUR FUNDRAISING
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A runway success! One of our fantastic corporate supporters, London Luton Airport (LLA), has really taken off when it comes to fundraising for us! In June, the airport shut down its runway so 200 magnificent supporters could ‘run the runway’, generating a lot of TV and radio coverage. This event - combined with a record- breaking LLA annual Golf Day in June and July’s LLA Charity Cycle Challenge raised over £83,000 for our charity. An amazing achievement! The Cycle Challenge in particular was an unbelievable effort, with airport staff pedalling 335 miles in just four days from Luton to Amsterdam.
“Getting through the first day was such a high. It’s was just over 100 miles with some steep and long hills. It’s been a privilege to represent Keech Hospice Care in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“Santa Run is the perfect positive event.” Julie, who took part last year with her husband and daughter, in memory of their son Harry.
Corporate support is vitally important to Keech Hospice Care. If your employer is interested in supporting us, ask them to contact our corporate team on corporate@keech.org.uk.
Cyclist Caron Hooper
Looking forward to… …Christmas at Keech Smiley Sam and the Sleigh bring in the Christmas spirit from 20 November, as they take to the roads around Luton and Bedford – watch out for them in a street near you in the run-up to the big ho-ho. Our first-ever Christmas Market at Barnfield College, Luton, from 25-26 November boasts a whole sleigh load of beautiful gift ideas: over 40 stalls filled with seasonal crafts, decorations and delicious festive food. For more information visit www.keech.org.uk/christmasmarket. Santa Run turns The Embankment in Bedford (3 December) and Wardown Park in Luton (10 December) into a sea of seasonal red as hundreds of Santas leave Rudolph at home and run, jog or walk to raise funds for Keech Hospice Care. For more information visit www.keech.org.uk/santarun. Keech Hospice Care’s beautiful annual service of remembrance, Light Up A Life, takes place on Sunday 3 December outside the main hospice in Great Bramingham Lane, Luton. The service gives families a chance to join other people in remembering and celebrating the life of a loved one who has died. To find out more, visit www.keech.org.uk/light-up-a-life.
…October 2018: Trek Transylvania Have a brush with Count Dracula at Bran Castle as you trek through the awe-inspiring Transylvanian Alps. Places for this trek are limited so, if you’re interested, get in touch at www.keech.org.uk/trek or call 01582 707950.
Get involved as a participant or an event volunteer. If not now, then when? 01582 707940 • letmehelp@keech.org.uk • www.keech.org.uk/whats-on
www.keech.org.uk
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01582 707940
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letmehelp@keech.org.uk
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WELCOME
Play Keech Hospice Care’s lottery – now with added chances to win. Yes, I want to play Keech Hospice Care’s for a chance to win up to £3,000 and help adults and children living with a terminal and life-limiting condition. I confirm that I am 16 year or over Title:
First name:
Last name:
Address: Postcode: Telephone:
Email:
Tick here to OPT OUT of communications by post
Tick here to RECEIVE emails
Tick here to RECEIVE phone calls
Tick here to RECEIVE text messages
Payment by direct debit Yes, I want to play Keech Hospice Care’s lottery. I would like: 1 lucky number @ £4.34 per month / £13.02 every 3 months / £26 every 6 months / £52 per annum (delete as applicable) 2 lucky numbers @ £8.68 per month / £26.04 every 3 months / £52 every 6 months / £104 per annum (delete as applicable)
Keep the Change If you would like to round your donation up to the nearest pound, please tick here. Keep the Change
Your lottery payment of £4.34 rounded up by 66p to £5.00 would be worth an extra £7.92 over the year; if you’re a UK taxpayer, it could be worth almost £10 under Gift Aid. The money you pay will help Keech Hospice Care continue its vital work within the local community. Your gift will go where the need is greatest unless you indicate otherwise here.
Adult
Children
Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit.
Please fill in the form, detach, fold and return to the address overleaf. Name and full postal address of your bank or building society To: The Manager
Bank/Building society
Service user number
6 9 6 1 9 1
Address Reference Postcode
Name(s) of account holder(s) Instruction to your bank or building society Please pay Keech Hospice Care Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Keech Hospice Care and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.
Branch sort code
Signature(s)
Bank/Building society account number
Date Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.
www.keech.org.uk
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01582 707940
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