Life Magazine, Spring/Summer 2021

Spring → Summer 2021

Summer appeal Our hospice community makes it all possible

Access Team Feedback on our new referral service

Steven Christie Talks to us about his mum’s care & love of music

stcolumbashospice.org.uk

www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

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In this is 11 Hospice 100 12 Events Calendar 13 Access Team

3 Welcome!

5 Hospice News

7 Compassionate Communities Summer Appeal 9

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Keep in touch:

ssue...

e info@stcolumbashospice.org.uk → 15 Boswall Road Edinburgh, EH5 3RW t 0131 551 1381

19 International Hospice: Arts & Education

23 Trusts

Feature: 15 Steven Christie A Chat with Charlie 17 from The Proclaimers

25 Corporate Corner

27 Community Corner

29 Virtual Talks 30 Leaving a Legacy

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Welcome! to the Spring/Summer 2021 edition of Life magazine

P.21–22 Our global reach

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ver the past few weeks significantly more areas of life have opened once more to us and this has allowed our whole Hospice community to move towards a greater sense of normality.

Our charity shops on the high street are now open, our Summer flowers are being enjoyed by our patients and their visitors in our gardens and our Iona Café is once again a hub of social activity.

It has been lovely to see

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familiar faces returning to their volunteer roles and to welcome new faces as we expand our services in our Hospice and in the community throughout Edinburgh and Lothian.

We’ve been touched by the many examples of compassion in our neighbourhoods throughout the pandemic and these have provided insights and inspiration for our Compassionate Communities team

who launched a Compassionate Neighbours initiative this year. You can read more on page 7–8 about the support these wonderful Neighbours are providing to people living with life limiting illnesses in their area.

You’ll also find information about our Summer Appeal on page 9–10. This too focuses on our amazing community and the ways in which we can work together, living our values of respect,

P.9–10 Smiles for our caring community

P.13–14 Helping people access services

P.15–16 Steven shares precious memories

trust, partnership, care and compassion.

With the uptake of vaccinations and careful adherence to guidelines, I hope that covid-19 continues to decrease in our community, allowing us all to move beyond this extremely difficult period into a time of

reflection, healing and hope. Our Hospice team remains here for you as we navigate this new phase, with counselling available by phone and our community team making home visits to those most in need of our help. Our inpatient unit is open for admissions and our

nursing staff remain dedicated as ever to caring for you and your loved ones.

Jackie Stone CEO

— P.s. When it comes to delivering world class palliative care, your feedback is invaluable to us. We want to know what’s important to you. So, if you have comments or concerns about any aspect of our service please get in touch by emailing info@stcolumbashospice.org.uk.

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Edinburgh Asset Managers Support Partnership

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cotland’s Hospices Together is a partnership of 12 independent Scottish hospices. Together the Partnership care for over 20,000 families in Scotland each year, offering free palliative and end of life care when it is needed most. The pandemic has had an impact on the Partnership members’ capability to

run fundraising events, keep charity shops open, run workplace volunteering initiatives and engage with local supporters in their communities.

So, the members were delighted when Edinburgh-based Baillie Gifford, global specialists in asset management and investment trusts, offered

the Partnership a funding boost of £1 million.

It has made a huge difference, helping members plan and deliver the best possible care for the patients and families they care for.

Hospice news

Our Shops and Café Are Now Open!

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e are delighted to have re-opened our Shops in Leith, Portobello, Ocean Terminal, Haddington, Morningside, and Canonmills.

It’s lovely to see our shop managers, volunteers and supporters back in store.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to our donation service in April and for the donations made to our stores since our doors opened in May. We’ve got some wonderful quality items waiting for you to discover - including books, music, clothing, accessories, homeware, china and bric-a-brac.

pandemic. We are delighted to be welcoming the public again, serving hot and cold refreshments, delicious Hospice home baking and tasty soup.

We are also excited to announce the re-opening of our Iona Cafe & Shop and the return of our café volunteers.

There are a few new guidelines to follow in our shops and café and we are very grateful to you for your support in helping us keep these spaces safe for everyone.

Our Iona Café has been closed over recent months to cater for our dedicated staff who have been working hard throughout the

The café’s new manager, Rosie, has created a lovely display of cards, gifts, jewellery, toys and other gorgeous goodies for our café visitors to enjoy.

A warm welcome back! We look forward to seeing you all soon.

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Over 2020 alone despite all of the restrictions, Craig and his team of staff and loyal customers raised a fantastic £1,500. An added perk for our volunteer tin collectors is the delicious baked goods they’re treated to when collecting Ferguson’s full tins!

Bakery Customers Give Generously

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raig Ferguson, owner of Ferguson’s Bakeries in Edinburgh continues the tradition his late father James Ferguson started, by holding Hospice collecting tins in both of

his bakeries. James and Sheena Ferguson started collecting for the Hospice in 1984, and the collection tins from both bakeries in Moredun and Niddrie have since raised over £20,000.

‘Our customers take great pride in the amount we achieve each month and look upon this as a community contribution’ says owner Craig. Along with Craig, everyone at the Hospice want to say a big thank you to Ferguson’s generous customers for their continued support.

If your shop or business would like to host a collecting tin now with cashless payment option - and help raise vital funds for the Hospice, we’d love to hear from you! Email fund@ stcolumbashospice.org. uk or call 0131 551 1381.

Forget Me Not Tribute Garden The Forget Me Not Tribute Garden in the Hospice courtyard is now open, providing a space for quiet contemplation. We are delighted that supporters are able to visit again.

We look forward to welcoming those of you who have opened a new Tribute Fund to dedicate a copper leaf on a

Forget-me-not flower as well as those re-visiting to mark a special date or anniversary of a loved one.

The Iona Café will also be open for you to enjoy a snack or refreshment during your visit.

It can be difficult to arrange a visit, so for those further afield or for families who may prefer to

commemorate privately we are now offering the option to have a copper leaf engraved for you to place somewhere special of your own choosing.

For more information or to arrange a visit please email forgetmenot@ stcolumbashospice.org.uk or call 0131 551 1381.

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Compassionate Communities One year on...

Moving palliative and end of life care beyond the professional world and making it everyone’s business is what our work is about, and the hospice values of care and compassion, respect, partnership and trust are at the heart of how we go about it.

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y focusing on what’s strong rather than what’s wrong, we’ve been working alongside local people and neighbourhoods interested in building compassionate communities together; ones that are open to engaging in healthy conversations about death, dying grief and loss, and to offering support in meaningful and practical ways to those living with poor health, dying or grieving in their midst. Here are some of their stories:

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To Absent Friends: St Mark’s Portobello To Absent Friends is a week-long festival that invites people across Scotland to create and share memories and stories, grieve and celebrate the people they have loved who have died.

During 2020 so many of us also experienced the kind of losses that extend beyond the death of loved ones into losses of physical and emotional health, employment and financial

security, faith, relationships and community participation.

In recognition of this, we worked alongside St Mark’s Episcopal Church in Portobello to create a reflective space within their graveyard and gardens.

Accessible to all in the community, it was a place for those who wished to mark personal stories of grief, uncertainty, loss and hope.

Compassionate Neighbours Undaunted by the limitations imposed on us all by the pandemic we’ve been working to develop a growing network of communitybased Compassionate Neighbours using an online blend of discussion, reflection and learning. Many of these neighbours are now matched locally and offering their time, kindness and company to people living with the impact of a life-limiting condition, who might otherwise be feeling

lonely or socially isolated.

With the easing of Covid-19 restrictions some neighbours are making cautious, socially-distanced plans to meet each other, whilst for others less confident this feels a step too far.

Unlike the many hospice volunteers who give generously of their time, care and diverse talents to support so many aspects of hospice life, a Compassionate

Neighbour is a little different, and best described as someone who sees themselves as part of a community-led social movement; building meaningful relationships that can help increase resilience and capacity in the communities where they live, work and play. Over the summer we’ll be posting more information on the hospice website about how you can get involved.

North Berwick: Compassionate Community

28 COMPASSIONATE NEIGHBOURS ACROSS EDINBURGH AND EAST LOTHIAN

21 NEIGHBOURLY AND MUTUALLY ENJOYABLE CONNECTIONS

150 HOURS OF TELEPHONE CALLS AND LETTERWRITING CONTACT

Since hosting its first To Absent Friends event in 2015 this small group of local people has been working hard to nurture what’s strong about North Berwick.

Their passionate commitment, alongside an ability to involve other local organisations and community groups has resulted in a variety of imaginative, communitybased events that are helping create opportunities for people to talk about death, dying, grief and loss.

In 2019 the group was selected as one of five Truacanta projects across Scotland and when lockdown hit in March the following year they re-launched online, with a series of five ‘Armchair Chats’ designed to raise public awareness and

promote ‘Compassionate Communities in North Berwick 2021: Fringe by the Sea’ programme. It has been a privilege to partner with North Berwick Compassionate Community in realising their vision for a local Compassionate Neighbours hub, and in March of this year their first group of six volunteers completed their training with us.

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Summer Appeal 2021 T

his year our Summer Appeal focuses on community and how our values touch many aspects of life across Edinburgh and East Lothian, through our dedicated staff, volunteers, our compassionate communities and our fantastic supporters. Your donations have helped us reach our community despite the obstacles we’ve been confronted with by COVID-19.

A donation of £20 could provide one hour of specialist Hospice at Home training for a family carer so that they can learn skills and build confidence to support a loved one at home. £35 could pay for one hour of specialist nurse-led pain & symptom control for an out-patient.

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Respect

Trust

Respect is at the heart of our interactions with all who come into contact with the Hospice: our patients and their families, our amazing staff and volunteers and you, our supporters. We spoke to musician Steven, whose Mum was cared for at St Columba’s last year. He found the Hospice to be a place where care, love and practicalities all come together – where lovely moments create lasting and precious memories that stay with you always.

It’s important to us that the Hospice is a safe and trusting environment.

This trust will be earned through our actions and interactions with each other, and all those connected to the Hospice. Pamela’s family were all very impressed with the care and support for her sister:

“A hospice isn’t just the place that your loved one is cared for, it becomes the space where they occupied and where moments were honoured every day.”

“We visited my sister in the Hospice and were very impressed with everything we saw, from the beautiful surroundings to the lovely staff in the cafe and throughout the Hospice. My sister was very happy with the care and attention that the Hospice team showed her during her stay.”

Care & compassion

Roddy receives a visit from our Hospice at Home nurse, Carol, in our Summer Appeal film. stcolumbashospice.org.uk/ summer-appeal-2021

Our Compassionate Communities team have been connecting with like-minded people in our neighbourhoods, seeing signs of hope, care and compassion as they work together with community groups and volunteers to share spaces and provide support to people in need.

Through their thoughtful actions, the care and compassion we are known for is making a difference in new ways and new places.

Donate today Help us make a difference to people's lives in our community by donating to our Summer Appeal. Your generosity directly helps us to maintain our invaluable services for patients and families across Edinburgh and the Lothians. 82p of every £1 is spent directly on patient care with the other 18p going towards raising the next £1.

Partnership Through collaborative partnerships, we can deliver the best possible care to people living with a life-limiting illness. We also see opportunities through partnership for education, research and community engagement. We’re proud to have NHS Lothian as our healthcare partner and Queen Margaret University as our palliative care education partner.

After such a difficult year, your partnership in helping us fundraise has never been more important. From a donation of £10, which could provide a little box of thoughts to help a child through bereavement, to a legacy left in your will, every donation makes a huge impact on the lives of those we care for.

stcolumbashospice.org.uk/donate www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

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... or go 100k!

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Event calendar Bloomin’ Marvellous garden competition

East Lothian Cycle

1st June – 31st August Online

Proud of your garden or your plants/flowers/edibles? We are giving you the chance to show them off! Send us your photos through the summer and make our website bloom!

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Virtual Art Exhibition

4th September Haddington £30 entry fee

8th – 15th October Online

Join us for a one-day cycle from our hub in Haddington and explore the beautiful East Lothian countryside, led by experienced cyclists.

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Our annual Art Exhibition will be back online this year meaning everyone can attend!

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Firewalk

Virtual Pet Show

Walk to Remember

1st – 31st August Online

28th October

10th – 17th September Online Free Admission

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Send us photos of your furry/ scaly/feathered friends and show them off! Choose your category and be in with a chance to win a prize for your pet! Can you get more likes than Douglas!

7 Hills Challenge

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Our annual walk is back – choose your distance, and complete your walk in a day or throughout the whole month.

20th – 27th August

7 Hills is back! * Plus, we have a new route for 2021* #SummitforStColumbas

For more information

Scottish Half Marathon Sunday 19th September

Starting in Tranent, this half marathon takes you along the beautiful East Lothian coast line, finishing up at Musselburgh Racecourse. scottishhalfmarathon.com

Do you dare? Sign up for a truly unforgettable experience! The Firewalk is a mind over matter experience! Register your interest to take part in the hottest, shortest sponsored walk in the world!

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Pub Quiz 24th November

Test your knowledge with our annual giant pub quiz – prizes to be won!

For more information about our fundraising events, please email Claire at cbolt@stcolumbashospice.org.uk www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

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T

he Access Team has been developed to offer a flexible and responsive single point of contact to all Hospice services. The overarching aim is to support people to get to the right service at the right time.

Our Access

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We provide timely access to advice and support for new patients, families and supporters, as well as professionals across health and social care. The Access team are a reactive service, providing an urgent same day response to people already known to our community team.

experience of the Access team.

Here is a summary of the 24 responses we received from patients and family members over this year:

Over the last year we’ve been asking patients, families, supporters and other service users what they think about

• 88% would

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• 100% of

respondents felt that they had more information and a new point of contact for the future

recommend the Access team to others in similar situations

• All but one

respondent reported benefit from contact with the Access Team.

• 95% had a very

good (17) or good (1) experience of the team.

• 95% found the

helpfulness of the team very good (17) or good (1)

• 95% rated the access to what they needed when they needed it as good (17) or neither good nor poor (1)

Team When we asked our patients, families and supporters ‘What difference did having contact with the Access Team make to you?’ people said:

“The team was friendly and put Mum and I at ease. A huge asset to supporting families struggling.”

“Given me reassurance in my situation which has developed very suddenly, and provided points of reference” “It has taken a huge weight off my wife’s shoulders knowing we have your help just a phone call away.”

“It made me feel less isolated - thank you.”

“Made me pain free for the first time in several months.”

“There was a friendly voice helping to put us in the picture.”

“I have found that [the team] has been invaluable and has really helped us.”

“Just to know there is someone there to help.”

The Access Team is here Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm (except bank holidays).

You can call us direct on telephone: 551 7751. If we’re on the phone there is an answer machine and you can leave us a message. Your call is important to us.

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Where moments are honoured every day For Steven Christie, keyboardist for The Proclaimers, music was a love he shared with his mum, Annie, who came to St Columba’s last year to receive palliative care. Here Steven shares some special moments that people might not necessarily think of when considering hospice care.

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y Mum, Annie, was local to the Wardie Bay area and used to play as a child on the shore you can see today from the Hospice building. I grew up nearby too and have fond recollections of our neighbours, the harbour and family sailing trips. Who would have thought that this circle of life could have happened by a riverbank on the Forth.

“There are many twists and turns on a personal journey. On every visit to St Columba’s, I lived a different experience and different emotions, but the Hospice staff were always there to provide care and support.

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“I recently read a letter from Mum which she wrote soon after her diagnosis. She expresses how proud she was of our reaction to her news. In truth, I didn’t know where to turn when faced with the question, who is going to help us? I’m so glad we found this incredible place.

“I was inspired to tell my story when I thought about other people who might need the Hospice’s help but be scared to take that step. I understand their apprehensions because I felt the same way. Then I learned that there was a whole other side to my original perception of hospice care.

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“I found it to be a place where care, love and practicalities all come together. It’s a place where lovely moments create precious memories that stay with you always.”

One such memory was made when our arts service lent Steven a keyboard so that he could play for his mum in her room.

After her shift one day, a nurse asked Steven if he would play her the Proclaimer’s song, “Sunshine on Leith”.

Steven was happy to

Annie, Steven's mum

play it for her and delighted when she started singing along.

“It was wonderful to be able to play keyboards for Mum in her room.

She was a big music fan who listened to the greats, like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

Music was a huge part of our relationship and connection. It says things that words can’t.

“Mum had great strength but it was always balanced with love. In the Hospice we saw her charm in action. It was lovely to see the lightness of touch from the nurses as they chatted to her and made her comfortable.

“People take strength from seeing you coming together to help us. The inspirational quality of love and care I experienced at the Hospice helped me to respond to my feelings.

“Although I had lost someone precious, I gained a lot from the humanity here and I think the experience has allowed me to better care for others. I often cycle past and tip my hat to you.

“A hospice isn’t just the place where your loved one is cared for. It’s the space where they occupied and where moments were honoured every day.”

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A chat with Charlie from

The Procla I

t was sunny in Edinburgh, at last the start of summer and a perfect day to talk to Charlie from The Proclaimers and share the story of Steven playing Sunshine on Leith. And we talked about other things too: the separation that we’ve all been through and the admiration he has for all those people who had to carry on.

What’s it been like to be separated from the band?

We haven’t been able to get together for over a year. For a band, being in the same room together as an ensemble and interacting is what’s enjoyable, so we certainly miss that. For Craig and I, it’s the first time since we formed the band that we haven’t rehearsed for months.

We’ve both had our first jab and have our second this week, so that’s comforting but we’re keeping to the restrictions. Although we’re twins and work closely together, we have been separated from other family members too, which has been tough and something many other families will be dealing with too.

Has lockdown affected the band’s creativity?

We’ve been working on 9-10 new songs. The intention was to record them this year, but we’ll

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have to wait until next year.

It’s the right thing to do. It’s frustrating but it’s better to say it will be next year and work towards that, when hopefully life will be getting back to normal.

Do you get recognised much?

With a mask on I definitely don’t get

imers clocked so much. Since things started opening up around my neighbourhood I’ve seen lots more folk going to the pubs and restaurants. I’m sure I’ll get more of the usual chat soon. People do like to tell me how many miles they’ve walked!

On that note, did you know that our nurses walk approximately 4 miles on a 12 hour shift!?

I am very impressed!

Our mum was a nurse.

She worked in Edinburgh and then Fife, on the wards and

district nursing too. I have a massive appreciation for nurses. I’m also in awe of the bus drivers and the shop assistants who have been there for us all the way through. I think the pandemic has woken people up to who does the really important jobs in our community.

You and Craig are big advocates of community.

What do you think makes a community strong?

When people care. It’s surely the definition of love.

When we are divided and pass each other by, there’s an absence of community.

Kindness and love and community are bound up.

This pandemic has not discriminated. It has been desperately sad at times, especially for those who have lost family and friends. Many people have lost someone over the past 18 months, not just to covid. It has perhaps made us appreciate, like never before, how much we need each other.

I have so much admiration for everyone at St Columba’s. Your hospice is a pillar for Edinburgh. It is hard to put into words what I think of what you do for the people you care for. That care does not lessen, its fundamental to all you do. Your team are what’s loving and good and I can’t thank you enough for all you do. It’s beautiful.

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Insights to our international scholarly work on music therapy...

International Hospice Our Arts Service continues to grow in many directions in line with our vision for St Columba’s to become a centre of excellence and innovation for the arts therapies and community arts in palliative care.

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hile expanding our provisions for patients, families and the wider hospice community, our arts team has been building a research and education portfolio with international reach. The spreading of best practice and the generation of new knowledge has been at the heart of this portfolio which also includes our team’s contribution to international forums as well as the formation of new ones.

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Since 2019, our Arts Lead Dr Giorgos Tsiris has been part of an international group focusing on the development of clinical guidelines for the range of music experiences and music therapy in relationship completion in palliative care. Led by Dr Amy Clements-Cortes (Assistant Professor, Music and Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada), this group has been exploring a spectrum of musical care practices alongside their evidence with a focus on how such practices can support

people’s relational experiences in palliative and bereavement care.

In July 2020, the group led a webinar on relationship completion to music therapists and other professionals working in end-of-life care.

This webinar was part of the International Association for Music and Medicine (IAMM) and attracted

Patient and Family art

“Footprints in the Sand” by Rita

“Sailing home” by Paul Harrison

delegates from different countries across the world.

Currently, the group works towards the publication of a book and Giorgos has co-authored three chapters. Exploring issues around health promotion and community engagement as well as themes and orientations for contemporary education in music

therapy, these chapters bring to the fore some of the innovative work happening at St Columba’s Hospice Care. The book, which is expected to be published later this year, will hopefully offer a useful resource introducing the concept of relationship completion to music therapy and other professionals working in end-of-life care.

As the only UK-based hospice represented in this international initiative, St Columba’s

will promote this work further at our next Arts Symposium (20th October 2021) and as we work towards the 12th European Music Therapy Conference which will be hosted by our partner Queen Margaret University in June 2022.

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W

hen you think of St Columba’s Hospice Care, there are all sorts of things that might spring to mind; the warm welcome you receive each time you visit, time spent admiring the glorious views, world class palliative care, or maybe something as simple as your favourite scone in the Iona Café. Something that probably doesn’t spring forth, though, is the global reach of the work done by our Hospice...

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Nurse Leadership Programme, aimed at developing nurse leaders in Uganda.

A project which began in Uganda in 2016 underlines this influence and the importance of knowledge sharing within the worldwide care community. St Columba’s Hospice Care, in association with the University of Edinburgh, UKaid, The Tropical Health Education Trust and others began The Uganda Palliative Care

When the project began, palliative care was available to only 10% of the Ugandan population, largely due to the geographical spread of the population (Uganda is approximately the same size as England, with half the population density). Per 10,000 people, there was one physician, and 13 nurses available. The development of palliative care, then, depended on strong nurse leadership, both in the delivery of care and the training of future medical professionals.

rom academia in Iceland to the adoption of pain management methodology in Uttar Pradesh, the influence of St Columba’s’ staff truly can be found around the globe.

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Nurse lecturers from St Columba’s Hospice Care undertook the training of nurses from areas throughout the country, providing both remote training sessions from the UK, and in-person training in Uganda. These mentoring sessions aided nurse leaders in developing the palliative care provision available, and ultimately improving the lives of thousands of patients throughout the country.

In the second six months of the project, nurse leaders worked together on national projects, including a

review of palliative care training, and assessing the existing clinical competency of staff. By the end of the programme, there was a tangible growth in both clinical and organisational leadership, as well as a critically important gain in the cultural awareness of palliative care and its benefits.

Read about our work with Nurse Manju BK at Green Pastures Hospital in Pokhara, Nepal: stcolumbashospice. org.uk/caringconnections

Despite the current difficulties posed by Covid-19, we are proud to continue to take part in international initiatives, enabling us to remain at the cutting edge of palliative care, and provide the very best service to our patients and wider hospice community.

See page 19–20 for an update on another exciting international project!

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We are very grateful for the significant support we received from Trusts and Foundations over this past challenging year - a huge thank you to all who responded to our funding applications for support.

Here for our families W

e particularly appreciated a grant received from the Scottish Government Wellbeing Fund which enabled our Counselling and Bereavement team to move quickly and to put in place appropriate measures to continue and expand the bereavement counselling services while working remotely from home.

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All our face-to-face counselling and bereavement support visits had to be stopped in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Nonmedical staff were either furloughed or, where possible, asked to work from home. At the same time our patients and family members were experiencing increased stress as a result of: health anxiety; deterioration caused by disease progression; isolation due to

The funding we received enabled us to provide: • Online information on bereavement for family members following a death • Secure devices to enable confidential remote sessions to be provided by staff/volunteers working from home • A subscription for a secure online database to replace paper records • Additional counselling and bereavement support volunteers • Additional training and support to enable counsellors to meet the required professional standards for online/remote working • A COVID memorial event in the future.

shielding, and major changes to the registration of deaths and to the organisation of funerals. We wanted to be able to continue providing our counselling and bereavement support services to patients with incurable illness and their families at this difficult time.

The Wellbeing Fund grant has ensured that we have been able to continue working throughout the pandemic with our patients and their families to help resolve the issues which cause them concern, including grief, loss, anxiety, panic attacks, difficult family relationships, and depression, visit stcolumbashospice.org. uk/family-support

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We've been overwhelmed by the generosity of our corporate community throughout the last six months. Support has included company donations, staff fundraising and gifts for both patients and staff – all have been gratefully received!

Corporate corner [1] Perfect Clean

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ur charity partner Mackenzie Hughes’ donation of £1,000 has helped us to purchase new mattresses for patient’s beds and new branded uniforms for our clinical teams.

Perfect Clean ran an Easter raffle raising £300. [1] Amazon (pictured opposite) fulfilled our patient wish list by giving clothing and toiletries.

Asda in Leith donated Christmas presents and Easter eggs for our patients to enjoy. [2] Morrison’s Granton donated much appreciated Christmas Gifts for our patients.

John Lewis helped make our gardens look festive

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and sparkly with a gift of Christmas lights as well as gift bags filled with treats for the patients.

Strawberry Corner Garden Centre’s donation of plants for the Hospice gardens will bring cheer to everyone once they bloom!

Thanks to Robert Gill, Head of Visitor Experience at The Royal Yacht Britannia for the 200 Christmas puddings gifted to the hospice, a treat for all the patients and staff.

Instead of buying Christmas cards, Drummond Miller LLP donated the money they would have spent to us, a fantastic £1,000.

Unable to hold their usual fundraising firework night

www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

[2] Patients enjoyed eggs from Asda, Leith

for the Hospice, Powderhall Bronze held an online auction instead raising an incredible £1,720.

Huge thanks to all the companies who have donated to us over the past 6 months, Anglia Giving, Montpelier’s, Egger Company, Adobe, Take Two Interactive Software Inc., Easy Jet, Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP , Virgin

Money , Johnson Matthey, Urquharts Law and Property, Scotrail, Goldman Sachs and all the staff at Boots Ocean Terminal.

Our charity partner Ocean Terminal became the venue for our Christmas Elf Hunt, a little bit of festive family fun throughout December whilst raising funds for the Hospice.

chopped 12 inches off her hair to raise money for the Hospice whilst donating her hair to Little Princess Trust. Fiona’s employer, Adobe, sponsored her to the value of £350.

A generous donation of $20,000 from Adobe has gone towards our new Hospice at Home services.

Fiona, one of our Iona Cafe volunteers,

Get Involved!

If your company or workplace would like to know more about a partnership with the Hospice please get in touch with Amanda Southey (asouthey@stcolumbashospice.org.uk).

www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

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Community corner Thank you!

Many charities have faced a huge funding gap over the last year, caused by cancelled events and a sharp drop in community fundraising. Yet many people have stepped up and used their time at home to raise funds in a whole range of creative ways; our supporters have been no exception...

Thinking outside the tin!

In ‘pre-Covid’ times, Clare McDonald dedicated some of her free time to collecting and replacing collection tins for the Hospice. As one of our invaluable Hospice volunteers, Clare was only too aware how our income would be affected, so she challenged herself to walk a million steps over January and February, ultimately raising an impressive £1,090 – over double her original target!

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Kevin and Jane’s big toddle

Young supporters

The late Captain Sir Tom Moore inspired one of our youngest supporters, Zara, aged 27

eight, to run around Ratho Marina 100 times. Zara raised an incredible £829 in memory of her late Grandmother Jacqueline, who was cared for by the Hospice. "I wanted to remember Granny Jacqueline and support the Hospice as they looked after her so well. The people there were so lovely. I know Granny Jacqueline felt safe there so wanted to say thank you." Thank you Zara for your original fundraising idea. We love seeing our young supporters showing an interest in the Hospice and setting themselves a fundraising challenge!

March saw another fantastic walking challenge take place with siblings Jane and Kevin walking 10,000 steps every day to complete their ‘big toddle’ in memory of Step-Dad Eddie Robertson. Jane told us of the inspiration behind their challenge saying, ‘The thought of St Columba's enduring

Zara and her Granny Jacqueline, who she fundraised in memory of

the hardship of a tough year and other families losing out spurred us on. People think hospices are just for the dying but we saw life, happiness, care, compassion and peace within its walls. It's the most sacred journey a person will take - it doesn't have to be a lonely one’. Thank you so much Jane and Kevin for raising a fantastic £240!

Forget-me-nots with dedications in the Tribute Garden

Both families plan to open a Forget Me Not Tribute Fund in memory of their loved one now that the Tribute Garden at the Hospice has reopened. A Tribute Fund is a special and personal way to remember a loved one and raise funds in their name to help support the Hospice. Each of the tribute funds has a dedicated Forget-menot flower in the garden bearing a copper leaf inscribed with the name of a loved one.

The Tribute Garden is in the courtyard at the Hospice. If you are interested in finding out more please email forgetmenot@ stcolumbashospice. org.uk

Get Involved!

Contact us to get involved! Learn more about the Hospice, or let us know your fundraising ideas. fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk or call 0131 551 1381.

www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

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Virtual talks Our speakers tailor talks to suit the interest of your group. We are currently offering virtual talks, but you will still get the chance to ask questions!

Did you know...

We have 660 volunteers (that's 3 to every 1 staff member)

Our Access Team ensure patients can access the care they need, whenever they need it

Our community fundraiser, Diane, recently gave a talk to The Rotary Club of Edinburgh

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www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

It costs £10.7 million to run the hospice for one year

Book a speaker for your group.

Contact Hannah Graham or Diane Ewart. Simply email us: fund@stcolumbashospice.co.uk or call 0131 551 1381

Leave a gift in your will to St Columba’s Hospice Care.

Our dedicated nurses continue to provide excellent palliative care to people in need of our support.

The cost of providing care to 1 in 3 patients is funded thanks to gifts left to us in wills, so your donation will make a real difference.

Registered Charity No. SC003634

For legacy information, please contact Lianne by email at fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk or by phone on 0131 551 1381

stcolumbashospice.org.uk

Keep in touch with us online for our latest news: www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

facebook.com/stcolumbas

@StColumbas @st.columbas.hospice

→ St Columba’s Hospice Care 15 Boswall Road Edinburgh EH5 3RW T: 0131 551 1381 E: fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk — Copyright © 2021 St Columba’s Hospice.

All rights reserved. Registered in Scotland N° 48700. Charity N° SC003634 On the cover: Musician Steven Christie Design: monumentum.co.uk — If you would like to receive your edition of Life via email rather than post, please let us know by contacting fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk