Spring 2020
St Luke’s News
Join us in our celebration of life
The difference YOU made P4 | A celebration of life P6 | Lottery Rollover P10 1
Welcome Y
our support is so important to us. Over the past 12 months, kind donations and the support of our community has enabled us to make some much needed improvements to our Inpatient Unit which I am delighted to share with you. With patient comfort at the heart of everything we do, we have now installed smart TVs at every bedside, renovated sinks in our side rooms and bays, purchased rise and recline chairs and added soft furnishings including curtains, bedspreads and throws in tranquil colours and designs – all of which help to create a warm, welcoming and calming environment for our patients and their loved ones. None of this could have been achieved without your kindness and support, so thank you.
To enable us to continue making our patients as comfortable as possible, you may be interested in becoming a ‘Friend of St Luke’s’. Regular giving enables us to ensure that our services are available for future patients. For more information please look at the back cover of this newsletter. This summer we are celebrating life and love with stunning displays of gold and silver coloured daisies in Nantwich and Northwich. A limited number of daisies have been custom made for St Luke’s by the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry and will be available for collection from June. I am going to buy three flowers for my garden as a happy reminder of my mother and in memory of my dad and father-in-law. If you would like to pre-order a daisy for your garden or home, please see pages 6 & 7 for more details. Thank you again for your ongoing support,
How to contact us 22
Neil Neil Wright, CEO at St Luke’s
St Luke’s Hospice, Grosvenor House, Queensway, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 1BH T 01606 551246 E enquiries@slhospice.co.uk www.slhospice.co.uk
Contents This is the difference that you made, Pages 4 - 5 A celebration of life, Pages 6 - 7 Our young supporters are an inspiration, Pages 8 - 9 Lottery Rollover, Pages 10 - 11 Donate. Recycle. Shop. Pages 12 - 13 We need YOU... Pages 14 - 15 St Luke's Summer Superdraw, Page 16 Mel's story, Page 17 Workplace wizards, Page 18 Dates for your diary, Page 19 Friends of St Luke's, Page 20 Kim and Keith on their wedding day
3
This is the difference t A
s a charity, we make no charge for our services, but rely on the generosity of the local community, along with our own fundraising efforts and a modest contribution from the NHS. Every year, our income is spent on delivering our specialist care at the Hospice, out in the community and in patients' own homes. We secure our future by investing funds on raising awareness of St Luke's and generating future income.
Where does our money come from? Charity shops Lottery Fundraising CCG grant Legacies Donations including trusts Investment income
How we spend our money... Therapies Nursing and medical supplies Catering Patient care
Admin costs Building costs Patient care
44
Facts and figures for St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice for the year ending 31st March 2019
e that you made...
5
A celebration of life Make each new day a celebration of life and love
T
his summer we are offering you a truly beautiful way to celebrate life and love with a stunning silver and gold coloured daisy. The simple summer flower, which symbolises love and ongoing commitment, is a perfect way to celebrate the life of someone important to you. It could be a touching tribute in memory of a loved one or a beautiful gift for someone you love and treasure every day. Our exquisite daisies have been custom made by the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry and are a special addition for the garden or home. The daisies are made of lacquered brass and steel, standing 50cm tall and 18cm wide. Each flower has a hollow stem which can be filled with a heartfelt note to a loved one. The money raised from the sale of each daisy will help St Luke’s to continue to care and support over 1,000 patients and their families each year. A limited number of the daisies will be available from June, but they can be pre-ordered now for a donation of £30 per flower.
66
You can also choose if you wish to have your daisy displayed over the summer in Nantwich or Northwich as part of two beautiful floral displays we are planning, each flower celebrating life and love. When the displays come to a close, the daisies will be brought back to our Hospice for collection. To pre-order a daisy as part of our summer celebration of life and love, please visit www.slhospice.co.uk/daisy or complete the form overleaf and return it to us.
7
Young supporters are an inspiration... H
ere's how just some of our incredible young people have shown their support for St Luke's over the past year. Twelve-year-old Henry and his Dad, Michael, set themselves the mammoth challenge of trekking an impressive 30 miles along Hadrian’s Wall. Michael was inspired to take on the challenge after Henry completed his first ever Cheshire Hike with the Scouts. Michael is a type 1 diabetic so relied on his son to help him complete the 3 day walk. Together, the father and son duo raised an impressive £603.24 for St Luke’s!
Thirty-one local schools took part in our annual Rudolph Run during November and December 2019. The event was sponsored by Mornflake, which supplied every child with a free packet of porridge to fuel their run. Over 6,000 little reindeers took part in the run this year, and altogether, the collective effort of every child on the Rudolph Run helped raise a massive £26,565.02 for St Luke’s. Just amazing! 888
Seventeen-year-old Matthew Davidson raised an incredible amount for St Luke’s Hospice by running the October Manchester Half Marathon, in memory of his Mum Clair. Matthew was incredibly dedicated to his running challenge, becoming fitter and stronger every day as well as growing in confidence. Together, he and his team pushed themselves to run further each day in preparation for their massive challenge. Altogether, Matthew and his team raised £2,783.53 for St Luke’s Hospice - a huge accomplishment which will benefit more patients like Clair.
Students at Petty Pool College in Northwich are long term supporters of our Hospice. For the past six years, the students have transformed the St Luke’s big red bus into a magical Christmas Grotto. Lovingly decorated by the students, the big red bus travelled across mid and south Cheshire, bringing a little Christmas spirit to lots of young children in local schools. Thanks to their wonderful creative efforts, the students from Petty Pool College helped St Luke’s Christmas Grotto to raise £5,000 last year! A big thank you to all of our fundraisers who make such a difference every day. To find 9 out how you can join them, contact community@slhospice.co.uk or call 01606 555697
Lottery rollover W
e are delighted to give you the chance to win a brand new rollover jackpot of up to £5,000 in our Lottery. We have made the exciting decision to change the format of our weekly draw as a thank you to our existing players and to hopefully attract more people to sign up. Our Lottery players make a huge difference to the Hospice. Over the last 25 years the Lottery has raised more than £11 million for patient care, which is the equivalent of one week of care on our Inpatient Unit every month, and it still costs just £1 a week to play! We will continue to ensure that as much money as possible goes to support the work of the Hospice, as we know how important that is to you, our supporters.
The new draw format, which starts on Friday 3rd April, offers players the chance to win 35 guaranteed prizes every week, including a £1,000 jackpot. In addition to this a weekly rollover prize of £200 is being introduced. If the rollover is not won it will rollover and accumulate each week up to a maximum of £5,000, at which point there will be a guaranteed winner. All existing players will automatically be entered into the rollover draw.
We are incredibly grateful to our loyal supporters who play the Lottery, and hope that the addition of a rollover may encourage more people to sign up for just £1 a week. Give a little, care a lot! Claire, Head of Fundraising
1010
Furniture and Fashion (Winsford) | Winsford | Furniture Warehouse (Winsford) Every penny of profit the Lottery raises supports local people and their families who are cared for and supported by St Luke’s. To support St Luke’s for just £1 each week, and get the chance to win big cash prizes including a rollover prize up to £5,000, please sign up online at www.slhospice.co.uk/lottery Alternatively, for enquiries or to sign up over the phone please call 01606 553553 or email lottery@slhospice.co.uk
"I'm amazed I've won the Lottery twice in the six years I've been playing. I would recommend A helping hand: Marian Bray volunteers at anyone to play St Luke's Lottery." our Hartford shop Louise, Church Lawton
To sign up to the Lottery please visit www.slhospice.co.uk/lottery or call 01606 553553 11
Donate.Recycle.Shop. Choose charity, shop with St Luke's! Whether you're looking for an upcycling project, a retro piece of furniture for your living room or some homely finishing touches, why not pop along and see what treasures are for sale in one of our shops? Stock changes regularly, so don't miss out and come and have a browse today! We all have clothes, books, bits and bobs lying around that we haven’t worn, have never used or can’t fit into anymore. What better way of recycling these things and decluttering your home than donating them to us - and all whilst helping to save the environment at the same time!
attached
1212
Free furniture collection
From supporting your local Hospice to helping the environment, donating unwanted furniture has great benefits for all. Whether you’re upgrading your sofa, moving house or having a clear out, here at St Luke's, our friendly warehouse team can collect your unwanted large furniture...for free! Contact the Warehouse to arrange a drop off or request a quote for collection on 01606 555825 or email warehouse@slhospice.co.uk We collect all sorts of items, including: • • •
Sofas, suites, armchairs Tables, chairs, desks, cabinets Beds and bedroom furniture In order for us to sell your items, please ensure:
• •
Everything is in good condition, items are complete and are in full working order All individual items of upholstered/soft furniture have a fire label Amazon has come up with a really easy way to shop as well as support St Luke’s Hospice. When you shop using smile.amazon.co.uk instead of amazon.co.uk, a percentage of the money you spend is donated to our Hospice. To start using AmazonSmile today, simply visit the site and select St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice as your charity of choice when you begin your shopping. It really is that simple!
Did you know... that we have an eBay shop
updated weekly with some amazing offers? With a wide range of new and second hand items to choose from, if you’re looking for a unique gift at a competitive price, it really is the perfect place to browse. So, you can support St Luke’s and grab yourself a bargain from the comfort of your own home! For more information on our shops and details about how to make a donation, 13 please visit www.slhospice.co.uk/shops
We need YOU... N
o matter how fit or unfit, how old or how young you are, our Midnight Walk is for everyone! As our beloved walk reaches an incredible 16th year, we need YOU more than ever, our valued and ever-loyal supporters, to help our event to continue to be the successful and wonderful experience that it always has been.
O
ne of the incredible people walking in support of our Hospice this year is 85-year-old Sheila Westwood from Wistaston, who is walking in memory of her husband, Ray, who passed away last February from terminal cancer. “We received a lot of support during Ray's illness and now it's made me feel as though I want to help raise some money for people who are receiving end of life care at St Lukes.
“I am really looking forward to taking part in the Midnight Walk as it’s something I've always wanted to do for years and it's for a really good cause. I’ve started my training and am currently walking on average five miles a day (weather depending!) and hope to build up to ten miles by May, then I should be ready for the big night!” Sheila's active lifestyle involves walking each day with her dog, and she has a packed social diary which includes being a member of the U3A, bridge club and bingo, amongst a number of other activities that she can squeeze in! "The support I've had so far has been amazing, my daughter, Sallie showed me a recent Facebook post I'd been in for St Luke's. There were some lovely comments on there from people that I don't even know, which I found very encouraging." Kindly supported by
1414
A
t just three years old, little Pegi Fitzpatrick is the youngest member of the Bishop family, and will be walking alongside her relatives at this year's event. The Bishops have not had the easiest couple of years. The beginning of 2019 saw Pegi's great aunt Suzanne being diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer, leaving her daughter, Laura and the rest of the family uncertain whether or not she would see Christmas. Laura said: “Pegi is an amazing support to mum, more than she will ever know. When they spend time with one another, mum can forget about being poorly for once and enjoy the moment.
Three-year-old Pegi
“Thankfully, mum is now on more of an even keel and now we are determined to make 2020 all about making lasting memories and experiences for mum. We have something planned for each month for her, including the Midnight Walk!” Both Laura and Suzanne are benefitting from complementary therapies at St Luke’s. "I think it’s good that mum has someone to talk and cry to that’s not me. Ultimately, she will always keep things from me as I’m her daughter and she won’t want to upset me. Plus, I get an hour to chill out, all whilst knowing she’s being cared for. "We wanted to give back a little by taking part in the Midnight Walk. St Luke’s has provided our family with a bit of sanctuary and downtime away from all the hospital appointments and check-ups...you can't put a price on that." Suzanne Bishop (R) with her daughter Laura, (L) If these amazing stories have inspired you to lace up your trainers and join us in June, there's 15 still time! Visit www.slhospice.co.uk/midnightwalk
St Luke’s Summer Superdraw! Kindly supported by
A
re you feeling lucky? Be in with a chance of winning big with St Luke's Hospice this summer!
The draw will take place on Friday 4th September 2020 and the lucky winners will be notified by phone or letter.
Our long term supporter, Cliff Dickenson & Son, is supporting us with a brand new Ford Fiesta 1.1 Trend 5dr car for one lucky person to win in this year's Summer Superdraw!
Over the years, our superdraws have helped to raise thousands of pounds of vital income for the Hospice, as well as creating many new prize winners too - so get your tickets online today by visiting: www.slhospice.co.uk/winacar or pop into the Hospice to be in with a chance of winning some amazing prizes!
Tickets are just £1 each and every one you buy will bring you a step closer to winning one of our incredible prizes, as well as helping to raise money for patient care here at St Luke's Hospice.
! N I W
2ND PRIZE
£500 CASH
3RD PRIZE
£300 CASH
1616
A BRAND NEW FORD FIESTA trend
4TH PRIZE
£200 CASH
Mel's story
www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk
S
eventy-year-old Meleny Benyon says coming to St Luke’s “literally saved my life”. Mel from Northwich spent one week in our Inpatient Unit for symptom management and emotional support following a diagnosis of secondary cancer. She had been treated for breast cancer the previous year and was devastated to learn it had spread to her spine and bones. She said: "I literally got in the bed and breathed a sigh of relief. I said to my kids ‘I just feel safe now. Somebody’s saved me!’ Because if I hadn’t come here, I don’t think I would have made it."
The nurses don’t judge you, they just love you, they envelop you and they just make you feel like a worthy person. They are just so full of love. They gave me my fight back! For the next 13 weeks Mel was supported by a weekly visit to Day Hospice where nurses continued to support her with symptom management during her
Mel (right) with her daughter Alice
chemotherapy treatment. They also helped to build her confidence and monitored her emotional wellbeing as she adjusted to her illness. She has since accessed our counselling service and still meets with her counsellor on a regular basis. “My counsellor talks me through every little problem and she has given me so much confidence. She’s been wonderful. We talk about everything and she just gives me the will to go on." Mel has great support from her family and friends and is planning lots of days out and trips. She added: "Over the last three years when I think of what I’ve come through, where I’ve been and how people have helped me, I feel so, so lucky. I really do.”
If you would like to support patients like Mel please consider making a regular donation to 173 the Hospice from £2 a month at www.slhospice.co.uk/donate
Workplace wizards! T
he team at Payzone UK in Lostock Gralam chose St Luke’s as their ‘Charity of the Year’ for 2019 and supported us by donating pre-loved clothes, completing the Midnight Walk, staging workplace ‘dress down days’, organising quiz nights, signing up for our very first Bring a Pound to Work Day - along with holding a prestigious Charity Ball at Nunsmere Hall. Altogether, their year-long commitment raised a very impressive £12,390.25!
Staff at Payzone UK on 'Bring a pound to Wor k Day'
T
his year, Poole Alcock solicitors across the region have generously pledged to raise £25,000 to support local people and their families at the Hospice. Over 130 of their staff will be taking on challenges and staging events in order to reach their target. We wish them all the luck in their fundraising efforts!
We are so grateful for the wonderful support we receive from local workplaces across the area. Whether you're in a team of 2, 20 or 200, there are lots of reasons to get involved and make a real difference:
Great for your staff
Keeping it local
Good PR opportunities
Networking
Could your workplace support St Luke's? Email andy.bailey@slhospice.co.uk 1818 or call 01606 555872
Corporate Social Responsibility
Dates for your diary April
Bingo, Wednesday 1st April, Winsford Conservative Club, Ways Green Bring a Bag to Work Day, Thursday 2nd April Charity Soul All-Dayer, Sunday 12th April, Coppenhall Working Mens Club, Crewe Manor House Stables Tour, Friday 24th April, Malpas
May
Bubble Rush sponsored by Cliff Dickenson & Son, Sunday 17th May, Dorfold Hall, Nantwich St Luke's Golf Day, Tuesday 26th May, Sandiway Golf Club
June
Midnight Walk, Saturday 27th June, Reaseheath College, Nantwich
July
Manor House Stables Tour, Saturday 18th July, Malpas
August
St Luke's Festival, Saturday 29th August, Winsford Academy
November
St Luke's Christmas Fair, Saturday 21st November, Winsford Academy
19
For more information about our events and how to get involved, visit our events page at 19 www.slhospice.co.uk/events
www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk
Join today and become a Friend of St Luke's
Did you know that regular giving enables us to plan for the future and ensure our services remain available?
It is only with the generosity of our supporters, people like Friends of St Luke's, that people living in our local community who face life limiting illnesses can get our services free of charge.
We get by with a little help from our friends...
For more information or to become a Friend of St Luke's, visit www.slhospice.co.uk/friends You can also contact Angela on 01606 555697 or angela.slack@slhospice.co.uk
2020
Grosvenor House, Queensway, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 1BH Registered Charity No. 515595
T 01606 551246 E enquiries@slhospice.co.uk www.slhospice.co.uk
203