INSIDE:
Supportive Care:
Spring/Summer 2017
Our latest news for supporters and friends of North Devon Hospice
news
Anne and Colin Manning share how The Long House has helped them
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Lottery Online:
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‘New look’ lottery launches at playnorthdevon.org.uk
In the pink:
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Excitement rises for Nightwalk 2017
What a journey! It’s been an incredible 5 years since our Hospice to Home service first launched. We have been able to provide care to more than 1,200 patients across North Devon since the service started, offering each patient and their carers much needed support as they approach the end of life. Our Hospice to Home team look after patients and their carers who prefer to receive help at home. We offer a rapid response service and can provide round the clock care. We support our patients with symptom control, psychological support, personal care and practical help. We are specifically here for patients and their families who need more hands-on care and support towards the end of life. Gill Kirkland, Clinical Team Leader for the team said “It’s been an incredible journey and because of the amazing support of our community we
Did you know...? Celebrating 5 years
Our team travelled 5,120 miles last year helping to ensure all our patients had the care they need at home.
have been able to continue growing our service and last year alone we were able to make 2,794 visits to patient’s homes. We also introduced three new Clinical Nurse Specialists and five new Health Care Assistant posts last year. These posts have allowed us to do so much more – not only support a greater number of patients but we have also been able to give more overnight support in patient’s homes.”
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Remembering us with a gift in your will
Welcome to our latest newsletter. I hope you enjoy reading about the difference your support is making and feel inspired to get involved with us throughout 2017.
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CEO Stephen Roberts
Fireworks for The Long House A touching story from a local couple
More support for patients See how our service has evolved
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North Devon Monopoly
Own your piece of North Devon History 7
‘New look’ Lottery
Now even easier to sign up
Nightwalk 2017
Sign up for this year’s event now
Event Calendar
Don’t miss a thing
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The care that we are able to provide is utterly reliant on the amazing generostiy of people leaving gifts in their will. In the past 5 years we have relied upon £4 million from generous legacies. Hospice Head of Fundraising, Ali Hunt said “Legacies have formed the backbone of income for us and we would urge anyone who can, to leave a gift for us in their will as it will make such a difference to us, however big or small. We know that demand for our services will continue to rise each year and we want to make sure that we can continue to support people at a vital time in their lives. Please get in touch with us if you think you can help us in this way.”
If you need to make a new will or want to make changes to an existing one, we have been working with local solicitors who will offer this facility. Please get in touch if you wish to discuss this further, or let us know if you plan to leave us a gift in your will.
Did you know...? We need to raise £4.5 million in charitable income every year so that we can continue supporting our patients and their families facing a life-limiting illness.
Please contact the Fundraising Team on 01271 347 206 or email fundraising@northdevonhospice.org.uk for more information.
Fireworks for The Long House It was three years ago that Anne and Colin Manning organised a firework fundraiser for their friends, family and local church to attend at their farm in Bradworthy, helping to raise funds for The Long House. Anne, at this stage, was cancer free and wasn’t expecting that she and her husband Colin would to use its services only Colin and Anneneed Manning a few years later. Anne told us “We are Devon through and through and we were delighted that Holsworthy was going to get a purpose built centre that would be there to support people facing a life-limiting illness. The NHS was, and still is, struggling to cope with demand and there wasn’t anywhere locally for people to go to get the specialist support they needed. We were delighted that the local community was getting something so special.” It was a few years later that Anne developed ovarian cancer and had a series of chemotherapy treatments at Barnstaple
Colin and Anne Manning
hospital. Although Anne began to come to terms with the diagnosis with the support of their wider family and friends, it was her husband, Colin, who was finding it difficult, particularly knowing how to support Anne. Colin told us “When we got the news about Anne it was such a shock, I never expected in a million years she would get cancer. I was in a bit of a mess as I just couldn’t get my head around it. I was shocked and felt somewhat helpless to
know how to support Anne. It hit me really hard and I particularly struggled to be able to talk about it to others at the time.” Colin and Anne were contacted by the Supportive Care team at North Devon Hospice following a referral by the Chemotherapy Team - and went along to The Long House. They signed up for a carer’s group course and had some complementary therapy - Colin also had some counselling sessions. Anne said “It was amazing that so much support was on offer and it really helped us – particularly for Colin who was keeping a lot of his emotions bottled up. The Long House not only gave us an opportunity to meet and share with other people who were facing a similar illness but we know that the hospice is here in the future if ever we need it.”
Get in touch... To find out more about the range of services offered through our Supportive Care team both at The Long House in Holsworthy and at Deer Park in Barnstaple, please call 01271 347 225 or visit www.northdevonhospice.org.uk
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More choice and more support for our patients with our revamped Supportive Care We’re catching up with Mandy Redgrove, our Head of Supportive Care who shares with us how the service has evolved to better meet the needs of our patients.
How would you describe the service you provide? When a patient and their family are living with the knowledge that time might be short, our team are there to listen and try to understand what support could inspire them to make the most of that time. The service aims to provide a safe sanctuary from the pressures of the outside world;
Did you know....? Thanks to grant funding we have just opened our brand new Art Therapy room at our hospice in Deer Park, Barnstaple. Our creative sessions can help to improve patient wellbeing.
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a place where people can relax and feel able to express themselves. This support continues for the family after a patient has died, for as long as it is helpful.
Who can access our Supportive Care service? The Supportive Care service is available to • adult patients who have a limited life expectancy and are in the palliative stage of their disease • colleagues/friends and relatives of that patient, including children • bereaved adults and children where the deceased had been a palliative care patient, either in North Devon or elsewhere
What range of services do you provide and where? We recognise that every person is unique and will have different needs. For this
Where do we offer this support? We offer our support at our two hospice sites; Deer Park in Barnstaple and The Long House in Holsworthy. Hospice patients and their families are welcome to access Supportive Care services at either or both of these places.
How can people find out more about your service?
Mandy, Head of Supportive Care
reason we provide a wide range of services and together with the family, we can decide which of those would be of most benefit to them. We’re currently offering a wide range of sessions including one to one support (adults and children), complementary therapies, pastoral and spiritual care, a bereavement support group; food and film events for patients, carers and family
members; a ‘time for you’ support session run by nursing staff; a patient support group; a carer support group; wellbeing sessions including massage and hairdressing. We continually review and adapt our activities to tailor to individual needs, such as: • Seated exercise • Managing fatigue • Talking to children about bereavement • Stress and anxiety courses
You can contact our team by calling 01271 347 225, by emailing gemmaharris@northdevonhospice.org.uk, pennywilliamson@northdevonhospice.org.uk or visit our website at www.northdevonhospice.org.uk The best way to get referred to us is by contacting your GP.
In the last 12 months we have doubled the number of patients we have supported at The Long House compared with the previous year and expect this number to continue to rise.
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250,000 Hour Volunteer Campaign Could you help towards our 250,000 hour donation target? Volunteers are the lifeblood of our hospice and we need to increase the number of volunteering hours this year so that we can continue to support the growing needs of our patients and their families. Our Volunteer Development Manager, Kim Jones tells us “We are supporting more people with our services than ever before and because of this, we need more volunteers to help us. We have a wide range of roles we are looking to fill in our shops, helping to transport patients, office roles, kitchen staff duties and also gardening roles. We are in desperate need of more volunteers to lend their time, so we have launched our #250000hours campaign in the hope that local people will pledge some time to the hospice in 2017. We have roles available requiring as little as three hours commitment each week.”
“I absolutely love my job. I’ve been out of the workplace for a long time and the role has taught me loads of new skills and given me such confidence. No day is ever the same and I get to help out in so many areas including events, administration roles – and I’ve even helped out with a fashion show. One of the great parts of the role is that I get to meet loads of lovely people. I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that everything I do is making a difference for such a great local charity.” Juli, Marketing & Communications Volunteer you get to meet new people, can gain new skills, it helps build confidence and people always tell us how rewarding it is.”
Kim added, “Volunteering is proven to be incredibly good for your own well-being as Penny,Cafe Volunteer
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If you can help us, please call our volunteering team on 01271 347 226 or email 250000h@northdevonhospice.org.uk
North Devon Monopoly All profits... from North Devon Monopoly go directly towards care at North Devon Hospice
Stephen Roberts, North Devon Hospice’s CEO said “This is a fresh and exciting fundraising initiative that the whole area can be proud of. It is a real honour that North Devon has been chosen to have our own Monopoly board. When we first approached Hasbro it was a long shot, but now that it is here and on sale - we’re so pleased with the finished product. We’re confident that this will be a must-have, not only for locals who love this area, but also holiday makers as a memento of their visit.”
Photo: Andy Casey.
Build your empire and support the hospice at the same time! North Devon Hospice has teamed up with board game giant Hasbro to produce a special North Devon edition of Monopoly, with all proceeds going to the hospice. Our very own version of the world’s best loved board game features some of North Devon’s most famous landmarks and attractions, giving you the chance to own properties including Castle Hill, Woolacombe Beach and Lundy Island!
Stephen added “In these tough economic times, we have to think differently about how we raise the money needed to fund our essential care. All proceeds from North Devon Monopoly will go towards the care and support provided by North Devon Hospice, so we hope that this is extra motivation for people to buy one and get playing!” To buy the limited edition North Devon Monopoly, visit any one of the 100+ local stockists, including all North Devon Hospice shops, or buy online at
northdevonmonopoly.co.uk
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Did you know...? Our lottery was launched in 1998 and has raised over £8.3m during this time.
Open Garden We are delighted to be opening up our stunning gardens at Deer Park again this year from 12 noon on Sunday 4th June for our Open Garden Event. Our amazing team of volunteer gardeners have been working tirelessly over the past few months to prepare for a summer full of colour and bloom. We will be offering refreshments and also hosting a delicious 3 course Sunday lunch in our Terrace Café on the day, so why not book your table now and make an afternoon of it. Space is limited so book your table early to avoid disappointment by calling us on 01271 347 232. Children and well behaved dogs (on leads) are more than welcome to join us. Now, let’s just hope for some sunshine to make the day even more perfect! 8
Play our ‘new look’ lottery online Playing our lottery has just got a whole lot easier! Within minutes, you can sign-up online and instantly be in with a chance of winning our weekly £1,000 jackpot prize. There’s also 4 other weekly cash prizes on offer, so there’s no better time to join in the fun. Our Lottery Manager, Richard Carter tells us “We’ve been working towards an online solution for some time. We’re delighted that our new website now makes it easier than ever for people to sign up, check their numbers and make
adjustments to how many weekly tickets they purchase each week. It really is easy to play.” He added “Our lottery raises over £650k for the hospice each year and we have over 12,500 weekly players. It’s a great way for people to have a bit of fun with a chance of winning £1,000 each week – safe in the knowledge that every pound is supporting a great local cause.” To sign up for the lottery online visit www.playnorthdevon.org.uk or call the Lottery Team on 01271 347 217.
Nightwalk is just around the corner, dont miss out!
Nightwalk
Saturday 20th May Routes starting from: Barnstaple, Instow, Bideford, Torrington and Tamar Lakes near Holsworthy. Choose a walk from 3 to 11 miles.
Hundreds of local ladies have already signed up for our women-only moonlit walk. The event takes place on Saturday 20th May and those taking part will be helping to raise £100,000 for our nurses to provide additional care during the night. Our Head of Fundraising, Ali Hunt hopes that local women will rally to the cause, “ The need for our round-the-clock nursing care is growing all the time. We need the ladies of North Devon to step up to the challenge and step out for Nightwalk 2017. We are aiming to raise £100,000 to help our nurses be the extra light in the dark for families right across the area.”
is the absolute opposite, it couldn’t have been more warm and welcoming. We haven’t stopped telling people what an amazing facility it is, with such wonderful caring people. I will be taking part in Nightwalk this year to show my support and I hope lots of other local women join us.”
Sign up today at nightwalk.co.uk
New for 2017 Prosecco bar, fire performers, live music, light shows, Nightwalk t-shirts
The family of Tina Petherbridge are one such family who know how vital the hospice’s round-theclock care is. Rachael Hopkins’ step-mum, Tina, was cared for on our Bedded Unit before she sadly passed away 12 months ago. Rachael said “None of us knew what to expect and Dad in particular thought a hospice might be quite cold and clinical. But it 9
We’re doing fine online - but we need more volunteers!
all the time with the team about to expand its offering - launching its new online Amazon shop which will focus on selling books, DVDs, CDs, computer games and of course, our new North Devon Monopoly board!
Our online trading activity is going from strength to strength with our hospice eBay shop selling between 70 - 100 items every week. Online opportunities are increasing
Such is the success of our online activity, we are urgently needing to recruit more volunteers to help us. Online Trading Manager, Sally Donnellan tells us “We’ve been on an amazing journey so far and
Sheppard’s Cafe Offering a range of delicious sandwiches, baguettes, wraps and salad boxes, we use only the freshest ingredients from local suppliers to create a lunchtime or snack solution to suit any budget. We also make a great coffee and have the perfect cakes and treats to accompany a quick stop or a leisurely catch up, so why not treat yourself to that chocolate brownie or white chocolate and raspberry muffin after a morning of shopping? 10
it feels like we’re just at the beginning. Over the next 2-3 years we are looking to increase our online income significantly and we will require more volunteers to help us. We need researchers who can evaluate our stock, particularly those who have a passion for photography, books, films, DVD’s and art - but we also need support in helping us pack up items for posting.” She added “We have such good fun as a team and it’s always fascinating seeing
You can enjoy all of our food in our café, on our patio or take it away if you’re in a hurry. We can take your order either over the phone or by email in the morning and will have your lunch prepared at a time that suits you, to take the hassle out of the lunchtime rush. All proceeds from our Sheppard’s Cafe go directly to fund vital care at the hospice. Our team are also available for outside catering, just pop in or call us today to discuss the many options available to you on 01271 375 383 or drop us an email at freshlymade@sheppardscafe.co.uk
Did you know...? Our online trading activity generates between £3.5k £5.5k every month.
the price things eventually sell for. There’s rarely a day that goes by when we’ve not been surprised by what people are prepared to pay for on our online shop - particularly when people start bidding against each other. We managed to sell a single ring recently for £1,000, a painting which went for
£300, a Friar Tuck toby jug for £400 and an old ‘oak specialist’ drill selling for £150 - which a man came to collect all the way from Essex. No day is ever the same in online trading, we never know what’s going to happen and that’s what makes it so fascinating.”
Look out for our new Amazon store - coming soon! View our ebay store: stores.ebay.co.uk/northdevonhospiceshop If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with our online trading team please contact our Retail Office on 01271 342 792.
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Dates for your diary
Open Gardens at Castle Hill
Community run events with proceeds to North Devon Hospice
Open from 11am - 5pm Check our website for more Open Garden events.
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AONB North JUN Devon Marathon & Half Marathon
9.30am, The Green Woolacombe. Register at northdevonmarathon.org.uk
ShebFarmFest
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Wellie Festival JUN at The Big Sheep
30 June-02 July Pull on your wellie boots, pack your favourite festival outfits and make your way to the inaugural Wellie Festival.
Run our toughest and most beautiful race in the UK...or just spectate!
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02 SEP
Music, bands and beer! Don’t miss out on this fabulous music festival with headline act Toploader!
www.thebigsheep.co.uk
Appledore Book Festival
Nightwalk
20 MAY
Get your friends together and join us for the biggest ladies night of the year!
Visit the beautiful grounds of Castle Hill & enjoy a cream tea.
Hospice run events
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07 MAY
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22 SEP
22-30 September Why not come along to the book festival and enjoy a light lunch, tea or cake.
Walking from Tamar Lakes, Barnstaple, Bideford, Instow and Torrington. Register at nightwalk.co.uk
Floating Bye
09 JUL
Remember someone close to you, by sending a flower on a raft on the tide at sunset. 6pm, Instow Beach Raft will float at 7pm. More info at northdevonhospice.org.uk
Mission Unbreakable
Smuggler Sportive
04 JUN
OCT
Join us for our greatest challenge - 10k of mud, marsh, rivers and gruesome obstacles!
24 JUN
40, 50 & 80 mile cycle routes showcasing North Devon’s hidden gems. Get on your bike!
Join the fun at this great military day with food and entertainment.
Start and finish at Barnstaple square.
From 12pm, RMB Chivenor, Barnstaple.
Charity Golf Day at Saunton
* 27 JUL
Grab your mates and tee up for a relaxing game of golf at one of the most beautiful courses in Devon.
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Armed Forces Day
Saunton Golf Course Nr Braunton,
Holsworthy Coffee Morning
* 25 OCT
Elevation: 593
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05 AUG
An exciting family festival for Rock and Folk music fans.
Cranford Cross Farm St Giles-in-the-Wood, Devon. Visit elevationdevon.uk for tickets. Camping available.
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Skydiving
ALL YEAR
Coffee morning in aid of The Long House Outreach Centre. All welcome.
All year round Skydive for North Devon Hospice. Experience the ultimate thrill by undertaking a tandem skydive for North Devon Hospice!
Holsworthy Memorial Hall, Holsworthy.
Dunkeswell Airfield northdevonhospice.org.uk
Tickets at shebfarmfest.com
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Cafe at St Mary’s Hall, Appledore.
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Keep an eye out for more info at northdevonhospice.org.uk
To view our full calendar of events visit www.northdevonhospice.org.uk or call 01271 347 232 North Devon Hospice, Deer Park, Barnstaple, EX32 0HU Tel: 01271 344 248 info@northdevonhospice.org.uk
Registered charity number 286554