Open House - Spring 2023

“The

On one of my first few days in my new role at Garden House Hospice Care, I noticed one of our delivery vans parked outside. On the side of the van it read: Join our team and make a difference. Start your journey here.

I started my career as a nurse - my specialty was palliative care - working as a senior sister in a hospice then moving into an acute trust as a Macmillan Nurse. My career followed a path of leadership within several sectors of the NHS as CEO and Deputy CEO. But I have in effect returned home. I feel such pride in joining a team that makes a difference every day - something I’ve already witnessed multiple times within my first few weeks.

Talking with a patient in our care on my first day, he was full of praise for the team who helped him over recent days. He is now looking forward to getting home with his cat who apparently went astray looking for him.

Everything we do is about helping those that need our care. Without exception as I’ve met staff and volunteers, I have heard stories that evidence how they all go that extra mile to make it happen. Sheila and Derek’s story on the next page is just one example of what it means to those on the receiving end.

I’ve also seen in action the hard work and dedication of the teams who serve our community and bring in much needed revenue for us to continue our work. I have a strong sense of responsibility to make sure I govern the spend of each

penny earnt - to maximise the potential of the money we raise due to the generosity of our community; of people like you.

As the Chief Executive of the charity you support, my aims are clear. During the current economic climate, there is an urgency to design a path to take us through all of that, securing our finances and safeguarding the Hospice’s future.

I want our services to reach more people – particularly those who are ‘living well’ with their end-of-life condition but could benefit from and have their wellbeing enhanced by the expertise of our teams. We will look at the people who aren’t accessing our services and ask why and how we can be there for them.

We also need to look at sustainability and how we can be working in a more environmentally friendly way, as well as adapting to digital systems and processes so we are more efficient.

I look forward to meeting and hearing from you and for you to come on this onward journey with us.

The work we do is only possible thanks to the fundraising you do, the items you donate, the money you pledge. May I take this opportunity to thank you.

Lisa Hunt, Chief Executive lisa.hunt@ghhospicecare.org.uk

New class for body and mind

A brand new tai class featuring gentle seated exercises for our patients and their carers started in the New Year.

Ran by our physiotherapy team, the Ernest Gardiner became a sea of calm as the soothing music played and the class enjoyed the slow, mindful movements.

Jayne, our physiotherapist who lead the class said: “Tai chi is about strengthening and flexibility and active relaxation of the body and mind. There’s a lot of evidence that it reduces falls in older adults, it helps with balance, muscle strength and breathing which are useful for lots of conditions such as COPD and Parkinson’s.”

As well as the physical benefits, tai chi also teaches you to focus what’s happening inside you – both physically and mentally. “We know our patients and their carers can find it hard to relax at home, but they come here and can switch off. The intention is they can use what they learn at home.”

One patient told us the class was ‘fabulous’ – as good as any they had done elsewhere – and that they felt ‘so well’ afterwards.

Help to unwind

It is important to our Inpatient Unit team that their patients feel relaxed, at ease, and looked after. Here, Sharon, a health care assistant, is massaging a patient who told us that she had initially felt worried about being admitted to the Hospice. “Everyone has time for you,” she said. “I feel understood now. I have been very relaxed since I’ve been here, the care is personal and sympathetic. The staff go above and beyond; they’ll do anything for you.”

Shelia’s story

Sheila was introduced to the Hospice after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2021. Her husband Derek became quickly overwhelmed upon realising she would need continuous care, but the couple are now regulars at our Letchworth Community Hub, always attending with smiles on their faces.

“We never dreamed Sheila had Motor Neurone Disease,” Derek began. “We just thought maybe she’d had a bad stroke.”

“The situation got on top of me… and I started suffering from Nervous Exhaustion. The doctor recommended I get back in touch with the Hospice and I was encouraged to have counselling. Unfortunately, my generation is not normally open to [it]… But I have had the benefit of the other way of looking at things. Talking doesn’t harm. It is strange for someone of my generation because we were brought up ‘men don’t cry’. But we had six sessions and I found it extremely good.”

“The Hospice has provided an enlightenment to us. It’s opened our eyes to the world is not as bad as what we thought.”

through our Rehab and Wellbeing team. Whilst he received treatment, it was recommended Sheila attend our Community Hub at the same time. Despite losing her voice because of her illness, she can still communicate using a monitor with infrared rays. This allows her to type words with her eyes which she can then speak.

“It’s very frustrating, because my mind is still in-tact,” Sheila explained. “[But I’ve] made some very good friends. I love coming to the coffee morning; I cannot wait for Friday to come.”

Derek was also offered Reiki services

“I’m now enjoying the coffee mornings with Sheila, very much so,” Derek added. “That is the highlight of our week.”

For more information about our Community Hubs or to find out how you can volunteer, visit ghhospicecare.org.uk/supporting-you/community-hubs.

John’s Gift

Gifts left in wills are an incredible way of protecting the future care we give others and we were honoured to recently receive a donation of £73,000 from former Hospice community member and supporter John Lambert.

Back in 2020, keen fell walker John completed a 268-mile walk of the length of the Pennine Way –at two miles a day around local countryside –whilst fundraising for the Hospice. We supported him while his wife received care for her terminal cancer in 2019, through our Community Hubs and Compassionate Neighbours project.

Despite suffering from metastatic kidney cancer himself, experiencing side effects such as arthritis and cancer-related fatigue and even undergoing a brain operation in late 2020, John persevered and completed his challenge in December of that year with a final walk from Letchworth Golf Course to the Hospice, where he was warmly welcomed by our staff.

Now, thanks to John’s gift in his will, this latest amount could fund the full running costs of the Hospice for a week.

Kerry Cunnane, Legacy and In-Memory Manager, said, “We were blown away by the generosity shown by John in choosing to give a gift in his will. After raising more than £3,500 through his charity walk in 2020, his kindness has continued to help protect the future of our Hospice and everything we do for local people who need our help.”

To discover more about leaving a gift in your will to Garden House Hospice Care, please contact our team on legacies@ghhospicecare.org.uk or visit ghhospicecare.org.uk/leave-a-legacy.

Connect Corporate Networking is an exciting new way for you to make positive connections for your business, whilst supporting local hospice care. Erman Housein, our Head of Business Development, is leading the project.

Why have you launched Connect?

We want to create a corporate community where businesses have the opportunity to connect with others, grow their networks and form new partnerships. They’ll also learn about the Hospice and what their support does, whilst giving us a chance to grow our own supporter base.

What can members expect?

Put simply, we’ll provide the space and businesses will do the connecting! There will be quarterly networking sessions and two social events annually. They can stay connected throughout the year using our app, where they’ll also receive exclusive news from the Hospice or early invites and discounts for our fundraising events, teambuilding days and more.

Our new business networking club

Erman Housein Head of Business Development

Who is Connect for?

Although primarily aimed at our catchment area of North Hertfordshire, Central Bedfordshire, and Cambridgeshire, any business can join. We have membership packages to suit any sector and any size company – from sole traders to large organisations – each with varying benefits. Even if you’re not involved in partnerships at your workplace, make sure to spread the word and let your charity lead know about Connect!

Where do you see Connect going?

As well as helping the Hospice financially, we are hoping Connect will grow and continue to evolve, with members shaping how the networking sessions are led and what they want to get out of them.

Business aside, we also want people to have fun, meet friends, and be able to celebrate the launch of something new!

For more information on our membership packages or to sign up to our first networking event, visit ghhospicecare.org.uk/connect.

Get withmuddy us

Get on your marks and get ready to take on take on Muddy Mayhem, our 5km obstacle run at the beautiful Woodhall Estate. We spoke to some Muddy Mayhem fans about why they will be back again this year.

Having heard a lot about the event previously and all the support it raises, [we] decided to go for it in order to help raise awareness, provide us with a defined fitness goal and to bring us together collectively with a common objective in mind. Our 9-year-old was very keen when he heard he could do the 1km Mini Mudder.

Our customer base is the best and always willing to show us support… [they] will prove to be vital in exceeding our fundraising minimum target of £400, therefore helping to support the great work carried out by the Hospice.

Our plans for the coming years will be encouraging our staff to join in as a team building exercise… and have a bit of fun along with supporting such a good cause.

I run The Poachers pub in Stevenage and so many of our customers have either received care or had support from the amazing workers at the Hospice. I took part in Muddy Mayhem last year to support a lifelong friend and customer, Con Sheehan, who had received the most phenomenal care.

It was challenging, but the amount of laughs had throughout the course and the volunteers there guiding and supporting us all the way really helped us stay motivated! I’m most looking forward to Muddy Mayhem 2023 to see how much the course has changed.

I think others should take part because it’s a fantastic day out, and it motivated me to start exercising again. We hope to raise £1500 and can’t wait to join everyone else.

Leanne and Shane Kingston Affordable Windows

Conor McGrath, Con’s Army

“Doing everything but”

“I heard someone once describe social workers as ‘doing everything but’ and that’s quite accurate. As a member of the Family Support team, I would say I ‘do everything but’, which can be anything outside of what the clinical team will do. Generally that is around benefits, advice and providing support about how to navigate services, whether that’s social care services, questions around wills and lasting power of attorneys or even guardianship of children.

“As an example, we had a patient in the Inpatient Unit whose children were under-18. I worked with them to navigate Children’s Services and what would happen to the youngsters when they died, as there was no significant other parent in their lives. However we also receive referrals from our Rehab & Wellbeing team for patients who often want to know about counselling or other issues that I can support them with.

“There are areas I have particular expertise in, but if I don’t know the answer then it’s my job to find it out and signpost accordingly.”

Jenny experienced placements at St Catherine’s Hospice in Scarborough and a five-week placement at a Ugandan hospice earlier in her career, before working in learning and disabilities services for nine years. She joined Garden House Hospice Care back in the autumn and is loving her new environment.

“It’s brilliant and it was definitely the right decision to join. I love working in a multi-disciplinary setting, developing my knowledge and working with the team to come up with plans; everyone respects each other’s opinion.”

You can discover more about our Family Support Service at ghhospicecare.org.uk/ supporting-you/family-support.

As well as providing emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing to our patients, families and carers, our Family Support Service also assists with a range of social areas such as benefits and housing issues. We sat down with our new Social Worker Jenny McDonald to find out more about her role and to combat a common misconception that social work is solely focused on safeguarding children.

Jenny McDonald Social Worker

Mel’s motivation

Melody Banks started to work at our Junior House shop at the Oval in Stevenage after the Hospice cared for her mum. She’s now the shop manager, running the popular store that is a shining example of the real family feel that volunteers can experience in any of our shops.

“I love a charity shop. My mum received care from nurses at the Hospice during her terminal cancer. She wasn’t there for long but the care she received was amazing. Working here allows me to give something back.

“When the shop first opened, I went along to the training days and just loved it. I’ve since worked my way up to now being manager and this is undeniably my second home. We built it up from nothing and my team are my family.

“We’re all here for the same reason – a combined effort to make a change and

Don’t dump, donate!

help the Hospice keep doing what it does. What’s more we have so much fun, we take pride in the shop and we work together to make our targets. We love it so much. It’s Team Oval.”

Discover more about the many different volunteering opportunities across our shops and the wider organisation at our monthly Volunteer Information Sessions. Whether you can spare one hour a week, a few days a month or something in-between, there’s bound to be a great opportunity for you. Visit www.ghhospicecare.org.uk for more details.

If you’re planning on a spring clean over the coming weeks then please remember that your unwanted items can raise vital funds for end-of-life care for people in the community.

We accept a huge list of items but we’re particularly after quality clothing, toys, games and furniture. Donations will be gratefully accepted at our Distribution Centre and all of our charity shops across the region.

Melody – second from left

Fundraising news

Festive fundraising

In late November, £35,000 was donated in just over 24 hours and doubled to £70,000 as part of the Big Give – we were blown away! Coupled with our Christmas Appeal a total of £80,000 was raised, funding the care we gave from Christmas Eve through to New Year’s Eve. One of the patients who benefited was Shelagh, who was receiving care on our Inpatient Unit on Christmas Day. She told us just before Christmas she knew the team would make it a “magical time” for her.

The Farmers on Christmas Lights Tour featured nearly 200 tractors draped in festive lights and decorations, ploughing their way through Baldock, Letchworth and Hitchin. Crowds flocked to witness the spectacle and our volunteers fielded over £12,000 in donations on the night.

In the New Year 1,100 Christmas trees were collected by a swarm of volunteers from 50 towns, villages and hamlets to be recycled as part of our Treecycling scheme. This raised a tree-mendous £17,000!ghhospicecare.org. uk/supporting-you/care-home-support

New: The Wildflowers

This spring we will sow wildflower seeds in our garden, creating a meadow which will burst into colour as we head towards summer, in tribute to our loved ones. You can choose from eight flowers

Here come the chicks!

Listen carefully and you may hear the clacking of knitting needles as 10,000 Charlie Chicks are being handmade ahead of our annual Easter campaign. Thank you to our hard-working volunteer knitters! Look out for them in shops, schools and around the community and treat yourself to a cheerful chick filled with a Crème Egg, guilt free knowing every penny you spend on your purchase is helping our patients.

Thank you

None of the above would be possible without the support of you, our community and the staff and volunteers who made it all happen. However you have supported us lately or plan to help in the future: thank you.

For more information on upcoming fundraising and ways to help visit ghhospicecare.org.uk

Changing perceptions of hospice care

Our mission to change perceptions of Hospice care extends even to children and young people. Susannah Parry is part of our Community Engagement team. Here, she explains more about her role as Schools and Colleges Coordinator and why it matters.

“I educate young people about the work of the Hospice and the wider hospice movement, dispelling common myths and misconceptions,” Susannah began. “The message we send is that we offer a place of support for people from point of diagnosis, not just at the end of life.”

“They then become our ambassadors and they spread the word. Going forward, they are our next generation. They or their families may need our services, and hopefully more of them will have a better understanding of how we can support them if and when that time comes.”

In January our corridors were filled with laughter as we welcomed our latest cohort from the Hawthorne Schools Project, in which eight children come into the Hospice weekly for 3 weeks to interact with our patients while learning about what we do and our services.

children come into the Hospice, I also go into schools and colleges where I lead assemblies and careers fairs that educate the young people about everything we do.”

Another highlight last year was our Christmas card competition, which was entered by pupils from 96 schools. The six winners had their designs printed and sold in our shops to raise money for the Hospice over the festive period. Susannah awarded each winner in person with the help of our mascot, Harry the Bear.

This year, Susannah is looking forward to our second ‘Young Entrepreneurs Challenge’, where Business Studies students from local secondary schools develop business plans to raise money for the Hospice. As well as this, there will be training for teachers on strategies to deal with loss and bereavement in the classroom, plus lots more to look forward to!

www.ghhospicecare.org.uk/schools.

Susannah Parry Community Engagement Team

To find out more about Susannah’s vital work and how she is raising awareness with youngsters in our community, visit