Members News
Building confidence Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) is an international cancer support charity based in Epsom.
Its free confidence boosting skincare and make-up workshops and masterclasses are held in 87 locations across the UK and help more than 17,500 women and teenagers a year with the visible challenges caused by their cancer treatment. Finding out you have cancer can be daunting and life-changing and the added stress of the appearance related side effects like eyebrow and
eyelash as well as hair loss can feel overwhelming. The two hour workshops are led by volunteer beauty professionals and offer a chance to relax, meet women in a similar situation as well as learning vital new skills. This October LGFB is encouraging supporters to hold a ‘Girls Night’ – this can be anything from a pamper evening at home, cake sale at work or a big party with all your friends, family and colleagues – anything that involves getting together, having fun and raising money for LGFB. Take on the ultimate muddy challenge
with Brutal on 12th November in Aldershot – a 10k course of natural obstacles and rough running. This time they’re encouraging men to compete against the women! On Monday 12th December LGFB will hold its annual Carol Concert at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London. The evening is full of spectacular musical performances and is the perfect start to Christmas. To find out how your company can become involved, hear more about events or how you can help, visit www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk
Making dreams come true It’s not uncommon to define our goals according to what is expected of us. We stay on the path of what we have been taught is success, as if on autopilot. Follow the rules, stick strictly to the plan, have a clear agenda in every meeting, with everybody - that’s how we supposedly reach our goals. And once those goals are met, maybe then we can finally be happy. Reality proves us wrong. Failure is inevitable. You can’t control how the rest of the world operates. The outcome is always different from what is expected, even in the best-case scenarios. If you set goals not based on your true values and dreams, it may be difficult to truly love what you are doing – you are simply executing. You might be
missing a great deal of opportunities by not being flexible, open to experiment and trusting your instincts & feelings. And valuing your everyday life. What is the point of arriving if you didn’t enjoy the journey! When it’s your own definition of success you are after, you stop expecting others to guide you to the destination or defining their role in your journey. You are ready to take the reins and accept responsibility. You start trusting your own journey; your way of doing things. Living the trusting way releases so much energy previously wasted on worrying about outcomes.
Do your best. You can’t do more than that, so that’s what you should expect of you. Failure is a friend. It is an opportunity to learn and improve. With this attitude, you can lower your stress levels and enjoy your journey. And when you enjoy what you do, you will start to dream bigger. I welcome all women with drive and dreams to DrivenWoman introduction event in Guildford in September! We make big dreams come true with small, trustful steps. Tiia Sammallahti, Group Leader, DrivenWoman Surrey, for further information visit www.drivenwoman.co.uk
Volunteers crucial in providing hospice care Volunteers are hugely important in helping local charity Phyllis Tuckwell provide the hospice care which it offers to local people who are living with a terminal illness. Julia Morpeth, Phyllis Tuckwell’s voluntary services manager, said: “We have around 1,000 volunteers, who help in many different roles throughout our organisation. “Many work closely with our patients, offering professional expertise such as counselling, physiotherapy or nursing, while others undertake more general roles such as helping on reception or on the In-Patient Unit, tending to the gardens, or driving patients to and from Day Hospice sessions.” Phyllis Tuckwell values its volunteers highly and is keen to utilise their broad range of abilities. Ms Morpeth said: “Many are looking for a way to develop their skills, re-train, or get back into work after having had some time off. “We have worked hard to develop a robust and comprehensive training programme for those who will be taking on a patient-facing role, as well as providing all of our volunteers with an overview of the care we offer our
patients and relatives, at our induction days.” All of Phyllis Tuckwell’s patient-facing volunteers are asked to complete the appropriate training, depending on the role they will be taking on. Level 1 training includes topics such as communications skills and infection control, and is aimed at volunteers who will be helping as ward clerks, receptionists or drivers, for example. Level 2 covers subjects including confidentiality and the impact of grief on the bereaved, and is for those helping in roles such as counselling, complementary therapy or Hospice Home Support. New volunteers also shadow an experienced volunteer and are supervised or mentored, providing them with ongoing support. Ms Morpeth said: “We are indebted to our volunteers and we are confident in the support they provide because of the robust training they undertake.
This training is delivered across our organisation by all of our managers, providing consistency and ensuring that we are able to offer a safe and effective service. “It is one of the reasons that our volunteers enjoy helping here so much. By giving them this support, they are able to develop their skills, take on fulfilling roles and really feel that they are making a difference.” With the help of these volunteers, and the dedication of Phyllis Tuckwell’s hard-working staff, the charity is able to care for more than 250 patients, relatives and carers every day, at the Hospice, the Beacon Centre, and in patients’ own homes. If you would like a volunteering role which can offer you training and development, contact Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care to find out about current volunteer vacancies. Call Julia Morpeth on 01252 729431 or email julia.morpeth@pth.org.uk
Building Brighter Futures for our Children - help us to help them! Home- Start Surrey will be showcasing the premiere of our new documentary film on Thursday 6th October early evening at the World Wildlife Fund HQ in Woking. If you, or a member of your firm, would like to come and discover more about this unique family support charitymaybe you are looking to choose a Charity of the Year or you have corporate responsibility for your company? Home-Start UK has been operating in Surrey for more than 20 years and we have eight schemes covering all of Surrey. Our early intervention and preventative approach has empowered thousands of local families over the years to deal with issues such as disability, long-term illness, mental illness, domestic or emotional abuse and other diverse and complex issues. We train parent volunteers to visit families in their own homes to help them become stronger, more resilient and better able to cope with parenthood. We believe that strong communities and children are at the heart of everything we do. If you would like to be part of our event please get in touch with Joanna Mckenzie on email: homestartsurreyevent@gmail.com
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