Making every day matter for our patients
Making time matter for our patients, their families, friends and carers is key. At our two hospices we have time to help people fulfil their wishes, from a special meal to a visit from their pet or a party with friends. When Richard stayed at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice he wanted to continue playing music. He brought in his guitar and the hospice team moved the charity’s keyboard in to his room.
“I tend to express myself through music. I can reflect my mood and play when I want to. I’ve been playing when the housekeepers have come in to the room and in front of the nurses. Sometimes the music is sad, sometimes joyful or with meaning. I get a great deal out of music and it’s meant a lot to have the instruments here with me.
It’s so peaceful at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice. I needed some quiet time, some space and comfort and I’ve found it here. It’s amazing what this place and the people in it have done for me and that’s why I’m going to donate a guitar to the hospice. I like to encourage people to try making music wherever I go; it’s always sad to see an unused instrument. My hope is that the guitar will help make a day matter for other patients who take comfort from making music.”
“It’s so peaceful at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice. I needed some quiet time, some space and comfort and I’ve found it here. It’s amazing what this place and the people in it have done for me and that’s why I’m going to donate a guitar to the hospice.”
Why it’s important to make every day matter on our front line
2025 will mark the 45th anniversary of hospice care in Cornwall. Mount Edgcumbe Hospice in St Austell started admitting patients from the age of 18 onwards in October 1980 and was later joined by St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle. Today the ethos is very much about ensuring people have a good death and that every one of their final days matters to them and those around them, as Clinical Lead Lisa Shephard explains;
“I went in to nursing following a personal experience of a family er enduring a bad death. I d to make a difference and ent others facing a difficult at the end of a loved one ’ s ualified in 2005 and within I was managing a nursing where my focus was on end care for older residents and se with learning disabilities.
I couldn’t really move on as I didn’t drive, very odd given my Dad was a Driving Instructor! At 40, I managed to get my licence and within six months I secured a community palliative care role. I wanted to develop my specialist knowledge, so I then moved to a hospital based team before joining our charity.
For me, our work is about endings. We’re here to support everyone, introducing and explaining dying and death in a way that’s acceptable, gentle and caring. At the heart of this is making sure we help make every day matter, with our excellent care and amazing facilities. Whether people die with us or go to die somewhere else, we ’ re about ensuring their journey is as stress free and painless as possible and that their wishes are acknowledged.
Lisa
Our work involves dignity and respect. Some patients know exactly what they want, others aren’t so clear and it’s our role to facilitate key conversations using recognised advance care plans. These are documents where a patient can express their wishes and preferences whilst bringing together important information for everyone involved in their care. It’s also about supporting people before and after bereavement and you’ll read later in this report about the extensive work we ’ re now doing to help those who’re grieving.
I’m here to support those on our front line who’re making the difference. I make sure they’ve got what they need and are safe in their practices. This in turn means my colleagues, staff and volunteers, can be happy in the knowledge that they can make every day matter for those whose lives we touch.
I’m also here to try and bust those long established myths about hospices being dark and miserable places where you go in and never come out. My goal is to spread the word about how very special our teams are thanks to the support of the Cornish community who fund what we do, so patients don’t have to pay.
Our charity just gets busier too and not just with terminally ill people. Our Lymphoedema Specialists are seeing more patients with ever more complex needs. These are people who come in for an hour long appointment, are treated for the condition and then go home again. Referrals are coming in at a greater rate and in the last year we saw a 28% rise in cases. But we also sit on the South West Lymphoedema Forum where practitioners work collaboratively and that’s raised our charity’s profile as a leader in the field of Lymphoedema support.
Combine our hospice care, our support for Lymphoedema sufferers and the services we offer out in the community and we ’ re certainly trying to do our very best to make every day matter for everyone. “
How I made a day matter for a patient
We asked our ward teams to share stories of how they made a day matter for a patient and they all had a specific memory. These are just some of the stories they shared:
“Hello, my name is Sarah and I’m one of the Senior Staff Nurses at St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle. For me it’s the little things that make a difference. All our roo courtyard garden so p enjoy the greenery, th and the colour, which so important when peo been in hospital and h had access to the outs We’re also very lucky Paradise Park on our d and they’re extremely generous. We had on person who really wanted a last day out with their family and they had an amazing day thanks to the park.”
“Hello, I’m Elaine and I work at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice as an HCA, that’s a Healthcare Assistant. I’ve been here for 26 years and I love it, it’s an amazing place to work. I’m here to tell you a little story that happened to me a few months ago...
Sarah Elaine
...There were two small children visiting a patient in room 2, a little girl of about three and her brother who was about six. They were face painting, so I told them I was going to a party after work and wondered if they’d like to do my face. I got on the floor and they had their creative moment on my face. You know it can be hard to come in to the hospice, particularly for children, so it’s good to do things and help them make a memory that’s fun. It was hilarious and as I still had two hours to go on my shift, I had to visit other patients and see their reactions.”
“I’m Mark, Housekeeping Supervisor at St Julia’s Hospice. We don’t do the hands on caring, like washing and giving medicine, we tend to go in to patient’s rooms and chat. Sometimes we have a laugh and we talk about normal things because that’s what patients tend to want to hear about. Sometimes they want to know about day to day things, sometimes they’re planning their funerals or their wakes. There was one lady with whom I always had a good old chat and it seemed that every time we were talking the geese flew over. She told me that when she left to go home, if she heard geese she always thought of me and the hospice and the laughs and jokes we shared. She passed away and now when I hear geese I think of her.”
How we make every day matter
Our purpose is to provide compassionate, specialised end of life care for patients, their families and carers whilst guaranteeing our high quality standards.
Together with our local community in Cornwall we will continue to make every day matter. This is how we supported people across the county in 2023/24…
28% increase on the number of people we helped in the previous year
76% of which were for pre-bereavement support
How donkeys have made days matter
Animals play a huge part in making days matter at our hospices, from visits by the Pets As Therapy dogs to peop own furry friends. Last September Eric and Mabel travelled from their home at Enchantment Cornwall in Temple to help fulfil the wish of a patient at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice who wanted to see donkeys. Eric and Mabel spent nearly an hour with the patient and with the assembled staff and volunteers who gathered outside the hospice reception. They and their owners Dannii Simmonds and Lesley Wright, ensured it was a very special occasion.
St Julia’s Nurse Claire recalls another occasion when donkeys made the day; “We had a young patient with us who used to do a lot of volunteering at a Donkey Sanctuary and she really wanted to have a donkey come and visit. Despite the obvious challenges, it made our patient’s day, but what was beautiful was that it bought everyone together. Staff, volunteers, other patients, all appeared to pat the donkey and feed it ginger nuts (it’s favourites apparently). There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and it was really emotional for the young patient who was very appreciative. We took lots of pictures and eventually led the donkey in to visit every room. I called it our donkey day.”
Claire
Mabel
Your Legacy of Care
Every day at our hospices, lives are touched, memories are made, and comfort is provided – all thanks to the generosity of those who leave a gift in their Will. These moments are made possible by you!
“As a Ward Sister at Cornwall Hospice Care, I am privileged to witness the incredible impact of your support every day. Your generosity helps us create a nurturing environment where patients find peace, comfort and calm. I am especially touched by those who choose to leave a gift in their Will, ensuring that we can continue providing exceptional care for years to come. Your kindness leaves a lasting legacy of compassion. Thank you for being a part of our care.
2in 5ofour patients are caredfor thanks to the very specialpeople who leave us agift in their Will
By choosing to leave a gift in your Will, you are ensuring that future generations of patients and their families will continue to receive the care and comfort they need. It’s a powerful way to leave a lasting impact on your community, ensuring that no one faces the journey of illness and loss alone. Thank you for being a part of this extraordinary gift of love and care.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your legacy with our friendly team, please feel free to get in touch.
Making every day matter in the community
Our Community Services team are key to extending our support to people across Cornwall from Bude and Saltash and down to Land’s End and the Isles of Scilly. As a result, they’re now seen as the ‘ go to’ providers for pre and post bereavement support in the county, working alongside the Counsellors based in our hospices. Helen Treleaven leads the team:
“Collaboration and engagement are our key words. We aim to work together with all other relevant support groups and we ’ re keen to talk with and help our community beyond our two hospices. This includes supporting carers. The statistics from 2023/24 prove we ’ re achieving our goals and reaching out to all areas of Cornwall.
We’re developing our Neighbourhood Hubs at Redruth, Mount Edgcumbe and St Julia’s Hospices. The three strong therapy and community team offer physio appointments, workshops and home visits to end of life patients. Our aim is to create spaces where people are offered information and support from our charity and other organisations involved in supporting palliative patients.
Our website hosts our growing Useful Links Directory, a great place to go to find support information in key areas of care such as bereavement, mental health and help for carers. We also host a Community Sharing Space on Facebook.
Coming soon: We’re still here for you after you leave our care and our new Hospice Ongoing Support Service will be offered to anyone who’s discharged. We’ve got some governance to put in place and then we’ll be holding a trial.”
The statistics from 2023/24 prove we’re achieving our goals and reaching out to all areas of Cornwall.
1,200 174 563calls.
people from outside our charity receive our e-newsletter full of information relevant to anyone approaching the end of their lives and those who’ve been bereaved. It’s sent to healthcare professionals, funeral directors, clinical nurse specialists, nursing and care homes, social prescribers, GPs and many more.
people were referred to our Listening Ear service in the financial year 2023/24. It offers a series of one-hour and one-toone post bereavement calls. Our bereavement volunteers managed
people attended our Bereavement Help Points at 3 venues (Treverbyn, Mount Edgcumbe Hospice and Redruth). This financial year we ’ re introducing 2 new venues at St Julia’s Hospice and Ladock near Truro.
people joined us for our Walk Talk Kernow events that are run by volunteers at 4 locations (Penzance, Hayle, Truro and St Austell).
people have joined our Community Sharing Space on Facebook. 8,909 people have taken a look.
91 197 251 34
hospices have joined the engagement network we set up with Hospice UK. Hosted online, it allows us to work collaboratively and to share experience and knowledge.
Sharing the importance of making every day matter
Our charity invests in education to the benefit of our own teams and those we work with externally. We believe in the value of collaboration, sharing experience and knowledge, as our Education and Training Lead Jo Smith explains;
“I’m delighted that our charity appreciates the importance of education, of teaching our own people and the wider healthcare community. As a team we have a wealth of experience and we readily share our knowledge with others. In the last financial year we gave face to face training to 1,020 delegates from care settings across the county, mainly nursing and residential homes and domiciliary care agencies. We’ve provided 18 topics of micro teaching and a range of half day workshops for internal staff, in addition to clinical mandatory training days. We’ve had 707 attendees, some to multiple sessions. It’s about maintaining a professional and safe workforce and supporting their learning and development.
We now offer a 5 month in-house palliative care programme. It includes five full day workshops for Registered Nurses and we have now opened it up to our allied healthcare professionals, such as Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists.
Produced and co-delivered by Derek Ginn our Education Facilitator, and Siobhan Aris, our Advanced Nurse Practitioner, it provides an opportunity to gain and enhance their knowledge in the principles and practices of palliative and end of life care. Our trainers are specialists in this area and love to share their expertise. Derek
Mike Thomas (pictured below), is busy promoting the importance of diversity in hospice care, promoting Hospice UKs ‘I just want to be me ’ paper. It focuses on trans and diverse communities’ access to, and experience of, palliative and end of life care. Mike features in one of our ‘Two Old Choughs: A Tale of Two Hospices’ podcasts that you can access from all main streaming platforms and our website.
We support and facilitate a range of clinical student placements, including nursing and allied healthcare professionals, trainee paramedics and over 100 medical students who are our doctors of the future. It means they’ve all experienced the work of a hospice and therefore start their careers with a good understanding of what we do.
We’re also now offering ‘knowing what to say ’ training to our own volunteers. They tend to be the face of our charity on our receptions, in our shops and at events and often people share their very intimate memories of our end of life care. We prepare them for these conversations and for the emotions that come with them.”
How I made a day matter for a patient
“Hello, my name ’ s Alice and I’m one of the nurses at St Julia’s Hospice and here are a couple of memorable moments that stick in my mind.
One day last summer we had a patient who was having what was probably her last birthday. We wanted to make it extra special for her so we worked as a team. Our Chef made a beautiful cake and
Hattie
Alice
“My name ’ s Lucy and I’m a Staff Nurse at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice. I’ve worked here for 18 months and it’s a job that I thoroughly enjoy. Each day is a different day bringing different challenges and different patient needs.
We had a patient who wanted to have a Poker Night. He was a keen card player, quite competitive and he wanted to get his friends together, so we arranged it and he ordered a trophy that I think was engraved ‘Mount Edgcumbe Hospice Poker Winner 2024’.
Our Chef did a little buffet for them and his friends bought a few beverages. We settled the patient into his chair, made sure he was comfortable and that he had a call bell and we left them to it. They had a lovely evening with lots of laughter and of course he won the trophy. It did tire him out and he slept beautifully that night.”
Did we make days matter?
It’s important to us that we get it right for our patients and their families. We actively ask for feedback so we can learn, develop and improve. So, did we make days matter?
“Everyone we encountered at the hospice was friendly, helpful and welcoming. My husband was treated with respect and compassion, he was encouraged to eat as he wished and the chefs would accommodate his small appetite and varying requirements. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff at any time. As family and visitors we were always welcomed and included in relevant discussions and kept very well informed. The hospice is a really marvellous resource and we are so grateful for the wonderful care my husband has been given during his admission.
Thank you all so much.”
“We would like to convey that there was absolutely nothing that needed improvement in respect of the care our brother received at St Julia's. All staff showed such care and compassion and we are truly grateful that our brother's final days were spent in their care. Thank you so much and bless you all for what you do.”
“In a time of crisis, in a time of need, you were here to help me and ensure I succeed.
You all showed me kindness and gave me strength to help me find peace and complete my final length.
You reminded me how to enjoy the precious time I have left. Through your loving and caring you taught me to fight on, to share and express with you all the human love I have left.
This is a quality that you are all gifted to possess. ”
“It is so hard to put into words - but my late husband and our extended family felt like the hospice enveloped us in a big caring hug - the staff and volunteers. The air of peace and calm has left me with good memories of Mount Edgcumbe despite it being the last 2 weeks of my husband's life. Thank you. ”
“When we were lost, worried and thinking all was lost, we came to St Julia’s where we immediately felt comforted. It was like you had put huge arms around us and the weight was lifted.”
Money matters to our charity
It costs £6.9million a year to provide all the care we offer and £5.3million of that is raised by the community of Cornwall! Every coffee morning, every skydive, every Open Garden makes a huge difference to those whose lives we touch.
In the last financial year it was our shoppers and donors of pre-loved goods who helped us raise a record breaking amount. The retail profit created a £1.65million contribution towards the costs of the care we provide! Thank you.
Gifts in Wills continue to provide a bedrock of funding for our Cornish charity and last year contributed over £2.7million. Leaving a gift in your Will is a great way to support our future without spending a penny today.
Our fundraisers dug in and raised a mighty contribution of £749,000. Fundraising records were broken by those who took part in our Overseas Cycle, Run Falmouth 2024 and the London Marathon in particular.
We Love our Lottery and so do those who support our weekly draw and our seasonal raffles. Together they achieved a contribution to the care of £468,000.
£24 funds a hospice nurse for an hour so they can provide peace, comfort and calm when someone is nearing the end of their life.
£42 funds one Lymphoedema appointment during which a patient is helped to recover their independence whilst living with the symptoms of their condition.
£942 funds one of our end of life beds and the care for the patient in it, for 24 hours.
How our shops make every day matter
With 30 charity shops across Cornwall, our retail spaces continue to make a bold statement across the high street, as we strive to provide a sustainable way to shop.
Every donation and purchase in our shops is vital for our charity. Last year we sold one million items raising an incredible
£1.65 million in profit.
Our success is because of the generous donations we receive from the people of Cornwall, with one thousand donors every week, and the extraordinary commitment of our retail teams. Our shops rely on volunteers, who give their gift of time. We’re immensely grateful for every hour given to support our charity.
Our network of shops and donation centres, from Bude to Penzance, brings together our local community and we ’ re at the heart of the county that we serve. It’s no surprise that many lasting friendships are created, fostering a sense of togetherness for our cause.
Together we ’ re ensuring vital funding of care to terminally ill patients, their families and carers across Cornwall.
By shopping second hand with us, you can not only make a positive impact within our local community, but our planet too, by giving items a new lease of life and helping to divert them from waste.
Working together we can make a positive change by offering a more sustainable way to shop; by reusing, restyling and remaking, to make fashion circular.
What our customers have to say
Perranporth
This charity shop is amazing. The staff and volunteers are so friendly and welcoming. Nothing is too much trouble. Always well stocked and everything is organised and well laid out. The village is so lucky to have such a fantastic charity shop. Credit to the wonderful staff and volunteers.
Fowey
There is a lady working here who is a treasure and should be protected at all costs. She spoke with us about the books in the window, sunglasses and welcomed our dog too. You don’t get staff like that these days and I am really glad we visited the shop.
Truro Furniture
We've bought so many beautiful pieces of furniture from this shop, and also donated old loved items that we no longer need. Lovely staff, fair prices and nice to be supporting such a charity. Highly recommended.
Penryn Furniture
Best charity shop ever! I have never been to a shop with so many good, quality items! It was all reasonably priced and displayed well. Michelle, the manager, couldn't have been more helpful. She was lovely, as were all her team. Thank you! I only wished it was near me! I was on holiday and was totally blown away by the number of quality items in stock! I would thoroughly recommend and will visit next time I'm in the area.
Fundraising matters
Every year, you, our wonderful supporters raise funds to ensure our care is available and accessible for when people need us most. You rise to the challenge and we must thank each and everyone of you for the support you have shown us this past year, a year that has felt the most tough in recent times, and yet, there you were with us.
The highlight of the last 12 months was the culmination of 2 years of work - our Mont-Saint-Michel Cycle - where we led 35 cyclists overseas from St Mawes castle to the UNESCO site. Spread over 5 days and raising £112,000, it was the pinnacle of the year and a testament to our Fundraising team who designed, organised and delivered the whole event in-house.
The appetite for eventing grew, with our best ever Run Falmouth Half Marathon raising £41,000 from 700 runners.
Support from regular givers grew and we were humbled by people’s help, enabling us to better plan for our future. Donations received in memory of loved ones are a fitting tribute to those special to us and it was our privilege to receive these gifts.
Fundraising matters
That feeling was compounded by the most successful Light Up A Life remembrance service of the last decade, where special thanks go to the Right Reverend Hugh Nelson and The Bishop of St Germans & Acting Diocesan Bishop, who gave a special blessing of our Books of Remembrance.
Lastly we were delighted to welcome old and new friends to a special ‘This is what we do event’, to see our hospices, hear about the breadth of all we do and the importance of gifts in Wills to us.
A huge thank you to you all for your support, we could not provide all that we offer without you.
Our Lottery makes Fridays in particular matter
Every Friday one of our charity lottery players wins £1,000! In fact on a Friday the team ring several people to tell them they’ve secured a cash prize – that certainly makes the day matter for them and for the lucky recipient.
2,712 lottery smiles have been created when weekly lottery players received their prizes totalling £78,000! That’s 52 x £1,000 winners, 52 x £50 winners, 2,600 x £5 winners and 8 x Rollover winners with varying prizes from £200 - £3,000. Wow!
We also run two seasonal raffles and in the last financial year they led to 13 lucky winners in each sharing a £3,000 prize pot! The raffles in 2023/24 collectively raised £58,541.
Here’s what two of our £1,000 winners had to say:
John Clotworthy - “Thank you. I’ve only ever won a bottle of Malibu before!”
Liz Thierens - “Thank you so much, it came just at the right time.”
John Liz
Our volunteers make every day matter
Around 1,150 people give the gift of time to our charity. They work in our hospices, offices and shops and support our fundraising activities. They’re at the heart of everything we do. Michelle is one of our volunteer receptionists:
“It all stems from a spinal injury I suffered in the 1990s. I was paralysed for two years and in hospital for 20 months. During that time I was supported by lots of volunteers and that had a positive impact on me. They had time for me when the staff were understandably very busy. I always vowed that I would repay them by becoming a volunteer myself.
My father-in-law Ted Endean came to Mount Edgcumbe Hospice for the last week and a half of his life so his pain could be managed. Sadly he died here, but my biggest memory is of the day before he passed away. He’d always been sceptical about my volunteering roles, questioning why I did it. I’d try and explain that I was benefitting from training and from the pleasure of making a difference, but he just couldn’t see it and suggested it was a waste of time because I wasn’t getting paid. Then on my last visit to see him and as I was about to leave, he said; “by the way, you were right about volunteers. They’ve been exceptional here and have looked after me to such a high standard.”
Reflecting back, he must have bee preparing to say that to me for ag as it wasn’t like him, but it was heartfelt and at that moment I kne I’d come back and take a volunta role. I feel I’m a valued member of the team. Every day matters, every moment matters an it’s about the respect and dignity us all and that should be cherished.”
As well as helping others, our volunteers find giving the gift of time matters to them personally too. As Amanda Addo, our Volunteer Engagement Manager explains, they gain benefits through the roles they take on;
“We couldn’t provide the exemplary end of life care we do without our community of volunteers supporting their colleagues every day. We’re incredibly fortunate to host volunteers who share their time, skills, and energy in our shops and donation centres, our hospices, gardens, offices and at our fundraising events. But they too, benefit. Our volunteers learn new skills, meet new people, enjoy flexible shifts and keep active.
As one of our volunteers Esther said recently; “You’ll never know what you ’ ve done for me giving me a volunteer role.
The value of giving back in their local community also features amongst the benefits experienced by our volunteers. Some also give back to the charity in thanks for the care family friends have received.
“There is more joy in my reception shift each week than in anything else I do.”
Heather, Reception Volunteer, 32 years a volunteer at St Julia’s
Hospice.
We will continue to make every day matter
We’re delighted to report that in the last twelve months we have provided the highest levels of care to patients, their families and carers across Cornwall. Whether caring for those in our 20 inpatient beds at Mount Edgcumbe and St Julia’s Hospices or via our expanded Community Services, our dedicated clinical teams supported by our wonderful volunteers, have made ‘ every day matter’. This is a purpose we will remain committed to.
However, our funding environment continues to be extremely challenging; we are one of the lowest funded Hospice providers in the UK, receiving significantly less from the NHS Cornwall Integrated Care Board than the national average (10% compared to 23%). Increasing our funding to the national average would enable us to do so much more to support people at the most difficult time of their lives and it’s a conversation we’ll be having with Cornwall’s new MPs.
We remain constantly amazed and humbled by the support that we receive from the people of Cornwall, together with the commitment and skill of our Income Generation teams. Without all of them we could not sustain our services that ensure our community are provided with essential end of life care
David
and Paul
David Renwick, volunteer Ch of Trustees and Paul Brinsley, Chief Executive
Shop second hand
Did you know?
We have 25 fashion shops and 5 furniture shops
The fast fashion industry is responsible for producing 10% of global carbon emissions, and it is estimated that the industry will use up to 25% of the world's carbon budget by 2050.* Stop waste, save money and support your local adult hospices by shopping with Cornwall Hospice Care.
*Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation
