Forest Holme Hospice Summer Newsletter 2024

Dear friends...

Chief Executive, Hannah O'Hare

DearFriends,

Springhasnowarrived,whichmeansthatSummerwill beuponusbeforeweknowitandwecanlookforward tothereturnofTieAYellowRibbontoPooleParkon Saturday15thJune(seep10) Thiseventisoneofthe mostpoignantandupliftingdatesinthecharity’s calendaraswewelcomefamiliestosharetheir memoriesofalovedoneduringthisspecialday

Duringthepastfewmonths,Ihavehadtheprivilegeof interviewingsomeincrediblepeoplewhohaveshared theirpersonalexperiencesofalife-limitingillness, deathandgriefforournewpodcastseries,‘Lifeand Loss’.

ForestHolmeHospiceCharityhavenowfilmed21 episodesofthe‘Life&Loss’(seep17),withepisodes beingreleasedonaweeklybasis.Theseriesbrings togetherindividualsofdifferentagesandbackgrounds withuniquefirst-handexperiences,alongside healthcareprofessionals,tosharetheirstories, knowledge,informationandstrategiesforcopingwith themanychallengesassociatedwithlife-limiting illnessesandbereavement.

It’sbeenemotional,eyeopening,heart-warmingand everythinginbetween.Ihopeyouenjoytheseriesand findthepodcastsinteresting,informativeand beneficial

Page 17

Verybestwishes, Hannah

You’re my favourite

being painted red with my excuse being, ‘'better than white'’ I also got the ‘look’ the time I set the pan alight whilst making spaghetti (this was embarrassingly recent).

The reason I'm sharing these stories is because I wanted to highlight that in every situation, Dad was always calm, no matter what. This didn’t change with his diagnosis

My world turned upside down when he told me he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer As his journey progressed, I felt as though Dad’s oncologist had become a friend and I loved that his nurses who administered his chemo loved Dad’s sense of humour

just as much as I did It’s important to note that the healthcare professionals we met are people I will admire for the rest of my life. I tried to deal with it well for Dad’s sake but at night my head was full of constant questions and I really struggled with juggling practical things like ‘How am I meant to pay for/ live in a flat by myself’, and emotions like ‘How will I cope without having my best friend here?’

Suddenly, I felt like a little girl again, whilst the person who was actually going through having a life-limiting illness was dealing with it like an absolute champion. This is why I will always call him my hero

Dad’s chemotherapy meant that we actually had a year longer with him than the original two months that we were first told I always say the last year of his life was really beautiful I had so much more appreciation for simple things, like going out for coffee, going for walks together, and all our laughs and conversations

I took more care in making sure I told him that I loved him and that I was proud of him, and I think he appreciated those things more too. My favourite memory was our trip to Cornwall together. We spent the week eating our body weight in Cornish Pasties, going on beautiful seaside walks and laughing until our stomachs hurt

Inevitably, in December 2022, I saw Dad quickly change This sparked conversations about hospice care I knew that no matter how badly I wanted to be able to give him the care he needed, I couldn’t and I was already struggling As soon as we arrived at Forest Holme, I felt a sense of relief like no other because I knew Dad was in the right place and was going to be looked after better than I ever could look after him Little did I know how much they were going to look after me too.

I was welcomed by a lady with the friendliest face who instantly gave me tissues in abundance as the nurses took care of Dad The doctor spoke to me like I was an adult and delivered all the information I needed in the most professional, honest way

Whilst Dad was in their care, the nurses were on hand to supply a listening ear, support and even a giggle whenever I needed one and I am so grateful to Forest Holme for giving me the support and care both Dad and I needed throughout his journey They truly do go above and beyond for anyone that enters the doors

I’m 23 now and I think Dad would be proud to know that I’m doing okay. I found the grieving process hard but I’m still in a job that I love, I still love seeing my friends and I’m managing to deal with running a flat and all the other grown up things that need doing

This piece is in memory of my hero. Thank you for everything Many people say children will never know how much their parents love them but I was lucky enough that you took every day to show me

You will always be remembered for being the calm amongst a storm, your wonderful taste in music and your hilarious one-liners. I miss you and I will always be incredibly proud of you, I will always love you and until we meet again ‘You’re my favourite’

£30 for 30 years of care

2024 marks an incredible 30 years since Forest Holme Hospice Charity was set up to raise funds for the new specialist palliative care unit.

1994 was the year Four Weddings and a Funeral became the top grossing UK film, the first UK National Lottery draw took place, and Tony Blair won the Labour Party leadership election

The Charity officially launched on April 26th as Prince’s ‘The Most Beautiful Girl in the World’ topped the UK charts

Since then, donations from supporters have helped the hospice to care for over and their families.

30,000 adults

We wouldn’t be providing the kind of care we do today if it wasn’t for the support of people like you Thank you

By donating £30

during our anniversary year, you will help to continue our vital services over the next 30 years and support terminally ill patients during the most difficult time of their lives.

Your donation of £30 could help fund:

A bereavement counselling session following the death of a loved one

An aromatherapy session for a patient going through cancer treatment

A yoga session for cancer patients to boost fitness and wellbeing

In appreciation of your donation, you will receive a commemorative pin badge, along with a thank you letter.

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Hospice News

Befriender Service

A new Bereavement Befriender service, which is a joint project between our Counselling Team and Forest Holme Hospice Charity, has been set-up to provide a compassionate listening ear to those who have lost a loved one under the care of Forest Holme Hospice.

Fond Farewells

The hospice said a fond farewell to Kathy, who retired after 12 years with the fundraising team, while Jackie, who was the cleaner at Forest Holme for 19 years, also retired having worked a total of 28 years with University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Hospice Refurbishment

Thanks to the generosity of the local community, our patients and their families will now benefit from brand new furniture purchased as part of the hospice's recent internal refurbishment

Items include new multi-functional chair beds allowing overnight visitors to stay comfortably by their loved one ’ s bedside, as well as a couch for the complementary therapies team, dining table and chairs and eight new recliner chairs

Hospice News

Project Linus

The West Dorset branch of Project Linus UK delivered 20 gorgeous handmade quilts, which were distributed to our patients and their families over the Easter period

Bereavement Café @Maravi

Forest Holme Hospice Charity has set-up a new Bereavement Café @Maravi in Poole to give people who are in the midst of busy schedules and the demands with work and family, an opportunity to pause, enjoy a coffee and cake, and share or reflect with others who are experiencing similar emotions and challenges when dealing with the profound loss of a loved one, family member, or friend

The Bereavement Café takes place on the 2nd Saturday of the month (morning) and the 4th Wednesday of the month (afternoon) and you can find further details on our website.

Comfort Packs

Hope Housing kindly donated soaps for our Comfort Bags which are given to the relatives of end-of-life patients across University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust and also contain tissue packs, lip balm, shower gel, hand cream, mints, cappuccino / latte sachets and pillow spray

Corporate Support

Haskins Garden Centre Ferndown

Thank you to the team at Haskins Garden Centre in Ferndown for their support throughout our 2023 charity partnership Through the generosity of their staff and customers they raised a total of £14,746 65

Lemur Attractions

Forest Holme Hospice Charity has a new Charity of the Year partnership with Lemur Attractions, owners of Splashdown and Lemur Landings in Tower Park, which will see them organising a series of fundraising events throughout 2024

The Westbourne Pub

Gallagher

The Poole office of Gallagher also recently became new charity partners and have already sponsored the 30th anniversary celebration at Merley House, with a sponsored walk and quiz night arranged for later in the year

The Westbourne and their amazing community have raised over £10,000 through a series of events in support of their friend Angie Roberts who is currently under our care

Community Support

Citrus Singers

New Charity of the Year partners the Citrus Singers, which comprises of eight different choirs, will be performing and fundraising at events throughout the year.

First Steps Day Nursery

Doreen Boothman

Doreen Boothman generously donated £517.47 in lieu of gifts for her 90th birthday and also shared her birthday cake with staff at the hospice after her party.

First Steps Day Nursery held a Superhero Day where staff and all the children dressed as superheroes and helped raise nearly £300

B.A.D Abarth South Coast Car Club

National Parka Day

Around 125 scooterists turned out in memory of 'Mark the Mod', who was under our care, for this annual event, which this year raised £750

The B A D Abarth South Coast Car Club choose to support Forest Holme at their 3rd birthday event, where Sammy-Jo Stanley organised a raffle which raised £500

Fundraising for Forest Holme

by Rachael Elliott

Rachael Elliott joined the Forest Holme Hospice Charity Couch to 5k running group, which began on a chilly Monday night in January, for 9-weekly training sessions, with the ambition of competing in the 5k event at Bournemouth Bay Run.

Tell us why you did this challenge for the Hospice?

I wanted to be part of the team and run for Forest Holme - the last couple of months have been amazing, especially running with these wonderful people

Why did you do it for Forest Holme?

My mum Josie Davies spent her last 11 days at Forest Holme back in 2012.

As a family we felt fortunate that a place became available for her and the staff who cared for her were wonderful

What does Forest Holme mean to you?

My sister and daughter have supported this charity ever since attending their annual Tie A Yellow Ribbon events and Light up a Life at Christmas. We are looking forward to the anniversary celebration

Volunteering for Forest Holme

Rebekah has been a volunteer for Forest Holme for over 10 years and during our 30th anniversary year, tells us about how she got involved with the charity and some of her fondest memories.

Tell us how you first got involved with volunteering for Forest Holme?

I originally got involved as some of the family were fundraising for Forest Holme as a family friend (John) was cared for by the wonderful nurses and doctors at the hospice over 20 years ago When I reached 17/18 years old, I officially became a volunteer for the hospice

What different volunteering activities and events have you been involved with over the years?

I have volunteered for the Pop Up shop around Christmas a few times and also on the Light Up A Life Christmas Tree stall, which were both held in the Dolphin Centre Another event I volunteered at was the Ice Cream kiosk in Poole Park in 2021, where Forest Holme were selling their Mystery boxes

During my time, I have also helped at various bucket collections including the Lunar Walk in 2010 and Bike Night in 2010 and 2015, which gave me the opportunity to speak to members of the

public about the work of the hospice. In May 2019, I took part in the 25km for 25 years challenge in support of Forest Holme’s 25th Anniversary I completed my first 5km in Ireland whilst on a Line Dancing holiday.

What are your favourite memories from your years of volunteering?

I have a few but one of them is volunteering at Haskins and getting to speak to the public about the charity Also volunteering/helping at various events that Forest Holme had organised or an event that had been organised in aid of Forest Holme, for example: Charity Dance at The Hamworthy Club in 2022

What would you say to anyone considering volunteering for Forest Holme?

If you like helping to give something back as a thank you, I would consider volunteering for Forest Holme. You get the opportunity to meet new people, whilst helping at different events to help raise awareness for this amazing charity and all the wonderful work they do

Fundraising for Forest Holme

by MSP Capital

Last December a team of 35 members at MSP Capital Ltd tackled a 24-hour 1,000,000lbs challenge in support of Forest Holme. They raised £4,464, which was generously match-funded by MSP to £8,928, and then kindly donated to Forest Holme as a thank you for the care the hospice provided for a colleague’s son and his family.

Tell us about your challenge for the Hospice?

It was MSP Capital's Lifting for a Cause: Million lbs Mission, which is the equivalent to lifting 85 JCBs

What does Forest Holme mean to you?

As one of our four core charities this year, Forest Holme strikes a personal string with everyone at MSP Capital. We want to support and fundraise as much as we can to make a difference for Forest Holme

What does Forest Holme mean to you?

Forest Holmes hospice is an amazing charity! The kindness and support these nurses and employees provide to families at the hardest times is crucial.

What would you say to someone considering supporting the charity?

Charities such as Forest Holme rely on the funding primarily from fundraising I would encourage anyone to help them to continue to do what they do brilliantly

WAYS TO SUPPORT US