Open House - Winter 2021

Open House The newsletter for Garden House Hospice Care

Corporate Identity Policy

Started by the Community Serving the Community Sustained by the Community

A framework to help protect and enhance our visual communications.

‘The value of a corporate identity is immeasurable: its value increases each time it is presented properly and decreases with every improper application’

Draft: December 2015

Garden House Hospice Care – Corporate Identity Policy

In this Issue: • A warm welcome to our new Hospice Chairman • Our festival of remembrance, Lights of Life returns for 2021 • Meet local families we support

www.ghhospicecare.org.uk

 

Winter 2021

Welcome I would like to begin this winter edition of Open House with a heartfelt thanks and well-wishes for the colder months ahead.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and all of our incredible teams who work around the clock to keep the Hospice running 365 days a year, we couldn’t care without you.

My highlights in this, our final copy of Open House for the year, are the first-hand words of Dave (page 5) openly describing his recent stay on our Inpatient Unit - including an intimate dinner our staff organised for him and his wife. You can learn more about how our dementia specialist Admiral Nurse, Lucy, supports people facing an end of life condition, made all the more complex with a dementia diagnosis (page 12).

As the year comes to a close, reflections of our challenges and triumphs are present in my mind. There is lots to be proud about.

Our services are running as normal and we are confident in providing covid-secure compassionate care this winter. Despite a tough year of trading, we opened our 13th high street shop (pages 8 & 9), which is something to celebrate.

I am hugely excited to reveal that we will be taking over the Ernest Gardiner Treatment Centre with thanks to the Letchworth Heritage Foundation. Our aim is to increase community engagement and collaboration with other partners including GP practices, the Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust and mental health services. We look forward to sharing more information with you, when we ‘officially’ launch later in the year.

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We would like to wish a warm welcome to Steve Mellish in his new position of Hospice Chairman (page 4), and also to our new Director of Patient Services, Karen Bird and Derek Turnbull, People Director. The Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees are working on a brand-new strategy for the next three years, with engagement and feedback from our community, which will be launched next spring.

Your support means we can make a bigger impact than we could ever do alone. We will keep fighting to ensure that there is a place for palliative and end of life care for years to come. But we need your help, because for all of this – and more – to keep happening, our £5 million income target needs to be raised. One way to get involved could be our special remembrance festival, Lights of Life (page 6 & 7). We ask that you continue to stand by our side in what are still rocky and challenging times so we can be there, to care.

With best wishes,

Sue

Sue Plummer, Chief Executive sue.plummer@ghhospicecare.org.uk

Follow us social media  @garden_house_hospice_care



@GardenHouseHospice

 @GHHospice

Thanks to YOU in 2021 so far...

5,669 items

278,612 items

£146,824.75

£970,264.66

have been purchased online raising

A total of

21,264 miles

were walked, ran, swam, cycled and skydived by our inspirational fundraisers

674 families received support and care

have been sold in our shops raising

£50,724

was raised from recycled rag donations

987 delicious home-cooked meals were made for patients on our IPU

We have been at the end of the phone, answering

377 calls

on our 24-hour palliative care advice line.

Thank you Open House | Winter 2021

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Nice to meet you Introducing our new Hospice Chairman, Steve Mellish, appointed in June this year.

Steve leads the Board of Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team at Garden House Hospice Care.

“It is a great honour and privilege to be in this position, having been a Trustee since 2016 and Chairman of the Hospice’s Trading Company for four years. I’ve loved every minute of it!

“I must of course express my gratitude to my predecessor, John Proctor, who will be retiring at the end of the year.

John has been a Trustee since 2001 and has overseen tremendous progress as Chairman over the past five years. A truly great servant to the Hospice.

“The Hospice has demonstrated tremendous resilience to be able to continue to provide its amazing range of services to the communities across North Hertfordshire and surrounding areas, despite the challenges arising from the pandemic. Under the leadership of our CEO, Sue Plummer and all our heroic staff and volunteers, the Hospice is in ‘good shape’.

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“We are currently working on our new three-year strategy, which will be launched in the Spring.

We have ambitious and exciting plans in development to deliver more of our services to those in need. It won’t be easy, but we are determined to succeed.

“We know that we can’t do it alone and whilst I thank you for your past support, I sincerely hope that you are able to continue standing by our side in the future.

“You’ll be familiar with our slogan, ‘started by the community, serving the community, sustained by the community’. This is as true today as it was when we opened our doors 31 years ago. Thank you.”

Dave’s story Dave had been feeling unwell in lockdown and didn’t want to go to the doctors due to Covid-19. After a few months the pain got worse and he called for an ambulance.

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“I was taken to Hospital and within half an hour I was told I had cancer which had spread. I asked what my prognosis was and the doctor said: ‘It’s not good’.

“I’ve had a good life and I’ve been lucky in my health. I was happy to come to the Hospice. I obviously discussed it with my wife, but she’s got Alzheimers so she doesn’t understand a lot. It’s hard to leave her.

“I think most people see a Hospice as the end, the end of the story. I was in IPU for two weeks and I feel better now than I have for two years. When I came in I thought I was here to die but the Hospice is so happy, and everyone is so kind. I felt so secure and so safe. It really is a happy place.

“I fell in love with my wife 56 years ago, and we are still very deeply in love. My

wife was visiting and she smelt a rose which was in the IPU. The staff noticed and unbeknownst to us, they picked three more from the garden and put them in a vase for me. They told us they’d do a dinner for us. We had the room to ourselves; staff had scattered rose petals on the table and we had a candlelit meal.

We were so overwhelmed; what a lovely thing to do.

“They offer end of life care, but they’re about living well. You don’t know how long you’ve got, nobody does, but this is a lovely way to live until you die. I feel well supported to go home.

“It’s hard to sum up what I think of the Hospice but I’ve not taken a step back since I’ve been here. Little steps at a time but always forwards. I couldn’t get out of bed or go the toilet on my own. They are wonderful, they do anything for you.”

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21st-28th November 2021

Lights of Life is our annual festival of remembrance.

It offers you time to remember your loved ones, your way.

This November, our gardens will be adorned with lights in dedication to the people we miss. Join us in celebrating and reflecting on the lives of those we love: • At our special Lights of Life service on Sunday 21 November • In the seclusion of our beautiful Lights of Life Garden • Watching our online service from the comfort of your home • By writing a dedication star card to be hung with hundreds of others. … or any combination of the above.

Lights of Life is open to all. Whether remembering together at our service, in the peace of our gardens, with words in your dedication star or watching from the comfort of home, remember your loved ones, your way.

All donations given as part of Lights of Life will contribute to the costs of providing care for those who need us now, and in the future.

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For more information go to www.ghhospicecare.org.uk 01462 679540

Tracey is a counsellor and she specialises in childhood bereavement. She works within our family support team.

“Lights if Life is our way of saying ‘you still matter’. It is our tribute to your loved ones and it gives you a chance to stop and spend time remembering.

“What I love about my work is connecting with people, but connection is something we’ve all struggled with through the pandemic.

“I see my role as walking alongside young people, getting a sense of being in their shoes, completing part of the journey with them and leaving them with the strength to go on alone. Each person is unique, so I take the time to value them as individuals, validating their feelings and understanding what that person in front of me needs and working with them accordingly.

“Therefore, my colleagues and I have found it really difficult being unable to support people in the ways we normally would, but we didn’t let it stop us. We introduced sessions over the phone or online and organised appointments in our gardens. Despite everything, we have always remained at the end of the line for anyone who needed us.

“Things feel more positive now; by adopting technology into our service we are able to see more people and we have found that for many, it’s a preferable way to access our support. That said, referrals are consistently high and increasing. By supporting Lights of Life, you will be helping us meet the demand for holistic, emotional and psychological support that people really need.

“Lights of Life is about bringing people together, providing comfort, and restoring connections, be it with the Hospice, with each other, or with the person you love and miss. By remembering in the way that is right for you, you are also remembering for the future care my colleagues and I are ready to provide to others - no matter what else comes our way. Thank you. “

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Green means go!

We are delighted to report a resurgence of local people shopping sustainably and affordably as visitors flock to our 13 charity shops across Stevenage, North Hertfordshire and beyond.

The fashion industry has been under the media spotlight recently for its ‘huge’ contribution to climate change, particularly with climate activist Greta Thunberg calling on brands to take more responsibility for the environmental impact of their fast fashion products - and the message is clearly getting through! We have seen more than 200,000 items sold since the start of April alone as local people look for a pre-loved bargain and an environmentally friendly way to shop.

From retro fashion to pre-loved designer dresses and from wedding attire to secondhand furniture, our shops are full to the brim with items waiting for a new home, with the added benefit of raising money to fund our care too.

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How shopping with us helps the planet 1 Promotes reuse and recycling 2 Reduces landfill 3 R educes CO2 4 Keeps items local 5 Slows down fast fashion

Starting conversations To help mark the opening of our newest shop on Leys Avenue in Letchworth in August, we hosted a ‘Letchworth takeover’ with various community engagement activities in the town throughout the day.

This included a coffee morning with our Compassionate Neighbours team and sofa sessions with our Admiral Nurse and Family Support Team. The Friends of Garden House Hospice Care sold delicious cakes and a number of local businesses on the day supported the launch by advertising special discounts and going ‘blue’ for the day.

Our Community Engagement Team has since hosted further events in The Forum in Stevenage and Churchgate in Hitchin as it continues to engage with people about the valuable work of the Hospice, the wide variety of services we offer and start conversations about living well.

Richard Julian, Community Engagement Lead, explained, “The idea behind these events is to raise awareness of the different community projects that the Hospice offers, including volunteering, Compassionate Neighbours, Family Support, dementia support, schools outreach and our Day Services at The Hawthorne Centre. Staff and volunteers from each department attended and engaged with the public during their shopping trip or lunch break.

“It was extremely valuable listening to the views of our community and hearing their thoughts and feelings about end of life and the Hospice. We have more sessions planned for the future in a town near you, so please come and say hello if you spot us next time you’re out shopping!”

To find your local shop visit www.ghhospicecare.org.uk

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Charlie’s

Charity Chop  After a close family friend was cared for at the Hospice during the final three weeks of her life earlier this year, young Charlie Markarian knew exactly who he wanted to fundraise for in her memory.

The 13-year old from Letchworth recently raised more than £1,000 for Garden House Hospice Care by shaving two years’ worth of hair off.

His mum Suzanne told us: “Charlie started growing his hair in 2019, but a year ago he was getting fed up and nearly had it all cut off. Then he decided to fundraise which I thought was a great idea. I let him choose which charity and he said it was a ‘no brainer’, selecting Garden House Hospice Care who cared for a very close family friend for the final three weeks of her life in February.

The care she received was totally amazing and we are all so thankful to the Hospice.

“Charlie has had a tough 12 months also losing his nan to cancer, then his aunt suddenly followed by his great uncle, all within the space of two weeks. However we are all very proud of him and we will continue to fundraise for the Hospice as a family.”

Charlie and family have since continued their support by taking part in our Sunset Starlight Walk in August, an event which raised more than £20,000, which could cover the full running costs of our Inpatient Unit for 52 days.

Feeling inspired by Charlie’s story? Visit www.ghhospicecare.org.uk today to find out more about how you can get involved.

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Ho-ho-hospice dates for the diary Christmas comes but once a year, there really is no doubt.

Join us on these festive dates to help the Hospice out!

Strictly Come Bhangra Christmas Fayre Sunday 12th December 2021, 12 noon-4.30pm Wrap up warm for this magical event at The Cloisters in Letchworth Garden City, hosted by the Friends of Garden House Hospice Care. There will be a variety of craft stalls inside and outside, mince pies and mulled wine, carols around the Christmas tree, raffle, tombola and for the youngsters, a chance to meet Father Christmas. It’s free to attend although donations will be taken on entry, with all proceeds going to the Hospice.

Saturday 4th December 2021, 7pm-10pm Join us at Kingshott School in Hitchin for this fun-filled evening of dance to see who will be crowned champion of the dancefloor in our Bhangra-inspired competition. Following a similar format to the popular BBC Strictly Come Dancing series, an array of talented acts from our community will take to the floor hoping to impress both you and our judges.

Tickets cost £15 per person for spectators and can be purchased on our website.

Christmas Treecycling

Thursday 6th to Monday 10th January 2022 Our popular Christmas tree recycling service returns in early January for the fifth year running, providing you with a hassle-free way of disposing of your real Christmas tree. If you live in North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, South Bedfordshire and any of the nearby surrounding villages and have a real Christmas tree, we can remove any stress and strains by collecting it in exchange for a donation to the Hospice.

Last year we collected 640 trees over a four-day period, with more than £11,500 raised to help support our vital end of life care. This service is always extremely popular so sign up today to secure your collection!

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Philip’s story Our Admiral Nurse, Lucy, is based at the Hospice and provides advice, guidance, training and support to carers, families and those living with dementia and approaching the end of their life. Families like Philip’s.

When Lucy visited Philip, he was the main carer for his mother, Julie, and described himself as “making things up as he went along” in respect of looking after her. He was seeking an expert eye on what else he might be doing for her and to better understand what stage his mother’s dementia was at.

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He recognised things had deteriorated over the past year following the passing of his father and knew his mother was very poorly, requesting specialist advice and support around care planning and end of life care needs.

“The Admiral Nurse closed the gap with the GP surgery about my mother’s condition and guided what turned out to be the end-of-life journey. Lucy got to know my mother and the family, and she gave practical support on many things, acknowledging that managing Alzheimer’s is as much about the carers who carry the burden, which was a great relief.

“Lucy enabled me to feel that I could continue to cope with things, providing me with structure, reassurance and practical help from which my mother strongly benefitted because I felt more in control and satisfied with what I was

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doing for her.

More than anything her contribution was empowering and focused attention on those best placed to sustain and improve the care received by my mother.”

Do you need support and guidance around coping with a dementia at end of life?

We’re here to help. Contact Lucy Cosgrove on 07377 876257 (Working Days: Tuesday-Thursday 9am-5pm).

Alternatively, drop in for a cuppa, a chat, information and support from various professionals about memory, diagnosis, dementia, services and groups at our North Hertfordshire Healthy Memory Café on the last Thursday of every month from 10am-midday at Create Community Hub Letchworth – 19-29 Station Rd, Letchworth Garden City SG6 3BB.

Lucy’s top tips for staying well this winter

Lucy Heaps is our Senior Occupational Therapist at the Hospice, focussing on supporting our patients across Day Services, Hospice at Home and IPU to maintain their independence after diagnosis, empowering them to do things they enjoy. Lucy shares some top tips with us to stay well over the winter months.

The black squirrels in the Hospice Garden are getting ready for winter, and it serves as a great reminder that we too should think ahead so we can look after ourselves as the seasons change.

• C old weather and dark evenings often leave us craving comfort foods. Make sure you eat a variety of foods and continue to eat your ‘five a day’.

• G et outdoors in the fresh air. There is no such thing as bad weather, so make sure you wear layers and get your hats, scarves and waterproof coats out in readiness. Take notice of the beautiful trees and all their wonderful colours.

• B uild yourselves a small exercise plan to follow. This could be a walk around the lake or your local neighbourhoods.

• Get

a good night’s sleep. Routine is key, so try not to fall into the trap of staying in bed longer, as this can impact on your ability to be productive during the day.

• B e kind to yourselves and those important in your life. We continue to live through strange and challenging times. Try not to place unrealistic expectations on yourselves and others.

Make a Winter Self-Care Box Take a moment to think about things that you could put in your box. To give you some ideas, in my box this year I shall be putting the following items: • A list of my favourite feel-good songs to play • A fantastically smelling hand cream to treat myself to a mini aromatherapy session • A small cross stitch to complete, as it’s been years since I allowed myself time to craft • S ome colouring pencils and a sketch pad – a doodle can be a work of art after all!

• A book I enjoyed as a child, for a bit of reminiscence • A hot chocolate sachet, and a relaxing box of tea, so I can sit and snuggle up with a hot drink by the fireside

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Your regular donation means we can:

Deliver tailored care

How your money will be used At Garden House Hospice Care, our specialist doctors, nurses and clinicians deliver the personalised and compassionate care that people living with life-limiting illnesses – such as cancer or motor-neurone disease – need and deserve. We support their loved ones too. Stand alongside us, and them, to help make this possible.

Each year we need to raise:

£5million This allows us to continue providing our free services.

Regular donations, which can be any amount to suit your budget, help us to plan sustainably and sensibly for the future.

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Finding out each patient’s needs, concerns and symptoms and tackling them with the help of our multiskilled team, which includes nurses, physiotherapists and counsellors.

Support all the family

Making sure carers, loved ones and children have the emotional and practical help they need to cope and move forward.

Give the best end of life care

Because every person deserves it, from diagnosis to their final days.

No matter the size of your donation, it will make a difference and will be spent wisely.

£5

Because you care, we can always be there for our patients and their loved ones.

Bedfordshire Biggleswade

a month

£10 a month

could support a family with counselling, both pre and post-bereavement.

£25 a month

could fund an hour’s care in the comfort of a patient’s own home.

Bassingbourn Melbourn

Langford

could help towards a course run by our physiotherapists to give someone their independence back.

Cambridgeshire

Shefford

Stotfold

Letchworth Hitchin Stevenage Knebworth Old Welwyn

Ashwell

Royston

Baldock

Garden House Hospice Care Hertfordshire

Our services are available across North Hertfordshire, Stevenage and surrounding towns and villages in Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Your donation will directly help people who live in your local community from the moment they are told their illness cannot be cured.

Regular giving is easy to do. Simply sign up on our website or fill in the attached form.

Please fill in the whole form including official use box using a ball point pen and send it to: Garden House Hospice Care Gillison Close Letchworth Garden City SG6 1QU

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit Service user number

1 8 5 8 1 9 For Garden House Hospice Care official use only

Name(s) of account holder(s)

This is not part of the instruction to your bank or building society.

Name Address

Bank/building society account number

Postcode Email

Branch sort code

I would like to set up a Monthly Direct Debit of:

£2.50  £5  £10  £30  Other Please debit my Bank/Building Society account on:

Name and full postal address of your bank or building society To: The Manager

Bank/building society

Address

Postcode

1st  15th  Instruction to your bank/building society Please pay Garden House Hospice Care Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

I understand that this Instruction may remain with Garden House Hospice Care and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

Signature(s)

Reference Date

Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.

This guarantee should be detached and retained by the payer.

The Direct Debit Guarantee

• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.

• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Garden House Hospice Care will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed.

If you request Garden House Hospice Care to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Garden House Hospice Care or your bank or building society you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Garden House Hospice Care asks you to.

• You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society.

Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

Stand by people like us

Your support means more local people with a life-limiting illness can access our expert care.

Occasionally, we may write to you or phone to tell you the difference you are making, sharing our latest news, activities, appeals, and ways you can continue to support our patients.

Email and text are the quickest, cheapest and most planet-friendly ways to stay in touch, but we need your agreement.  Yes, I’m happy to receive emails  Yes, I’m happy to receive text messages We take your privacy seriously and will never sell your data.

Please read our privacy policy to learn how we keep your data safe.

You can change your mind at any time, please email fundraising@ghhospicecare.org.uk or call 01462 679540.

This form can easily be filled in at www.ghhospicecare.org.uk but do feel free to grab a pen and pop this in the post.

Send it to: Garden House Hospice Care, Gillison Close, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 1QU.

A little bit of paper that will go a long way (in helping that is).

Thank you.

Tina’s Chocolate Christmas puds Yummy treats to get you in the festive mood Tina Lewis joined the Hospice family 10 years ago as the Catering Team Leader, putting smiles on hundreds of faces with her delicious homemade meals and bakes.

As a special Christmas gift, our Great Hospice Bake Off Champion, Tina, has shared some of her secret recipes with us for you to try at home.

“I really enjoy working at Christmas time. Food can be so comforting and very nostalgic. It’s so lovely to have a part in our patients and their families’ Christmas day and we try to make it as ‘normal’ and magical as possible at a difficult time.

“These no-bake chocolate Christmas puddings are impossible for anyone to resist!”

No bake chocolate Christmas puddings You will need:

Method:

125g butter

Melt the dark chocolate chips in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on the lowest setting. Place butter, milk and golden syrup in a saucepan, heat on low until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the melted chocolate and crushed biscuits. Add raisins, cherries and nuts and mix well. Cover and place in fridge for 30-45 minutes until firm.

2 tbsp golden syrup 1 tbsp milk 150g dark chocolate chips 250g crushed digestive biscuits 60g raisins 60g glacier cherries 45g chopped hazelnuts 75g white chocolate drops Edible holly

Shape into small balls and then top each one with a little melted white chocolate, letting it run down the sides to resemble a Christmas pudding. Top with edible holly leaves. Put back into the fridge to chill and the chocolate to set.

For more recipes from the Hospice kitchen head to www.ghhospicecare.org.uk

orporate Identity Policy

01462 679540 www.ghhospicecare.org.uk

Registered Charity 295257