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People May 2014
News REAL-TIME FEEDBACK BOOSTS PATIENT RESPONSES A pilot of real-time feedback using tablet computers at the two Marie Curie Hospices in Scotland has resulted in a huge increase in responses. The hospices have received more feedback in March, the first month of the scheme, than they had in the previous five months combined. The majority of the responses received were from hospice patients – whereas for the existing comment cards system, relatives and visitors’ responses outnumber patients’ by around two to one.
FEEDBACK ON TABLETS The pilot involves volunteers taking the tablets around the building to gather feedback from patients. Early reports from patients say that the devices are very easy to use. Patient and Family Feedback Development Manager Ben Gadd said: “We are delighted to be getting more comments, especially an increase in comments from patients. It’s also good to see that our care is still very highly rated by patients and carers. “Our staff say that comments are the most useful part of the survey, because if somebody gives us a low rating, we want to know why so that we can do something about it.
RATING PERFORMANCE “The software that we are using enables us to identify the areas where we are best and worst performing, so if a hospice is excelling in one area where others are struggling, we can find out what they are doing differently to provide a good experience for patients, and then set about replicating it.” The Marie Curie Nursing Service is also starting to use the real-time feedback system, with corporate volunteers calling patients and their families.
Comments are the most useful part of the survey, because if somebody gives us a low rating, we want to know why so that we can do something about it. BEN GADD
NEW TEAM TO DEVELOP MASS PARTICIPATION A new team of Senior Partnership and Sales Managers is working to develop mass participation in Marie Curie’s flagship community fundraising events. The team is also seeking to establish new links with existing mass participation events, as well as creating new regional business partnerships. Head of Regional Fundraising Mark Winton said: “This new team has been created to do a really important job for the charity. Our mass participation events – such as the Blooming Great Tea Party, Walk Ten and the Great Daffodil Appeal – are already popular and successful, but we need to increase very significantly the number of people taking part. “The Senior Partnership and Sales Managers will be forging partnerships in their regions that will drive up involvement in our events. It’s a big challenge. For Walk Ten, they will be aiming to recruit 17,000 people – 5,000 more than last year – to take part in walks at 19 venues. They will be instrumental in growing the number of collectors for the Great Daffodil Appeal and the number of Blooming Great Tea Parties next year. “One of the ways in which they will do this is by developing regional corporate partnerships, and using the links we create through those to recruit people for our events. “We are also asking the new team to create links with big events run by other organisations. Suzy McIlveen has already had a big success with her successful pitch to be the official charity of a major regional event in 2015. Each of our Senior Partnership and Sales Managers has a target list of events in their region.” The charity’s three Senior Partnership and Sales Managers are Lucy Knight (South region), Gemma Chance (Central and Wales) and Suzy McIlveen (Scotland and Northern Ireland).
FORGING RELATIONSHIPS: Senior Partnerships and Sales Managers (above, left to right) Lucy Knight, Susan McIlveen and Gemma Chance
“Our work is about developing partnerships” Lucy Knight is Marie Curie’s Senior Partnership and Sales Manager. She covers the South of England, and is based in the charity’s Bristol fundraising office. We are looking to build mass participation in our flagship fundraising events. We are focusing first on Walk Ten, looking to build partnerships with companies and media partnerships at a regional level. “That means picking up the phone and speaking to people in companies, running roadshows and getting the message out on companies’ intranets, or through staff emails. We’ll also be reaching the wider general public through media partnerships, for
Legacies total sets new record Legacies received by Marie Curie Cancer Care in the financial year 2013/14 have broken all records. The charity received 1,109 gifts in Wills, totalling £25.5 million. The previous record, set in 2009/10, was £25.2 million. Dan Carter, Individual Giving Manager (Legacies), said: “We are massively pleased – it’s a great result that reflects the concerted efforts of the legacies and fundraising teams over the last four years to tell our supporters about the importance of making a gift in their Will to Marie Curie.”
RECORD YEAR: Legacy Development Manager Nigel Gorvett, Legacy Manager Dan Carter and Legacy Fundraiser Clare Norman celebrate success in 2013/14
The booming housing market has been one important factor in the record total. Residual legacies – where the charity is left a share of somebody’s estate – often involve a share in a property, so their value is dependent on house prices. Around 80% of the total value of Marie Curie’s legacies income comes from residual legacies. “It’s encouraging that we have a record overall number of legacies – beating the previous record of 1,039,” said Dan. “That means that the total is not down to a small number of very high value Wills. And we also recorded a record number of people who pledged to leave a gift – 1,352. The previous record was 1,257. That’s down to our legacies advisors and the events that they have been running throughout the year, and to our direct marketing campaign to promote legacies. “We are very grateful to the wider fundraising team for keeping legacies in mind, and talking to supporters about them when appropriate. It really does make a difference – legacies are vitally important for funding all our services.”
example with local radio and through memberships and associations. “Our work is very much about developing regional partnerships, and we are based in the regional team. But we will be working very closely with all teams to make sure we maximise funds. “After Walk Ten, we will be working mainly on the Great Daffodil Appeal 2015, and then on the Blooming Great Tea Party. I’m loving the work – it’s really exciting.”
Charity was beneficiary in leading novelist’s Will Marie Curie Cancer Care was one of the beneficiaries in the Will of Irish writer Maeve Binchy. The bestselling novelist, who died in 2012 aged 72, left two-thirds of her estate to her husband. The other third is to be divided between relatives, friends and charities including Marie Curie and Saint Luke’s Hospital. Maeve Binchy claimed to have rewritten her will at least 40 times during the course of her life, proudly stating she was “a great Will maker. I’ve made a Will every year since I was 21”. More unusual legacies received by Marie Curie over the years include a Rolls-Royce, a painting by one of Rembrandt’s students and half the income from the dramatic monologue The Green Eye Of The Yellow God.
80%
Total value of Marie Curie’s legacies income that comes from residual legacies (shares of estates).