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EXTRAORDINARY CARE IN THE COMMUNITY There can be few people in Bath who are unfamiliar with the work of Dorothy House. Former chair of trustees, Simon Coombe, explains why he is proud to be an ambassador for the Winsley-based charity
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orothy House has come a long way since it was founded in 1976 by Prue Dufour at her home in Bloomfield, Bath. Back then Prue’s vision was revolutionary, as she saw a need for the care of terminally ill patients in the community instead of in hospital – not a popular view at the time. And, while the care the charity provides has grown hugely, the vision remains the same, with just 10 beds at its hospice in Winsley and patients mainly cared for at home. Instead, the charity practices what it preaches in the community, raising muchneeded funds from legacies, donations and, of course, its charity shops. Its former chair of the trustees, Simon Coombe, is now an ambassador for Dorothy House, and with his wife serving as a bereavement counsellor for the charity, it’s no wonder he is dedicated to people having the best end-of-life care. After a long career in the white collar world, Simon says his involvement with Dorothy House is “the best thing he has ever done”. “Following 20 years of working in finance, it is nice to give something back,” says Simon. “It was a great life, I lived overseas for a long time and have four children born in different countries, and working in finance was an exciting rollercoaster. “At the highest and lowest point of my career, just two minutes separated them. I had been ten years in Japan with UBS, trying to break into the Japanese market. We eventually got the largest Japanese advertising company, who agreed they would launch on the market with us, as opposed to a Japanese bank. Two minutes later, we had lost over $100m.” The problem was down to what’s known as a fat finger error, where the trader meant to sell 16 shares at 610,000 yen. Unfortunately, he sold 610,000 shares at 16 yen – and two minutes later the penny (and millions of dollars) dropped. “I think if I had stayed in that industry, I would no longer be here,” says Simon. “But it was a good career and I enjoyed it.” 150 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Simon says we should support Dorothy House
WHAT IS A LIVING WILL? Simon Coombe recommends one, but what is it? Well, the full name is the Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment, and it’s legally binding – provided it is valid and complies with the Mental Capacity Act. • You have to be aged 18 or over, and have the capacity to make, understand and communicate your decision when you made it. • You specify clearly which treatments you wish to refuse. • You explain the circumstances in which you wish to refuse them. • It’s signed by you (and by a witness, if you want to refuse life-sustaining treatment). • You need to have made the advance decision of your own accord, without any harassment by anyone else. • You haven’t said or done anything that would contradict the advance decision since you made it (for example, saying that you’ve changed your mind). For more: David Hill, www.mogersdrewett.com
So from Tokyo to Limpley Stoke, with the Coombes wanting their children to have a more normal way of life and lay down some firm foundations. “The biggest difference between my old life and working with the charity sector is the culture,” explains Simon. “In the city it’s a me, me, me culture, but at Dorothy House it’s as far from that that you can possibly get, as it’s all about the people. “A charity like Dorothy House has so many parts it has got to get right. It has get the clinical, social and auditing side right, as well as the numbers and the investment sides. The governance is critical to all of that, and if you have the right people looking after the governance then everything else works. “I think Dorothy House does really well because of its brand. After all, in some ways we are dependent on everyone out there for money. We spend about £9m a year on care, of which 20 per cent comes from NHS contracts, so we have to raise over £25,000 a day to keep
the lights on and give the support that we do.” Relying on fundraising means the fact that the Bath Half was recently abandoned sees the charity facing an immediate shortfall in funds. “We normally raised about £140,000 a year from the Bath Half,” Simon says, “so it is a major loss for us. In fact, I went and did my own half marathon on Tuesday, so I could ask for the money with a clear conscience. “We are trying to raise another event at Castle Combe for the runners. But we can only survive and grow with the support of the local community and most of our support comes from word of mouth; from people saying, ‘I had someone who’s been helped by Dorothy House, and I know what a great job you’ve done and I want to support you.’ The brand only keeps strong by us continuing to do a better job.” And if there’s one conversation Simon would like people to have, it’s one about death and having a Living Will, so families aren’t faced with incredibly difficult decisions at a hugely traumatic time. “Doctors are trained to keep people alive,” he says, “but they are not trained to know when to turn to palliative. We talk about having good lives, but having a good death is really important too. “And as a charity we have to keep growing, because there’s so much need for what we do.” www.dorothyhouse.org.uk
FRESH THINKING OVER A FINE LUNCH
The Bath Life Business Club is a select group of senior business people. It features a leading speaker and a damn fine twocourse lunch. The next BLBC takes place on April 23, when the speaker is Edward Nash of the Nash Partnership. If you’d like to join, please contact Stephanie Dodd (Stephanie. Dodd@mediaclash.co.uk). These events sell out quickly, so look out for the emails...
The Bath Life Business Club is sponsored by Bishop Fleming