North Devon Hospice Annual Review 2006-2007

Annual

Review

2006

. 2007

We are a wonderfully diverse organisation. This year, thanks to our dedicated staff and volunteers, and the support shown to us by the community we serve, we have been able to sustain the offer of specialist care to those with life-threatening illnesses.

Every day we help 80 people in North Devon with: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Specialist community nursing Day hospice In-patient care Emotional & spiritual care Complementary therapy Bereavement support

Any life-threatening illness affects the whole family and so being there for all the family, including children, is at the heart of what we do.

Since the opening of our bedded unit in 2005, we have been able to provide a complete hospice service, free of charge. To maintain this level of care involves a huge amount of hard work, not only in striving to be North Devon’s centre of excellence in the provision of specialist palliative care, but also in generating the necessary income to fund this essential service. It is a tribute to the level of expertise demonstrated by all our staff that this has been achieved.

‘I leave the hospice with a sense of peace and tranquillity’

Being there for all the family is at the heart of what we do

Helping at home

O U R Y E A R AT A G L A N C E

April

Most people prefer to be cared for at home, so our team of seven specialist community nurses often make this possible. Not only do they help with pain and symptom management, but also with the emotional, spiritual and practical issues that can affect the whole family. They work closely with local GP practices, hospitals and social services, as well as occasionally entering the worlds of the Benefits Agency and CAB, amongst others.

❑ HRH, The Princess Royal, officially opens the new bedded unit.

She mentions how impressed she is by the high standards of the care and the thought that has gone into making the unit as perfect as possible. A wonderful start to the year. ❑ Two away-days are held for staff and trustees. These offer everyone a chance to get to know one another better on a team-working and social level. The days produce a number of recommendations, many of which have already been implemented.

This year saw the start of an important new pilot scheme that allowed our specialist community nurses to offer care in the home seven days a week. It is hoped that this service will become permanent in the course of next year.

❑ The community fundraising team is boosted by the appointment of Gerard Fawcitt. The lively Gerard proves invaluable in organising fundraising events and forging strong links with the community.

Making an amazing 5,680 patients visits this year, our specialist community nurses are the front line of our care.

❑ Mike Penny is appointed as the new Lottery Manager. Lottery membership rises to the 10,000 mark, an extremely impressive number.

O U R Y E A R AT A G L A N C E

‘She asked me what I thought about the hospice, and I said I feel really comfortable and looked after.’

Volunteers underpin every aspect of the hospice

May

‘She is our angel.

We feel so very different after her visit’

❑ A team of 12 brave volunteers from advertising agency, Bray Leino, roll up their sleeves and get stuck into the hospice gardens.

Top of the list of tasks for the team to tackle is a much-needed clearance of the pond. This means that several of the volunteers are waist deep in water all day! The Bray Leino team spends the whole day planting, laying turf and generally tidying up the garden areas for the future enjoyment of all at the hospice.

Nothing to fear

On a journey together

Our individual approach helps patients keep their independence and dignity whether supported at home or in the bedded unit.

Being told you have a life-threatening illness can be frightening and confusing for all involved. What was secure is now shaken. The Emotional and Spiritual Care (ESS) team offers patients and their families time and space to look at what is happening in their lives.

During the past year the seven individual bedrooms have been in almost constant use, and patients and their families have been welcomed into a peaceful, safe environment.

The range of help available includes counselling for adults and children, patient, carer and bereavement groups; spiritual support; selfhelp techniques and healing.

For many patients, severe pain and complex symptoms have been controlled enabling them to return home again. For others, who have come to the end of their lives, the bedded unit provides opportunity for the best quality of care, as staff respond sensitively to physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

This year there has been more than a 50% increase in demand for ESS services. The team has been strengthened by the arrival of our new chaplain, Ben Luck. As well as providing help to people of all faiths and none, and conducting funeral services, Ben also holds a monthly communion service for patients and a weekly prayer meeting for staff; both are well attended.

We believe that every person is unique.

O U R Y E A R AT A G L A N C E

June

‘Death is near and I am completely at peace... how extraordinary’

❑ Ben Luck is appointed as our first hospice chaplain.The work Ben has undertaken since his arrival is greatly appreciated by patients and their families and it is difficult to think how we managed without him. ❑ Ursula Carter, a session counsellor, retires from hospice work after 12 years of service. ❑ Seven new hospice trustees are appointed.They come from a wide range of backgrounds and experience and we are very grateful for their voluntary commitment of time and considerable expertise. ❑ We are grateful to a local company, Actavis, which provides 90 keen volunteers over two days to make further improvements to the gardens. The fruit of the team’s efforts in planting, tidying and maintaining our gardens is appreciated throughout the summer.

‘When I came here first I was shaky, insecure and very bald.

I didn’t know myself anymore.

The support group was invaluable. It was a safe place to talk about how I felt.

It helped me grow in confidence’

The ESS team worked with community fundraising on two important events this year: Floating Bye and Light up a Life. These were important rituals allowing many people to come together and share their remembering, grief and loss.

Working with children As well as offering one-to-one support for children affected by someone close to them who is poorly or who has died, the hospice is now running a bereavement group for children. Support is also offered to children’s teachers and families as it is not always easy knowing what to say or do.

‘I’ll always remember what you said: here it’s ok not be ok.’

Spending the day

Sharing and learning

Our day hospice has blossomed.

We feel that it is an integral part of our role in the community to share our expertise and experiences with health and social care professionals.

Within a relaxed and friendly environment, patients meet and talk to others with similar experiences.

This happens in numerous ways.

Many more patients are enjoying the support of day hospice following an extensive review of the service which took place during this year. A lot of time was spent talking to our patients and volunteers, visiting other hospices and looking at national research.

Above all, what patients wanted most was to enjoy the sense of community and togetherness that day hospice brings. The revitalised days now take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Every year, for example, we run a university-level module on Specialist Palliative Care and Care for Dying People. This year we had 23 students from all over Devon - our highest number ever. They came from various backgrounds including community hospitals, district and hospice nursing. All the students scored high marks and were very impressed by the course’s structure and content.

What’s on offer?

‘There is a sense of belonging to one big family’

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Treating the whole person A wide range of complementary therapies are available free of charge to patients and their carers including: ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

O U R Y E A R AT A G L A N C E

Sharing experiences Enjoying lunch together Talking to a trained hospice nurse Art sessions Counselling Complementary therapy ‘Look Good Feel Great’ days ‘FAB - Fatigue, Anxiety & Breathlessness’ sessions

Aromatherapy Massage Reflexology Acupuncture

annual bumper draw is another great success. With the JulyOur help of Silver Street Motors we are able to offer a brand new

❑ Volkswagen car as the top prize. An exciting summer campaign sees the competition raise an incredible £24,000 for the hospice.

‘I found it relevant, interactive and supportive, and sometimes emotionally exhausting.’

The National Sandcastle Competition in Woolacombe, one of our most high-profile events, is held under beautiful ❑ sunshine and enjoyed by crowds of over 8,000 people. It is a wonderful family event and helps spread the message of the hospice to a huge audience.

Our treasurer,Teresa Turner, steps down as a trustee. A huge vote of thanks is owed to Teresa for the professionalism and commit❑ ment with which she undertook her role.

Making the difference

O U R Y E A R AT A G L A N C E

September

Our staff and volunteers are, without a doubt, our most valuable resource, and we are completely indebted to our wonderful team of volunteers, whose donation of time makes all that we do possible.

❑ An important scheme starts allowing our team of specialist community nurses to make patient visits seven days a week. The pilot period of six months proves of great benefit to patients and carers.

We have a team of nearly 400 volunteers who work tirelessly throughout North Devon. Last year they gave an amazing 140,000 hours of their time and travelled almost 60,000 miles on hospice duties.

❑ Hospice hero, Weyland Rance, completes his impressive fundraising cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End. Weyland raises over £6,000 for the hospice on his mammoth 860-mile ride, which he completes in just 8 days.

Volunteers help us in numerous different ways, including: ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Caring in day hospice Caring in the bedded unit Befriending patients at home Working in our shops Driving patients to and from the hospice Meeting and greeting visitors Bereavement counselling

October ❑ The hospice ‘Waterbabes’ present us with a cheque for over £11,000 after returning from their epic sailing voyage around Great Britain.The all-female team sailed along our coastline for an incredible four months before returning to dry land.

November ❑ A special Clergy Day entitled “Living with Dying” is facilitated by the ESS team. The day is so popular that another one is planned to cope with demand.

O U R Y E A R AT A G L A N C E

August ❑

The hospice holds a very moving and memorable event called Floating Bye. Hundreds of people gather on Instow beach to place a flower and a message onto a specially made wicker raft.

At sunset, the raft is floated out to sea on an outgoing tide.

‘You have lifted my spirits, and given me hope’

December ❑ Light Up A Life services are held at 13 churches across North Devon and at the hospice. These memorable events give people the chance to remember someone who is no longer with us. Christmas can be a difficult time of year for those who have lost loved ones and we believe that Light Up A Life makes a real difference. ❑ Staff and volunteers are able to treat day hospice patients to a shopping trip in Green Lanes, Barnstaple. A little retail therapy is just what the doctor ordered!

Fundraising

O U R Y E A R AT A G L A N C E

North Devon Hospice needs £2.8m every year to maintain its essential services, so as a charity we are hugely reliant on the generosity, commitment and enthusiasm of the North Devon public to make our work possible.

January ❑ We are honoured when the Bishop of Crediton, Rt. Rev’d Bob Evens, visits the hospice. He spends time with patients and their families before leading a Chaplain Licensing service for Ben Luck.

This is a very special and meaningful day for many of us here.

The hospice lottery has enjoyed a year of consolidation which has seen the whole system computerized. Despite this upheaval, the lottery membership continued to increase and the club now has more than 10,000 members.

❑ Leo Cooper is appointed in the new role of Communications Officer. Leo is working alongside Communications Manager, Kate Harvey, helping to produce all hospice literature, newsletters, advertising, press stories, website and internal communications.

Legacies form an essential part of our funding and we are extremely grateful to those who have left us a gift in their will.

While the climate for high-street shopping looks unsettled, our 11 shops and online EBay store have enjoyed a successful financial year.

This success is largely due to our dedicated shop managers and volunteers and the people of North Devon who have kindly donated their unwanted belongings.

Community fundraising is all about building relationships...

Our community fundraising team also works tirelessly throughout the year, putting on fantastic events and supporting local people in making their own fundraising ideas happen. Last year the hospice ran a myriad of fun events including Walk for Life, UK Sandcastle Competition, Ladies Driving Day and a Santa Fun Run. Several moving events such as Floating Bye and Light Up A Life also took place, offering opportunities to specifically remember and grieve for loved ones no longer with us.

We are constantly amazed by the boundless enthusiasm shown by the people of North Devon wishing to raise money for us. In the past year, people have sailed around the country, cycled the length of the UK and even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro all in aid of North Devon Hospice.

❑ Revd. John Benson, who has been our volunteer chaplain for many years, leaves North Devon to take up a living in Kent.

February

March

❑ Following his visit in January, Bishop Bob willingly agrees to become a vice-president of the hospice. He was impressed with the warm and homely atmosphere here and is keen to be as active as possible in hospice life.

❑ We are proud to open our eleventh retail outlet in Joy Street, Barnstaple. The opening ceremony is conducted by local naturalist, Johnny Kingdom, from BBC2’s A Year On Exmoor, and is attended by scores of local bargain-hunters. A real success.

❑ Liz Gilmour is appointed as a locum healer to cover for Sarah Beanland.

❑ Roger Ayles, who has worked tirelessly for the hospice lottery, retires after 9 years of service. He leaves the lottery generating over £300,000 in funds every year.

❑ Our professionalism in fundraising is recognised by the Fundraising Standards Board. The hospice is proud to be a founder member of the newly formed national body upon its launch.

❑ A bid is tabled for a government grant to fund the development of our kitchen and dining areas. Everybody is thrilled when it is announced that we have been successful and awarded the full amount of £490,000.

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❑ At the end of the year we say a sad farewell to Doreen Harrison who retires after over seven years service as the hospice’s Director of Support Services. We will miss Doreen’s dedicated and balanced approach to her duties and wish her well in her retirement.

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From the Chairman

Financial review Other £24,526 Grants £58,835 Hospice shops £119,091 Investments £184,814 Hospice lottery £318,469 Donations £672,132 Health Authority & Dept. of Health

£814,070 Legacies £1,067,098

Income £3.26m

Governance 1.6% Education 3.9% Fundraising 13.5% Care 81.0%

Over the last year with the generous support of the North Devon community our income reached £3.2 million, some £500,000 more than the previous year. Legacies have formed a significant part of this with income just exceeding £1.0 million.

We are grateful to all staff and volunteers who work so hard in our shops and lottery. Over the year they have generated income in excess of £437,000, and we look forward to building on this success with the opening of our second retail shop in Barnstaple.

Our running costs are met in part by the local primary care trust; however approximately 70% of our costs are met from voluntary sources such as legacies, donations and fundraising.

Our total expenditure rose to just over £2.5 million with us incurring for the first time a full 12 months running expenses for the in-patient unit. Staff costs are three quarters of our expenditure with 85% of total costs spent on patient care and education.

An operating surplus of £700,000 will help us to continue to provide care and develop services for our patients and their families. We must strive to build on the success of this year, and need to raise almost £8,000 each day to meet future running costs.

Expenditure £2.56m This summary financial information for North Devon hospice relates to the statement of financial activities for the year ended on 31st March 2007 and the balance sheet as at that date but is not the statutory accounts, which are available with the trustees’ and auditors’ report, from Wortham Hills Jaques. The full accounts which have been approved by trustees have been audited and the report contained no concerns such as a qualified opinion or a limitation of scope. The annual report and accounts are being submitted to the Charity Commission.

Auditors’ Statement: We have reviewed the summary financial information of North Devon Hospice for the year ended 31st March 2007. In our opinion it is consistent with the full accounts of the charity for that year.

Wortham Hills Jaques, June 2007

Dear Friends, The opening statement in this Review is that North Devon Hospice is a wonderfully diverse organisation and it is only because of the myriad of talents and expertise available to us that the hospice is able to deliver such excellent care and support to our community.

Staff, volunteers and trustees individually contribute something special and the amalgamation of these talents, underpinned by a universal commitment and dedication, continues to enhance the organisation’s deserved reputation for the provision of care of the highest quality in a variety of settings.

Last year was an extremely successful one financially and the hospice owes a real debt of gratitude to all those individuals, community groups and companies who fundraise so tirelessly on our behalf. The results of their fundraising endeavours allow us to plan for the future with some degree of confidence.

As I write, we have just embarked on another development to further improve our facilities here at Deer Park. Thanks to a sizeable grant from the Department of Health, we shall be significantly expanding and upgrading our kitchen facilities, as well as improving the dining environment for visitors and staff.

My thanks and best wishes go out to all our supporters.

I would like to help North Devon Hospice ❑

I enclose a gift of £ (please make cheques payable to North Devon Hospice)

❑

President The Countess of Arran DL

Caring for you across North Devon

Lynton

ILFRACOMBE 9 A3

Woolacombe

E X M O O R Braunton

Vice Presidents Geoffrey Cox QC MP Gavyn Davies OBE The Rt. Revd. Bob Evens Nick Harvey MP Lady Knight Sir Peter Laurence KCMG, MC, DL Mark Parkhouse DL John Riley The Hon John Rous DL Lady Stucley David Whiteley

BARNSTAPLE

A39

BIDEFORD

77

Clovelly

Great Torrington

❑

I would like to volunteer to help the hospice (we will contact you)

Please send me more details about: The hospice lottery ❑ ❑

Leaving a gift in my will

❑

In memoriam giving

❑

Community and events fundraising

Title:

Forename:

Surname: Address: Postcode:

Telephone:

Trustees

1

A3

Hartland

(we will send you a standing order form)

Email:

A36

Westward Ho!

I would like to make a regular contribution

South Molton

Ron Ley (Chairman) Steve Scoffield (Treasurer) Dr John Womersley (Vice Chairman) Dr Eric Holmes Philip Loft Alec McNeill Doreen Nelson Mark Parkhouse DL Carole Ryall Barbara Sheppard Helen Tanner Lesley Taylor David Trueman Angela Webb Sandra Yeo

❑

I would like this and future donations to be treated as Gift Aid. I am a UK tax payer and want North Devon Hospice to claim 28p in every £1 of my donation/s back in tax at no extra cost to myself.

If you are unsure whether your donations qualify for gift aid please contact us.

You must pay income tax or capital gains tax equal to the amount that we can reclaim. Please let us know if your circumstances change and you no longer pay income tax or capital gains tax equal to that amount. You may cancel this declaration at any time. Last year, we claimed more than £24,000 from the Inland Revenue thanks to your gift aided donations.

Signed: ❑

Date: Please tick here if you do not wish to receive any further communications from us.

Please return this form to:

Bude

Holsworthy

North Devon Hospice, Deer Park, Barnstaple EX32 0HU

‘It was only when I found out I was dying that I began to live’

being there

for all the family