Royal Surrey Charity Matters: supporter magazine - spring 2022

Royal Surrey

Spring/summer 2022

Charity Matters

Celebrating 25 years of St Luke’s Cancer Centre PAGE 10 The difference our new Special Care Baby Unit is making to families in its first year.

How a legacy donation is improving care for older people.

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Supporter magazine

News in brief

Hello!

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elcome to the spring/ summer edition of your supporter magazine.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported Royal Surrey Charity over the past year. Your support, alongside the outstanding passion and dedication demonstrated by Royal Surrey staff, continues to make a real difference to our patients and local communities.

As the weather warms up, we are hopeful that 2022 will prove to be a turning point following an extremely challenging two years for the NHS. As a charity, we know we still have a huge amount of work to do to ensure we’re offering the best support for our patients and we’re really looking forward to launching a number of new and exciting initiatives this year (which you’ll see in the coming pages).

We’re also thrilled to be celebrating St Luke’s Cancer Centre’s 25th anniversary.

St Luke’s offers world class care to people across the South East, and has had a huge impact on hundreds of thousands of patients, family members and friends since it was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 1997.

On behalf of all the patients and staff at the Royal Surrey, thank you for supporting our charity.

Robin Legge Head of Fundraising

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MP Jeremy Hunt has launched a £1million campaign.

Revolutionising surgery

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eremy Hunt, MP for South West Surrey, launched a £1million campaign to support the development of an exciting new Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre at the Royal Surrey. When built, the centre will mean thousands more patients receive surgical treatment every year.

To find out more or make a donation to Jeremy’s campaign, please visit: royalsurreycharity.org.uk/ surgerycancerappeal

“A dedicated unit will mean cancer and other vital surgery will be in a strong position to continue uninterrupted in future pandemics or during periods of winter pressure.”

Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP

Frying up tasty donations

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eafare Burpham Branch Manager, Andrew Cooper, provided £1,000 worth of fish and chip gift vouchers for our all-staff thank you event: Winter Fest. This incredible donation was exceptionally popular with our NHS staff.

All wrapped up

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hank you to everyone who donated to our Pledge a Present appeal. Your support meant:

Every patient at Royal Surrey

County Hospital and our patients in the community received a gift bag filled with treats to help brighten their day.

£27,000

An incredible was raised in donations by the appeal.

574 gifts were delivered

in total, including to our hospitals and patients in the community.

22 wards were reached.

Amazing NHS staff working on Christmas Day delivered gifts to patients.

“You have no idea how the gift cheered me and everyone in my room at such a difficult time. It was really a great gesture and it touched me and everyone, so thanks for the thought, funding and all your efforts in making it happen in a lovely and cheerful way.”

Dr Marwa Hassan from Guildford spent Christmas in hospital after needing emergency surgery.

Winterfest in our wellbeing cabin

Companies showing their support

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With funding from Royal Surrey Charity and support from Medirest, which provides healthcare catering and support services at the Royal Surrey, hardworking NHS staff received festive refreshments, games and thank you gifts.

Managing Agent Stephen Darling was keen to launch the new scheme for the NHS as part of on-going joint community work with the Farnham Round Table, which has supported the charity in the past.

n December, a socially distanced winter wonderland event for staff was hosted in our wellbeing cabin and surrounding gardens.

he community-minded team at ME Estate Agents, which has branches in Farnham, Alton and Ash Vale, will be donating 10% of agency fees from sales and lettings through a referral scheme to Royal Surrey Charity.

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Project update: Special Care Baby Unit

Parents Hanna and James with daughter, Clemmie, who was born six and a half weeks early.

“It felt like a home from home.”

How our new Special Care Baby Unit is making a difference to families

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ast year, thanks to incredible support of our Closer to Care campaign, our new Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) officially opened. Mum of two premature babies, Hanna, has experienced both the old unit with her first daughter, Josie (now three years old), and, more recently, with her baby, Clemmie. Here she tells us how the unit made a difference to her and her family.

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My first experience of SCBU “My daughter Josie was spontaneously born at 28 weeks and two days. Up until then, I’d had a healthy pregnancy so it was a shock to us all. She spent five weeks in Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth before she returned to our home town of Guildford, where she was admitted to Royal Surrey’s Special Care Baby Unit. Josie didn’t

cope well with the move and I was unable to stay with her because, unlike the unit at the hospital in Portsmouth, there was no option for parents to stay overnight at Royal Surrey.

This broke my heart. That very first night was one of the hardest I’ve ever been through: after spending five weeks under the same roof as my baby, I had to return home without Josie.

During the SCBU stay, the care the staff gave Josie was fantastic. This was the place that she had her third blood transfusion, her first bath

and first bottle. However, the layout of the unit didn’t allow for us to be as involved in her care as we were used to.

It is so important for babies – especially those born premature – to experience skin-to-skin contact with parents, and for mothers to try their best to express breastmilk for their babies when tube fed, and these things felt difficult on the ward, where there was very limited space and privacy.

The difference Closer to Care has made Three years later, we returned to SCBU with a second baby girl – but this time, we were fortunate to be on the new unit, which had opened earlier in the year.

After a stressful pregnancy, where I was supported by Royal Surrey staff on St Catherine’s Ward, our daughter Clemmie arrived six and a half weeks early – she was meant to be born close to Christmas, hence choosing the name ‘Clementine’.

We got to experience life in the fully refurbished unit over the next two weeks.

It felt like a home from home: each baby had their own personal space where parents could sleep and pump milk when necessary,

and if you wanted privacy, you could pull back the curtain. For me personally, it meant that I spent more time having the all-important ‘skin-toskin’ with Clemmie. I also got into a daily routine of expressing milk, feeding and caring for her. The staff are so knowledgeable and helpful in supporting parents with tube feeding, establishing expressing and caring for a baby through the holes in an incubator.

The space meant I could form stronger relationships with the neonatal medical team, as we were able to have private conversations about Clemmie’s care.

I made good use of the chair bed a few times, as I juggled my time between Josie at home and SCBU. Josie with baby sister, Clemmie.

Soon after Clemmie’s birth, her nurse Terry introduced me to the VCreate app. The app, which is also funded

by Royal Surrey Charity, allows staff to upload videos and photos for you to view when you can’t be with your baby. I treasured the videos, photos and notes about Clemmie that staff shared with me. In the middle of the night, I would log on to see what she had been up to while I was pumping. I can’t express how much capturing these moments meant to me.

Did you know?

You can donate to our ‘area of greatest need’ fund or to a particular area of the hospital, so you can make a difference to projects like this.

We will be forever indebted to the staff in SCBU and will be telling our girls all about their incredible work for years to come.”

Following Josie’s care in SCBU, Hanna and her family raised an amazing £6,700 for Closer to Care, after organising Josie’s Black Tie Ball.

We are so grateful to Hanna and to all of our wonderful supporters who have helped transform care for premature babies like Josie and Clemmie.

It’s wonderful to see how your donations are making a real difference to local families.

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The difference you make

Where your money goes Here are just some of the projects your donations have funded…

Your generous support is making a difference to those who need it most.

Improving care for older people ver £60,000 has recently been awarded to improve care for older people at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust.

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The service aims to prevent the risk of adverse outcomes associated with frailty, such as falls, disability, admission to hospital, or the need for long-term care.

Part of the funding will go towards developing a Frailty Academy, which will provide a framework of training and education so that staff working with older patients are able to better understand, identify and assess frailty – a term used in medicine to identify older people who are more vulnerable to sudden health changes.

This project is possible thanks to a generous legacy left to the charity by supporter Reverend Joy Todd. We are extremely grateful for this donation, and all gifts left in Wills, which make a big difference to our work – transforming healthcare for people across South West Surrey, now and in the future.

To find out how you can leave a lasting legacy with a gift in your Will, turn to page 11.

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Promoting staff wellbeing

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oyal Surrey Charity is delighted to have funded a clinical health psychology service for NHS staff at Royal Surrey.

In recent years, recognition has increased around the extraordinary pressures and challenges staff working in healthcare face – and how these extremely stressful situations can affect staff members and patient outcomes. The new service aims to integrate psychologically informed approaches within teams and across the Trust to help shield staff from the effects caused by stressful situations, which will ultimately help support staff wellbeing and improve patient care.

The new ‘Working Well Team’ is made up of three clinical psychologists – Dr Matthew Beadman, Dr Katherine O’Neill and Dr Jenny Csecs (all pictured below).

Dr Matt Beadman, who leads on the project, said: “The team draws on psychological science and latest developments in behavioural theory to develop a range of initiatives for NHS staff across Royal Surrey. As well as important work with individuals who may be experiencing psychological distress relating to their experience of working in healthcare, the team has developed a range of initiatives for teams.”

“Outcomes are routinely measured and feedback from the sessions has been positive with attendees crediting it with helping them to feel ‘supported and encouraged’. We also know that organisational initiatives for staff have direct, positive effects on patient outcomes.”

The service was only possible thanks to generous support of our Covid-19 appeal, which was set up to support frontline staff during and beyond the pandemic.

Supporting local causes in our community

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urrey-based projects addressing community health and wellbeing following the pandemic are set to receive close to half a million pounds in funding, thanks to the NHS Charities Together Community Partnership Grants programme.

A network of six Surrey Heartlands NHS charities, including Royal Surrey Charity, received the grant totalling £483,033 and awarded this to eleven community projects, run by organisations across the region. The projects selected to receive funding offer specific support to people disproportionately affected by Covid-19, and address health and wellbeing issues.

For Momentum Children’s Charity (pictured) – one of the projects receiving support – the grant will provide a Family Support Worker to support families whose children have cancer or a life-challenging condition, within four Surrey hospitals – including Royal Surrey in Guildford.

“We’re thrilled to receive this significant grant from Surrey Heartlands NHS Charities and the Community Foundation for Surrey.

The families we support were already facing huge challenges in caring for their seriously ill child. Covid-19 brought many additional fears and anxieties: our Family Support Workers are needed more than ever.”

Bianca Effemey, Founder and CEO, Momentum Children’s Charity Read the full story and find out which other projects will receive grants on our website: royalsurreycharity.org.uk/news Royal Surrey Charity Matters | Spring/summer 2022

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Feature: supporter story Melissa (right) with Sophie (left) and their parents after the cycle ride.

“We are so pleased to be able to make such a difference.”

Inspiring stories from extraordinary people…

Why I support Royal Surrey Charity

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elissa Brown, 27, raised over £8,000 for Royal Surrey Charity after cycling 40 miles from Farnham to Hayling Island in Hampshire. Here, Mel shares her story about what inspired her to take on the challenge.

“I wanted to raise money for Royal Surrey Charity after my sister, Sophie, had a cardiac arrest at

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just 21 years old. She was volunteering at a kids’ summer camp in Poland in 2020 when it happened, and she was taken to hospital straight away, where she had a further two cardiac arrests, which devastatingly resulted in brain damage.

We were originally told that Soph’s brain damage was not compatible with anything more than a vegetative state. The thought of her being alive but not being aware of her environment or being

able to communicate her needs in any way was the worst outcome I could ever imagine. However, the months have gone by and she has continued to defy the odds – she is now at home and while she has both physical and cognitive impairments she remains the kind, caring and extremely funny girl we know and love.

Sophie is still receiving therapy from Royal Surrey’s amazing Community Neuro Rehabilitation Team, who are based at Milford

Hospital. The team are an invaluable part of Sophie’s rehabilitation, helping her to improve her mobility, her speech, her memory, and eventually increase her independence.

Cycling for Sophie The 40-mile cycle ride took a few hours to complete but the sun was shining and all of us had such a great day.

In total for Royal Surrey Charity and Cardiac Risk in the Young, we raised over £16,000, which feels absolutely incredible. We are so pleased to be able to make such a difference. I truly believe in the work both charities do and I hope our money goes a little way to prevent other young people from having cardiac arrests – which can sadly often result in death – and improving the rehabilitation of people with neurological conditions in our local area.”

Having a drink with Soph at the end was the cherry on top of the cake.

Melissa and Sophie presenting the cheque to our Events Fundraising Manager, Sandy, and the Community Neuro Rehabilitation Team at Milford Hospital.

The money raised will fund innovative equipment and training for the neurological team. Thank you to Mel, Sophie and everyone who helped raised such an amazing amount.

“As a team, we assess and treat patients who have neurological diagnoses, whether progressive or rehabilitative. We are extremely grateful to Melissa and to everyone who has contributed towards Melissa’s fundraising.

We’re excited for the opportunities this money will bring for the development of the department and the impact of this for future patients who need our support.”

Julie Tearle, Occupational Therapist at Milford Hospital

Inspired?

If you would like to fundraise for a particular ward or department, like Mel, visit royalsurreycharity.org.uk/fundraise or call us on 01483 464146.

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Get involved

Queen Elizabeth II officially opened St Luke’s Cancer Centre in February 1997.

Right: Photos covering the early days at St Luke’s.

Help transform care for people living with cancer To celebrate 25 years since the official opening of St Luke’s Cancer Centre, we have launched a year of fundraising so our patients can continue to receive world class cancer care now, and in the future.

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fficially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 21 February 1997, St Luke’s treated around 2,500 patients in its first year. Today, the centre typically conducts over 60,000 outpatient appointments a year and our wonderful staff continue to offer incredible care to every individual who comes through our doors.

Thanks to your amazing support, over the years we have provided lifesaving equipment and redeveloped wards and departments to

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make them more welcoming and comfortable for those who need our care.

More recently, funding has been agreed for a state-of-the-art development project to take place over the next two years, which aims to: •

Improve the existing environment and offer a calmer, more comfortable setting for those being treated for cancer.

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Increase the capacity of St Luke’s Cancer Centre by creating additional treatment rooms and facilities.

You can support the future of cancer care at St Luke’s There is so much more we can do to ensure people with cancer have access to exceptional care – but we need your help.

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hether you want to donate, fundraise or organise your own event, here are some ideas for how you can help transform care for local people living with cancer.

Walk for St Luke’s Join us for our 25th Anniversary sponsored walk this September. Rally family and friends, choose a distance to suit you (10k, 15k or 25k) and get walking to support the future of cancer care near you.

Donate online or over the phone.

Give monthly (details on the back cover).

Take on a challenge Run, cycle or skydive – or all three! (check out the dates for your diary section opposite).

Host a tea party Whether you want to organise a street party for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, celebrate the NHS’ birthday by getting involved in our NHS Big Tea, or do your own thing – invite friends and family, dig out your best china and help raise some dough.

Leave a lasting legacy Whatever the size, consider leaving a gift in your Will to Royal Surrey Charity.

You can choose for your gift to support those with cancer and help secure the future of St Luke’s Cancer Centre.

To find out more, please get in touch.

Your support will help more people like Evelyn, 76, who five years after being told she had terminal cancer – and after 62 rounds of gruelling chemotherapy – defied the odds and is now completely clear of the disease.

After receiving her all clear, Evelyn made one last visit to St Luke’s to thank staff and complete a final task. Dressed in superhero cape and mask, she rang the special St Luke’s bell to say ‘goodbye’ to cancer:

“The plaque by the bell says ‘Ring this bell, three times well’ but to be honest I couldn’t stop ringing it. I must have dinged that bell about 50 times. And there will never be enough words to thank the most amazing staff at St Luke’s. You are all angels and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Dates for your diary Mon 11 Apr – Superstars Online Auction Sun 29 May – RideLondon-Essex 100 Tue 5 Jul – NHS Big Tea Sun 7 Aug – Skydive Sun 18 Sep – Walk for St Luke’s Sun 2 Oct – TCS London Marathon Sun 16 Oct – Great South Run

Contact Us Want to find out more? We’d love to hear from you: Call: 01483 464146 Email: rsch.charity@nhs.net Visit: royalsurreycharity.org.uk

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Did you know?

A regular gift today will fund exceptional care at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust.

By making a monthly donation to Royal Surrey Charity, you will help ensure local families have access to incredible care when they need it most.

Your regular gift will help: Photo taken before Covid

provide lifesaving equipment support NHS staff wellbeing and development redevelop wards and departments fund ground-breaking research

It’s easy to set up a direct debit. Simply: Visit royalsurreycharity.org.uk/donate Call 01483 464146 @royalsurreycharity Royal Surrey Charity | Egerton Road | Guildford | Surrey GU2 7XX Registered as a charity in England and Wales | Charity number: 1049776 Printed on 100% recycled paper.

@RSCharity