The Shakespeare Hospice Newsletter SS2015

Together The Shakespeare Hospice Newsletter Spring / Summer 2015

Inside this issue

Page 3 Great Shakespeare Ride

Page 4 Work Experience

Page 4 Young Carers

Page 6 Thank You!

The Road to Transition

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he Transitional Care Service is for 16-24 year olds with a life limiting illness, aiming to provide a seamless transition from children’s to adult services.

The young people may have conditions and illnesses such as Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, Cancer, cardiac conditions or rare diseases. Some of

them may eventually require palliative care, which the service can provide.

quality of life for young people and their families.

The new Young People’s Hub at the Hospice is a bespoke unit which has been purpose built to facilitate the service.

The Transitional Care team will work alongside all Hospice services in order to provide individual care and a better

Through the service, patients and families will be able to gain access to things not commonly available, such as the counselling service and complementary therapies.

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“If we ever needed a service, we need it more than ever now she is an adult, not a small child” During the first few months of 2015 we have been equipping the Hub with items families have requested through our surveys, including correct hoisting facilities, bathing facilities, sensory toys and equipment.

We are hoping to start welcoming Transitional Care patients into the Hospice in late Spring 2015, beginning with individual nursing sessions on weekdays. We will also be running Saturday group sessions.

Have your say...

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re you or have you been a patient or carer at The Shakespeare Hospice? Or has your relative been cared for by the Hospice?

We would like to invite you to a meeting with the Hospice Service User Group at the Hospice on Wednesday 22nd April from 3.30pm – 4.30pm.The meeting will give you the opportunity to comment on the services we provide and help us find ways in which they can be adapted or improved. The meeting is informal and we welcome your honest views or suggestions.

If you are able to attend please contact Mandy Alexander on 01789 266852 or malexander@theshakespearehospice.org.uk 2

One aim of the service is to support each individual to achieve their maximum potential in terms of education, work and living circumstances, and in some cases helping young people to find a job and manage budgets.

Anyone can refer to the Transitional Care Service and we welcome queries from young people, families or clinical professionals.

For more information on the service please contact Hazel Godwin, Transitional Care Nurse, on hgodwin@ theshakespearehospice.org.uk or call 01789 266852.

We are looking for volunteers to assist with the Transitional Care Service.

For more information please contact Carole Lomas on clomas@theshakespeare hospice.org.uk

“We just want kind, caring people looking after him“

The Transitional Care Service is supported by:

Support The Shakespeare Hospice hosts The South Warwickshire Prostate Cancer Support Group which meets every two months. This group is open to all those affected by Prostate Cancer, along with their partners and families.

The meetings are for sharing and discussion, with a speaker covering issues such as treatment options, diet and exercise.

For more information or if you would like to attend please contact the organiser Doug Badger on 01789 292561 or email badgersett@live.co.uk.

Thanks to Andrew Llewellyn, Designer Photography, for his support with many of the photos throughout the Newsletter.

Day Hospice The Day Hospice team have introduced new sessions to help patients progress and to move forward with their lives following successful treatment.

The Life After Treatment Group offers 6 weekly sessions covering aspects such as exercise, returning to work, sexuality and nutrition. A Hospice Nurse, Occupational Therapist and a Clinical Psychologist assist the interactive sessions, where patients share their learning and ideas about what they find useful in helping them move on.

Introducing: Kate Hall We are delighted to welcome Kate Hall, Head of Clinical Services, to the Hospice. Kate has a wealth of experience in delivering and managing palliative care teams.

Kate told us, “I am really impressed with the services at the Hospice and am looking forward to working with the teams to enhance and develop the specialist palliative care services we offer to the residents of South Warwickshire and the North Cotswolds.”

Created from a Great Community

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he Shakespeare Hospice Voluntary Service continues to go from strength to strength and is currently expanding at a rapid rate in order to support our developing patient services.

People come from all walks of life, simply wanting to volunteer their time and skills in order to support local people affected by serious illness. We are so proud of our community and the way they come forward and offer their time. Without this kindness, we could not deliver or fund our services.

This year we are aiming to extend that volunteer support further into the community by

offering practical and social support within our patients’ own homes. Our Community Volunteers will offer social interaction and respite for carers, and we will aim to help with those small practical jobs which are difficult to cope with when dealing with illness. Shopping, walking the dog, collecting prescriptions and providing transport to visit a friend are just some examples of the type of support we could offer.

ON YOUR BIK ES! Entries are open for the 6th annual Great Shakespeare Ride taking place on Sunday 16th August.

we are introducing a Hill Climb and Team Challenge, both part of this great event.

The ride offers something for all abilities: a 100 mile Sportive, 100 km Challenge route and our much flatter “Friendly 40” Miler. For 2015

Take a look at our website www.thegreatshake speareride.org.uk to find out about our giveaways, route improvements and new challenges.

Hospice at Home

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hrough 2014 the Hospice at Home team had 208 new referrals and made nearly 3,000 nursing visits.

“The work you do is so important and greatly appreciated. Having you there, and knowing you would come out any time n­ight or day, was a huge relief.”

We are continuing to provide excellent end of life care to patients in and around Stratford upon Avon and are expanding

“We couldn’t have done it without all the support you gave by giving mum her wish to pass away at home. This means a lot to us as a family.” to support the people of Southam and Kenilworth. We are proud to enable more patients to choose their preferred place of care at the end of their life.

Hospice at Home is kindly supported by Stratford Town Trust.

If you would like to join our team or learn a bit more about Community Volunteering or other roles within the Hospice, contact Carole Lomas on clomas@ theshakespearehospice.org.uk.

The Hospice at Home team extended their nursing care into the twilight hours in July 2014, providing a 24/7 service to our local community. In the first seven months of the Twilight Service we had over 330 visits and enabled 91% of our patients to spend their last days in their own homes.

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“I always sleep really well after a treatment“

“Reflexology has made a real difference to me and has helped my pain significantly and improved my mood“

Work Experience

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“

Anna, an art student at Falmouth University, recently spent two weeks in the Diversional Therapy department.

e are pleased that Chris Boot has recently become the Complementary Therapy Coordinator for the Hospice.

Chris will be evaluating which therapies provide positive outcomes for patients and carers, as well as developing treatments in the Day Hospice and in the home.

The relief from pain and the calmness of mind that Complementary Therapy brings makes it a very popular service for our patients and carers.

Chaplaincy The Hospice is expanding its care in the community to a much wider area. In order to meet the needs of our new clientele the Chaplaincy is also expanding. We firmly believe that we all have the potential to develop our own personal spirituality regardless of any faith, label or denomination.

To facilitate this, the Chaplaincy has expanded and we have recently welcomed Revd Neville Beamer to the team. Please do approach any of us if we can help. You can contact us via the Hospice on 01789 266852.

Revd Heather, on behalf of the Chaplaincy Team.

Young Carers

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e are excited to be working in partnership with Warwickshire Young Carers’ Project to host Young Carers’ Groups at the Hospice each week.

Split into junior and senior evenings, the groups give young carers the chance to have fun and socialise with other young people, while

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giving them a break from their caring responsibilities.

The young carers have a family member who they are caring for with a physical or mental illness or a disability.

I was hoping that seeing creative practices being applied in a therapeutic environment would validate my belief in art being beneficial to everyone, not just people who consider themselves creative. It did. Not necessarily because everyone found peace in their crafts in the same way that I do, but because they had the time set aside for themselves, to learn something or make something that brought some satisfaction.

I wanted to develop my ability to lead and instruct people of different ages in a different

setting to how I’ve worked before. It was fortifying to feel trusted for advice, and also to be in a position to share ideas and work through them together.

I got so much more out of my time at the Hospice and the Hospice exceeded my expectations. Seeing children and adults dealing with life and death throughout the weeks was intense but so encouraging, bringing people together to share positive experiences is one of the best things humans can do for each other.

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Want to know more about Diversional Therapy?

Our Diversional Therapist Chloe has written a blog on our website explaining ‘What is Diversional Therapy?’

15 wonderful years at The Shakespeare hospice

Celebrate with me!

By Carole Lomas, Voluntary Services Manager

Raft Race The Shakespeare Hospice is delighted to announce that it has been chosen as the main beneficiary for the 2015 Wellesbourne and Shakespeare Lions Raft Race. Teams of individuals

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t seems like just yesterday, walking into the Hospice for the first time, quite scared and not really knowing what to expect. I can’t believe that more than 15 years later I am still entering those same doors, although life at the Hospice is now very different to that of 1999.

My relationship with the Hospice started before the building was complete and I answered an advert asking for volunteers. A successful interview followed by three days of training enabled me to donate a small amount of my time each week to support Hospice patients.

Just a few months later, I successfully applied for the Volunteer Co-ordinator role which saw me manage a relatively small team of volunteers. Now, more than 15 years later, I manage a much larger, diverse and vibrant voluntary service which boasts more than 380 members.

I have witnessed our patient services grow and develop into a wonderful Hospice community. In addition to our traditional Hospice services, we now welcome children, young people and their families. Being in a position

to support people at the most difficult time in their lives is an absolute privilege and something I feel as passionate about today as I did back in 1999.

So back to 2015 where I plan to celebrate my wonderful 15 years at The Shakespeare Hospice by doing a little fundraising. With your help, I aim to raise enough money to fund a Day Hospice Nurse for a year.

In July this year, I will be mounting my trusty steed and pedalling almost 400 miles from our capital city to Paris.

Please join my team – don’t worry, you don’t have to get on your bike, simply sponsor my effort by donating towards my £25,000 target.

or businesses are invited to take part in what will be an adrenaline pumping day out! For more information or to download an entry form please visit www.raftrace.org. uk or call Fundraising on 01789 266852.

Young People’s Bereavement Support Group In October 2014 we started a Bereavement Support Group for children who had previously received one to one support at the Hospice. The group provides the next step in the children’s journey and enables them to meet other children who have been through similar circumstances. They benefit from supporting each other and feeling less isolated in their bereavement.

The group meets monthly and the focus is on fun activities which have a therapeutic element, allowing the children the chance to remember their loved one and talk about their feelings.

We are currently looking for Children and Young People’s Bereavement Support Volunteers to provide one to one face-to-face bereavement support. Bereavement training is given, however you must already have some experience of working with children and/or young people. For further information, please contact Alison Burford, Family Support Practitioner, on 01789 266852.

Ambitious, yes, but together I think we could reach that target and achieve something really special.

What a great way to head towards the next 15 years at this wonderful Hospice.

If you would like to donate you can either visit www. justgiving.com/CaroleLomas1 or simply send your donation to myself at the Hospice.

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Slim Gym In February, 14 Hospice supporters embarked on The Slim Gym Challenge, a 12 week programme with access to one of our participating gyms in a bid to lose weight and get fit. Good luck to all our Slim Gym-ers!

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Our thanks to...

The following companies have kindly made donations or supported us recently: Morrisons, NFU Mutual, David Baker Funeral Directors, Warwick & Warwick Ltd, The Shakespeare Inn, The Castle Inn at Edgehill, White Stuff, Global Gathering, Stratford Manor Hotel, Loxley’s, Hevans Bespoke Hair, The Shakespeare Birthday Co. Ltd, Stratford Hospital Coffee Shop, Tempo Events, Warwickshire College Group, Walton Health and Leisure Club, Billesley Manor Spa, Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Vital Health and Wellbeing, The Bell Alderminster, Benchmark, Broadway Golf Club, Cotswold House Hotel & Spa, The White Swan, Sheldon Bosley, Waitrose, PSW Paper & Print Ltd, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Tesco.

The following companies have adopted us as their charity partner: Johnsons Coaches, Meon Vale Leisure Centre, Stratford Oaks Golf Club, Shakespeares Solicitors, Three Ways House Hotel.

The following individuals and groups in the community have supported us recently: Southam Lions, Holy Trinity in the Community, Brailes Drama Group, St Matthews Ladies Fellowship, Shipston on Stour Area U3A, The Alcester Unionists Club, Wootton Wawen Women’s Institute, Kineton Women’s Institute, Heart of England U3A, Stratford upon Avon Athletics Club, Claverdon Monday Club, Stratford upon Avon Churchwomen’s Group, Helen and Wayne Allman, Stoneleigh United Charities, Shakespeare

Chapter Rose Croix, Swan of Avon Royal Chapter, Premier Cru, Wellesbourne Art Group, Martin Greenwood, Second Thoughts Drama Group, The Challenge Network, Pillerton Priors Carol Singers, Shottery Carol Singers, Peter Martin, Stratford upon Avon Choral Society, Stratford upon Avon Ladies Baptist Fellowship, Norton Lindsey Women’s Institute, Snitterfield Women’s Institute, Soroptimist Club of Stratford upon Avon and District, Pleasure and Leisure Society, Tiddington Women’s Institute, Welford on Avon Garden Club, Jo Withers, Aston Cantlow Discussion Club, Himalaya Chapter Rose Croix, Stratford upon Avon Literary Festival, 4 Girls Trek China, Tiddington Home Guard Snooker Club.

Thanks also to all the knitters who made Christmas Ferrero Rocher cosies, the numerous Schools and Churches in our community who support us and all the sites who sold our 2014 Christmas Merchandise.

Brailes Drama Group

Drama!

Second Thoughts Drama Group Donated over £200 from their performance of Shadowlands in November 2014. Look out for more performances by the group later this year.

The Southam Lions And their supporters raised funds for the Hospice and SENSE through their Father Christmas Float Collections in December.

Local residents generously donated £2,500 to each charity – a fantastic success!

Thank you...

A big thank you to Jill, Chris and Stephen at The Three Ways House Hotel in Mickleton for all their support during 2014.

They raised over £1,000 for the Hospice through a fashion show, an evening at The Pudding Club and sponsorship of Christmas cards.

Winter Woolies

Shakespeares Solicitors and Sheldon Bosley took part in our Christmas Jumper Day in December. Over £160 was raised through their festive clothing!

Sheldon Bosley

Three Ways House Hotel

4 Girls Trek China

Tiddington Home Guard Snooker Club

Second Thoughts Drama Group

Shakespeares Solicitors

Stratford Athletics Club 6

Thank you to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire for their kind and continued support. In February the Warwickshire Freemasons made a generous donation of £3,000 towards the care and support provided by the Hospice.

We are very grateful to Stratford Town Council for awarding us a Community Grant of £500 in January for the Hospice at Home service. The grant will help us to provide night sits for residents in Stratford Town.

Our thanks also go to Andrew Llewellyn, Designer Photography and Sally Crane Photography, for their fantastic support with photography at our events.

Whether you want to get fit, have fun or remember a loved one – join us in your fairy outfit on Saturday 13th June for a night that will put a twinkle in your toes.

Every pound you raise in sponsorship will help us provide care for patients in their own homes via the Hospice at Home team, who last year made nearly 3,000 visits to local families.

Starting at 8pm from Stratford School after a fun Zumba warmup, the 5k or 10k routes will take you around Stratford Town Centre. This year’s earlier start time means even more sparkling supporters can take part!

Whether walking in memory of a loved one or just for fun bring along your friends, family and work colleagues and make a night of it!

Make your walk matter and help us to raise more funds to support people in your local community.

For more information or to sign up visit www. theshakespearehospice.org.uk or contact Lily on 01789 266852.

Stratford upon Avon Rotary Club In January this year Stratford upon Avon Rotary Club was kind enough to donate the profits of their Christmas Tree Recycling scheme to The Shakespeare Hospice and The Stratford Eye and Cancer Hospital Appeal. The scheme allowed local residents to drop off their trees to be recycled in return for a donation. A fantastic £500 was given to each charity.

We are thankful for the continued, fantastic support of Stratford Rotary, and are proud to be a supported charity of the 2015 Shakespeare Marathon.

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he shop in Wellesbourne celebrated its second birthday in March. As well as stocking good quality high street brands, it has become

Matt and everyone at Avenue Farm Furniture Store would like to thank our supporters for staying loyal to the Hospice following the loss of the shop at Burton Farm. Donations have increased in quality and quantity since November, and you can follow us on Facebook – www.facebook.com/ shakespearehospicefurniturestore – to view a selection of the fantastic stock we receive.

an emporium for unusual and quirky items. Some shoppers buy their wardrobe from the shop and one lady even made a wonderful dress from a pair of curtains!

Kenilworth

The Shakespeare Hospice has been delivering services to the people of Kenilworth since 2013 and we are pleased to announce that our brand new Furniture Store in the town opens on 25th April 2015! Following the success of the Stratford upon Avon shop, it will stock suites and lounge furniture, tables, chairs, bedroom furniture, other soft furnishings and much more.

We offer a free collection service for donations; phone the shop on 01926 512993 or visit us at 1, Abbey End, Kenilworth for more details.

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Events Calendar 2015

For a regularly updated list of all forthcoming events please visit our website: www.theshakespearehospice.org.uk Unless otherwise stated, for more information on all these events, contact the Fundraising Team on 01789 266852 or visit the Hospice website.

Woofs and Wellies

donations for treatments. To book a stall or find out more contact Fundraising.

Coach Trip to Cambridge 21st May, 8am-6pm Visit the many free museums and galleries and tour the colleges, go shopping or even try punting on the River Cam.

Woofs and Wellies 12th April, from 10am A picturesque dog walk in the beautiful countryside of The Heart of England Forest at Great Alne. The walks of 2.5 or 5km offer a host of sights and smells to enjoy.

Rotary Shakespeare Marathon 26th April, 9am We are delighted to once again be one of the beneficiaries of The Rotary Shakespeare Marathon. To find out more or register your place visit www.shakespearemarathon. org.uk.

Stratford Friends of The Shakespeare Hospice Tea Dance 6th May, 2-4pm Tiddington Community Centre. For more information contact Bette on 01789 266385 or Chris on 01789 293296.

Family Paws Sponsored Dog Walk 9th May, 2pm Family dog walk around the Old Recreation Ground in aid of The Stratford Friends of The Shakespeare Hospice.

For more information call Samantha on 07979 604499 or email her via: samanthajutel@yahoo.co.uk.

Hatton Health & Wellbeing Day 16th May, 10am-5pm Relax and re-vitalise with a range of taster therapies at Hatton Village. Free entry with

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Twilight Walk 13th June, 8pm Join us in your fairy fancy dress for a 5k or 10k walk and make the streets of Stratford upon Avon sparkle!

Sunflower Memory Day 14th June Take part in our special service and plant a sunflower in remembrance of a loved one.

Skydive 12th July Join other Hospice supporters to take a leap from 10,000ft.

Coach Trip to Buckingham Palace 28th August, 8am-6.30pm Our trip to Buckingham Palace includes a guided tour of the State Rooms followed by an afternoon in London.

Golf Day 15th September, 11.30am Teams of four will have a day on the beautiful greens of Stratford Golf Club followed by a delicious 3 course dinner.

Dragon Boat Racing 20th September, 10am The ultimate team building day for work colleagues, or a great day out with friends or family. Join us at Stratford Boat Club where teams will take to the water and compete for the title of Dragon Boat Champions. A limited number of spaces are available so get in touch now!

Sponsored by

Shakespeare and Wellesbourne Lions Raft Race 26th July, from 9am Annual Raft Race held on a 7½ mile course down the River Avon. Find out more and sign up at www.raftrace.org.uk.

Summer Fete 8th August, 12-4pm The Annual Summer Fete is an event not to be missed. Held in the Hospice gardens, there’s fun and games for all the family with great refreshments.

Great Shakespeare Ride 16th August, 9am Calling all cyclists! Take on the challenging routes of 100km or 100 miles, or our Friendly 40 mile ride. For 2015 we are introducing route improvements and further challenges. Visit www. thegreatshakespeareride. org.uk to find out more.

Winter Fundraising Fun 2015

Colour Blast 27th September, 10am Back for its second year this colourful fun run will be brighter than ever. Starting at Meon Vale Leisure Centre, the 5k route will take participants running in white past paint stations where you’ll be showered in different coloured powder paint.

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ovember saw sparkling 1920s dresses and tuxedos at the Heritage Motor Museum for the 15th anniversary Crystal Ball, while in December hundreds of Santas took over Stratford town centre in the annual Santa Fun Run. Between the two events over £33,000 was generated for the Hospice. Thank you to the many groups and organisations who contributed to the Ball, as well as Barclays and Lloyds Bank who match funded the two events.

Want to find out more about the Hospice services or read patients’ stories? Check out the blog on the Hospice website www.theshakespearehospice. org.uk for regular updates.

more DATES FOR YOUR DiARY Strictly Come Prancing 17th October Firewalk 11th November Ghost Hunt 20th November

Christmas Fayre 28th November Coach Trip to Bath 2nd December Santa Run 5th December

The Shakespeare Hospice, Church Lane, Shottery, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 9UL www.theshakespearehospice.org.uk Telephone: 01789 266852 Registered Charity Number: 1064091 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @thebardshospice