Messenger | Autumn & Winter 2026
Care that warms this winter
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|1
Hello, I’m John and it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Messenger, packed full of news from St Michael’s Hospice. It’s because of the unwavering love and dedication of everyone at St Michael’s that my Dad, also called John, was able to spend his last Christmas Day at home. I want to thank them for caring for someone that I loved, for providing respite for me, and for their support at one of the most difficult times of my life. We always hoped Dad could come home on Christmas Day, and the team made it their mission to make this happen. Their hard work paid off, and armed with a walker, a bag of medications and a list of care instructions and emergency contact numbers, Dad came home for his last Christmas Day, just as he wanted.
St Michael's 2026
Christmas
draw
John Sr (left) & John Jr
As planned, dad returned to St Michael’s on Boxing Day. He died three weeks later. Right up to this point, and beyond, the Hospice team were there for me, just as they were for Dad. From the moment we arrived at St Michael’s, I knew Dad was in safe hands. It’s a very precious place, and I will always be extremely grateful for the care and love they showed to my Dad at his time of need, for making his last days comfortable and his last Christmas so special. I wish you a wonderful Christmas, and may I encourage you to support St Michael’s this festive season by playing the St Michael’s Hospice 2026 Christmas Draw.
1st Prize: £1,000
2nd Prize: £200 | 3rd Prize: £100
Plus: 12 Days of Christmas Mini Draws Find out more online: bit.ly/SMH_PrizeDraw
GB Only | T&Cs Apply
Enter Online Today!
2 | bit.ly/SMH_News_BillysDream
Making Billy’s dream possible When Billy and his family had tickets to see Snow Patrol at Ludlow Castle, they weren’t sure if he’d be able to travel to the venue from his room on our Inpatient Unit. But thanks to our Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV), and several hours of help from our wider Multi-Disciplinary Team, Billy and his family were able to have the best night! They were supported throughout by Verity, our Admission and Discharge Nurse, who also drove the WAV and ensured Billy received oxygen and medication if required. It was Billy’s first-ever music concert - and he said it was ‘the best night ever’. Billy & Family
Verity
It was truly one of the highlights of my 18 years at St Michael’s Hospice Verity, Admission and Discharge Nurse
Afterwards, Verity said: “Helping make something happen and seeing the joy and love shared between a patient and his family, was so special.” Huge thanks to Ludlow Castle and Futuresound for helping make this happen, and to the Gordon McLeod Leukaemia Fund for funding the WAV.
bit.ly/SMH_News_Careinyourcommunities | 3
Care in your communities Our Day Services team has long-since believed we are missing people in our community who might benefit from our care and support. One step towards reaching them has proved successful thanks to the launch of Community Wellbeing Cafés.
“For some, they were apprehensive about getting in touch with St Michael’s, or visiting the Hospice itself, so meeting in an informal community setting has helped enormously.” Chelle & Vicky
Held regularly at locations around Herefordshire, the drop-ins have attracted people who might not have otherwise come into contact with us. “St Michael’s is about so much more than the hospice building in Bartestree,” said Day Services Sister, Vicky Lambert.
Our Community Wellbeing Cafés have been very successful in reaching new patients in the community. Vicky Lambert, Day Services Sister
The cafés are open to anyone living with a terminal diagnosis, or those caring for someone who is. Our groups are open to anyone with a palliative condition - just pop in for a chat with our team of clinicians and find out what support is available to you and your loved ones. To find our more about our next Community Wellbeing Cafés in Leominster and Ledbury, or for any questions email us at dayhospice@smhospicehereford.org or call 01432 851000
4 | bit.ly/SMH_News_AGoalWorthChasing
Mike Painter
A goal worth chasing When football fan Mike Painter was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), he vowed not to feel sorry for himself and instead embarked on an ambitious goal while his health allows. The former Blackmarston School Headteacher aims to have visited all 92 English Football League grounds by the end of this season, and says he wouldn’t be in the position to attempt this challenge if it wasn’t for the help and support he’s been receiving from St Michael’s Hospice. “I realised that I only had a short time to do things and so after moping around for a few months I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and set myself this task before I become unable to travel.”
Mike has already visited 60 of the stadiums, in between regular trips to St Michael’s, which he says have been hugely beneficial. “St Michael’s has always been the hand behind my back, supporting me in so many ways,” he said. “When I’m down, they’ve picked me up. I’ve benefitted so much from their guidance, but also from mindfulness with Gail, and other complementary therapies, as well as an MND social group held at the Hospice each month."
St Michael’s is my second home really, I feel really humbled whenever I visit. Mike Painter
Born and brought up in Wigan, Mike is a passionate Wigan Athletic supporter. He is busy trying to arrange tickets for matches around the country to get him to ‘the 92’. If all goes to plan, he will reach the milestone on 1st May next year by travelling to Home Park in Devon to watch Wigan - of course! - take on Plymouth Argyle.
A place to 'Bee' yourself Younger visitors to St Michael’s can now benefit from an area where they can play and be themselves. In a quiet spot just off our Inpatient Unit is a specially-designed space which is as eye-catching as it is fun. Artwork dominates one of the walls, with the work carried out by our Complementary Therapy Co-ordinator, Beatrix Veal, with help from art therapy volunteer, Rachel Taylor-Abbots, and her daughter, Emily. “My plan when designing the mural was to make the room feel happy, playful, and positive,” said Beatrix. “I had the idea of bringing the garden inside and making the mural look like a stained-glass window, using the black outlines to pull the lines of the window frame across
the wall and give the sense that the view outside was connected to the painting.” Beatrix said each colour used had significance, including the contrasting blues from our nursing uniforms. Items such as forget-me-nots and Michaelmas daisies, which share their name with St Michael’s, also linked the artwork back to the Hospice. Attending the opening alongside Beatrix and Rachel was Julia Bowcott from Hope Support Services whose younger members regularly use the room during a children’s club held at St Michael’s. Hope helps young people when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer or any other serious illness.
Beatrix, Julia & Rachel
The room is an informal space packed with games and activities suitable for pre-teens.
6 | Messenger | Autumn & Winter 2026
We can't believe you made this possible:
Thank you!
Statistics shown are for the period 1st January to 31st July 2026
180+
patients received specialist inpatient care when they needed it most.
480+
patients were supported by our Day Services team at St Michael’s Hospice.
300+
patients were supported by our Hospice at Home team, receiving expert care in the comfort of their own homes.
1,700+
patients were supported through our compassionate supportive care services. Our supportive care services include social work, information & advice, counselling, mindfulness, complementary therapy and physiotherapy.
870+
incredible volunteers generously gave their time to support our Hospice.
Together, we made an incredible difference!
8 | bit.ly/SMH_News_TogetherSidebySide
Together, side by side When Eileen was staying with us, our colleagues were determined to make her wedding anniversary a special one with her husband Richard. So the kitchen team created a picnic to accompany the couple on a trip to a beautiful sunflower field. On their return, staff had decorated Eileen’s room with bunting, and even swapped her bed for a ‘cuddle bed’ - one specially designed to expand to a double bed, allowing loved ones to lie beside each other. “I really believe it’s a happy place to be. Before coming here, we had an idea what a hospice might be like - perhaps a dark, unhappy place - and I’m glad to say we couldn’t have been further from the truth.”
“St Michael’s has really been our saviour for the last six weeks, they’ve been everything. Eileen
Eileen & Richard
Richard said the welcome they had received from everyone has touched them greatly. “The staff are just incredible, each and every one of them. You just see smile after smile after smile. I will never forget this place.”
The decorated cuddle bed in Eileen's room.
bit.ly/SMH_News_SpiritualCareReachingFurther | 9
Spiritual Care reaching further The support our Spiritual team provides to our patients and their loved ones is a crucial part of the St Michael’s Hospice care offering. But for some time this team has been acutely aware it is only reaching patients physically in the Hospice in Bartestree leading to a new partnership with Hereford Cathedral to extend our spiritual care to those being cared for at home. “We’ve seen patients arrive at St Michael’s already exhausted from months of unsupported spiritual and emotional distress,” said Peter Spence, our Spiritual Care Lead. “Families would tell us, sometimes with real anger, that nobody had asked them how they were coping until it was almost too late. Bereaved relatives would come back to us long after a death, because there was nowhere else in the community that understood what they were carrying.”
Peter, Dean Sarah & Bev
Peter says the Hereford Cathedral Community Partnership will help address this by supporting those receiving our care in their own homes, who may previously have missed out. This will be delivered by training Cathedral staff and volunteers, along with other community partners, to welcome patients referred into the partnership. “This partnership means we are able to reach more people than ever before, and we’re incredibly grateful to Dean Sarah and everyone at Hereford Cathedral for helping us expand this essential service, allowing St Michael’s to provide Spiritual support in people’s homes across Herefordshire,” added Peter. This pilot scheme launches on 1st October, offering a listening ear and support for patients in their last 12 months of life.
10 | bit.ly/SMH_News_YouRefueledourCare
You continue to fuel our care Thanks to you, a fundraising target to keep our Hospice at Home cars on the road for a year was reached in just over two days! Our Refuel the Journey, Power the Care appeal, was initially billed as a four-day fundraiser, with every pound raised up to £22,048 being generously doubled by matchfunders the Albert Hunt Trust. It became so successful that a whopping £67,000 including the match-funding was raised by you, our generous community! That means on top of the £44,000 you raised to keep our Hospice at Home cars on the road for another year, you also raised a further £20,000. This will go towards our general care, and the running of our Wheelchair Accessible vehicle, allowing us to take less-mobile patients on special trips or visits back home. How amazing is that!
This good news followed hot on the heels of an early summer fundraiser which saw hundreds of beautiful metal forget-me-nots on display beside Hereford Cathedral. Of the 500, many were sent to people all over the country, and some as far as Hawaii! Kyoto-based David received two in memory of his parents Shirley and Jim. Previously living in Moreton, Shirley was cared for by the Hospice and David said the ornaments would be a lovely reminder. His forget-me-nots were sent to Hawaii where David was staying to escape the summer heat of Japan where he now lives. Thank you to everyone who supported us in both these appeals. You're amazing.
12 | bit.ly/SMH_News_GiftofSight
Giving the gift of sight Many of our patients tell us they would love to be an organ donor, but they fear they won’t be able to because of their condition. Even fewer realise they can donate their corneas, literally giving the gift of sight to another person after the donor has died. Sue Dallard’s daughter, Sally, died under our care this summer. She told her mum that after her death she wanted her corneas donated. “Sally said, ‘I think I’d like to donate my corneas’, which obviously meant that somebody else was going to get a chance of some sight,” “Because of her illness, we didn’t think that she would be able to donate any part of her body.
“So yes, it was nice to think that she could and she might be helping somebody else.” Dr Sarah Haworth, one of our Inpatient Unit doctors, says a cornea donation can be “life-changing” for the recipient.
“It could enable them to keep working, to see their family, and help them live a normal life for as long as they can,” said Dr Sarah Haworth. “It enables them to leave a legacy that might not have been possible if we were not making people aware this is still a choice for them. “I feel the loved ones of our patients who consent to be donors often feel very proud, and it’s often very in keeping with how that person has lived their life and choices they’ve made in the past.” Find out how you can give someone the gift of sight after you die:
Sally
Register your decision by calling: 0300 123 23 23 or visit organdonation.nhs.uk
bit.ly/SMH_News_ALegacyofCare | 13
Dr Charles Akle
I feel so strongly about St Michael’s, and the wonderful work it does. Dr Charles
A legacy of care Supporting St Michael’s isn’t just about the here and now. Leaving a gift in your Will means our loving, compassionate care can continue to help families across our community long into the future. Dr Charles Akle, a renowned former London surgeon and St Michael’s Trustee since 2022, has said he has added St Michael’s as a beneficiary in his Will, and says he feels very honoured to do so.
To chat with Matt Ashcroft about leaving a gift in your Will, email: legacy@smhospicehereford.org, scan the QR code or visit: bit.ly/SMH_LeaveAGiftInYourWill
“We are one of the most fortunate hospices in the UK in my opinion, not just because of the generosity of our supporters, but because of the love and dedication of the staff and volunteers. “It’s so important to help people die with dignity. Ultimately, it boils down to love and care. That’s what matters, and that’s why I want to support St Michael’s long into the future." "I thought one of the best ways was to leave a gift to St Michael’s in my Will, to help ensure the charity can continue delivering the wonderful services it already provides.”
Did you know?: We offer FREE Wills Clinics with expert estate planners! Find a session: bit.ly/SMH_FreeWillsClinic
14 | bit.ly/SMH_ShopFinder
Charity shops leading the way As our charity shops go from strength to strength and now raising a significant proportion of the funds needed to run St Michael's, it's been a season of exciting new developments for you, our shoppers and donors. Here's what we did!: Launched Clearance sales We’ve welcomed customers wanting a bargain to our events in The Basement, with 50% off, £5 fill a bag and furniture clearance sales. Look out for upcoming sales in The Basement at Whitestone Superstore, HR1 3SE. Made a STATEMENT in Ledbury Our popular Ledbury shop was transformed into our first pre-loved boutique called Statement by St Michael's. You can visit Monday - Saturday 9.30am-5pm. The Homend Ledbury, HR8 1BN. We popped-up at Labels Shopping We've opened a pop-up shop within Labels Shopping in Ross-on-Wye. Open until December. You'll find us on the upper floor with a range of great pre-loved finds. You can visit 10am – 5pm Monday to Saturday and 11am – 4pm on Sunday. Labels Shopping, Ross-on-Wye, HR9 7US.
St Michael's Winter shop
Get your festive cards, 2027 diary and calendar today! Shop now, call 01432 851000 or visit: bit.ly/SMH_ShopOnline
bit.ly/SMH_News_ | 15
Cultivating care and memories During a summer when we have all struggled to keep our gardens green and attractive, our volunteer gardening team has worked tirelessly to ensure our grounds remain a calm and welcoming place for patients and their loved ones to spend valuable time. One particular area, not often seen by the public, is looking particularly beautiful thanks to the dedication and hard work of gardening team members Stella and Julia.
Between them, they have helped transform the Osborn Suite, a space where families can gather to reflect and collect their thoughts after a loved one has died. The transformation was driven and inspired by one of our Senior Nurses, as well as other team members. As this Messenger went to print, we were awaiting the results of the Britain in Bloom judging team who paid us a visit in July.
Before
After
16 | bit.ly/SMH_LightupaLife
Remembering those we love This time of year is hugely busy for our team as the shops stock up on all things Christmas and our fundraisers dust off the elf costumes and Christmas decorations, in preparation for the numerous events being held across the festive period. You never quite know what you will find in the hospice offices each day, which always makes me smile! Christmas can be for many of us a reflective time too, and I’m looking forward to the services that our Spiritual Care team organise at the Hospice and Hereford Cathedral as part of Light Up a Life. It is an opportunity for us to come together as a community to celebrate and remember the people that won’t be with us this Christmas. For me, that’s my Mum and Dad. I’ve been celebrating their memory for many years at Light of a Light
Rachel Jones
services, which have been an important part of my own personal journey. There is something comforting about coming together and seeing that I am not alone in my remembrance. I will be at both services and will be serving tea afterwards, so I hope to see you there. If you would like to join us in remembering someone special this Christmas, you can dedicate a light and make a donation here: bit.ly/SMH_LightupaLife, or by calling us on 01432 851000.
Rachel
Director of Income Generation, Marketing & Communications
Looking for another way to celebrate the life of someone you love? visit: bit.ly/SMH_CelebrationTree.
Could you be a volunteer? There's hundreds of ways in which you can help us, in a way that's right for you. To find out more, visit: bit.ly/SMH_Volunteer or email: volunteer@smhospicehereford.org
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