“It might be that somebody wants to die at home and that’s really important to them…we’re there to be alongside.”
Emma Setterington, Hospice in the Home nurse specialist
Autumn 2022
At home with you in Tendring | Bereavement support for children | Virtual Ward grows
Meet Saunders our new mascot! St Helena Hospice staff and volunteers voted to name the loveable elephant after Dame Cicely Saunders, the founder of the modern hospice movement.
We chose an elephant because we encourage people to talk to each other about dying, death and bereavement and not to ignore the ‘elephant in the room’. Saunders will help us raise awareness of the benefits of having these important conversations to improve end of life care for local people.
Saunders will be out and about across north east Essex attending events and thanking people for supporting St Helena Hospice –give them a wave!
Keep up to date Follow us @StHelenaHospice on social media and sign up to our email newsletters at www.sthelena.org.uk/newsletter
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I love being a nurse at the Hospice because it is an honour to care for patients and their families during the last months, weeks and days of their lives. I view us as ‘midwives of the soul’ and value the time and support we can give our patients on their final journey.
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We believe nursing and caring is about spending time with patients and their loved ones. Join our care team at www.sthelena.org.uk/joinus
Welcome to our magazine. I hope you enjoy the stories illustrating the many ways our amazing staff, volunteers and supporters enable St Helena Hospice to provide support when it is needed most.
Over the past four years, despite the pandemic challenges, we have increased the total number of people we care for each year by more than 20%. Last year, for the first time, we helped over 4,000 local people face incurable illness and bereavement. We are so grateful for all your help, without which this would not have been possible.
As well as the care provided at the Hospice in Colchester, we continue to grow our support to people in their own homes and living in care homes across north east Essex. Our SinglePoint 24/7 service available to patients, family members and health and social care professionals, is busier than ever.
Our Virtual Ward, which provides personalised care in the home to people in the last few weeks of life, has expanded. We know, given the choice, that most people want the opportunity to be cared for and die at home surrounded by loved ones and in a familiar environment, and our staff are making this possible for a growing number of local people.
The compassionate communities programme is mobilising a movement of people across our towns and
villages motivated by a shared vision of providing the best care and support to our families, friends, neighbours and colleagues. We are proud to be working with local businesses, community groups and charities to achieve this vision.
Thank you as ever for your interest and generous support for St Helena.
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More local people have dignity and the choice to remain at home in their last weeks, following the expansion of our Virtual Ward.
Part of our Hospice in the Home team, Virtual Ward works closely with Bluebird Care Colchester and Tendring to provide free of charge domiciliary care for people thought to be in the last 12 weeks of life.
Virtual Ward healthcare assistants help with patients’ hygiene needs such as washing and mouth care, helping to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital. The team also helps ease pressures for hospital discharges so patients at the end of life can return home with care in place. Becky Rix, Virtual Ward clinical nurse manager, said:
Without personal care support, it can be hard to look after your loved one 24/7. Having a professional visit at home on a regular basis means someone is there keeping an eye on the patient and giving support to the person caring for them too. They know the healthcare assistants are attached to St Helena Hospice and can report any changes, concerns or pain to our specialist nurses.”
People in need of any St Helena Hospice service can refer themselves for support by calling SinglePoint on 01206 890 360 or visiting www.sthelena.org.uk/refer
“My role is about making an impact on people. It’s the last time that person is cared for; it’s a really important part of someone’s life and you can’t mess it up, it needs to be done right. I can really make a connection with patients and their families, and keep people comfortable and where they want to be.”
Caroline Money, Virtual Ward healthcare assistant
Virtual Ward received 609 referrals*
Up to 4 care visits per day per person in the last 12 weeks of life
*in north east Essex April 2021 - March 2022
Dr Karen Chumbley, North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance end of life clinical lead, shares the important conversations she had with her dad.
“When my dad was coming towards the end of his life, we talked a lot.
He spoke about how things had changed over the years, what he was proud of and who he loved. We also talked about how he wanted to live his last years, and then later, his last months; where he wanted to be, who he wanted to be with and what was important to him.
We discussed how much treatment he wanted; ‘no heroics’ he said, and that, if possible, he would like to be at home with his family, his pictures and memorabilia around him.
We shared his choices on the My Care Choices Register (MCCR), a digital database designed to record people’s priorities for their life and care when they are in frail health. These priorities were then shared with his GP, his district nurses, the hospital and the Hospice, so that wherever he received care, people could see what and who was important to him.
Thanks to this coordinated support, my dad was able to live in his own home until he died last summer with us beside him.
The end of life can be challenging, it can also be a time of closeness, love and tender conversation. These conversations matter.”
Find out about My Care Choices Register at www.mycarechoices.online or speak to your GP. 83%* of people
who had an MCCR entry had recorded their preferred place of care/death before they died76%* of people who recorded a preferred place of care/death, died there
*in north east Essex April
We are supporting the development of compassionate community networks in north east Essex, where all members of the community can share their experiences and knowledge, and help create improvements in end of life care for everybody.
Vickie Peters, Safe Harbour project manager (pictured right), explained:
“Through building a network of collaborative relationships, we are in a strong position to provide a compassionate response when a member of our community faces what may well be the hardest time of their lives.
Rather than trying to be all things to all people, we support the patient’s existing community to do what they do best; provide a supportive relational network to their family member, friend or colleague. We draw on
Carrie Doyle is the Royal College of Nursing UK professional lead for end of life care and is also a soul midwife volunteering in our Hospice in the Home team as an end of life care doula.
“An end of life care doula sits alongside a person in companionship, providing a range of interventions including non-denominational spiritual care. We respond to the needs of that person, we listen.
the expertise of organisations who specialise in meeting people’s specific needs, and continue to do what we do best; provide specialist end of life care.”
www.sthelena.org.uk/compassionatecommunities
A monthly Compassionate Walk around Highwoods Country Park, Colchester, led by the Community360 walk motivator, is ideal for people who are facing personal loss, bereavement, or their own or a loved one’s health crisis. Meet at 7pm on the first Thursday of the month in the Hospice car park, Barncroft Close.
We may work with them on building memories, writing letters to family, reading; it’s providing exactly what that person needs in that moment. Being with somebody facing their death and supporting them on their journey is beautiful. It’s really about love and what you do to help that person feel they are loved and cared about as they’re going through the dying process. For me it’s the artistry of nursing.”
Read more at www.sthelena.org.uk/doula
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Jude and his nana Sharon were best friends. They would have adventures and often sit together on the beach with an ice cream, whatever the weather.
Sharon started receiving support from St Helena Hospice and soon after, so did Jude. Through creative sessions with family support worker Sue Leavett, he began to express how he was feeling about his nana’s illness. When Sharon died earlier this year, Jude continued talking to Sue. His mum, Sarah, said:
The change in him is incredible for a little child who really struggled to say how he was feeling. He was very angry, very scared. Now he will say ‘I would like to talk
Pictured left: Sarah with her children Evie and Jude. Pictured right: Jude and Sue with a dreamcatcher made during a bereavement support session. Read about Sharon on page 14.
about how I’m feeling’, and for a 5 year old, that’s a big thing.
It’s so lovely having people that understand each child; the first time meeting him, Sue knew exactly what to say and how to say it to him.
It’s daunting when someone dies; you don’t really know what to do for yourself and what to say to make yourself feel better but when you’ve got little ones involved as well, it’s really hard. It educated me to be a better parent in helping Jude to go through that.”
Read more at www.sthelena.org.uk/jude
Our free bereavement service is open to children, young people and adults in north east Essex grieving a death, regardless of how or where their loved one died. Refer yourself or your child for bereavement support at www.sthelena.org.uk/bereavement
More than 90% of our care and support is provided to people in their place of residence, such as their own home or care home.
Hospice in the Home may be provided through visits by nurse specialists, physio and occupational therapists, family support and bereavement counsellors, Virtual Ward healthcare assistants, and by our 24/7 SinglePoint team including rapid response nurses.
Meet some of the specialist nurses who visit people at home across Tendring...
“It might be that somebody wants to die at home and that’s really important to them. We are instrumental in organising what needs to happen to make that safe, to make them comfortable, and to make the family feel supported, because it can be a bit of a bumpy road at times. We’re there to go alongside. At that point in their life, it’s a very private time but we’re welcomed into it and that’s a real honour.”
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People may have been struggling for quite a long time when we arrive for the first time, and they’re so pleased we can support them and make things easier for them. People are usually comfortable in their own homes surrounded by familiar things, and I get a sense of who they are and what’s important to them. In their own homes, they may open up more. There’s a sense of community; neighbours look out for each other.”
“Looking after people in their own homes gives them a forum to discuss their concerns and worries in a safe environment. Being at home allows them to have their own relaxed space to have difficult conversations. It’s an honour to be invited into someone’s home and community and to listen to them. We’re supporting people in their individual ways to be in the place they want to be at the end of their lives.”
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People may feel abandoned once they’re told there’s no further treatment. For them to let us in their home is a privilege and for them to welcome us back and continue to let us into their home to support them, means we’re doing something right and it means they trust us as nurses. Tendring is such a diverse area; I’m welcomed with open arms, and I feel part of the community.”
Our Hospice in the Home team supported 1,951 patients and families living in towns and villages across the Tendring district from April 2021 to March 2022.
Read more at www.sthelena.org.uk/athomewithyou
Radfield Home Care in support of St Helena is a high quality domiciliary care service across Colchester, Frinton and Clacton, helping older people live independently at home for as long as possible. Profits from the business are reinvested into running our charitable core services.
The team provides a range of care at a competitive price including all types of personal care; medication support; household tasks such as shopping and meal preparation; companionship; and dementia care.
Find out more at www.sthelena.org.uk/radfield or call 01206 646 252.
Businesses recognising the importance of social responsibility are supporting the Hospice through our Corporate Membership Scheme.
Members generously give a yearly donation of £1,000 towards the running of the Hospice, helping hundreds of local people admitted every year to manage complex symptoms and improve their physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Thank you to Corporate Membership partners: Enigen; Essex Mechanical Services; Jones & Whymark; MHA MacIntyre Hudson; Rose Calendars; Weeks Construction Limited; and Whitehouse Solutions.
Find out the benefits of involving your business at www.sthelena.org.uk/corporatemembership
This year we celebrate our lottery’s 21st anniversary and since 2001 our incredible lottery players have raised just under £14 million for St Helena Hospice through Your Hospice Lottery and Make a Smile lottery.
Signing up to play Your Hospice Lottery regularly is £4.34 a month, and as a thank you, monthly subscribers receive a Play & Save reward card for discounts at a variety of local businesses.
You can buy one-off tickets too for £1 a play, and with a weekly top prize of £1,000 and a rollover which could go up to £25,000, why not give it a go!
Sign up at www.yourhospicelottery.org.uk
Our heartfelt thanks to our longest serving volunteers who are stepping down this autumn after 41 years!
The Cherrydale Weavers was set up in 1981 by a group of friends to raise money to get the Hospice off the ground. Rita Pincombe, Pat Adams and Dorothy Hewitt (pictured l-r between chief executive Mark Jarman-Howe and Dr Elizabeth Hall, one of our founders) and Beryl Hutley were among the original members, with Pat Kitching and Christine Bull among those joining them slightly later.
Listen to their stories at www.sthelena.org.uk/heritage
We couldn’t do what we do without the help of our incredible volunteers; the time they give supports the care we offer to our patients and their loved ones.
More than 750 dedicated people bring skills, interests and life experience to a wide variety of roles, such as complementary therapists, admin or shop assistants, and handy jobs like painting walls and sweeping leaves.
Current vacancies are on our website but if you have a specific skill to offer, please get in touch.
Volunteer at www.sthelena.org.uk/volunteer
A huge thank you to every one of our amazing volunteers
Graham (pictured) offers Reiki to patients and their families as part of our complementary therapy service, and Marilyn (pictured on the bed) helps with admin and welcoming visitors to the Joan Tomkins Centre.
We helped 60 young people learn work skills through the government’s two year Kickstart scheme, where 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit worked with us for up to six months, with their wages paid for by the Department for Work and Pensions. Stuart Elrick from our people and culture team explained:
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I was a waitress until the pandemic and then I became unemployed. I feel like I’m so much more confident now in the work I produce, and I’m not as shy; it makes me really happy to see this change. It led on to me successfully applying to be a ward clerk at the Hospice. It gave me a routine and a job, and that means a lot to me. This scheme gave me a sense of direction.” Maliha Ahmed Kickstart role: project admin
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The placements gave them an insight into work as they received on the job training; skills pathway; interview skills training; and an updated CV. The scheme was deemed to be a success by the majority of those involved, and 11 of the placements were successful in getting work contracts with us.”
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I wasn’t doing much before Kickstart. I was bored and struggling to find a job. Working in the shop, I learned how to communicate and socialise with other people and not to get anxious about it. The skill I will take into my future is customer service, as it has helped me quite a lot in other areas of my life. Kickstart allowed young people like me to get to know about hospices.” Tia Fensom Kickstart role: shop assistant
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When our eagle-eyed retail volunteers and staff spot interesting, unusual or potentially valuable items among those generously arriving at our donation centre, shops or house clearance service, they may send them to our ecommerce team to attract a global audience.
Joe Bridge, ecommerce manager, and the team research the items, photograph them and write descriptions before listing them on eBay, Amazon, Depop or Discogs to generate income. Joe explained:
Every day is different and we have fun researching the items. Sometimes we send things to auctioneers Reeman Dansie when we discover they could be worth a lot of money or we need some expert advice.
We list around 150 items each day and on average we dispatch 350-400 items per week, which is about £8,000 of sales. Luckily, we have three great volunteers who help pack and another volunteer who helps the team with listings.
We sell all over the world; I’d say around 40% is sent internationally. A lot goes to Italy and Germany, and also Australia and America even though the import charges and shipping fees for the buyers are ridiculous!
We are technically here 24 hours a day in a global market.”
Browse our new online shop at www.sthelena.org.uk/ shoponline
Pictured left: Joe Bridge, ecommerce manager Pictured right: Diego Miguel Buenaflor, Kickstart retail assistantSpread some joy to help people face incurable illness and bereavement this winter.
Have your elf a merry little Christmas fundraiser with our fundraising elf-abet for a whole host of magical ideas.
Pop along to Books, Brew and Boutique, Peartree Road, Stanway, on Friday 25th November.
Spread some festive cheer with a hand written card available in stores and on our website.
Volunteers will be out on Saturday 7th January 2023 collecting your real spruces and firs to recycle for a small donation.
Full details of all these festive ideas and more at www.sthelena.org.uk/festivefundraising
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Last Christmas you helped raise more than £112,000 to support patients like Sharon Daley (pictured) and their families.
On Christmas Day I wasn’t very well and my daughter, Sarah, rang SinglePoint. I managed to get to Christmas dinner and spend the day with my grandchildren, Jude and Evie. I went in the Hospice on New Year’s Day, and I don’t know if it’s the peace or whether it’s that I feel safe, but the following day I started turning a corner.
Without SinglePoint and the Hospice being there over Christmas, I wouldn’t have survived. I never knew half of what St Helena Hospice does and it’s only now that I see how brilliant they are. They are there for me.”
Read more at www.sthelena.org.uk/sharon
Remember your loved ones and reflect to the warm orange, cinnamon and clove scent of our new locally made candle. A thoughtful gift available to buy online and at selected shops. Discover our Winter candle at www.sthelena.org.uk/wintercandle
With a new university term starting and Christmas approaching, bringing with it extra house guests, our shops could be the answer to your home furnishing woes!
Our new furniture shop at 80 Magdalen Street, Colchester, boasts a wide range of sofas, beds, tables and chairs to kit out a student flat or guest room in style. All our shops are packed with ever changing preloved stock thanks to our generous community donating items. The locations are listed at www.sthelena.org.uk/shops
Satisfy your crave for adventure while fundraising for St Helena Hospice! Whether it’s running a marathon, a trek up the peaks, or abseiling down the big red sculpture at the London Olympic Park, challenge yourself at www.sthelena.org.uk/challenges
After a two year hiatus, we were delighted to see hundreds of people along the Tendring coast at our Pier to Pier walk in May this year. October sees the return of family friendly Comic Hero Run, with hundreds set to dress as their favourite character to run 1km, 5km or 10km routes around Colchester Castle Park. And in November, people will be walking across hot coals at our new Firewalk
Be involved at www.sthelena.org.uk/events
“I love being a physio because adding a smile to someone’s face when they have achieved a goal, like climbing a step, means the world to the patient and gives me satisfaction that we are working together to achieve a greater independence to enhance their quality of life.”
Pictured below: Kimberley Rice, specialist physiotherapist, with patient Rosie
“We thought St Helena Hospice was just for right at the end of life. Then I met the people and saw how nice they were, and I know now it’s more than for the end of life, there’s a lot happening before that. I find it a lovely organisation that hasn’t made me feel gloomy but has livened me up!”
Ricky Aldons, pictured with his wife Anne and their Hospice in the Home nurse
Registered Charity No.