St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice Newsletter, Autumn 2016

Autumn 2016

St Luke’s News

Join us for a White Christmas

Christmas Bubble Rush

Saturday 10th December at Oulton Park Jingle Bell Draw P10 | Dates for your diary P13 | Special Christmas gifts P17

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

Welcome to our Autumn Newsletter

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s we move into autumn, it’s natural to look back at everything we have done this year, the people we have cared for, the families we have supported, and the money you have given which has enabled us to do this. Thank you.

This Newsletter is our third and final edition of 2016 and I must warn you, Christmas is mentioned towards the end of this issue!

Contents P3 Chatterboxes 24 hour silence P4 Helping patients find their inner strength P6 Jennifer goes to extremes for St Luke’s P8 Helping patients get back on track

If you’re not quite ready to think about that time of year just yet, perhaps you might like to read these pages in a few weeks time!

P10 Jingle Bell Draw

However for all the early birds who like to be prepared we have a 10% discount for all online purchases made before 30th September, and our Christmas Card and Gifts launch is taking place on 14th October which again gives you chance to get 10% discount off Christmas items.

P13 Events and dates for your diary

Enclosed in this issue you will also find a book of tickets for our Jingle Bell Draw which gives one lucky winner an early Christmas gift of £3,000!

P11 The value of volunteering P12 Out and about

P14 Our contribution to research P15 Namaste relieves dementia patients P16 Christmas cards and gifts P18 Festive fundraising and winter events

Thank you for your generous and continued support, without which our care would not be available to those who need it.

With my best wishes to you this autumn.

Andrea Ladeira, Chief Executive Officer

How to contact us

St Luke’s Hospice, Grosvenor House, Queensway, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 1BH T 01606 551246 E enquiries@stlukes-hospice.co.uk www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

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www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

Chatterboxes 24 hour silence!

L ast November 34 year old mum of two Katie signed up to become a volunteer befriender for St Luke’s.

As a self-confessed chatterbox she was paired with equally talkative 45 Jemima who is supported by our befriending scheme. Jemima requires 24 hour care due to living with conditions including MS and Osteoporosis.

The ladies said, “We both thought our once a week meet up would be an hour of awkward silences and making small talk, how wrong were we! It’s actually two hours of laughing and gossiping with Katie making a mad dash out of the door because she’s late for the school run! It doesn’t stop there within half an hour of Katie collecting her two kids from school, the WhatsApp messages start.”

The idea to raise money for St Luke’s came as a joint thank you for the care they have received; Jemima has had support through the befriending service, holistic therapies, hypnotherapy, counselling and chaplaincy visits. “Without St Luke’s I probably wouldn’t still be here, and definitely wouldn’t be of sound mind let alone happy and content.”

her spirits up as she was going through a really tough time. So what could the chatterboxes do to raise money?

A sponsored silence of course!

Katie said, “For those that know us both well, a 24 hour silence was a huge challenge; we even added a social media blackout and total phone ban!

We are delighted to have raised nearly £2,000 for St Luke’s.”

Our befrienders make such a difference to isolated people living in our community and since the service was launched last year we have over 70 volunteers paired with someone using the scheme. But there are so many more people we can help. If you would like to become volunteer befriender in your local town or another area, please email Volunteer Co-ordinator Riana Martin on volunteer@stlukes-hospice.co.uk or call 01606 555832.

Katie’s mum was also supported by the Hospice a few years ago when she was battling breast cancer, helping to keep If you are raising money for St Luke’s please let us know, call 01606 555697 or email community@stlukes-hospice.co.uk

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

We help patients find their strength

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oanne was first introduced to St Luke’s through her Macmillan Nurses after being diagnosed with cancer in January. She was extremely anxious, scared of doctors and medicines, as well as what her illness might bring.

“It was like a light switched on when I spoke to him. He explained to me that I had been hypnotising myself for the last 23 years and letting the negative side of my brain take over the positive side.

Joanne was referred to the nurse led complementary therapy clinic where she benefited from having reiki and reflexology tailored to her needs. Following this the hospice nurse recommended that she see our hypnotherapist Fraser to alleviate her panic about an upcoming operation.

My husband can’t believe the change in my outlook and when my best friend saw the difference she cried with happiness. I just think Fraser is brilliant. Thank you to St Luke’s for letting me tell my story, it is a fantastic place.”

Referrals to our services can be made via your GP or any healthcare professional.

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www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

Hypno-chemo, a unique therapy we are proud to offer

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ypnotherapy is a treatment offered and used by a number of our patients. It places them in a deeply relaxed state where imagination, rather than intellect, is activated while remaining in complete control. Through positive thinking and visualisation, anxiety can be reduced and replaced by a sense of empowerment.

Fraser said, “It helps erase something which they are fearful of, so they can find strength and resources they didn’t even know they had.”

One particularly unique arm of hypnotherapy is something called hypno-chemo, a treatment which only a limited number of hypnotherapists offer and St Luke’s is one of a handful of hospices who offer this service. Delivered

by Fraser White, hypno-chemo supports people who have cancer or are going through chemotherapy.

• Teach relaxation

A cancer diagnosis almost always brings emotional distress to a patient and ultimately affects their quality of life as they are going through treatment.

Hypno-chemo supports patients by dispelling negative thoughts from their minds. For example, a fear of needles will bring all types of anxiety for a chemotherapy patient which could result in difficulties delivering the medication, pain for the patient and increased distress.

The Hypno-chemo programme uses the skills from cognitive behaviour therapy combined with hypnotherapeutic skills to: • Treat emotional issues • Prepare for and treat side effects of chemotherapy • Reduce anxiety and depression • Enlarge embedded veins • Manage pain

Referral to this service can be made via your GP or any healthcare professional.

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

Jennifer goes to extremes for St Luke’s

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orking as a barber in Middlewich, Jennifer Snelson knows a lot of people whose lives have been touched by St Luke’s.

After her friend Chris’ Grandad was looked after at the Hospice and Jennifer sadly lost two close friends to cancer, she decided that she wanted to do something to help.

Since then Jennifer has pushed herself to the limit in the name of St Luke’s, conquering a 62 mile, 27 hour walk between London and Brighton.

But that challenge wasn’t enough for Jennifer and just over a month later she completed the Fan Dance; a gruelling 24km non-navigational race over two sides of Pen Y Fan, the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons. The Fan Dance is a notoriously difficult challenge used as part of SAS recruitment! So how did it go?

“It took me about two weeks to get over the walk. I didn’t realise how difficult it was going to be, but the terrain was tough and at night we had only a head torch. Fatigue set in and I was twitching because I was so tired and falling asleep. In the end I was hallucinating and could barely put one foot in front of the other, I didn’t think I was going to finish it, so I was thrilled when I reached the finish line after 27 hours solid walking!”

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I know so many people who have been impacted by the care that St Luke’s provide. I want to try and do something different each year to raise money for them.”

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If you are taking part in a sporting event please consider doing it for St Luke’s, contact us on 01606 555697 or email community@stlukes-hospice.co.uk

www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

Will Week Monday 3rd – Friday 7th October Kindly sponsored by Mosshaselhurst, Poole Alcock and DPB Will Writing services For one week only, local participating solicitors have agreed to waive their entire fee for Will-making in return for a donation to St Luke’s. Making a Will ensures that your family’s future is secure, that your wishes will be followed through and reduces any additional stress or upset for your loved ones.

The suggested donation for a Will is £100 and this will come straight to St Luke’s.

I didn’t write a Will for myself; I wrote it for the people I love to ensure they’re cared for when I’m gone”

Poole Alcock LLP Solicitors Alsager, 01270 876550 Crewe, 01270 256665 Nantwich, 01270 625478

“

Amy from Crewe

All donations raised through Will Week will come directly to St Luke’s, helping to make every day the best day possible for around 1,000 patients every year. Around 80% of our costs are funded by donations and gifts in Wills, enabling us to provide compassionate care and support to local people as they face the challenges of lifethreatening illness.

Here is a list of all the companies supporting Will Week. To book an appointment please contact them directly and mention St Luke’s Will Week to ensure you are allocated the correct slot.

Mosshaselhurst Solicitors Northwich, 01606 74301 Winsford, 01606 592159

Butcher and Barlow LLP Solicitors Northwich, 01606 47523 DPB Will Writing Services Crewe, 01270 257681 Hibberts LLP Solicitors Crewe, 01270 215117 Nantwich, 01270 624225 Tarporley, 01829 733338 There are other solicitors taking part in Will Week which are not mentioned here, please visit our website for full details www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/willweek.

To find out more about Will Week visit www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/willweek or call 01606 555813.

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

Day Hospice helps patients get back on track When you’re experiencing a lifethreatening illness, recovery and getting back to work can be an anxious prospect. At St Luke’s our expert nursing care, specialist therapies and support networks help patients get back to a new kind of normal and are as individual as the illness.

Day Hospice Sister Marie Clark has worked at St Luke’s for nine years and has a specialist background in Occupational Health, which can benefit some of our patients contemplating returning to work.

No two days are the same for me at St Luke’s. Due to the many outpatient clinics operating under the Day Hospice umbrella, I work in both the Day Hospice to support those with cancer and other life challenging illnesses who spend a day with us each week. I also work at St Luke’s in Winsford or Winterly Grange near Sandbach where we hold several nurse and therapist led clinics each week.

As well as providing palliative care and support we see people who are newly diagnosed with an illness, who are going through treatments such as chemotherapy, who have completed treatment and need help to move forward.

The overall aim of Day Hospice is to empower and enable the people who use our service; so my days can be quite varied but every moment is rewarding.

One of our services is the Complimentary Therapy Clinic which allows people to access advice and support for 1½ hours each week for a period of up to 6-8 weeks. Time is given for patients and families to explore their anxieties and concerns. Some patients seek advice around symptom control such as nausea, fatigue and pain management, whereas others have gone through many cycles

Referral to this service can be made via your GP or healthcare professional.

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www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

of treatment and need psychological support from someone who has time to listen. We aim to give patients skills to cope with their symptoms and help them plan for the future.

Ensuring relatives have time to discuss their own worries in a private and confidential place is integral to supporting the whole family unit. For further support I can refer on to our Time Out Group, 1-1 Complimentary Therapy Clinic or Relaxation Group if appropriate.

Having access to our own Benefit Adviser, Social Worker, Counsellors, Therapists and Rehab Team mean that I can signpost patients to the relevant Health Care Professional, enabling issues to be addressed as quickly as possible. We also liaise with GP’s, Macmillan Teams and many other Health Care Professionals to support people during their illness.

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Having continued access to our services is vital to our patients and their families as many of them now require help not just for a few months, but in many cases, years.”

On occasions we see patients who have recovered sufficiently enough to consider going back to work; this can often be a daunting prospect when you feel isolated and have not worked for several months or even a year.

Long term illness not only challenges our physical capabilities but also our emotional resilience too. It’s not unusual for people to say “I’ve lost my confidence” or “I’m not sure I can face going back to my old job”.

Exploring what is realistically achievable in the short and long term when returning to work often helps the individual to form a framework and opens communication with their colleagues. I often encourage people to write down what their perceived problems are likely to be on return to work, and then ask them if there is a likely solution; for most things there is but it takes a bit of thought.

Over the past decade we have seen the boundaries of medicine continually pushed. New drugs, treatments and surgery are all helping increase survival rates so people are living longer with life changing disease.

We know all too well that over 80% of our funding comes from donations, enabling us to adapt and create services to meet the present and future demands of local people. Giving a donation, no matter how small, helps provide a better life for someone in our community.

To give a donation today or regularly, please call St Luke’s now on 01606 555684 or visit www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/donate

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

St Luke’s Jingle Bell Draw ay. all the w Jing e l g in le bells , jingle bells, j Oh w e cash for Christmas Day! m o s hat fun , it would be to win,

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ho wouldn’t want a little cash boost this Christmas? Enter our Jingle Bell draw for only £1 a ticket and you could be heading for a Christmas with bells on!

Every single ticket you buy gives you a chance to win one of these incredible prizes and the more you buy, the more chances you have!

1st Prize: 2nd Prize: 3rd Prize: 4th Prize: 5th Prize:

£3,000 £1,000 £500 £300 £200

You must enter by Friday 16th December, and who knows, it could be you getting that call saying you have won £3,000!

The winners will be drawn on Monday 19th December.

Fancy a chance of winning every week?

Join our lottery today where our top prize is £1,500 every single week! Join online at www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/ lottery or call 01606 553553.

The Jingle Bell Draw is a fantastic chance to win cash this Christmas and a great way to support St Luke’s. From helping patients recover from treatment, to supporting families through difficult times, to providing care to local people in their final days; every ticket you buy will help us care for more people this Christmas.

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If you have any questions about the Jingle Bell Draw please call the lottery team on 01606 553553 or email lottery@stlukes-hospice.co.uk

www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

A moving perspective on the value of volunteering Dear St Luke’s, I would like to tell you a story about my mum, Gina.

I lost my dad to Alzheimers in 2009 and my mum had become his full time carer during the last three years of his life.

A few months after his passing my mum was at a loss; she took up employment again but still felt empty inside as she had no job satisfaction. As it was, she had to take early retirement due to health issues. I suggested to her to look at volunteering as she would make more friends and meet new people daily. She took my advice and contacted St Luke’s at Winsford on Delamere Street. Starting off volunteering for three hours on Friday afternoon, my mum excelled in this role. She became more confident, happy and her selfworth returned.

Four years later, my mum is still volunteering and she now all day Friday and Monday.

She helps in the furnishings section and the coffee shop and is happy to provide extra cover when needed. On many occasions she goes into the shop an hour or more before it opens to get things organised.

Thank you St Luke’s, you brought my mum back to me.

Best wishes, Sarah

If you would like to find out more about volunteering, please visit our website www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/volunteer, call 01606 551246 or email volunteer@stlukes-hospice.co.uk

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

Out and about For Dougie Earlier this year our nurses cared for Dave ‘Dougie’ Collins, and he spent his final weeks here before he sadly passed away on 13th January. His family and friends said “he was looked after with great care” and wanted to do something special to say thank you, and a journey up Ben Nevis was the only thing for it.

Dougie’s friends David Moore, Mark Brennan, Shaun Brennan, Paul Clays, Mark Clays, David Carson, David Williamson, Kevin Ashley and Paul

Lightfoot completed the 4,406 foot climb on Saturday 4th June and have raised £3,517.46! Thank you so much gentlemen for such a loving tribute to Dougie.

Toby braves the shave In May, 19 year old Toby Clark braved the blade and lost his lovely locks and glossy beard to raise money for St Luke’s. Being very proud of his quiff, the shave was something huge for Toby to do, he said

“I have volunteered on and off for the Hospice for about three years now, and when I went to uni I decided to do a bit of fundraising too. I really wanted to do something meaningful - so I shaved my head! I’m know for my ‘quiff’ and can be quite vain when it comes to my hair! My mum says you have to step out of your comfort zone and walk in other peoples shoes to understand their feelings. It is so great to have this local friendly facility where people are treated as human beings; kids, teenagers, parents, grandparents. I admire everything the nurses do.”

A huge thank you to Toby and all his friends at Loughborough University who supported him to raise over £600!

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If you are raising money for St Luke’s please let us know, contact our team on 01606 555697 or email community@stlukes-hospice.co.uk

www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

Events and dates for your diary Strictly Live!

Strictly Learn to Dance returns to bring you an evening of dazzling ballroom and latin routines!

Couples will be trained by Adrian Pritchard, renowned for training the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing newbies Chloe Hewitt and AJ Pritchard previously of Britain’s Got Talent fame, so the performances will be out of this world!

Join us from 7.30pm on Saturday 12th November at The Grange Theatre in Hartford to watch our couples put their eight weeks of dance training to the test!

Tickets are £15 for adults, £10 for children and can be booked through the Theatre Box Office on 01606 539040.

Would you like to be one of our dancers and train with Adrian? We still have a limited number of places available! Please call Catherine on 01606 555832 to find out more.

The Biggest Loser Challenge 2017 Thinking about making a positive change to your lifestyle? Our Biggest Loser Challenge launches in January and we have a personalised package worth over £400 for 20 participants, helping you to improve your lifestyle, get fit and lose weight.

Holmes Chapel Support Group 8th Oct Coffee Morning 4th Dec Christmas Market Stall Sandbach Support Group 21st Sept U3A Golf Day 17th Oct Cakes, Bric-a-Brac, Book Sale 21st Oct Race Night with Meat and Potato Pie Supper 28th Oct Bingo and Supper 3rd Dec Singing Sensations Christmas Concert 4th Dec Advent Lunch

Shavington Support Group 15th Sept Three Years in Tropical Paradise, Peter Reddish 16th Oct Thanksgiving Service 20th Oct Co-op Youth Brass Band 17th Nov Cheese and Wine Evening 7th Dec Christmas Quiz 15th Dec Carol Concert

Supported by the BTB Fitness Academy in Winsford, their professional team will guide you through a 12 week program and ensure you meet your weight loss goals.

Entry is just £30 and includes your challenge t-shirt and welcome goody bag.

You will also be set a fundraising target of £395, an added incentive to reach your goals and support patient care!

Go online to find out more www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/biggest-loser or call 01606 555832.

If you would like further details about any of these events please visit our website, call our team on 01606 555697 or email community@stlukes-hospice.co.uk

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

St Luke’s contribution to research and knowledge

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t Luke’s is so much more than just a building. Over the past few years, St Luke’s has funded several research projects which have influenced and improved end of life care across the UK, and we hope it will ultimately have a global impact.

In 2008, St Luke’s funded the first ever study to explore the experiences of people dying with dementia. This research enabled us to work with Dementia UK and later Hospice UK, carrying out work which laid the foundations for the current Dementia End of Life Team.

A few years later we then researched how the Living Well Dying Well project, which is part funded by St Luke’s, impacted on how people were able to have conversations with family and

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friends regarding end of life wishes.

It found that 60% of participants had taken action to discuss end of life wishes in some form following their attendance at awareness and ‘how to’ workshops.

This is one of very few studies in this area and the results suggest that public awareness events may act as a prompt for important discussions and help to overcome issues such as lack of motivation, knowledge or experience which may prevent these discussions taking place.

With both PhD research projects being based at St Luke’s, it meant that they were embedded in the reality of palliative and end of life care, producing results which can be mirrored by so many other providers of this type of care, including care homes and hospitals.

If you would like to find out more about the research we are involved in please call Director of Strategy and Engagement Siobhan Horton on 01606 551246.

www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

Namaste improves quality of life for dementia patients ‘Namaste’ is a Hindu term meaning ‘to honour the spirit within’ and was selected to describe a programme that brings honour to people with advanced dementia who can no longer tell us who they are, or care for themselves without assistance.

St Luke’s is funding the project and, together with the End of Life Partnership, we are working to introduce the patient-centred programme into care settings across Cheshire where it will be embedded into routine practice.

Namaste is led by Sara Jones, a complementary therapist with a nursing background. She has developed a resource pack to support her training sessions with local organisations, where she is teaching them how to provide Namaste care to their patients. The programme uses the five senses to bring pleasure and peace to the patient, including massage, scents, colours and tastes. It carefully considers the wishes, likes and dislikes of the person with dementia through their own life story, to increase their comfort.

Results from the programme so far are incredible and almost instant; Sara said “we have seen an improvement in the mood of patients, their sleeping patterns and appetite, and it has created a therapeutic relationship between care home staff and patients.”

St Luke’s and the End of Life Team are now assessing the long term sustainability of the project and exploring the other settings this care could be introduced to.

“

You matter because you are you and you matter to the end of your life, and we will help you not only to die peacefully but to live until you die”

Dame Cecily Saunders, founder of the hospice movement.

To find out more about the End of Life Partnership and the work they are doing in our community visit www.eolp.co.uk

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

Christmas cards that mean more

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ach year we bring you a beautiful range of Christmas cards, and this year is no different. Our range incorporates traditional designs, a multi-pack choice and modern cards with a hint of humour.

You can order cards online at www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/shopping, buy them in our hospice shops, or by completing the order form enclosed.

Our popular Christmas Cards and Gifts Launch will be held on 14th October 10am-3pm at the Hospice, where you will get 10% discount on everything you buy!

Unique gifts from our shop Looking for something special to buy this Christmas? Look no further. Our online shop is a little bit like the care we provide; full of great quality, unique items which will bring a smile to your face.

From Beatrix Potter to Happy Jackson, our range of gifts are different to items you might find on the high-street.

And we don’t stop at gifts; presentation is almost as important as the gift itself so we stock a huge range of East of India products on our eBay site. We spoke to Rachael who buys the gifts and accessories range we sell at St Luke’s, she said “Gift wrapping is about going one step further; it’s like the icing on the cake. And for the recipient, it’s about the anticipation, the excitement of discovering what’s inside.”

To visit our shop, go to www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/shopping where you will find links to our online shop and eBay sites. Plus we have a special discount code valid until 30th September, helping you get some presents sorted early at a great price.

Enter THANKYOU10 at our online shop checkout for a 10% discount on all full priced items ordered by 30th September.

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To visit our shop, go to www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/shopping where you will find links to our online shop and eBay sites.

www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

A little something special Something a little more thoughtful It can be difficult finding something new to buy each Christmas, so we have created a small range of beautiful, thoughtful gifts where you will be giving something to our patients as well as the person you are buying for.

Gift of friendship, £15. Your gift will pay for a befriender to spend an hour with a lonely and isolated person living in our community, we will send you a friendship bracelet to pass on as a gift.

Gift of belonging, £20.

Pays for The Phoenix Group to support a child who has been effected by loss, the small framed picture is a lovely reminder of the gift you have given.

Gift of relaxation, £25. Paying for a relaxing therapy at the Hospice supports patients through their illness, our beautifully scented candle gives you a relaxing moment of your own.

Doing some online shopping?

Jingle Bell Draw Say thank you to colleagues or your team and buy them tickets for our Jingle Bell Draw. Do you know anyone who wouldn’t want a little cash boost this Christmas?

Tickets are just £1 each, and could provide someone with an early Christmas gift to remember!

When you buy Christmas presents online, you could be helping to raise money for St Luke’s from the shops you buy from!

With thousands of high-street retailers on www.Care2Save.co.uk, choose St Luke’s as your charity before you start your shopping and a donation will be given from the retailer to St Luke’s. Simple, and it doesn’t cost you a thing!

To find out more or to buy one of these unique gifts, visit www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/shopping

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

Christmas fundraising

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spot of fundraising never goes amiss at Christmas; whether you’re doing something at school, in the local pub, with colleagues in the office, or with family and friends at home, we have some cracking ideas to get you started!

The Sweepstake A simple concept, you just need to choose the challenge; place bets on how long it will take to eat three mince pies, the weight of the Christmas cake, or the last person standing at the Christmas party! Charge £2 a guess, donate £1 to St Luke’s and add the remaining £1 to the jackpot!

The Bake-Off

The (inevitable!)

Dress Down Day

The ‘oh that’s lovely’ Sale

Whether it’s your traditional Christmas jumper day, Christmas characters, ugly sweaters, or even items on a Christmas dinner, there’s no limit to how far your fancy dress can go! Charge £1 for everyone who takes part – and even more for those who don’t!

Great at baking? How about holding a Christmas bake off with friends or work colleagues? Ask for donations in exchange for cakes and give the money you raise to St Luke’s.

Have an unwanted, unused, unopened gift from last year or something that has been sat at the back of your cupboard for ages? Add a price to your items and organise a desk-top sale at work, donating money raised to St Luke’s. Please note, St Luke’s accept no responsibility for any ensuing arguments which may occur as a result of forgetting where ‘that present’ came from!

The Raffle So many of us will be going to a Christmas party this year, a simple but successful way to raise money is by organising a raffle. Ask friends, colleagues or suppliers to donate items and draw the raffle at your party.

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If you would like to find out more about these ideas or need other fundraising inspiration visit our website www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk, call our team on 01606 555697 or email community@stlukes-hospice.co.uk

www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

Christmas events Santa’s Grotto Mid November- Mid December Thanks to the incredible students of the Petty Pool Trust, each year our big red London bus is transformed into a magical Christmas grotto, a home from home for Father Christmas.

This year’s Christmas Bubble Rush will take place at Oulton Park near Tarporley. There will be a DJ warm up and Christmas music to keep you motivated along the course, plus a medal, warming mulled wine and chocolatey treat waiting for you at the finish line (child friendly option available!)

For a small donation of £3 per child, our grotto includes Father Christmas and his team of elves, and is the perfect addition to any Christmas party or school festivities.

It’s only £22.50 for adults to take part and £7.50 for children, and your ticket includes a medal and an exclusive festive elf/Santa t-shirt. (It’s so nice it may save you buying a new Christmas jumper this year)

To book the grotto or for any enquires, please contact community@stlukes-hospice.co.uk, or call 01606 555811.

Christmas Fair Saturday 3rd December 10am-2pm Winsford Lifestyle Centre will again hold our Christmas Fair this year! With a visit from a special Christmas guest, raffle, tombola and stalls including crafts, accessories, bric-abrac, beer and ale, mulled wine, cake and complementary therapies, you’ll be sure to find the perfect gift while getting in the festive spirit!

Christmas Bubble Rush Saturday 10th December It’s that time once again to gather for the most fun, foamy, festive run of the year through snowy white bubbles!

Psst… Early Bird tickets are available for the first 500 sign-ups at £17.50 per adult and £5.00 per child Registration is open now at www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/christmasbubblerush Christmas Tree Collection 7th- 9th January 2017 Each year the number of Christmas Trees we collect and recycle increases, and this year we aim to raise £25,000 from our Christmas Tree collection scheme. In exchange for a donation our wonderful team of volunteers will collect your tired Christmas tree saving you the time and effort of disposing of it yourself.

Thanks to the support of businesses, local organisations and groups we are able to offer this service to households in CW1, CW2, CW4, CW5, CW6, CW7, CW8, CW9, CW10 and CW11.

You can book your tree collection from the beginning of December at www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/tree.

It’s as simple as one, two, tree!

To find out more about these events visit our website www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk, call our team on 01606 555697 or email events@stlukes-hospice.co.uk

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St Luke’s News / Autumn 2016

Light up a Life

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ight up a Life will be held on Sunday 27th November at St Luke’s. It is a beautiful evening where you will be warmly welcomed by staff, and have the opportunity to remember your loved one in your own way.

Together we will light the Hospice tree, take a private moment as we each light a candle in their memory and then move inside to read the names of loved ones in our special Book of Memories.

Remembering those who are no longer with us physically is so important at this time of year, and so we welcome

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anyone who would like to honour their memory, whether they have been supported by the Hospice or not.

The donations you give in memory of your loved ones will be put to great use immediately here at St Luke’s, and will help to pay for the care of our patients over the festive season and beyond.

Look out for your letter in the post or go online now and make your tribute to that special person this Christmas, www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk/lightupalife.

You can also call our team on 01606 555684 to make your dedication over the telephone.

Grosvenor House, Queensway, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 1BH Registered Charity No. 515595

T 01606 551246 E enquiries@stlukes-hospice.co.uk www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk