Hospice News Spring 2022

No.150 | Spring 2022

Stories from your Hospice PLUS

News from the Inpatient Unit Events to join Sustainable shopping

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A year at the Hospice

Welcome to your latest Hospice News

In the past year...

Family matters Here at St Peter’s Hospice, we know that the gift of meaningful time with your loved ones is as important as the medical care we give. We see families at the hardest moments in their lives.

We understand what preparing for loss feels like: different for everyone, but always painful.

We also see clearly how ‘family’ can encompass so many people – relatives, of course, but also friends, neighbours, the people who are there when they’re needed.

Whatever structure a family might take and no matter who someone considers to be their family, we aim to make sure we support everyone through their journey with St Peter’s Hospice; the patients and everyone who matters to them. Through your support and generosity, we’re able to make that happen. Thank you.

Helen Ireland Head of IUP and Quality Lead

172

people were cared for in our In-patient Unit

Over 1,750

people were cared for in the community, in the place they call home

Contents A year at the Hospice

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Toby's Bearathon

4-5

Hospice update

6-7

Child bereavement support

8-9

Your family's bag of donations

10

Sustainable shopping

11

Volunteering

12-13

The Midnight Walk

14-15

Pauline's story

16-17

Family business

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Events calendar 2022

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Over 270

patients and carers were supported through our virtual support groups

6,900

people called the advice lin e, where there’s always someone to talk to, even in the middle of the nig ht

It’s all made possible by your support.

Thank you.

Enquiries: 0117 915 9400 24/7 Clinical Advice Line: 0117 915 9430 stpetershospice.org 2

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Toby’s Bearathon What were you getting up to when you were eleven?

Chances are, you weren’t out running almost every day to raise money for your local Hospice – but that’s exactly what Toby has been doing since September 2021. Toby’s Bearathon sees him running a kilometre for every point conceded by Bristol Bears this season, with the support of his mum Claire and hundreds of sponsors.

‘Last year I did a charity run where I ran a marathon in ten days,’ Toby told us. ‘We thought this wouldn’t be that much further - but I’ve now run 318km, and I’m only halfway through! Once I had 52km to run in just one week. It’s not easy getting up and doing it every day, but knowing I’m doing it for a good cause helps me keep going.’

Why Bristol Bears? Toby’s Nanny June was a huge Bears fan and took Toby to matches, bought his kit, and took him out for burgers with the family. After she died, turning her beloved sport into fundraising for the Hospice seemed the perfect tribute.

Toby’s mum Claire and her sisters Emma and Laura have fond memories of June as the entertainer, who put family first and was happiest when she was making everyone around her laugh.

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‘She was in the Hospice first for pain relief, and it made her feel so safe and comfortable. The staff helped to get her home for one last family Christmas, and she went back into the Hospice again at the end. It wasn’t like she was a patient: she was more like a friend of the teams there.’

Pictured from left: June, Claire, Toby and brother Barney

‘As well as treating her medically, they took the time to get to know her, talk to her and have fun. She loved her rugby, so the Hospice arranged for us to watch the Six Nations kick off with her. We had a big TV, snacks, a buffet (with flying saucer sweets, her favourite!). Laura and Emma and June’s husband Geoff stayed overnight. When Geoff was admitted to the Hospice himself eighteen months later, everyone remembered him.

‘I’m very proud of Toby. It does take a bit of encouragement from me and his dad, but he knows he’s doing a good thing. I would hate the thought that another person’s parent couldn’t have the Hospice. You don’t appreciate it until you spend some time there. They knew her. It’s the little things: times when we’d walk in and they were talking to her even though she couldn’t hear; gave her her knitted toy to hold. The medical staff and the volunteers are fantastic.’

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£8,500!

‘It wasn’t like she was a patient: she was more like a friend of the teams there.’

Toby’s Bearathon has already raised more than £8,500 for patient care, and his new target is £10,000 by the end of the season. Good luck Toby!

Claire

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Hospice update Director of Patient Care Chris Benson shares the good news: we’re working towards reopening our In-patient Unit beds, and adapting how we work to provide the right care where our patients want to be.

The pandemic has caused a significant challenge to all our services over the last two years, and our staff have been so adaptable in keeping services running. The In-patient Unit shut five beds to reduce costs as it is our most expensive service to run, and because staffing a 24-hour unit with constant sickness and self-isolation of staff was hugely challenging.

‘I am very pleased to say that we are now at the point of beginning to reopen the five closed beds.’

Chris

However, it has also been a time of great learning, and rethinking how we can best serve our patients.

With patients at times nervous of being admitted due to restrictions in the number of visitors they could have, we placed more of our doctor time in supporting our patients at home. This meant that we were able to admit other patients who wanted to come in for care in the last days of life. These patients often had fewer complex symptoms, and our nursing teams were able to care for them with very little doctor support.

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I am very pleased to say that we are now at the point of beginning to reopen the five closed beds, and have started to recruit staff to be able to do so. As we reopen we will work slightly differently: ten of our beds will be led by our doctors for patients who often need significant medical support due to their symptoms, and five will be nurse-led beds for patients who just need excellent nursing care at end of life. Our Nurse Prescribers will lead on their care, with the doctors available for advice if needed.

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We believe this will give our patients the best of both options, as it means that we can continue to put more doctor time into supporting the majority of our patients who wish to remain in their own homes or nursing homes.

We are immensely grateful for all your support. We know that we wouldn’t be in the position of re-opening our beds without your ongoing help – it is invaluable.

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Child bereavement support The Hospice is well known for caring for adult patients, but the Therapy Team supports children who have lost a loved one too.

Pippa, who leads our children's service, tells us more about how her work was altered by the pandemic, and her hopes for a postCovid children’s bereavement service.

'92% of young people in the UK will experience what they see as a 'significant' bereavement before the age of 16. Recent reports reveal that 80% of young people agreed the pandemic had increased feelings of anxiety and isolation, and resulted in a loss of coping mechanisms and motivation.

'This is certainly what we witnessed as a team. The pandemic meant a surge in referrals, as the emotional support services provided by schools were no longer available. The stress of online schooling, and parents also trying to work from home, added to anxieties that otherwise may have been better managed. The isolation of lockdowns left young people open to feeling an increased sense of hopelessness and low mood, without their usual foundations and routines to offer support.

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'As a team we had to quickly adapt our way of working so that we could use games and creative techniques on video calls.

Pets often played a key part (including my own dog Peggy!) in breaking the ice and allowing children to feel safe and at ease.

For younger children, we had the challenge of making a meaningful relationship via video, and sensitively using therapeutic interventions to support their needs.

Teenagers were of course more adept at using video and technology; many even found the distance made it easier to engage with, as it provided them with a greater sense of control and ownership. We also provided a Zoom group for bereaved children aged 8–12, while parents had their own group online.

'The pandemic has shown us what else we can achieve using technology, with the potential for further group work. When we can, we plan to invite families back for a facilitated workshop to reconnect with the Hospice if the children were unable to visit a loved one here.'

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'Knowing that I'm not alone, it makes me more comfortable to go to school.'

Pippa with Peggy

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Bereaved child

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Your family’s bag of donations

Sustainable shopping We’re all part of a global family.

Find out how sustainability is at the heart of St Peter’s Hospice shops.

Ever wondered if what you’re donating is ‘right’ for our charity shops?

Total raised £183.00 Arjun’s coat with a broken zip If you wouldn’t buy it, we can’t sell it, and it won’t raise money for patient care. Please donate items we can sell.

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According to a 2020 study,* the fashion industry creates 92 million tonnes of waste per year and consumes 1.5 trillion litres of water. Chemical pollution and high levels of CO2 emissions add to the problem of fast fashion, and mass manufacturing as a whole.

Nani’s old clock Homeware is much loved in our shops – but donate a high-value item and we’ll sell it via our ebay shop. £150 Mum’s trouser suit Changed your work routine? Don’t leave it in the wardrobe, donate it! £14

Top tips for donations Clean, washed clothes only please – don’t forget to check the pockets!

You can donate summer dresses and winter coats all year round. If it’s seasonal, we’ll store it for later.

Lots to donate? Call your local shop first to check they have storage space.

Gift Aid it If you’re a UK taxpayer, you can raise even more for patient care. With Gift Aid, this bag would be worth £228.75!

Just ask about Gift Aid next time you donate.

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ET AL, NAT REV EARTH ENVIRON 1, 189–200 (2020).

Radha’s hairdryer We’ll safety test this and sell it on – but not all shops take electricals, so please call first. £10

Jay’s toys Children’s toys, games, books and clothes are always popular. £1

*THE ENVIRONMENTAL PRICE OF FAST FASHION, KIRSI NIINIMÄKI

Dad’s too-small jeans Menswear is always in short supply, so this is a great donation. £8

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Buy it, love it, donate it As ethical shoppers, we can all do our bit – by buying fewer new clothes, and increasing garment lifetimes. Buying second-hand from St Peter’s Hospice shops is an easy way to give your wardrobe a refresh, and preloved clothes another lease of life. And if you fall out of love with your goodies, you can donate them back! It’s not just clothing, either. You can update your home décor, your furniture and what’s on your bookshelves too – without the environmental cost of buying new, at affordable prices, and with all proceeds going to support patient care locally.

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Earth Day Friday 22 April Earth Day is a global movement to battle climate change. In April, our shop windows will transform to support and inform environmental action, showcasing our efforts to help everyone in our community live more sustainably.

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Volunteering Giving their time to the Hospice is a family affair for this remarkable volunteering dynasty. Chris and her daughterin-law Caroline shared some of their family’s experiences.

Caroline My in-laws Chris and Rodney (pictured) were already volunteers for St Peter’s when my mum, who had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), spent her last few days being cared for at the Hospice in Brentry, five-and-a-half years ago. It's a charity that we already supported, but became more personal to us after seeing the amount of care that is offered without hesitation to patients like my mum.

After we lost my mum, my husband Aid ran the Stratford Marathon as a way of paying back a small amount of the support we had received from St Peter’s.

I wanted to do something to offer my own thanks (in a less physical way), and when I was made redundant during the first lockdown, it was the perfect time. I helped with listing items for the online Christmas Market, updating databases,

and sending out info and packs for events.

My dad also did a short stint manning the doors and directing visitors when the Inpatient Unit was temporarily moved to Keynsham in 2018.

If you are able to commit to volunteering, even just a few hours a week, then do it! I was so warmly welcomed into the office by everyone, and thanked by so many people for the small part I played in helping out - but it really was me that felt I needed to offer thanks, for giving me a welcome escape from the strange Covid times we were going through.

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Chris The first person in my family to volunteer was my eldest sister Margaret (pictured), who for ten years helped at the Hospice reception and also at the Fundraising office, then in Clifton.

She retired in 2011, and I took over her roles after I also retired from work.

I had been Secretary to the Palliative Care Consultant at Southmead Hospital, and had quite close contact with St Peter’s. Even today some of the staff at the Hospice were working at Southmead during my time!

My late husband Rodney joined the volunteer drivers in 2014 until 2019 - mainly collecting patients for the Day Hospice, taking inpatients to hospital appointments, and transporting items between Hospice sites.

For us, volunteering has been a very rewarding experience. I would encourage everyone to do whatever you can.

'For us, volunteering has been a very rewarding experience' Chris (left) with Caroline

Could you become a volunteer?

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The Midnight Walk A tropical beach party in the centre of Bristol? Welcome to the wild and wonderful world of the Midnight Walk.

Fundraising can be plenty of fun – and the Midnight Walk takes having fun seriously!

This annual event has grown into a strolling street party of walkers in fancy dress, taking over the city with bright lights and laughter.

The first ten-mile walk took place in 2010 with over 1,100 walkers.

Inspired by their costumes, the walk now has a new theme every year - everything from superheroes to disco – and it’s the perfect chance to dress up and get silly with friends and family. With a five-mile option too, the walk now begins in Millennium Square with a lively group warm-up, and a silent disco to celebrate reaching the finish.

Many walkers have joined us year after year – like Sandra, whose husband Paul passed away in 2010.

‘The Midnight Walk was on the anniversary of his death, and I've done it every year that it's been possible since.

We had support from St Peter's Hospice from the moment we needed them and all the way through, to help make his

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'All that fun and laughter makes a difference.

Since it began, The Midnight Walk has now raised over £1.28 million.

That’s enough to keep all Hospice services running for more than 70 days.'

Join the fun this June! last year what he wanted it to be. They made all the difference to him and me.

‘Paul was a big figure in the Bristol Morris Men, and my ‘Team Wudzi’ is made up of the Morris Men’s wives, girlfriends, and daughters. In 2021, on the 10-year anniversary, the Morris Men all joined in too for a big celebration in Paul’s memory.’

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Hospice care continues into the night – and so does your support.

To celebrate the walk taking place in the summer again, the theme is tropical beach party: we’re picturing sunglasses, pineapple prints, inflatable flamingos – but the look is all up to you! It’s a great way for friends and family to get together, raise money, and make a difference to families during the most difficult of times.

Sign up or find out more: www.bristolmidnightwalk.co.uk

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Pauline’s story

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We shared favourite pieces of music and poetry, and could make suggestions about other activities to share.

A cancer diagnosis is awful news to hear.

Pauline told us how the Hospice has been there for her with support groups online.

Setting goals at the beginning helped me to focus, and gave me something to look forward to. When you have goals, on days you’re not feeling so well you think yes, I’ll join anyway. It helps uplift you for that half an hour, or hour.

I was referred to the Hospice after I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in late 2020. I had no idea then what help they could offer, but I was quickly contacted by social workers, and community nurses.

In the very beginning I got lots of practical support: they were instrumental in me getting a Blue Badge, and helped me get the carer’s allowance as well.

Now I do relaxation, which makes you feel really good, and gives you a chance to be outside yourself. Every week there are drop-in sessions, an hour when you could just have a chat with like-minded people. Some people need to talk and get things off their chest; others just want to talk about everyday topics. It’s a breathing space where you don’t have to talk about your illness; you can just be normal and relax a bit.

I do the sanctuary for people of all faiths on a Friday. We have a chat about anything and everything and put the world to rights – followed by a visualisation and meditation, which leaves you with a lovely sense of peace and wellbeing. There’s a weekly quiz too. Usually I’ve had chemotherapy in the morning so by the afternoon my brain is not working – but

Since then, I’ve attended lots of different online groups for my wellbeing. I wasn’t familiar with Zoom before, but it’s second nature now.

The first course I did was brilliant.

There are other people in a similar situation to you, so it made you feel in a safe welcoming place. We didn’t actually need to talk about our individual symptoms at all, we could draw on the resources of the course to feel safe: meditation, hand massage, things like that.

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no one’s worried about whether you do well, lots of banter goes on!

Being online hasn’t been harder, it’s been brilliant. During the pandemic, I was classed as very very vulnerable and wasn’t able to go out. The Zoom groups made me feel connected with the world again. It gave you that feeling that you weren’t alone. I remember one lady who was very reticent in the beginning, didn’t think the groups would be for her – but at the end she said ‘I feel as though I’ve made friends’.

Knowing that support was there, it gave me a lot of confidence. The Hospice is brilliant, and I’m just so grateful.

'The Zoom groups made me feel connected with the world again.'

Pauline

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Family business raises £100,000 for patient care One local business has turned heart-breaking loss into a mission to help make sure patients and their families get the help they need from the Hospice.

The Jeff Way Group, a local electrical contractor, building services company and training school, was founded by Jean and Jeff Way. After Jean’s brother Steve needed hospice care in 2008, they began fundraising at Knowle Golf Club, and their annual Golf Day there still raises thousands. When Jeff and Jean both needed care themselves, St Peter’s Hospice was there.

we support the event, and take part too.’

‘I’m very proud, but we didn’t do it on our own – lots of people in the business, friends and family, so many with their own personal connection the Hospice. All the events we do are good fun too, so it’s no hardship.’

‘The Hospice at Home service cared for both my parents, and I don’t know what we would’ve done without it, to be honest,’ says Chris Way.

What’s next for the Jeff Way Group’s super fundraisers?

Chris says: ‘We’re not going to stop at £100,000. We do Tour de Bristol every year, and I’m taking on Land’s End to John O’Groats with my brother and cousin in July. We’re so appreciative of the help the Hospice gave us, and we don’t know what we’d have done without it – so they’ll always have our support.’

Jeff and Jean’s three children Chris, Jennine and Neil all work at the company today – and they’ve carried on the family tradition of fundraising for the Hospice.

‘I was a trustee for the Hospice before Mum and Dad passed away,’ Chris told us, ‘and we’ve been fundraising since 2013, with many different events: the Three Peaks, London Marathon, numerous golf days. The Rugby March evolved out of a walk we did with our Dad in memory of Mum at Ashton Gate, and

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This year, the company's total fundraising for St Peter’s Hospice hit an incredible milestone of £100,000.

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Events calendar 2022 April

August

April 9 Tour de Bristol

August Bristol 3 Peaks open challenge August 6 Coast 2 Coast August 19-20 Lake District 5 Peaks

May May 15 Skydrive or choose your own date

June June 18 Midnight Walk June 25-26 Cotswold Way

September September Bristol 3 Peaks open challenge September 3 Skydive or choose your own date September 25 Great Bristol Run September 30-9 Oct Himalaya Trek

October October 2 London Marathon October 23 Walk to Remember Date TBC Light Up A Life

Chris (second from left) and brother Neil (third from right)

November July July 2,3 Abseil

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Date TBC Light Up A Life

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