Welcome
to the Winter issue of The Raphaelite, where we share the vital work of St Raphael’s Hospice, on our ward and in the community.
In this issue, you’ll discover the heartwarming role of our Hospice Ward Companions and their impact on patient care (pg 11). We also introduce our new Tree of Life, a handmade copper sculpture that honours the memories of loved ones (pg 5).
Importantly, we highlight how we’re rallying community support to protect our Hospice (pg 6) and celebrate generous supporters like you (pg 8), who help us provide free end of life care to the people of Merton and Sutton.
Together, we can preserve and strengthen our hospice care that so many rely on, now and in the future.
Thank you for being a part of our community and we hope you enjoy this issue.
Nick Stevens Finance Director and Joint CEO, St Raphael’s Hospice
Braving the heat for the Hospice
Our fearless supporters faced the flames at our Firewalk fundraiser, walking across blazing embers to raise over £14,000 for the Hospice.
The fiery event was held at the Hospice on Guy Fawkes night and was run by one of Europe’s leading Firewalk instructors, Cliff Mann. Specialist training was held on the night, designed to help inspire our brave participants to conquer the coals. A brilliant crowd of friends, families and colleagues cheered on our 28 firewalkers – including our wonderful Hospice Housekeeper, Kala, who braved the coals and raised over £3,200
I could never have imagined taking on a challenge like this and raising vital funds in the process. I loved every minute. This was my way to give back to the Hospice that I’m proud to work for, a charity that the community really relies on. – Kala
Want to take on a challenge or create your very own fundraiser? Find out more at straphaels.org.uk/events
Dying is not a marginal footnote in life, it’s a special part of life”
Kieran is a keen supporter of the Hospice after we cared for his wife at home and continue to support him at our Wellbeing Centre. He tells us more about what the Hospice means to him:
My wife, Elizabeth, braved breast cancer for three and a half years. She died aged 61. St Raphael’s was there for us, in the comfort of our home, and continues to support me today.
When Elizabeth was told her condition was terminal, her one wish was not to die in a hospital. St Raphael’s helped me fulfil her wish. I was her primary carer but thankfully, I could call the Hospice any time, day or night.
Many people may not know how demanding it is to have a loved one die at home. There is a lot to manage and many different parties involved through the process, including district nurses and GPs. The Hospice provided me with a great sense of relief and many supportive calls.
I didn’t really understand the term ‘a good death’ before, but it is now something I am most thankful that my wife received. In 2022, after 34 years together, Elizabeth died peacefully at home. Her pain was well-managed throughout and I couldn’t have asked for more.
It is with thanks to the Hospice’s community team that I was able to be there for her until her last breath.
After Elizabeth died, the Hospice’s Psychological Support Team reached out to me and then I joined the Bereavement Support Group.
I now visit the onsite Wellbeing Centre two times a week – it’s a silver lining and a sanctuary of support.
The volunteers and staff are so good at what they do. Everyone is understood and there is lots of laughter to be had. It has been a tremendous eye opener for me. It has also helped me cope with my own prostate cancer diagnosis that I received the same year my wife died.
It is frightening that these services are at risk, due to the lack of funding available for hospices and it’s sad that the brilliant community nurses who supported my wife have been impacted by the current funding crisis at St Raphael’s.
Death is a part of life for all – every person deserves this incredible level of care when the time comes.
I’ve learnt that dying is not a marginal footnote in life, it’s a special part of life and hospices like St Raphael’s are crucial and indispensable right to the very end.
Kieran, St Raphael’s supporter
A lasting gift of compassion
Caring for future patients through gifts in wills
A gift in your will is more than a donation –it’s an enduring act of care that will help our Hospice continue to provide vital support and comfort for more patients and families when they need us most.
For John, one of our long-standing supporters, St Raphael’s Hospice has always been a place of compassion. When considering how to make a lasting difference, John chose to leave a gift in his will, ensuring future generations receive the same dignity, comfort and care that his wife received.
St Raphael’s relies heavily on gifts in wills as one of the main fundraising income sources for the Hospice, raising around £1.4M annually. Around 40 people kindly leave us a gift in their will each year. Each of these gifts, no matter the size, makes a vital difference to us and provides us with a great sense of hope for the future of our care.
Through the gift I’ve included in my will, I’m able to remember the way in which St Raphael’s helped look after my wife towards the end. I’ve always believed in the incredible care and compassion provided by St Raphael’s. Knowing the difference they make to patients and families during such difficult times, I wanted to do something lasting to support their work.
By leaving a gift in my will, I can ensure that even after I’m gone, I’m helping to continue the care that’s meant so much to me and so many others.
Request
your
free Will-Writing Guide
To find out more about how you, too, can leave a legacy of care and compassion, contact alisonlinwood@straphaels.org.uk to request our free Will-Writing Guide.
This guide will help you take care of your loved ones while making a lasting difference for people in Merton and Sutton, long into the future.
Tree of Life
Our new copper tree has bloomed into the heart of the Hospice
We are excited to introduce our beautiful new Tree of Life, a handmade copper sculpture to hang inscribed leaves with treasured names or messages, in memory of loved ones. It takes pride of place in our courtyard garden at the Hospice, where visitors can enjoy a peaceful moment in a tranquil setting.
One of our supporter’s husbands was cared for by the Hospice, particularly the Wellbeing Centre, before being admitted as a patient on our ward. During his time under our care, they would often sit in the garden together, chatting with our Volunteer Gardeners.
My husband and I were both warmly held by the Hospice, comforted and carried through one of life’s most challenging times. I feel peace and happiness when I return to the Hospice now, reflecting on the wonderful care we both received.
This supporter has dedicated a leaf on the new Tree of Life in her husband’s honour and looks forward to seeing the changing seasons in the garden. In the new year, a water feature will be installed alongside the tree sculpture, providing a lovely outdoor sanctuary for more patients and families to enjoy.
As a lasting tribute, leaf dedications are a special way to honour a loved one while supporting future patients and their families. For those who are donating and dedicating a leaf on our new Tree of Life, they are helping us continue to provide free vital services to one in four people in the community now and in the future.
To dedicate a leaf on the Tree of Life in memory of someone special, contact alisonlinwood@straphaels.org.uk or visit straphaels.org.uk/tree
5 St Raphael’s Hospice
Protecting ourH ospice
Accessing funding for hospices across the UK has never been tougher
According to Hospice UK data, St Raphael’s receives the lowest NHS funding of all adult hospices in London. While the need for palliative and end of life care is growing, the small amount of funding we receive from the NHS has failed to keep pace with rising costs.
Everyone has the right to compassionate care at the end of their lives, which is why we are calling on central government for urgent change.
One in four people in Merton and Sutton need our services, but to continue providing our free specialist care and support we need to fight for change to an unsustainable funding system.
Having already been forced to make £1 million of cuts last year, our community services have decreased, with fewer staff to visit patients in their homes.
What are we doing about it?
• We have an appeal in our community, posting a letter through every door to build awareness and gain further support
• We have spoken to local and national press to keep this urgent issue at the top of the news agenda
• We have rallied with fellow hospices and worked with Hospice UK to give us a larger platform to be heard
• We have welcomed new local MPs in Merton and Sutton to the Hospice to show them our work and explain the challenges we are facing.
Thank you so much for helping us protect the future of St Raphael’s. We simply couldn’t run the Hospice without our incredible community. You may have people close to you who have relied on hospice care at the end of their life. Some of you may have experienced the care and support our team provides, too. If that’s the case, you will know just how important your community hospice really is. We thank you for your generosity.
– Becca Trower, Clinical Director and Joint CEO, St Raphael’s Hospice
What is the impact?
Not only do hospices like us provide vital support at one of the most important times of life, we also take the pressure off the NHS. In short, hospice care:
• Takes the strain off GPs
• Reduces admissions to hospital
• Places more care directly into the community.
We need our community more than ever. Every donation you make, no matter the size, helps ensure we can continue to provide patients with dignity during their final moments.
As well as donations, there are many ways to help us if you’re able to:
• Fundraise
• Play our Lottery (18+)
• Volunteer
• Make a one off donation or monthly gift
• Shop from or donate to our charity shops
• Sign up to receive our e-newsletter
• Write to your local MP about the hospice funding crisis.
you know?
25% is funded by the NHS Only
The rest is raised by legacies, donations, fundraising and community support
The new National Insurance increase announced in November’s budget means we have to find an additional £140,000 each year It costs us over £6.5M a year to run people in the community need us. 1 in 4
Your donation matters Scan here to protect your local Hospice.
Luke Taylor MP speaks of St Raphael’s in the House of Commons
A massive thank you
To our supporters who fundraise for us
Parks of London
The Haines family, together with friends and colleagues, gathered over 25 walkers and four legged friends for a park walk fundraiser. Together, they walked 12 miles through London’s beautiful parks and raised a remarkable £5,275 for the Hospice!
Sign up to a challenge or create your very own fundraiser! Visit straphaels.org.uk/events
Cornwall to Croatia Banger Rally
Stuart and his friend Scott, dressed in Mario and Luigi costumes, took part in a helter-skelter rally from Cornwall to Croatia. They hopped in Stuart’s 30-year-old “banger” that he bought for £180 seven years ago and took on the seven-day rally challenge. Stuart smashed his target, raising £1,200 for the Hospice.
St Raphael’s was wonderful to my mother in her last days and to all her friends and family surrounding her. I’m thrilled that I could fundraise with such fun in her memory and give back to this brilliant charity.
Callista’s Manchester Half Marathon
Callista’s Aunt was under our care when she died earlier this year. In memory of her beloved Aunt, Callista ran the Manchester Half Marathon for us and has raised an incredible £1,625, far exceeding her £500 target.
I was proud to wear my St Raphael’s vest on race day and represent the charity. It was a great experience, especially as it was for such an important cause. I hope others will be inspired to take on a challenge like this for the Hospice.
A family’s great leap of faith
From Hinton Skydiving Centre, Reece and his family took to the skies in honour of their dad and grandad. Their skydive raised over £2,000 for the Hospice.
St Raphael’s dedication to compassionate care is inspiring and we are honoured to fundraise for the charity.
Thank you to all our incredible supporters for fundraising for us.
Parks of London walkers with Lambert Smith Hampton
More than ashop
Charity shops are a vital piece of the sustainable fashion puzzle, and for us, our stores are so much more than bricks-and-mortar.
Our 12 charity shops are proudly positioned in Merton and Sutton, at the heart of the communities we serve. Every item they sell contributes to the free hospice care we provide to the community.
It was recently announced that, for the first time, hospices in the UK may receive more income from their charity shops than they do from the government. It’s a stark reality that highlights the vital change needed to the way hospices and palliative care are funded in the UK.
Each of our shops is largely run by brilliant volunteers, together with a store manager, who create a warm and inviting retail space. Our range of shops includes boutique stores, high street stores, a clearance store and a central donation centre. Shopping in our stores has environmental and social advantages too: reducing harm to the environment, keeping clothing out of landfill, slowing down fast fashion and all while supporting a vital cause. A circular movement paired with real community spirit.
For our Hospice, we celebrate the generosity of our donors and the cycle of our local shoppers who, through their purchases, help us fund our specialist care back to them and their loved ones.
My favourite bargain was found in St Raphael’ s Wimbledon Village store – an incredible pair of Doc Marten boots that I wear through the seasons. I love pre-loved shopping for myself and my loved ones, knowing that it contributes to a vital service in our community. One that is needed by all of us.
– Mariyana, Charity Shop Supporter
Hospice Ward Companions
Hannah volunteers her time as a Ward Companion at St Raphael’s, offering support and kindness to patients staying with us on the ward. She shares her experiences of the role and explains why a good death is everything.
As a Ward Companion, I offer a listening ear and a lending hand to patients, carers and families. A short visit can provide practical and emotional support, comfort and a sense of normality.
A peek into my day
I am always happy walking into St Raphael’s. I have volunteered at the charity for nearly three years and it is incredibly rewarding. No day is the same, as every person I meet is different. Some patients want a good laugh. Others may share their life stories or speak of their fears to help lighten their load. Some may prefer solitude in that moment.
I get to know patients and families who are happy to connect with me. For one lady I brought in ice-creams she told me were her favourite. For another gentleman, I sat at his bedside chatting about life or quietly holding the space beside him. There are young patients on the ward too, some with young families. The children are our greatest teachers with their resilience. When I finish for the day, I am fulfilled and look forward to returning. It is a role that continues to teach me and inspire me in my own life.
What volunteering has taught me about
death and life
Within the safe space of this wonderful charity, death is understood and it’s dignified. Being at the Hospice is like a deep exhale of relief for patients and their families – knowing they are looked after by a specialist team with personalised care. They can talk freely about their fears, grief and personal wishes. A good death is, in fact, everything.
Why volunteering matters
Volunteering is an important contribution to the Hospice and the community and it’s an inexpressible privilege to be there for people when it matters most. I love that Ward Companions can be from all walks of life; all they need is compassion. At a bedside, all social barriers fall away. It’s simply about the core values of wanting to care for people, connect and give back where we can.
St Raphael’s Hospice
Host
Sip and Support coffee morning
Let’s make a difference, one cup at a time, with your own ‘Sip and Support’ fundraiser.
Come together with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours for a cuppa and delicious treats, all for a great cause!
