Raphaelite Magazine Summer 2024

All about St Raphael’s Hospice

Welcome

Welcome to the Summer 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 we hear from our brilliant Hospice Biographers who help record the life stories of patients we support as a precious keepsake.

Following the launch of our Sponsor a Nurse appeal earlier this year, you can meet Nurse Martina.

Thanks to your support and generosity, our nurses continue to go above and beyond for each patient and their families, friends and carers, having a positive impact on the lives of so many in our community. We also celebrate our incredible supporters and fundraisers, people like you, who help us to continue providing free end of life care to the people of Merton and Sutton.

Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy this issue.

Rebecca Trower Clinical Director

St Raphael’s Hospice

Our Hospice Housekeeper wins Health Heroes Award

St Raphael’s incredible Housekeeping Manager, Paula di Palma, has won the prestigious 2024 Health Heroes Award, delivered by Skills for Health.

Paula scooped the top prize of National Operational Support Worker of the year.

Colleagues refer to Paula as “a ray of sunshine” who goes out of her way to mark special celebrations for everyone at the Hospice – creating unforgettable weddings, date nights, birthdays and pizza parties for patients on the ward.

I feel so privileged and honoured to be in the company of such inspirational people. Winning this award is a wonderful reminder that everyday people can make a positive difference.

– Paula

Complementary Therapy helping patients feel like themselves

Life-limiting illnesses can evoke a range of symptoms, emotions and side-effects. Thanks to your generosity, St Raphael’s is able to provide free complementary therapies to support the wellbeing of the patients we care for and those close to them.

Ana Angarita, Complementary Therapy Lead at St Raphael’s, explains more:

“Our therapies are part of a holistic approach to help patients cope with their illness. Working alongside medical and nursing care, we offer a variety of treatments to help ease the effects of the patient’s condition and gently improve wellbeing. Together with our Volunteer Therapists, we provide massage, clinical aromatherapy, manual lymphatic drainage, reiki and reflexology. Treatments assist with pain relief, breathlessness, muscle stiffness, anxiety, nausea, low mood,

insomnia, fatigue and improving energy. Our new sleep programme also empowers patients with useful tools and tips to use at the Hospice or at home.”

Therapies are held in tranquil and cosy therapy rooms inside our Wellbeing Centre, separate from the Hospice. It is a relaxing space where clients can feel like themselves.

Complementary therapies are also available to patients on our ward, where we adapt our treatments and ensure privacy and dignity at all times.

Eulalia was diagnosed with cancer in 2021. She is supported by St Raphael’s Community Team, in the comfort of her home, and visits the Wellbeing Centre for complementary therapy:

“Complementary therapy is a treat in the midst of a difficult situation. I have been supported by reflexology and aromatherapy treatments which really helps me.

With the time I have left, I still have a duty to look after my body. My illness brings with it a range of nasty symptoms. For every minute of my complementary therapy session with Ana, I am given the gift of temporary relief. It’s a gentle, much-needed break.”

– Eulalia, Patient

If you are a therapist qualified in massage, aromatherapy, reiki or reflexology, and can spare a few hours of your time, please contact AnaAngarita@straphaels.org.uk

A sanctuary of support and friendship

Our Wellbeing Centre is a warm, friendly and welcoming environment offering social, practical and therapeutic support to people in our community living with life-limiting illnesses. The Centre, often referred to as a little sanctuary, was created to empower and enable people to live as fully and independently as possible, for as long as they can.

It has been an exciting year for our Wellbeing Centre, having been selected as one of the Mayor of Sutton’s charities of the year. Fifteen community events have been hosted for us raising nearly £12,000 for our charity.

Our Wellbeing Centre provides our Compassionate Neighbours initiative, complementary therapies and wellbeing

Volunteers from local business, Shared Services Connected Ltd, kindly helping with our new garden project.

programme. There is something for everyone, from music and relaxation classes to friendly chats over a cup of tea. We are here for patients, family members, friends and carers who might benefit from our support and some respite.

The Wellbeing Centre is a lifesaver – I cannot say enough how wonderful it is. You are able to receive empathy from people who truly understand.

– Lindsay, Wellbeing Attendee

Dancing the day away

We recently hosted a tea dance for our Wellbeing guests to enjoy, alongside Deputy Mayor of Sutton, Councillor Louise Phelan. The day was celebrated with 20 attendees, a singalong hosted by one of our lovely volunteers, and lots of dancing! Tranquil spaces were made available throughout the day for guests who wanted a quieter moment to relax or chat with friends.

We were delighted that Toyota’s Community Fund kindly donated a grant of £1,500 to our Wellbeing Centre’s garden project. The donation contributed toward new planters and blooms for the outdoor patio. Staff and volunteers are tending to the plants each week, for guests to enjoy over the summer months.

To find out more about the Wellbeing Centre and our services, please visit straphaels.org.uk/wellbeingservices

Coming to the centre has given me reassurance, comfort and knowledge. I have met such wonderful people who are now great friends. I had the best time at the tea, dancing throughout the day.

– Bernie, Wellbeing Attendee

Where your money goes

A caring career

To help support our Nursing Team on the Hospice ward and in the community, we have recently launched our Sponsor a Nurse appeal to raise vital funds for the nursing care we provide for free in Merton and Sutton. We are proud to support more than 1,000 local people facing life-limiting illnesses each year.

Meet Nurse Martina – one of our nurses on the ward:

Being a part of our new Sponsor a Nurse appeal has been really exciting for all of us. Most importantly, it will help us continue to provide free end of life care and support to our community when they need us most.

I have been a nurse at St Raphael’s for nearly two years, joining straight from University.

St Raphael’s is home to a team of exceptional nurses and an environment that nurtures nursing development.

With access to learning opportunities, study days and a team that’s always supportive and on hand, we have an incredible setting to be the very best nurses we can be. As a young nurse, my colleagues let me shadow them from the moment I started working on the ward, providing me with great exposure to different cases and diagnoses. I have learnt and grown beyond measure as a St Raphael’s nurse.

People may be surprised by the outpouring of love and joy within a hospice and palliative care. Nursing has its challenges and heartaches, but the warm atmosphere, wonderful colleagues and special patients have been the recipe for a very meaningful nursing career for me. It brings great joy and fulfilment to my life.

We certainly build a bond with the patients we care for and those close to them, which is not always possible in other medical settings. We get to know them for the individuals they are and we are honoured to be a part of their journey.

After patients have died, we often think of them and share memories amongst us nurses. We have had many patients on our ward who have been similar ages to me, often with young families.

We have forums on site which are important safe-spaces for nurses to talk confidentially, where we reflect on patients and the lasting impact they have had on us.

By sponsoring a St Raphael’s nurse with a monthly gift, you will receive a pin badge to wear with pride, personal updates from a St Raphael’s nurse and two Raphaelite magazines a year. You can also make a one-off donation to support our nursing care.

Contact our Supporter Care Team on 020 8254 2450, scan the QR code or visit straphaels.org.uk/ sponsoranurse

It costs us over £6.5M each year to deliver our free specialist services.

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Cheers of joy at the London Marathon

A courageous group of 10 runners tackled the world-famous TCS London Marathon for St Raphael’s in April. Together they have raised an outstanding £33,200.

Samantha Bourne, St Raphael’s Challenge Events Manager, says:

The commitment and dedication of our runners is remarkable. It’s an incredibly moving experience to spot all of them in their St Raphael’s running tops and cheer for them as they cross the finish line. We are beyond thankful to #TeamStRaphs.

Massive group take on Snowdon

A dynamic group of 29 colleagues from Smith & Byford tackled Mount Snowdon in support of St Raphael’s in May.

Danny, one of the trekkers, wanted to fundraise for St Raphael’s after the Hospice supported his mum. His colleagues climbed alongside him, with many of them having also been positively impacted by St Raphael’s. The powerhouse group climbed Mount Snowdon at moonlight, raising a fantastic £12,600 in total.

To sign up for a solo or group challenge event visit straphaels.org.uk/events

Manchester Marathon Charlie’s in honour of Luca

Most people think of hospices as end of life care for the elderly, without realising that they are for everyone, even 21-year-olds like me. I have such respect for St Raphael’s, after witnessing the brilliant care and support they gave my close friend, Luca, and his family.

As a student in Manchester, I set my sights on the Manchester Marathon to help fundraise for St Raphael’s while Luca was on their ward. Luca, an avid Rugby player, was always up for a challenge and I knew I would have his support.

I would come to London from Manchester each week to visit Luca at the Hospice, picking up a few of our friends on the way. We were always greeted so warmly when we walked through the doors. Luca was in great hands, with the nurses always ensuring that he was as comfortable as he could be. He had a lovely room with a big sliding door onto a garden, where he would often look outside at the green grass.

Luca’s family were supportive of the marathon and encouraged me to select St Raphael’s for my fundraising. I initially set a target of £5,000 but the donations kept increasing by the day. A few of my colleagues signed up with me and became a great support for my training. I aimed to complete the race in under four hours. My manager offered to donate £20 for each minute under the four-hour mark.

I crossed the finish line in three hours 25 minutes, whilst accelerating my donations! Luca sadly passed away in March before the marathon took place. He would be so chuffed that we smashed our target, raising nearly £12,000 and counting. St Raphael’s holds a special place in my heart after everything they have done for my friend and his wonderful family.

If you are able to, it’s not too late to support by scanning the QR code.

Pictured at top: Charlie and friends at the Marathon; Pictured above: Young Charlie and Luca with friends I want to thank everyone who donated in honour of Luca.

Smith & Byford team

Helping stories live on

The valuable work of our Volunteer Biographers

At St Raphael’s, we value going above and beyond for the patients we support. One way is through our Volunteer Biographers – who work with patients to capture special memories for their loved ones to cherish.

Lead Volunteer Biographer, Steve, tells us more: Each patient has their own unique personality. I enjoy listening to the moments in their lives that have shaped them. I give my full attention to them entirely – and I think that makes people feel safe to pour out their hearts.

Our team, who have been trained by renowned charity Stories for Life, have recorded about 20 biographies to date. Each one has been special. We often receive the same response from patients at first: ‘My life is not that interesting, I don’t think anyone would want to hear about it.’ The truth is, everyone has a story to tell or a message to share.

A biography can be their life story, a memory, a favourite poem or a special message for those closest to them.

We’ve had young patients leave messages for their small children. We have recorded favourite stories spoken in their own voice for children and grandchildren to listen to at bedtime. One patient recorded a family recipe for her family and friends. It’s a great privilege to help record these heirlooms in a way that honours the patients under our care.

Recently Steve worked with Joan to record something special for her family:

From

the moment I met Steve, I felt that I’d known him all along – he is such a kind, empathetic and thoughtful person. He immediately made me feel comfortable and was always considerate of my feelings. On days where

I was unable to record, he would offer to come back another time. I am so grateful for the support and generosity of time and spirit he gave to the process.

– Joan, Patient

Help us continue capturing special memories for our patients and their families by donating at straphaels.org.uk/summernews24

Become a Retail Volunteer

Debbie Bruce

With 12 charity shops, we take great pride in our presence on our local high streets to help us raise funds. Our stores are predominantly run by our brilliant volunteers and as demand for our shops grows, we are actively seeking more volunteers.

Debbie has volunteered at our Morden shop for seven months:

My love for charity shops led me to St Raphael’s, I am not local to the Hospice but I noticed the Morden store whilst on the bus.

I’m happy I hopped off to take a look inside. I instantly knew that I wanted to volunteer there and have loved it to this day. There is always someone wonderful to teach and support you.

The best part is that every sale goes directly towards St Raphael’s free hospice care –something we really need to help keep going.

Debbie’s advice:

St Raphael’s is an incredible charity to volunteer for. It’s like a family. Sign up and fill your cup with happiness!

Bruce has been a Retail Volunteer Driver for nearly two years:

My volunteering journey started by wanting to give back and do something positive in the community. I got in touch with the team and it was a quick and easy process to sign up. I volunteer as a driver two mornings a week and it has brought great joy to my life. Although it’s not a lot of time, these hours are guaranteed to be filled with good laughs, great people and lots of tea and biscuits! No matter your skills or experience, you will add value from the moment you step in.

Bruce’s advice:

I encourage anyone and everyone to volunteer for this special charity. It’s a great feeling to help give back.

If you’re interested in volunteering visit straphaels.org/ retailvolunteering or scan the QR code.

St Raphael’s Lead Volunteer Biographer, Steve.

Thames Bridges Trek

14 September 2024

to any of our events, visit straphaels.org.uk/events

As part of the famous Thames Path Challenge, trek 25k across the Capital with unrivalled views of the skyline. Enjoy zigzagging over 16 historic bridges while taking in the best views of London’s landmarks.

Property Dash

13-14 September 2024

Gather your friends, family or colleagues and step into the ultimate real-life game of Monopoly. Dash through the streets of Merton and build your property empire by snapping selfies at key locations. Sign up your team today and seize victory for a worthy cause!

Firewalk

5 November 2024

Can you conquer the coals? Join us for an exhilarating Bonfire Night with one of Europe’s leading firewalk instructors. Bring your friends and family to watch you take on this epic challenge, with music, hot food and drinks to enjoy.

Santa Dash

8 December 2024

Join our dashing Santas for a 5k or 1.2k race through Nonsuch Park. Sign up to receive your own Santa suit and shiny medal at the finish line. Keep an eye out for early bird offers and group discounts.

Virtual Dog Jog

Throughout 2024

Partner up with your canine companion for a fun(draising) challenge. Sign up and set a paw-some goal that suits you both and improves your fitness. You’ll receive a medal, collar for your pup and other treats.