St Richard’s
NEWS
August, 2020 strichards.org.uk
Donate and receive a beautiful handmade heart
Show some heart for hospice care St Richard’s Hospice is urging local people to support a campaign to bring beautiful handmade hearts – reflecting hope and precious memories – to the gardens and homes of the county. The independent charity, which cares for patients and families living with a serious progressive illness, has launched Forever in Our Hearts, and is encouraging everyone to get involved. St Richard’s Chief Executive, June Patel said, “Here at St Richard’s we’re doing everything we can to help patients and their loved ones continue making memories for the future; to keep in touch via virtual visiting and messaging, or to enjoy some time together in our hospice gardens which feature these beautiful hearts made here in Worcestershire.” Mrs Patel
that the coronavirus pandemic has created. ” Kind hearted people who make a donation to support St Richard’s will receive their own hand made copper heart to keep forever or give as a gift, as a symbol of precious memories. For details on how to secure your own handmade heart see page two.
added, “All our care and support is only possible with the backing of our wonderful supporters. “Donations from across the county have enabled us to continue our care in many different ways to meet the incredible challenges
Forever in our hearts
St Richard's Hospice | Wildwood Drive | Worcester | WR5 2QT | 01905 763963
Continuing to care through the pandemic
‘Brilliant’ community goes above and beyond to help hospice
Bring on the parade!
NEWS
August, 2020
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Continuing to care through the pandemic St Richard’s Hospice has been on the frontline of caring for patients and their families across Worcestershire during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the hospice teams are working very differently to protect vulnerable patients, families, staff and volunteers, they have continued to care both in the In-patient Unit at Wildwood Drive, Worcester, and out in the community of south Worcestershire. St Richard’s Chief Executive, June Patel, said, “At what is already an unimaginably difficult time in their lives, the pandemic makes everything even more challenging for our patients
History of the hearts The hearts are created by Dan Ford, a Worcestershire plumber, as a symbol of hope. He had spare copper pipe in his shed and at the request of his auntie, made a copper heart. As his work was seen by family and friends, demand spiralled.
and families. But we are doing our best to make sure each patient and their loved ones are getting the care and support they need.” Innovative ways of caring include running support groups and clinics online; encouraging ‘virtual visiting’ to people in the In-patient Unit, and even physio, occupational and creative therapy via video. Patients can also join online social groups such as relaxation, nature therapy and art clubs. Mrs Patel said, “We always try and go the extra mile to help and over the last few months our brilliant volunteers have been delivering
St Richard’s Hospice Fundraising Director Tricia Cavell said, “One morning a few hearts arrived at the hospice from Dan with a £500 donation, and we instantly loved them. We’re working with Dan and his family so they can produce each individual heart for our wonderful hospice supporters as they donate.”
Donations are your choice and the hospice is giving guidance that a gift of £34.62 could pay for a Hospice at Home Healthcare Assistant for three hours, £43.44 could help to pay for a Living Well Centre Nurse for an hour
meals and vital supplies to patients who’ve needed it whilst they’ve been unable to leave their homes.” The NHS funds 22 per cent of the hospice’s running costs. St Richard’s was given a short-term boost from the Government as part of its pledge to support hospices through the pandemic. Fundraising Director Tricia Cavell said, “It falls to us, backed by our generous supporters, to raise the majority of our running costs – ensuring we can continue to care for patients and loved ones across Worcestershire.” or £64.37 could pay for a Family Support Counsellor for 5 hours*. Heart sizes: Standard 34cm and large, 58cm. *this is the full cost of employing a member of staff and all on-costs. Figures relate to the audited accounts 2017/18
My donation - One heart per order
Title _______ Forename
Surname Address
Postcode ________________ Tel
Name & address of gift recipient (if different from above) Name ______________________Address _____________________ _______________________________________________________
£34.62
Postage only,
due to pandemic
£43.44 £64.37 Other £______ Standard size heart £4.95 Large size heart £5.95
My total donation including postage is £_____________
I enclose a cheque payable to St Richard’s Hospice
Please debit my credit/debit card (Maestro, Visa or MasterCard) Card number Valid from Issue no.
/
Expiry date
/
Security no.
_______________________________________________________
I want to Gift Aid my donation of £ __________ and any donations I make in the future or have in the past 4 years to St Richard’s Hospice. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.
Signature ___________________ Date ______________________
Donation form
My details
Please return form with your donation and postage to Freepost RTUR-SSBC-SJSR, Fundraising Dept, St. Richard’s Hospice, Wildwood Drive, Worcester, WR5 2QT
NEWS
Forever in our hearts
August, 2020
A heartfelt gift St Richard’s suggests the hearts are ideal gifts for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings or as a sign of friendship. The hospice team are able to send them to locations all over the country. St Richard’s Hospice can be contacted if supporters wish to find out more about sending the hearts overseas. Send the form on page two together with your donation and postage for your choice of heart in the envelope provided or visit strichards.org.uk/foreverin-our-hearts
St Richard’s in brief
‘Brilliant’ community goes above and beyond to help hospice hel hospice In spite of lockdown during the pandemic making it impossible for group fundraising activities to go ahead as planned by St Richard’s, hundreds of people have gone their own way to raise funds.
• Offers free care • Supports more than 3,400 patients, loved ones and bereaved people each year • Cares for adults with a serious progressive illness, improving their quality of life from diagnosis, during treatment and to their last days. This includes people living with cancer and neurological, respiratory, cardiac and renal conditions. • Caring for the community since 1984
Fundraising Director Tricia Cavell said, “We have the most brilliant community supporting our care and we’ve loved seeing everything they are doing to raise funds. We want to give each of them a massive thank you and a virtual hug and let them know they are our hospice heroes!”
Make your Will online for free with Bequeathed
Among those going the extra mile were more than 120 people who took on the 100k Your Way challenge which raised over £15,000. Virtual quizzes proved very popular, as did the 2.6 Challenge and online Zumba sessions with professional instructor Aimee Ford. The annual Woo Fest was streamed live to homes and gardens around Worcestershire and beyond last month, featuring a mix of live and pre-recorded sets from big-name performers including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Grant Nicholas, from Feeder, and Toyah Willcox as well as local acts. The festival was made possible thanks to creative communication agency DRPG, host Rich Hursty, BBC Hereford and Worcester’s Nina Das Gupta, the Woo Fest team and sponsorship by Blackpole Recycling, Diamond Windows, Smith’s News, Lowes Garage and The Butcheress.
Having an up to date Will is the only way to be sure the people and causes you care about are looked after, once you are gone. Gifts in Wills are essential to the care St Richard’s provides with the care for one out of every six people it supports paid for in this way. With Bequeathed you can make a start on your Will immediately. It’s a free online service. Detailed guidance will help you to consider everything you need to think about when
Thanks to generous donations, the event raised more than £13,245 for St Richard’s care.
making a Will, and to identify any issues where expert legal advice could be valuable. If you want legal advice at any stage Bequeathed will connect you to a solicitor who’ll give you a price to help you complete your Will faceto-face or over the phone. Whichever way you choose to make your Will, please consider leaving a gift to St Richard’s Hospice. Visit bequeathed.org/strichards to start making your Will.
NEWS
August, 2020
Supporting children through grief The St Richard’s Team has continued to support children and families before and following a bereavement. During the Covid-19 lockdown the Family Support Team has supported bereaved children struggling with social isolation, missing their friends, having anxiety about exams, fears for a place at university, as well as concerns for family members who are ill. Head of Family Support, Sarah Popplestone-Helm said, “With the intense media coverage of the
strichardshospice virus and daily reporting of death tolls, the general public are talking about death and grief more openly, something that we believe has, and will continue to have a significant impact on children and young people.” Mrs Popplestone-Helm added, “Many of those children and young people who were really struggling with the death of a loved one, are struggling far more. We’ve been able to support them over the phone or via video and we’ve been working with schools giving advice and guidance on how they can help their pupils who have been bereaved in difficult circumstances due to Covid-19.” To donate to help fund St Richard’s services including
Three hospice nurses featured in a photograph on the new Gary Barlow video with his latest song ‘This Calls for Love.’ The song and video capture the love shining through the months of lockdown. The nurses are photographed holding baskets full of matching pairs of handmade hearts, generously given to St Richard’s by the people of Worcestershire for patients
Keeping our gin up!
and loved ones to hold, and feel comforted by, while they are apart. Last orders are being taken for a very special St Richard’s gin, handcrafted by Hussingtree Gin near Droitwich. The juniper-led, dry gin has the sweetness of black pear and is flavoured with nutty baked poppy seeds, reflecting the importance of memories and celebration of loved ones which is at the heart of the care of St Richard’s. To register interest in one of 500 limited-edition bottles - at £40 each - and support St Richard’s, please email appeals@strichards.org.uk or telephone 01905 958262.
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helping children through grief, please fill in the donation form on page two or go online and donate at strichards.org.uk/donate
Bring on the Parade!
Volunteers vital to hospice care
Nurses feature in Gary Barlow video
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Volunteers who have been able to continue their roles during lockdown have been busy supporting St Richard’s in many varied ways. Examples of vital volunteer roles include: delivering food parcels to isolating patients; supporting loved ones and bereaved people on the telephone and in video calls; keeping the hospice’s reception open; collecting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and working in the shops. St Richard’s relies on around 900 volunteers across all departments to ensure their care can continue. There are a wide variety of roles to suit individual lifestyles. Find out more online at strichards.org.uk/volunteer-vacancies
Next summer, a parade of colourful elephants will march into Worcester to form the city’s second, spectacular, public art trail – raising funds for St Richard’s. At least 30 elephant sculptures will line the streets and open spaces for eight weeks in 2021, creating Worcester’s Big Parade – a Wild in Art event which builds on the success of a similar giraffe-themed trail in 2018. The sculptures will be sponsored by businesses and brought to life with designs dreamed up by artists from Worcestershire and beyond. Anyone interested in creating an elephant design before entries close in January 2021 can find out more at: worcestersbigparade.co.uk/artists/ Worcester’s Big Parade is supported by partners Crowngate, Worcester City Council, Worcester Business Improvement District (BID), Worcester News and BBC Hereford and Worcester.
Community rally round for hospice Kind-hearted pupils at Nunnery Wood High School sent colourful creations to brighten up the walls of St Richard’s and bring positivity and messages of hope. These were just one example of many heart-warming messages and gifts from cakes for staff to handcrafted hearts for patients and families to hold whilst apart.
Donate by text - You can support St Richard’s by donating on your mobile. TEXT CARE to 70140 to give £10. Thank you.