HEARTBEAT SUMMER 2021
Reg. Charity No. 515668 Reg. Company No. 01850502
Jubilation as major new build completed We’re delighted to share the news with you that our £5.2m building project is now finished and say ‘a huge thank you’ to everyone who helped make the vision become a reality. We embarked on the Build 2020 Appeal to grow hospice care for Worcestershire three years ago and construction work was able to continue throughout the pandemic with Covid-secure measures in place. As you will see from these photos, the finished result is stunning and will provide a beautiful, therapeutic and supportive environment for our patients, loved ones, volunteers and staff. We’re now getting ready to furnish and kit out the rooms with specialist equipment.
Caring through the pandemic - Page 4
Chief Executive June Patel and former Chair of Governors, John Bawden pictured on the completion of the build project
St Richard’s Hospice Fundraising Director, Tricia Cavell said, “Although the pandemic has caused financial challenges as fundraising events were cancelled and our shops temporarily closed in lockdowns, we were very fortunate that the money needed to complete the build project was secured and committed before the impact of Covid-19.” The extended and renovated hospice now includes The Green, pictured, in the central courtyard at the heart of the hospice.
It will be a place for patients, families and carers to meet others, relax, support, sit and eat, and for visitors to enjoy as well. The Green will be surrounded by Living Well therapy rooms including an exercise studio, art studio, horticultural therapy room as well as an occupational therapy training kitchen and music and film therapy room. The bigger, multi-purpose spaces will mean our teams can support more patients and their families.
We will offer a wider choice of activities to help people manage their illness and bring relief from symptoms, such as courses to cope with breathlessness and fatigue.
England offers the hospice team a chance to look ahead and plan how we might safely welcome out-patients, loved ones, volunteers and visitors back to the hospice.
We will provide exercisebased groups and therapies to help increase confidence and independence. Sessions will also help reduce anxiety and depression, as well as improve sleep.
June added, “We are keen to welcome everyone in to see this stunning new building and make use of its fantastic spaces as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
St Richard’s Chief Executive June Patel said the government’s roadmap to easing lockdown in
Currently most of the out-patient care and support is provided virtually – over the phone and by video call – and face-to-face where
essential to ensure the hospice team is there for those who need them most. Fundraising Director Tricia Cavell said, “The challenge now is to continue to raise funds to run all our much-needed services, and we’re hopeful that with the ongoing support of our community we will do just that.”
Art studio
Malvern-based construction company, Speller Metcalfe, completed stage two of the building programme working with John Christophers of Birminghambased Associated Architects.
Hair salon
Photographs courtesy of Associated Architects and Speller Metcalfe
Introducing The Green Music and cinema therapy room
The Green will be a place to meet others, connect, rest, relax, support, sit and eat. It will be comfortable, friendly and a flexible space with multiple uses.
The Green is surrounded by: • Rooms for supporting more carers: we offer them time to discuss their concerns as well as practical and financial advice both during a person’s illness and into bereavement.
The concept of The Green connects a number of key themes including: Mr Green: an unexpected, extremely generous £2m gift in the Will of a supporter with the surname Green was the golden windfall which enabled us to undertake the expansion and redevelopment project – a wonderful lasting legacy.
• A specialist exercise studio with programmes designed by our physiotherapists
Village green: all our rooms are named after villages and towns in Worcestershire.
and volunteers. The substantial glazing will allow plants to flourish throughout the year.
The Green links to the village greens and town green spaces existing in the county which are at the heart of the lives of local residents. The Green will be at the heart of our hospice.
Green as in open spaces: Controlled roof glazing and ventilation will give excellent natural daylight and ventilation all year round. The use of tree-like warm timber columns reinforces a sense of the natural environment.
Green for horticulture: Plants will help create a calm, tranquil and healthy environment for patients, families, visitors, staff
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Green in sustainable: delicious fresh local produce, cooked on site will be on the menu.
• An open art studio – for patients and loved ones to express feelings through creativity
Exercise studio
• Rooms for supporting patients, loved ones and children • Music and horticultural therapy spaces where patients and families can benefit from the therapeutic impact on their health and wellbeing • A hair salon to help patients feel good about themselves.
• Complementary therapy rooms for treatments including reflexology and aromatherapy massage • A kitchen where our Occupational Therapists will help patients learn how to improve day-to-day living at home to encourage independence
“We are delighted to now have our new extension completed. The Living Well team’s main aim is to support more people, provide choice and empower people to manage their illness and enhance their quality of life. The Green and extension will enable patients and their families to access different services and therapies in a comfortable, peaceful and calming environment. Before and after attending a therapy/service, people can relax and meet others in The Green which is in the heart of our hospice. The new build mirrors what hospices are all about - helping people to live well.” Claire Gijselhart, Head of Living Well Services Image pre-pandemic
Introducing The Green
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Each large elephant sculpture is being funded by companies and individuals from across Worcestershire before being auctioned in October 2021 to raise funds for the free care and support that we provide. The project builds on the hugely successful Worcester Stands Tall trail in 2018, which saw giraffe sculptures displayed across the city before raising £210,000 for St Richard’s at auction. A host of big-name brands and locally-based organisations have signed-up as elephant sponsors which include the likes of Worcester Bosch, Morgan Motor Company, Specsavers and Spontex.
Caring through the pandemic Care Director Debbie Westwood reflects on the Covid crisis: Looking back over the past year, I am overwhelmed with pride at the incredible achievements of all the teams at St Richard’s Hospice. Each day I witness extraordinary bravery, compassion, professionalism and innovation from our clinical staff, who continue to care for patients and families through the pandemic.
St Richard’s next BIG thing! Something big is coming to Worcester and it’s a chance to reconnect with family, with friends, with colleagues and with the city…and all while supporting our care.
Staff on our In-patient Unit, Medical Team, Community Nursing and Hospice at Home teams were on the front line to continue giving face-toface care for our patients – it was truly humbling. There were difficult days initially of not knowing about how the virus would affect people; how serious it could be; trying to source Personal Protective Equipment, (PPE) and responding to frequently changing guidance moving us another step further from our traditional hands on, face-to-face hospice care. However, despite all this, highlights during the year were surprisingly frequent and here I name just a few: • being one of the first hospices in the country to innovate our Living Well services to provide a virtual service online or on the phone • the Family Support Team sharing their expertise on bereavement with other organisations and schools to benefit even more people • the Education Team supporting over 50 nursing and care homes and other health professionals
•w elcoming visitors safely to the In-patient Unit to spend time with loved ones • a nd hearing the pride and sense of achievement that teams felt at having done so much and thriving, not just surviving. As I write we are looking forward to a bright future taking the best of what we are doing now and building on that to serve up once again our own unique brand of St Richard's excellence in care. “I want to say a huge thank you to all the staff and volunteers at St Richard’s. They opened their arms to us. Whatever time of the day I rang, and when I visited, they patiently talked me through my worries and tears. Even when he had Covid–19 the nurses, carers and doctors continued to give him love and tender care 24 hours a day."
How our finances fared Fundraising Director Tricia Cavell writes: As with all charities, the months since the pandemic struck have been difficult. But thanks to our remarkable supporters and additional NHS and Government funding for hospices as well as donations from Trusts and Grant organisations, we ended the financial year in a healthy position. This year may well be more challenging as future restrictions are still uncertain and we rely on fundraising events and income from our shops to fund our care. But we are hopeful that with rigorous financial management, innovative ways of working and continued support from our wonderful community, we can face the future with confidence and continue to care for more than 3,300 patients, their loved ones and the bereaved every year. We are so grateful to every person who supports our care.
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This summer will see the city transformed into a fun, free art space as a herd of beautifully designed elephant sculptures parade through Worcester’s streets and public spaces. Around thirty large elephants will go on display during an eight-week art trail alongside 35 calves designed by local schools and community groups. A Wild in Art trail, we’re bringing our second such event to the city to say thank you to our incredible community for its support and to help create lasting memories after a challenging year for everyone. We also see the parade as an opportunity to reflect on some of those challenges and signpost local residents to support services. An ‘elephant in the room’ art installation will encourage trail goers to consider their mental wellbeing and the impact of issues such as bereavement and loss, loneliness and isolation which have affected so many in recent times.
Worcester’s Big Parade will run from Monday 12 July until Sunday 5 September 2021. It is supported by partners Crowngate, DRPG, West Midland Safari Park, Worcester City Council, Worcester Business Improvement District (BID), the Worcester News and BBC Hereford & Worcester. To find out more visit: www.worcestersbigparade.co.uk
Art Trail 12th July – 5th September 2021
Free 6-mile art trail around Worcester city centre.
Elephant Painting Workshops 15th July – 5th September 2021 Pre-booked sessions at the Museum of Royal Worcester, where you can paint your very own miniature ceramic elephant. Tickets on sale in May.
Sara Matthews, Business Development Manager for St Richard’s Hospice, said: “Worcester’s Big Parade is very much about celebrating our fantastic city and giving back to our wonderful community, who show such incredible support for our care here at St Richard’s.
Farewell Event 30th September - 10th October 2021
“We can’t wait to see everyone out enjoying our ele-fantastic art trail; making lasting memories for years to come. We also want to address some of the lesser talked about impacts of the pandemic, reaching out to those who might be struggling with loss, loneliness or other issues and helping them connect with local support networks.”
Auction Event 14th October 2021
See all the sculptures one last time, brought together in one location, at Worcestershire County Cricket Club. Tickets on sale in July. All the large sculptures head to auction at DRPG in Hartlebury. Join us on the night or watch the live-stream from the comfort of your sofa. Tickets on sale in August.
Challenges & events Come and join us! Here’s a brief snapshot of some of our challenges and events coming up this year.
Worcester City Run / Run Worcester (10k and Half Marathon) Sunday, 5th September
We have secured five places for the virtual 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon. You'll have a full 24 hours to complete and record your 26.2 miles, anywhere you want!
This event takes in some of the best sights across the city including Worcester Cathedral, viaduct and the beautiful River Severn. Worcester Racecourse provides the fantastic backdrop for the start and finish and every competitor will receive their event medal, technical t-shirt and goody bag. Please note – these places are limited.
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Golf Day Thursday, 10th June
Virtual Malvern Hills Walk - May and June 2021 Step out across the beautiful Malvern Hills in a five or 11 mile fundraising walk any time during May and June. It's free to sign-up all we ask is you pledge to raise at least £30 for our care. If you raise more than £30, you'll get a lovely pair of Bamboo Clothing walking socks (subject to availability). Everyone who registers will receive a wooden Malvern Hills Walk medal. Sponsored by Speller Metcalfe. Supported by the Malvern Hills Trust and Bamboo Clothing.
Sponsored by Whiting Landscape and Handelsbanken.
London Marathon Sunday, 3rd October
Sign-up for the 10K or half marathon for free by pledging to raise either £100 or £200 respectively towards our care.
Walking
We’re hopeful our charity golf day will be able to go ahead this June. Why not join us, with three friends or colleagues, for a glorious day on the green at the stunning Worcestershire Golf Club?
Running
We have places available to join Team St Richard's Hospice.
Other events
To join our virtual team and pledge to raise a minimum £250 per place, please contact Alison on fundraising@strichards.org.uk Alternatively if you have been lucky enough to get a ballot place for the main race, then please consider running for St Richard’s Hospice.
Paddle, Plod, Pedal Sunday, 15th August Team up for a fantastic, all-day challenge on water, wheels and land. The 35-mile, circular route covers some of Worcestershire's beautiful countryside. Starting and finishing at Pershore. Teams of 6-8 to complete at their own pace - this is not a race! There's no entry fee, but we ask your team members to pledge to raise at least £200 each for our care. Summer Skydive Saturday, 21st August Take the plunge for St Richard’s as part of a group Summer Skydive. Experience free-falling from 10,000ft at speeds up to 120mph, before being expertly steered to the ground.
For full details on all the events on pages 6 and 7 please visit www.strichards.org.uk/events or call the Fundraising Team on 01905 958262. (Please note, all events are subject to change if Covid restrictions are reintroduced. Some of these images were taken before the pandemic.)
Worcestershire Way Walk - Friday, 9th July Get together with a team or go it alone to trek 31 hilly miles in a day. Stride out from Bewdley across spectacular countryside before finishing on the slopes of the Malvern Hills. End to End Challenge now until 3rd Feb 2022 Walk (or run) the equivalent length of the UK, a little each day until you complete 874 miles. Go alone, register as a family, team or community, sharing the miles. It's free to sign up and all those who complete the challenge receive a medal! Snowdon by Night Trek - Saturday, 7th - Sunday, 8th August or Saturday, 16th - Sunday, 17th October Explore the highest mountain in Wales and England by moonlight! Following the Llanberis track to the summit using torches to light our way, trekking by night will bring a fresh twist to this classic charity challenge. Virtual Woo Fest – 19th June Make this year’s virtual Woo Fest your last lockdown party at home! The Woo Fest team is again working with creative communication agency DRPG to bring you a fabulous online festival experience of music and entertainment with live and pre-recorded performances. Not to be missed!
Jail and Bail – Friday, 24th September Fed up with your boss’ terrible taste in ties, frightful singing or annoying behaviour during Zoom meetings? Well – now’s your chance to incarcerate your boss and make them fundraise for their freedom! events
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of former Chairman John Bawden, who stepped down after 17 years of dedicated service.
New Chair of Governors We are delighted to welcome a highly experienced Chair of Governors to lead St Richard’s into the future. Mrs Jenny Cowpe has been a governor of St Richard’s Hospice for more than 20 years and ViceChair since 2001. She takes over the role following the retirement
Remembering Jeannie Young MBE
Mrs Cowpe, who lives in Malvern, says she believes strongly in the benefits which St Richard’s can offer to patients and their families. She brings to her role an understanding of both healthcare and academia, based on her career spanning both the NHS and university sectors. Mrs Cowpe said it was an honour and a great privilege to be asked to take on the role. “I have long been interested in the care and support of people who have a serious, progressive illness, which began many years ago when I heard a lecture by Cicely Saunders, the founder of the modern hospice movement,” said Mrs Cowpe. She pledged to work to continue and build on the exceptional care and support the hospice offers to patients, families and the bereaved
The legacy of the wonderful work of a founder member of St Richard’s, Jeannie Young, lives on following her death last year. Jeannie was a governor for 25 years – including six years as Chair of Governors. She retired as Chair in 2007, shortly after the hospice opened in Wildwood Drive, and became a patron in 2012. Jeannie remained an active volunteer – dedicating much of her time to supporting St Richard’s Hospice. She is sorely missed.
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in Worcestershire. Further research and education programmes will be a priority, as will working as a key partner in the evolving health and care system in Worcestershire and Herefordshire. “With restrictions around the pandemic cautiously easing there is much to be optimistic about,” said Mrs Cowpe. “We have a fantastic community who generously support our care through donating, and a dedicated and professional team of staff and volunteers who make St Richard’s the excellent hospice it is today.” She added, “Developing services to reach the unmet needs of our community and ensuring our continuing financial sustainability are the most pressing challenges over the next few years. I’m looking forward to working with everyone involved to achieve these aims.”
Shops news
Volunteer News Amazing volunteers make a huge difference in pandemic Although most of our volunteers have not been able to support us over the last year, due to restrictions in place for the pandemic, those that have been able to continue have made an incredible difference. We can’t thank our volunteers enough, here are just a few examples of their amazing work: Family Support Volunteers (FSV) have provided skilled emotional support for patients and bereaved people over the phone, delivered food parcels and socially distanced walks and talks when safe to do so. One such volunteer is Marie, a former nurse who has been giving bereavement support through St Richard’s for the last seven years. “I’ve supported people whose loved ones had been cared for by St Richard’s in the hospice or community as well as those who had died from Covid, or other sudden deaths.”
they are being very cautious about going out to try and keep themselves as safe as possible.”
Duncan Coombs is one of our volunteers working with the Men’s Space patient group who embraced the change and turned the Covid crisis into an opportunity to find new ways of connecting and supporting each other. As you can see in this photo of the group meeting via Zoom, they were still having a laugh! The group only missed one of their regular sessions whilst they adapted to the social distancing and shielding and have since met each other virtually, with the help of our Family Support Team.
“Being a FSV makes me feel I’m doing something to help and and trying to do my bit. My volunteer work brings me great personal satisfaction.”
We were delighted to safely open our shops around the county in April after temporarily closing during three lockdowns. We were moved by the huge numbers of donations as people cleared and tidied their homes and loved welcoming volunteers, customers and donors back into our stores. We received so many generous donations that we need some extra help in our charity shops so if you have some spare time or are ready to learn new skills and make friends please join the team! Find out more at strichards.org.uk
Community Volunteer Anna has been weekly shopping for a patient and her husband who were shielding. “I pop the shopping bags by the door, step back and then chat for a while to see how they are,” said Anna. “We’ve got to know each other well as time goes on and I know how grateful they are - they even baked me some scones one day to say thank you! Like many vulnerable people
Volunteers including Steve Fahey regularly drove to Nuneaton to collect essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from a central collection site.
Sharon Ross, who volunteers with our Living Well Team, cohosts our book group and nature therapy social sessions via Zoom. Before the pandemic, Sharon was involved in providing creative therapy activities for patients. She also co-facilitated the Horticultural Therapy sessions, delivering tabletop gardening sessions, and guiding patients through the activities.
Kind-hear ted volunteers delivered meals and food parcels to shielding patients and the recently bereaved in our community every day.
Sharon says: “I love seeing patients happy, engaged and being creative. Having the opportunity to make a difference through sharing my passion for horticulture and books is a real joy.”
The food bags were prepared by our fantastic catering team and we love the messages they wrote on the bags! Feedback shows how much patients and loved ones are really appreciating this suppor t.
There are so many ways you can get involved in volunteering. Just visit our website or call us on 01905 763963 to learn more about the opportunities available. strichards.org.uk/volunteering news
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WILL
St Richard’s free Will writing service
Spiritual treasure hunt
As you will have read on page 2 of this edition, it was the golden windfall of a £2m gift in a Will from a Worcestershire supporter that meant we could start our expansion project.
Benefits advisers working at St Richard’s have passed the £2 million mark in money raised for patients and families. The milestone amount was reached by Citizens Advice advisers working in the Family Support Team at St Richard’s Hospice since 2009.
This legacy will help change the lives of thousands of people in the future who will benefit from our services. And it’s not just incredible amounts like this that can make a difference. Every pound donated to us is spent wisely to help those when they need us most. Gifts in Wills are absolutely essential to the care we provide. The care for one out of every five people we support is paid for through these significant, thoughtful gifts.
Having an up to date Will is the only way to be sure the people and causes you care about are looked after, however around 54% of UK adults do not have a Will in place. With the average Will costing £240 it can be difficult to prioritise. Working with our partners Bequeathed we are pleased to offer our free and easy online Will writing service. Detailed guidance will help you to consider everything
you need to think about when making a Will, and to identify any issues where expert legal advice could be valuable. Everyone who makes their Will with Bequeathed receives up to 30 minutes of free legal advice from an accredited firm. This can be by phone or video call, at-home or in-office. If you don’t have a Will in place, why not give yourself peace of mind and create one for free through Bequeathed? It’s quick, efficient and free. Whichever way you choose to make your Will, please consider leaving a gift to St Richard’s. strichards.org.uk/gifts-in-wills
Regular giving helps us plan ahead
Regular Giving
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We know times are financially tough for many, but if you are in a position to give, we would love you to consider making a regular donation to St Richard’s.This will help us plan ahead with confidence, safe in the knowledge of your regular commitment. If you are able to support us with a regular gift we have an online donation facility where you can set up a direct debit immediately – allowing you to start helping our patients and families now. Visit strichards.org.uk/donate Donors who give regularly to the hospice together raised more than £160,000 last year, an incredible amount!
Hospice Citizens Advice Team raises £2m
We’ve recently launched a Spiritual Treasure Hunt created by our Chaplaincy Team for patients, visitors, staff and volunteers at our Wildwood Drive hospice.
A large part of their work involves advising on benefits. This includes helping patients and loved ones apply for support, and checking their entitlement to benefits. They also offer guidance on a wide range of issues, such as housing, debt and employment. The team is supported by Citizens Advice Worcester.
There are various stops on the route, with mindful activities to complete along the way. One activity is to tie a ‘spiritual care flag’ on a line, as a symbol of innermost thoughts and prayers. We hope the trail will inspire reflection and encourage people to take some time out for themselves. The treasure hunt is a spiritual activity, and is for people of all faith backgrounds, and none. Visit our website to see a video walk through. strichards.org.uk
Snow magic Despite the pandemic, we still managed to create a magical moment for one of our patients who wanted to see snow again last December. Helen Kennaway’s wish was made a reality – with a little help from Chris at CLS Entertainments and his snow machine! A video clip of the heart-warming moment went viral and was seen by millions around the world. news
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It’s wonderful to see our hospice garden in every season, from crisp snowfall to looking green and vibrant during the spring and summer, especially under some welcome blue sky! Patients and visitors enjoy looking out onto or walking in the gardens and watching the plants and wildlife flourish.
• EMAIL • POST • TELEPHONE
How to make a donation We rely on donations to fund the majority of our care and greatly appreciate any gifts which help us to continue to support patients and their loved ones in the future. If you would like to make a donation to our ongoing care then please go online to strichards.org.uk/donate
If you would prefer to send a cheque then please make it payable to St Richard’s Hospice and send to the Fundraising Department, Wildwood Drive, Worcester, WR5 2QT. We would be grateful if you would fill in the donation form, available to download on our website, with the Gift Aid option and return with your donation. You can also donate over the telephone with your credit/ debit card by calling the Fundraising Team on 01905 958262.
How to access our care Patients who would like support from St Richard’s Hospice can be referred by their GP, consultant at the hospital, district nurse or other healthcare professional. Our Gateway referral team is also available should a patient, or person close to them, wish to talk to them directly for information or advice. No charge is made to patients and their families for any of our services. This is made possible due to the generosity of our donors, volunteers, supporters and local community. If you would like more information about referrals, please contact the Gateway Team on 01905 763963.
Staying in touch
From time to time we would like to keep you up to date with our hospice news, events and activities. Knowing your preferences means we can be more cost effective with our communications and ensure that we contact you in the way that you wish to hear from us. Heartbeat is published once a year. You can join our email mailing list for regular hospice updates. Let us know how you prefer to be contacted (by post, email, telephone or no further contact) by visiting our website strichards.org.uk/contact or emailing us at appeals@strichards.org.uk or telephoning 01905 958262.
Thank you for all your support.
St Richard's Hospice | Wildwood Drive | Worcester | WR5 2QT | 01905 763963 | strichards.org.uk