It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! In our springtime From the Heart newsletter I hinted we’d soon be hurtling towards Christmas and here we are. Wow!
It’s been another important year at the hospice where, over the twelve month period to June 2024, some 197 patients had spent time in our inpatients ward and we made over 4,000 Hospice at Home visits.
Through our patient and family support services, outpatients clinics, and In our Wellbeing Centre, many people have attended thousands of appointments. More specific numbers are outlined on page 14 inside.
And, the reason we can continue to bring our specialist caring services to all of these people?
Well, it’s YOU! We’ll never be able to thank you enough but, really, thank you so, so much!
As you know, Christmas time means Light up a Life at the hospice. Once more 10,000 lights will shine brightly from the trees in and surrounding the hospice from Sunday 8th December and throughout the festive season. Again, it is the kind generosity of people who sponsor lights in memory of loved ones that make it such a moving, and yet uplifting, time of the year.
A host of Wirral schoolchildren and their teachers will be donning their antlers once more for our annual Rudolph Runs which have raised in excess of £114,000 since they started in 2019. Brilliant!
Look out for jolly window displays in our charity shops around the Wirral. You might fill a stocking or two, or even find that extra party outfit amongst the quality pre-loved items people have so generously donated to us.
On the Christmas theme, I’m only going to look as far forward as our increasingly popular Christmas tree collections due to take place from Friday 17th January. Check out page 21 to see how you can arrange for your used real Christmas tree to be picked up. So, although we’re already looking forward to the time after Christmas, we’ve still got it all to come.
May I therefore take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful 2025.
Brown
Anyone for cricket?
There’s a doctor, AND a future nurse, in the house…
Dr Susan Cureton, who has been at the hospice since 2019 and daughter, Meg, who has just entered her third-year degree in adult nursing and is also a registered healthcare assistant on the hospice bank, are familiar faces to our patients.
Caring is second nature to them and this we also know, because patients and their families tell us so, very often.
They also love cricket, more on that below.
Originally from Bedford, Dr Susan qualified in medicine at Liverpool University in 1995 and was all set for a career as a GP. Working in Warrington at Penketh Health Centre she became the palliative care lead at the practice, which involved working for an initial seven hours per week at Halton Haven Hospice.
Something about still being able to make a difference to people’s pain and discomfort when living with life limiting illnesses inspired Susan and she became dedicated to hospice care.
A postgraduate diploma in palliative care, to enhance her degree in medicine, followed.
Susan has lived on the Wirral for a long time now with husband of 27 years, Alistair, originally from Neston, with their children, Jack, Meg and Sam. So when the opportunity arose at Wirral Hospice St John’s, it was a natural progression for Susan.
Susan works with many patients accessing our hospice services, whether they are inpatients, outpatients, attending our WellbeingCentre or supported sometimes by HospiceatHome
The hospice is a brilliant place for a career in medicine. The contribution we doctors can make in managing people’s pain is so important. We strive to make our patients feel as well as they possibly can to live their everyday lives. With the support of our wider team of professionals, nurses, healthcare assistants, physios, OTs, social workers, our counsellor, our complementary therapist our chaplain, our children and young person’s practitioner, alongside some wonderful volunteers, we hope to get people back to their home environment whenever we can.
In Meg’s life beyond care, andshecaresalot, Meg loves cricket. In fact she plays for Chester Boughton Hall in Division One of the Cheshire Women’s League. Howzat? Brilliant.
Once she’s qualified, and before embarking on her full career, she harbours an ambition to spend time in Australia with a ladies league team downunder!
Her mum says to just make sure she gets her degree first and then we’ll see. Mum knows best.
Mind you cricket is in the whole family. Alistair plays with Jack, 24, for Wirral CC and Sam, 18, plays at New Brighton CC.
Dr Susan also has the cricket bug.
At 22, Meg is only just starting out on her nursing career but working as a healthcare assistant on our inpatients ward is giving her a greater understanding of the wider disciplines of nursing. She’s enjoyed placements in other settings, arranged by Liverpool JohnMooresUniversity, at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Arrowe Park and the Miriam Primary Care Group in Birkenhead.
Of the hospice Meg says,
All the staff and our supportive volunteers are so attentive whether clinical, medical, domestic, facilities or catering. Patients are people after all and do like to chat and laugh.
We’re all affected from time to time by people in our own family and friends dying, of course, so if we can make the time here as pleasant as possible for our patients and their families that’s a big part of our role.
She was an avid watcher with her own mum and dad, Jean and Jack, and once upon a time, convinced Alistair to take a trip to Australia to see some International cricket, so that she could admire her favourite Aussie, Steve Waugh.
They duly had a fantastic trip watching the Aussies at a time when they were enjoying their most successful years ever.
So now, Susan’s summer evenings and weekends are sometimes spent enjoying something refreshing while watching her family, including Meg, playing a friendly game of cricket.
Fair play Dr Susan and Meg, you certainly bowlusover as part of our dedicated hospice specialist care and support team.
They say time is a great healer and for many, many, people that is true.
In the immediate days, weeks, months, and even longer sometimes, of losing a loved one, we know this can be really difficult to accept.
Close family and friends are often the first line of support to help us grieve, recalling happy times and making plans for life ahead.
However, it is also the case that somebody outside of our immediate circle, who can listen with empathy to our feelings, without judgement and work through strategies for coping, can help us to look forward once more.
Where a close family member has received our hospice care we do offer bereavement support.
Under the guidance of our bereavement coordinator, Sheila, a small team of trained bereavement support volunteers are on hand to provide a listening ear, either face to face, or on the phone or by a Teams/Zoomlink.
People who use the service often tell us that it helps greatly and is much appreciated.
Walking and talking
A by-product of people accessing support is that a couple of extra bereavement groups, facilitated by Sheila and her trained volunteers, are also offered.
There are peer support meetings in an in-house setting where people talk through their experiences and hear others too, which can lead to supportive relationships where people can also connect outside the group.
And, since earlier this year, a walking group has been established too.
Under the stewardship of volunteers, John, Lyn, Roy and Tarnya, the group meets once a month at a venue on the Wirral, where the first stipulation is that the start point and end point is a café.
Tea/coffeeandcakeisahospicestaple.Ofcourse!
A nice walk over a couple of miles, meeting interesting people, in interesting settings is a real tonic and helps people on a number of levels.
The day we joined the group, facilitated by volunteers, John, Roy and Lyn, they were all off for a gentle walk around Eastham Country Park.
A paddle steamer ferry was known to operate between Liverpool and Eastham up until 1929 and people would visit to see the small zoo, which had lions, monkeys and a bear pit amongst other attractions.
The volunteers had pre-researched an interesting path through the woods and the former ‘pleasure gardens’ there. There was at one time a bandstand, boating lake, ornamental gardens and even a wooden roller coaster.
The support group are happily chatting and taking it all in. You can see the bonds of friendship developing. You begin to appreciate the benefits a bereavement support walking group can provide.
First of all, walking is known to lift people’s mood. Being out and about in nature both triggers fond memories but also connects people with the present and, whatever the season or the weather, walking helps focus on what is happening all around, right now.
A little bit of exercise can also help the body’s natural need for sleep. Sleeping after bereavement can be a challenge but gradually increasing exercise can ease people into meaningful rest.
Our group brings people with shared experiences together. It’s not always easy to share innermost thoughts with family and friends, who may be grieving themselves. You may well be part of a loving close family but can still feel lonely in your grief.
The bereavement walking group is now firmly established in its monthly get together and friendships between people whose loved ones have received our hospice care are strengthening.
As you can see a, relatively,short walk, can go a long, long way.
What we do in life echoes in eternity
In our Spring 2022 From the Heart newsletter, we brought you the story of our wonderful bank nurse, Anita Gillen. She’s been with the hospice for more than seven years now and her dedication is still shining brightly.
By completing the SerpentineSwim in Hyde Park in September she’d accomplished a special challenge over 18 months known as the London Classics. The swim was the third leg of the activities which also include the Ford Ride London, cycling 110 miles in a day, and the London Marathon. Astonishing!
She’s an inspirational athlete (not an exaggeration) who uses some of these events to raise funds for the hospice in memory of her mum, Sue, and close friend, Karen who were both also cared for at the hospice.
Anita told us at the time how she, in harmony with her husband, Paul, and her daughters, is leaving the hospice something in her Will years from now,
I know, first hand, the love and care that goes into what the people at the hospice do for our patients and their families. It is a wonderful place to work, and I want the hospice to be delivering its special, life-affirming, services forever. Paul and I are honoured to be leaving something to it in the future.
If you would like to consider lottery wedding favours take a look at our advert on page 17 of this newsletter for how to get in contact
In fact, the whole family is wedded to supporting the hospice because when, in August this year, Anita and Paul’s daughter, Beth, was married to husband, Mark. They chose Wirral Hospice St John’s lottery wedding favours as an extra gift for each of their adult, over 18, guests. Therewasaniceactivity packfortheyoungerattendeestoo!
And, they had a winner!
Beth told us,
Mark and I thought it would be a lovely way to support the hospice’s incredible work and give our family and friends a little bonus for all their kindness.
Kate from the hospice lottery team could not have been more helpful and we want to really thank everyone at Wirral Hospice St John’s for their kindness and professionalism.
The favours added a unique and meaningful touch to our wedding day. We would highly recommend others to consider lottery wedding favours for their event as it’s a beautiful way to support a fantastic cause.
The hospice is so grateful to Anita, Beth and all their family and friends.
They are all the epitome of good people.
If you’d like more details about leaving us a gift in your Will please visit wirralhospice.org/ giftinyourwill
Thinking of completing a challenge to help the hospice raise funds? Contact our friendly events team with your ideas on 0151 343 0778 or, via email at, events@wirralhospice.org
The world is their oyster: Hospice ‘Alumni’ going on to great things
In early 2022, Wirral Hospice St John’s began its sixth form education enrichment programme, in partnership with Wirral Grammar School for Boys (WGSB), who offer students, in groups of six, the opportunity to volunteer here for an afternoon over a twelve-week period.
So, it was wonderful to welcome back and congratulate four of the students who enrolled early into the programme and had received their A-level results. They told us about their time at the hospice and how it had greatly helped them to prepare to take the next steps on their life’s journey.
Lucas, Elliott, Alfie and Josh popped in to reminisce and let us know how they’d got on since their time here.
They’d all travelled a bit with friends and/or family during the Summer and gave us a mini world tour which included Lake Garda, Sweden, Tenerife, Fuengirola, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. They’re now all ready for more study, hard work and some fun, of course, to build towards their future careers.
Lucas and Elliott will be studying medicine at Keele and Edge Hill University, respectively (there’s a couple of future doctors in the house). Alfie will take geography at Liverpool University and Josh starts his training to be a police officer in early 2025.
Well done, gentlemen!
Some of the WGSB boys, there have now been six groups, have continued to volunteer or help out at events while Josh, alongside another Lucas and Ben who were also on the course, has completed a daring skydive to raise funds in memory of his own mum who was cared for at the hospice. Truly inspirational!
In a quote which all the lads endorsed, Elliott said, I honestly know that being able to tell the interview panel about my experience at the hospice helped me to get onto the course to study medicine.
Absolutely brilliant. Thank you again chaps we also learnt a lot from you. We truly wish you all the very best.
If you know a sixth form student or a Wirral school who would like to hear more about our sixth form enrichment programme, please contact Phil or Sarah on 0151 334 2778 or by email to volunteering@wirralhospice.org
Lucas Elliott
Alfie
Josh
neighbour! Be a
Hospice chaplain Tony explains that religion is only one way in which people express their spirituality.
Be in no doubt, hospice spiritual care coordinator, Reverend Dr Tony Maude, is an avowed Christian. His Baptist faith is the cornerstone of his whole being, the foundation on which he lives his life.
Once you meet him you can ask him all about it and he will give you his heartfelt perspective.
What he will never do is preach. He will, and does, respect people’s own faith, or non-faith, beliefs. He’ll listen intently to whatever gives people their own spirituality and help to facilitate, as far as possible, their expression of it. He says,
Spirituality is actually the essence of who we are. Whatever our life is built on, family, friends, hobbies, music, wider interests, happy recollections and, maybe, also religious faith. It’s all part of it.
Travels continued for Tony as his post-doctorate research took him to the University of Kent and then back to St Andrew’s. There’sanotherkindofdoctorinthehouse!
I knew, as soon as I walked through the front door, that the hospice was a special place and anything I could do to bring our patients, their families, and our staff, peace of mind became my mission.
After people receive their diagnosis it is understandable that they find their own foundations shaken. For some it’s a little and for others it can be a lot more.
My job, I consider it a calling, is to help, as part of the wider care and support teams, to help people remember who they are and get them closer to those things that, before their illness, made them tick.
Tony has had a really interesting life before coming to the hospice.
His dad was a medic in the British Army which involved postings around the Far East and Europe, as well as in the UK. Tony was born in Hannover, Germany, and his sister, Jennifer, was born in Singapore.
Dad’s last posting was in Edinburgh when Tony was in his midteens and he considers Scotland his spiritual home having studied at Linlithgow Academy for his Highers (called A-Levels in England). He then studied Chemistry at the famous St Andrew’s University before gaining his PHD at Newcastle Uni.
He found his faith through friends at university and, after sensing the call into pastoral ministry, studied for a degree in divinity at the Scottish Baptist College/University of Paisley (he’s been around).
One thing that might surprise everyone is that he relaxes by playing the guitar and singing. Well it’s an important skill of course for elements of worship services but Tony takes it up a notch. You can find him from time to time in Shropshire pubs, belting out hits from artists including AC/DC, Boomtown Rats and even Iron Maiden. Rock on Tony!
It is a way of Tony not waiting for people to come to him but him going where he can meet them.
Now based in Oswestry in Shropshire, where he was Pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church for eight years, with his wife of 29 years, GP, Helen, Tony makes a circa two-hour round-trip, three times a week, to the hospice and explains,
It’s well worth the journey. What I find most inspiring is how highly patients speak of my hospice colleagues. They are all fantastic, every one of them.
If there’s one lesson for everyone from what I believe it is, Beaneighbour. It’s the challenge given by Jesus at the end of the parable of the Good Samaritan, and a teaching we can all live by which makes the kind of difference I see at the hospice every day.
Whatever your faith background, I think we can all say AMEN to that. Bless you, Tony.
Pre-loved nearly new brand new re-loved and, sometimes
The headline describes our charity shops themselves as well as the absolutely brilliant preloved quality items that our supporters regularly donate to them.
As you may know, we have ten charity shops adding choice for our customers all around Wirral.
In alphabetical order they’re at Bebington, Birkenhead, Bromborough AllportRoad, Bromborough CroftTradePark, Claughton, Heswall, Liscard, Moreton, New Brighton and West Kirby.
And soon, watch this space, there will be a couple more in the pipeline.
Thousands of items of pre-loved furniture, three-piece suites, sofas, occasional chairs, wardrobes, beds, bedside cabinets, tables & chairs, clothing, accessories, bric-a-brac and more, are sorted for sale, then priced and displayed, invitingly, around each shop.
Years serving West Kirby
Sam Smith was topping the charts in 2014 with their hit song Stay With Me as our West Kirby charity shop opened on Banks Road in the popular seaside town. Maybe there was something prophetic about the music because here we are ten years later, and the shop has become part of the fabric of the busy throughfare.
To mark the anniversary a celebration was held for its volunteers and customers, with cakes and refreshments and launch of a 10%off summer sale. Hospice mascot, John Bear, visited and manager, Dave, welcomed previous manager, Ann, to help mark the occasion.
Dave said,
Collections, and delivery for a small charge, of LARGER items of good quality furniture can be arranged by calling the hospice van team on 0151 334 2558 Please remember to keepyourfirelabelsonfurnishings.
Wirral Hospice St John’s is at the heart of our whole Wirral community and we are so grateful to all those customers who have helped us to deliver an excellent shopping experience in West Kirby for all of those ten years. We’re so appreciative of everyone who donates their pre-loved goods and, of course, our dedicated volunteers who are all absolutely vital in helping us to raise those much-needed funds for our hospice’s specialist care and support.
We’re so grateful that the good people of West Kirby have allowed us to Stay With Them!
Year at Bromborough Croft Trade Park
At the other end of the timescale our Bromborough Croft Trade Park Showroom, with its widerange of quality furniture items, has also become a hit in only its first year of trading.
We talked with four of the Friday volunteer team who told us why they love volunteering…
Bromborough Croft volunteer, Marjorie Firmin, greets people, staff and other volunteers who are visiting from the hospice, with a big hug.
Moving swiftly around the showroom, answering customer’s enquiries, sorting stock and keeping the whole place tidy is no bother to her. She’s only 89 years old and, as she tells us,
“My friend Betty is 93 and she’s still going strong!”
Fair play, Marjorie! She really is always on the go, a marvel.
When you meet Bev and Trev, or Trev and Bev even, you’ll soon realise why they’ve been happily married since 1981 (no way) after they’d met, as 17yearolds, three years earlier.
They sometimes finish each other’s sentences and always look at, and laugh with, each other, in that way, as they tell some of their stories and why they volunteer together for Wirral Hospice St John’s.
You can read more of Marjorie’s story here wirralhospice.org/ marjoriefirmin
Read their volunteering story at wirralhospice.org/ bevandtrev
While getting stuck into the serving, sorting and stocking up in our showroom, Pauline 'Poli' Allen has to make sure everyone has a hot drink at least once an hour on her Friday shift.
Staff and volunteers, and the van drivers who are offloading furniture or loading up for a delivery, soon have a cuppa in their hands and, you know, everyone is better off because of that small gesture.
Pauline is naturally a helpful person. Read all about her at wirralhospice.org/ paulineallen
Quality is available at all of our charity shops but often we do come across special items that we feel deserve to feature on our ebay pages which might command a slightly higher premium for the hospice.
Branded clothing and shoes, sometimes hardly or never worn, valuable collections of books and sports memorabilia, even original art or antiques, designer handbags and much more are often listed at www.ebay.co.uk/str/wirralhospice
Don’t forget to
If you pay tax in the UK, just like if you give a regular cash gift to the hospice, all items donated to our charity shops and/or ebay become eligible for Gift Aid.
This means your donation could be worth an extra 25% to the hospice.
If you’re happy to help us with Gift Aid on your donations the team may ask you to fill in a really quick form to confirm you’re happy to help us claim Gift Aid.
To find out about all of our retail services please visit wirralhospice.org/ shopping
How many kinds of sweet flowers grow… in an English hospice garden?
Wirral Hospice St John’s is literally blessed with the most dedicated garden volunteers we could wish for.
Every Thursday, and sometimes other extra days they’ll come up to the hospice and start pruning, weeding, mowing, cutting, trimming, digging, planting and they keep the gardens looking beautiful.
Take a bow, alphabetically, Ann, Gill, Irene B, Irene H, Kay, Ron, and Val. They were also joined recently by Amy who is now part of the team planning and preparing for Spring/ Summer 2025.
This summer the gardens looked particularly vibrant with the hard work starting well over a year ago as we began to find our feet again after the pandemic.
The timing was excellent as we were also honoured with a visit from BBC North West Tonight just as we were in full bloom.
They came to mark five years since we inherited many elements of their ‘Sunshine Garden’ which was originally displayed at the RHS Tatton Park show in 2019 in memory of regional TV personality, Dianne Oxberry.
Presenter, Annabel Tiffin, was delighted with how we’ve incorporated the arbour, flowers and grasses into our overall design and took time to speak with some of the garden team and general duties volunteer, Charlie Edwards.
Charlie had accompanied his wife, Susan, who was a Wellbeing Centre patient with us at the hospice and spoke on our behalf for the news programme back in 2019. Sue sadly passed away in 2021.
Charlie went on-air this time to describe how he calls the arbour his ‘love shack’ as he often sits there looking across the garden lost in his fond memories of Sue.
Either side of the arbour are planted some FloridaSunsetRoses which bloom a beautiful, rosy-pink colour, with dainty, ruffleshaped petals. They were gifted to us as they were created specifically to commemorate Dianne, as Florida was a special place for her and her family.
So how many flowers, and plants, grow in our English hospice garden?
Well here’s a flavour and it’s not an exhaustive list; Hydrangea, perennialsweetpea,roses,wisteria,honeysuckle,crocosmia, garden-lady’smantle,pyracantha,holly,geraniums,cordyline, lavender,helleborus,camellia,magnolia,ferns,elephantears, azaleas,oxeyedaisies,fatsiajaponica,trachelospermum, vincas,rhododendron,anemones,hebeandpenstemon.
Beautiful!
And, of course there’s our serene garden pond which hosts some majestic koi carp gliding through its clear waters. A yearround place to sit and ponder with the background bubbles from the aeration device almost hypnotic in quality.
The garden is such a pleasant place for patients to sit out with their friends and family when the weather allows. It’s a breath of fresh air, a colourful and verdant distraction, a tranquil space. Breathe in… breathe out… and, RELAX!
On Sunday 8th December, Wirral Hospice St John’s will invite people from all around our Wirral community, alongside family and friends, into the hospice grounds for the annual Light up a Life lights switch-on commemorations.
People will start arriving from around 4pm to browse fundraising stalls, have some tea, coffee, cake and other refreshments, to gather their personal thoughts and to find a position in readiness for the switch on service at 5.30pm.
This year, Mr George McMahon, alongside his daughters Sophie, Emily and Megan will switch on the 10,000 glittering lights which will then shine brightly in the trees at Wirral Hospice St John’s every evening in the run up to, and throughout, Christmas time.
The family will dedicate the switch-on to the memory of George’s wife, and Sophie, Emily and Megan’s mum, Kate, who was cared for at the hospice in 2023.
George spoke on behalf of his family,
We all miss Kate so dearly. LightupaLifeis such a special commemoration, and she would be absolutely delighted that our girls and I are switching on the 2024 lights in her memory. Kate was so very well supported by the hospice team. She adored them all.
We were also very grateful for the support of doctors, nurses, complementary therapists and of the hospice’s children and young person’s practitioner, Annmarie, who deserves a special mention for the help she has given to Sophie, Emily and Megan.
Our thoughts will always be for our precious Kate and with everyone who will be remembering their own missed loved ones through LightupaLife.
Many individuals and families support Light up a Life by sponsoring a light in memory of family, friends and colleagues who are no longer with us. All donations help to fund the hospice’s specialist medical, nursing and family care services which were first established on the Wirral more than 40 years ago.
Those who sponsor a light have the name of the person(s) they are remembering entered in specially produced books of honour which will be available to view on the evening of the service. All the names of those loved ones being remembered will also be available to view online.
A Light up a Life card, with a personalised greeting, is also sent out to all who request one with their lights sponsorship. There is also an opportunity to buy an attractive tree decoration keepsake with a representation of the lights in the trees and inscribed with the words, ‘Light up a Life’.
Local businesses are also invited to support Light up Life, for a kind donation, which usually range from £50 up to £500, and will be credited in the evening’s event programme and in a separate business book of honour.
The hospice choir and the Port Sunlight Lyceum Brass Band will combine to bring supporters reflective songs and carols, along with heartfelt readings from the hospice team.
Julia Evans, the hospice’s Fundraising Manager said,
The continued generosity of our whole Wirral community will be shining out as people gather for our annual Light up a Life lights switch-on service.
We are so grateful to George, Sophie, Emily and Megan for agreeing to switch on our lights in memory of Kate and helping us to bring people together to remember our loved ones and reflect the loss we all feel, especially at this time of year.
So many people take so much comfort from the lights and it’s our privilege to welcome them all.
We really can’t thank them enough as they help us to make a real difference in the care of our patients and their families.
Wirral Hospice St John’s will also be holding a pre-Light up a Life church service at St James’s Church, New Brighton, on Tuesday, 3rd December, at 7pm.
The church service will be a reflective service of remembrance lead by Reverend Heather Atkinson. All are welcome to attend. Following the service there will be hot drinks, mince pies and Christmas cards available. Parking is available locally surrounding the church.
To sponsor a light for Light up a Life 0151 343 0778
www.wirralhospice.org/ lightupalife to make a donation online
To sponsor a light, please complete this form. We kindly suggest donations from £5 per light, thank you.
Title: First name:
Address:
Tel (in case of query):
Surname:
Email:
Postcode:
Please state how you would like the name of your loved one(s) to appear in our Book of Honour FIRST NAME SURNAME FROM
I would like to donate: £ for my dedications
I would like to donate: £ Please send me tree decorations (additional £5.00 each)
I want Wirral Hospice St John’s to treat my donation and all donations I have made in the last four years and all donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise as Gift Aid donations. I 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.
COMMUNICATIONS PREFERENCES
I do not wish to receive mailings about Light up a Life I do not wish to receive telephone calls
I would like to receive e-newsletters
Wirral Hospice St John’s would like to use the information you have provided to contact you with news and information about the work, fundraising activities, events, goods and services of Wirral Hospice St John’s and its group companies. However, we may occasionally use carefully selected agents to process this information on our behalf. We will not pass on your details to any other organisation. For more information on our data protection policy and to update your mailing preferences please visit wirralhospice.org/communications-campaigns
Cheques can be made out to ‘Wirral Hospice St John’s’ (Pleasetick) or please debit* my Visa/MasterCard (Pleasetick)
Please cut out and return to: Fundraising Office, Wirral Hospice St John’s, Mount Road, Higher Bebington CH63 6JE www.wirralhospice.org / 0151 343 0778 / Registered Charity No 510643
How many people were supported by the hospice between July 2023 and June 2024?
Inpatients
patients were supported with over 60% being discharged and returning home
Wellbeing
2,800 appointments attended more than
2,536 visits
Patient Family Support
Complementary therapy over 400 appointments - last year, with volunteers providing around 300 sessions to patients and families.
Bereavement Support had 72 new referrals and our bereavement volunteers provided an extra 131 face to face sessions
Children and young person’s service had 78 referrals last year and delivered 191 face to face session with young people or parents
The hospice gives direct support to more than 1,200 patients each year.
239 people Personal Care
1,500 visits a quarter 228 people
Outpatients
931 patients attended outpatient appointments
Counselling A mixture of 180 patients and adult family members were referred to the counselling service.
Benefits Advice 133 people accessed support from our CitizensAdvice Bureau support worker
Most people will have at least two close family members that we also support which means 3,600 people benefit from our support each year.
This is all made possible by the continued generosity of our whole Wirral community and the dedication of our brilliant team of staff and volunteers. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
Did you know that the hospice is aligned to national healthcare cleaning standards passed down by the Department of Health and Social Care?
fifty, yes 50, guidelines for equipment and areas that have to be cleaned, many of them daily, to meet these standards.
In just one of these elements they outline the cleaning of patient beds which includes, frame, wheels, castors, head, foot, cot sides, nurse call and control panels and includes carers beds in the clinical area (sometimes we will have family members staying overnight on the
By first names alphabetically take a bow, Audrey, Cheryl, Colette, Gillian, Haddy, Marise, Jane, Jo (another Jo) and Sandie.
Once a month in clinical areas, the inpatients ward and outpatients areas are audited to what are called FR2 (FunctionalRisk) standards. In FR2 a new cleaning need has to be reported within twenty minutes and the task completed at the next scheduled clean or within four hours (if the area is accessible), whichever is soonest.
These are exacting standards and even with a team of ten domestics the task may be, say at nights, the equal responsibility of ward and department staff. It’s a real team effort.
Laundry is also a major responsibility with bedding and towels cleaned daily. Crisp, fresh and clean is the only way.
Jo is full of praise for her team and the hospice staff and volunteers,
I can honestly say that the whole team is filled with our hospice values. They are really good people. Patients are uppermost in our thoughts and we couldn’t do our work without the dedicated support of staff and volunteers, both in clinical and non-clinical areas. I’m proud that on every audit we have received 5 or 5* ratings for the cleanliness of patient areas. It makes us all accountable for high standards and proves that the team are proud of their work too.
Nothing is too much trouble for our domestic team, they complete each task with a smile and truly love working for the hospice.
It’s a pleasure to work alongside them all… In fact, it’s domestic bliss!
Class of Fundraising ‘24
Putting all the into fundraising
From short walks around retirement villages, to the 20-kilometre Wirral Coastal Walk, 100 miles around the Llyn Peninsula, or even the 190 miles of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk, people of all ages do some serious stepping to raise funds for the hospice.
Then there’s the runners! The London Landmarks half marathon, the 26 kilometres metric or the traditional 26 miles marathon, Santa dashes, Port Sunlight 5ks and 10ks, and every distance in between are accomplished every year.
What about the skydivers, the mountain trekkers, bike riders, kayakers, swimmers, tough mudders, swing ropebridgers and sky walkers (can YOU feel the force)?
Don’t forget corporate supporters, car boot sales, golf day hackers, football matches, family parties, coffee mornings, ladies lunches, afternoon teas, Bollywood dances, bingo nights, lots of raffles and tombolas.
Whichever activity or event you’ve supported during this last, or any, year we will never be able to say thank you enough. So here’s one great big, THANK YOU!
We’d love to hear from you because all of these things, and more, are possible.
So, whether you’re just one person, a group of family and friends, a business wanting to help, or any other organisation, please get in touch with Jo or Hayley on 0151 343 0778 for a chat or email events@wirralhospice.org for any advice you may need
We’ll be delighted to hear from you and, once again, THANK YOU so much! (We’ll still never be able to say it enough.)
Give a gift that makes a real difference this Christmas
At this time of year we’re always searching for that little extra gift for family and friends. Someone for whom we just can’t quite pick the right present!
Why not then buy them a little gift that means a lot and gives a lot more?
Wirral Hospice St John’s lottery gift cards offer a great way to fill somebody over 18’s Christmas stocking!
Give us a call on 0151 334 0348 and we’ll give you a gift card for the amount you choose* and when your recipient calls us to activate we’ll put them in the very next draw.
*For as little as £10 for 10 plays or even £52 for a year’s membership, you really will be wishing family and friends alltheverybest, and supporting your local hospice into the bargain.
If you’d like one or a number of £1 a week memberships you can find more details on the Wirral Hospice St John’s weekly lottery at www.wirralhospice.org/lottery where you will also find all of our terms and conditions.
Lottery Wedding Favours
TREAT YOUR GUESTS ON YOUR BIG DAY
Are you or a family member, or maybe some friends, getting married in 2025? If so, as a favour, please consider giving all your guests a number in our weekly lottery for the following week.
Lots of lovely newlyweds have added this treat to their special day and, on occasion, we’ve also had some winners from the wedding parties. One day it might be the £2,000! We can provide the happy couple with some lovely, personalised, table cards as another ‘favour’ for your guests AND, for much younger guests, as you must be over 18 to play, an appropriate kids activity pack to keep them amused. Get in touch with Kate in our lottery team on 0151 334 0348 and she’ll be delighted to work through some ideas with you. Find out a little more at wirralhospice.org/ lotteryweddingfavours
If you’d like one or a number of £1 a week memberships, or lottery wedding favours or Christmas gift cards you can find more details at www.wirralhospice.org/lottery where you will also find all of our lottery terms and conditions.
BBC Breakfast presenter, Sally, joined our Friday baking group
Earlier this year the famous Friday baking group lost one of our long-standing and much-loved volunteers, Muriel Gosling.
Muriel also volunteered at our Bromborough Allport Road shop and was, in everything she did, a generous, fun and dedicated member of our hospice family.
On a sunny day in January her family, friends, hospice patients who knew her, hospice staff and volunteer colleagues, including her fellow baking and craft volunteers,known fondly as the GoldenGirls, gathered to bid a fond farewell.
At the drinks reception following the funeral, Muriel’s daughter, Vicky, spent time reminiscing with the GoldenGirls, Fiona, Maggie, Pauline, Sandra and Sue, and introduced them to her best friend from school (UptonGirls), BBC Breakfast presenter, Sally Nugent. Brilliant!
Sally and Vicky were delighted to listen to the ladies’ happy memories of Muriel and promised to pay a visit to bake a lemon drizzle cake at the hospice, to Muriel’s renowned recipe, when diaries allowed.
When they came, it is fair to say that they wowed the patients and GoldenGirls with their commitment in re-creating Muriel’s Lemon Drizzle
Soon, hospice tabards were adorned and the mixing began;
Baking spread
Caster sugar
Self-raising flour
Two medium sized eggs
Grated rind of one lemon were soon beaten, gently, into a creamy mix.
Thirty minutes later, gas mark 4, 160 degrees, the cake had risen nicely for its final flourishes; juice of half lemon and granulated sugar, then cooled for 15 minutes. DELICIOUS!
Cracking stories filled the time in between, featuring variously, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Dame Mary Berry, Dame Patricia Routledge and everybody remarked how easy Sally, and Vicky, “hasn’t she got her mum’s mannerisms,” were to talk to.
A lovely morning was had by all and some photos you can see here, and some which were personal to patients, were taken and everyone resolved that we should do it all again in the not-too-distant future. Muriel’s Christmas Cake, anybody?
Sally
Vicky
CHEERS
TO ALL OF OUR REGULARS…
We are so grateful for the many ways in which our brilliant supporters raise money and donate to the hospice.
A growing number of supporters choose to make a recurring monthly, 6-monthly, or annual donation as a regular giver, or through our Sponsor a Nurse initiative.
This ongoing commitment provides a stable income stream, helping us to keep the hospice ticking over.
We appreciate that our wonderful regular givers support us in other ways too, like volunteering at the hospice or in our charity shops, or by taking part in campaigns and events throughout the year. We are so very grateful to them for all that they do for us, they are simply amazing!
In the past year our regular givers and SponsoraNurse supporters have helped us to provide the equivalent of two months of specialist hospice care.
Because the donations are monthly, 6-monthly, or annually, we can look ahead too, to plan our future with a little more certainty.
People who want to give in this way get to choose the amount of money, from£5permonth, that fits within their own budget.
New regular givers receive a welcome pack with a thank you card and a hospice pin badge.
All people who donate this way will also receive our bi-annual ‘Fromthe Heart’ newsletter. So, to all those who make that regular donation or support Sponsora Nurse now, or in the future, we just want to say a huge THANK YOU from the bottom of all of our hearts.
Your ongoing support makes such a difference and really means the world to us.
You may choose various ways to make a regular donation.
By post, by downloading a form from our website on the link below, by online banking, or direct debit via Just Giving. These are all outlined at our website at wirralhospice.org/regulargiving or call 0151 343 0778 or email fundraising@wirralhospice.org and we will be more than happy to help. There’s also a dedicated Sponsor a Nurse webpage at wirralhospice.org/sponsoranurse
Out of all the reindeers Rudolph is the mastermind
Since 2019, more than 40 of Wirral’s primary schools have taken part in festive ‘Elf and Rudolph’ runs involving hundreds of children, in aid of Wirral Hospice St John’s.
A magnificent £114,000 has been raised with all the schools receiving a commemorative certificate of thanks for their massive contributions.
And now, in December 2024, even more schools are taking part. We’re also expanding our reach into nurseries.
RUN, RUN RUDOLPH, Santa’s got to make it to town!!
Every child receives a set of Rudolph antlers, a red nose, sponsor form and sponsorship envelope to keep their sponsor money safe.
Hayley Crawford, community fundraiser at Wirral Hospice St John’s, said:
We owe a massive thank you to all the children, their teachers, headteachers, teaching assistants and other staff from the schools who have supported our festive runs since 2019. We’re so excited that they’re signing up again and there’s even more participation in 2024.
For details please contact Hayley on events@wirralhospice.org or call 0151 343 0778 or visit wirralhospice.org/ rudolphrun
From Friday 17th January, 2025, and for a busy few days afterwards, a highly motivated group of Wirral Hospice St John’s staff and volunteers will come together to drive or co-pilot thirty large vans around the Wirral, picking up used real Christmas trees from outside people’s homes and businesses.
It’s strenuous but fun work and people come back year after year to volunteer because they love it so much! One person will take the wheel and navigate a pre-planned postcode route, while one or two crew members, will pick up the tree from each address and load it onto the back of the van.
The hospice tree collection makes a significant contribution to funding our specialist care and support services as people make their greatly appreciated donations, relating to the size of their tree,
CHRISTMAS TREES
The amounts suggested relate to what a donation will fund at the hospice.
For example,
£10 contributes towards food for one patient for a day
£15 contributes towards specialist palliative nursing care
£20 contributes towards physiotherapy for a patient
£25 contributes towards bereavement support for loved ones
£30 contributes towards hospice at home support visits
People, having stripped the tree of all of its decorations, we do findtheoddbauble,star,orfairystillattached, simply leave their used pine/fir/spruce tree in an accessible spot outside their house or business before 17th January and then, as if by magic, their tree will disappear.
Once each van is fully loaded with trees it is driven to various prearranged temporary ‘drop-sites’ around Wirral to offload for chipping, then it’s back on the road heading out for the next load. The chipped trees have further recycled uses, in biofuel or even spread around at community farms and paddocks.
All the people who give their valuable time are fed and watered while fuel costs are offered to everyone who volunteers the use of their van(s).
To register a tree for collection people can book online at www.wirralhospice.org/ treecollection
Every Wirral postcode area is eligible to register and people can book from now, until 11.59pm on Sunday 12th January, to secure the hassle-free collection of their REAL Christmas trees.
Postcodes covered by Wirral Hospice St John’s include CH41, CH42, CH43, CH44, CH45, CH46, CH47, CH48, CH49, CH60, CH61, CH62, CH63, CH64.
Elaine Connell, Wirral Hospice St John’s fundraising officer, says:
We’ve got our fingers crossed for another bumper year of Christmas tree collections. The generous donations make a huge difference to the lives of so many people in our Wirral community. A small army of people give up their valuable time and the use of their vans, year after year, to help with the used Christmas tree collections. It’s always a lot of fun for our hardy volunteers and we are so grateful to them and everyone who books a collection with us.
Christmas cards and calendars can also be ordered by calling 0151 343 0778 for a small extra P&P charge. You can also order through our online shop www.wirralhospice.org/onlineshop
£3.50 (Pack of 10)
A full selection of our 2024 Christmas Cards and our 2025 Calendar are on sale at our charity shops in Bebington, Birkenhead, Bromborough Allport Road, Bromborough Croft, Claughton, Heswall, Liscard, Moreton, New Brighton and West Kirby. Christmas in Vale Park
£3.50 (Pack of 10) Bought myself a new hat
the Gifts £3.50 (Pack of 10) Flying over the Forest
(Pack
£3.50 (Pack of 10)
£3.50 (Pack of 10)
£3.50 (Pack of 10)
Robin in the Woods
£3.50 (Pack of 10)
Festive Deer
£3.50 (Pack of 10)
Cosy Fire
£3.50 (Pack of 10)
£3.50 (Pack of 10)
Snowman’s Woolly Helpers
Caring for and supporting our patients and their families, at the hospice and in the community, involves a team of dedicated staff including, all of our nurses, healthcare assistants, our palliative care consultants, doctors, domestic and catering teams, social workers, spiritual co-ordinators, complementary, physical and occupational therapists, counsellors, bereavement supporters, facilities, finance, administrative and fundraising teams who are all supported, where and when appropriate, by the most dedicated volunteers.
Life at the hospice goes on because the people in our Wirral community, and some who have moved away for new opportunities in life, continue to value the work we do and make their kind and thoughtful donations.
We are eternally grateful!
How we raise our funds
There are now ten Wirral Hospice charity shops around our Wirral peninsula that rely on donations of quality pre-loved items and people continuing to buy the bargain items that we have on sale. Sometimes of a higher value via our eBay Page www.wirralhospice.org/shopping
Join around 15,000 weekly members of our lottery for a chance to win the top prize of £2,000 every week or, if the second prize rolls for 20 weeks, maybe £10,000! www.wirralhospice.org/lottery
We are so grateful to people who make a one-off or a regular gift to the hospice. There are a number of ways you can consider doing this by visiting www.wirralhospice.org/givingdonations and if you are considering leaving us a legacy donation, that page is at www.wirralhospice.org/giftinyourwill
There are a whole host of fundraising ideas and opportunities so please have a browse at www.wirralhospice.org/eventsandcompanies for other ways to get involved and maybe raise some sponsorship.
To speak with a member of our team please call the fundraising office on 0151 343 0778 AHappyChristmasandour verybestwishesfor2025
