Connecting with families important for local children’s hospice

During October Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice will be celebrating Hospice Care Week by promoting the range of ways the children’s hospice connects with families and the local community.

From Monday 5 to Sunday 11 October the Cumbrian charity will be joining hospices around the UK during the annual awareness-raising week to raise the profile of hospice care.  Caring for a loved one can be one of the most satisfying and special things people do, but without support, caring can have an overwhelming effect on people’s lives.

The nurses and activity coordinators at Jigsaw recognise this and extend the care, support and activities to all of the parents, siblings and carers at the children’s hospice. From the colourful and action packed annual Family Fun Day to the Family and Sibling Support Days, the local charity extends its care in a variety of different ways.

Janet McGreevy, Jigsaw Clinical Sister, explains “Throughout the year we provide families with the opportunity to meet up with other families and carers in similar situations. Each session is different, however we provide people with the opportunity to share experiences and take part in different activities during the day.

“The Siblings Days are busy, our recent outing had 20 children who enjoyed a day of activities at Happy Hooves. The event was sponsored by DRS, who paid for the activities and provided the children with goody bags. Their generosity over the years has provided a great deal of enjoyment for children and families as they sponsor both our Christmas festive and summer outing for siblings.”

Earlier this year warm smiles, laughter and music filled the Jigsaw gardens as families, volunteers and staff enjoyed the good weather and a variety of wonderful entertainment at the annual Family Fun Day. The action packed day included a variety of staff and entertainment, including a ‘Flash Mob’ performance by the children’s hospice nurses.

Janet added, “Families, staff and volunteers had such a good day. We were well supported by local businesses from Cumbria who donated raffle and tombola prizes. A grand total of £813.54 was raised during the day. Thank you everyone who helped to make the day so successful.”

Jigsaw provides the highest standards of care, support and activities to children and young adults with life limiting illnesses. Every year the kindness and generosity of the local community helps the charity to provide these services by raising over £800,000.

To find out more about Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice during Hospice Care Week 2015 please visitwww.jigsawhospice.org.uk

Notes to editor:

Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice, formerly Eden House Children’s Hospice, was developed following the Jigsaw Appeal, an initiative of Eden Valley Hospice to develop the children’s day care unit at the Hospice into a four bedded residential unit.

Jigsaw provides care for children and young people with life limiting or life threatening conditions.

Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice, also offers day care allowing up to six children and/or young people to attend on a daily basis.

All services are provided by highly qualified staff and a large team of committed volunteers.  We recognise that it is only through the generosity of local people that we are able to continue to provide the highest standard of care, free of charge to our patients and their families.

For further information on Hospice services visit our website www.jigsawhospice.org.uk

Connecting with the local community is important for local hospice

During October Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice will be celebrating Hospice Care Week by promoting the range of ways the hospice connects with the local community.

From Monday 5 to Sunday 11 October the Carlisle based charity will be joining hospices around the UK during the annual awareness-raising week to raise the profile of hospice care.

Over the last 2 years Cumbrian hospices have been developing a programme of work to assist health and social care professionals talk about our right to make decisions about our future care now. Deciding Right is the way Cumbria has decided to approach advance care planning, with the aim of equipping health and social care professionals with the appropriate skills and knowledge.

Becky Chaddock, Deciding Right Facilitator, said “Deciding Right encourages health and social care professionals to talk to all of us about the options available to help us to make decisions in advance. None of us find it particularly easy to talk about ourselves or someone we love becoming really ill, but by talking and having support to think through our options and choices, when the worst happens we have something to fall back on.

“The aim is to encourage all health and social care professionals to tell us that we have a right to make decisions about our future care it we want to; helping us to think about what we want, what we don’t want and who we would want to be involved. Deciding Right provides documentation to make sure our choices and preferences will be known and respected by the people looking after us.”

Death and dying continues to be considered a taboo and a subject to be avoided, even by some health and social care professionals, but Deciding Right is allowing progress to be made. The program, which began in North East England, has allowed Eden Valley Hospice, Hospice at Home West Cumbria,, St Mary’s Hospice and the Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group to work closely with the local community and health and social care workers.

If you would like to find out more information about Deciding Right please contact your local facilitator Rebecca Chaddock (Eden Valley Hospice) rebecca.chaddock@edenvalleyhospice.co.uk, Melvyn Laycock (Hospice at Home West Cumbria) Melvyn.Laycock@cumbria.nhs.uk, or Carol Bradley (St Mary’s Hospice)Carol.Bradley@stmaryshospice.org.uk

Notes to editor:

 

Eden Valley Hospice provides:

• 12 bedded adult in-patient unit
• Adult Day Hospice
• Out-Patient Clinics
• Complementary Therapies
• Carers Support
• Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice offering day care, overnight stays, family and sibling support

Jigsaw provides care for children and young people with life limiting or life threatening conditions.

All services are provided by highly qualified staff and a large team of committed volunteers.  We recognise that it is only through the generosity of local people that we are able to continue to provide the highest standard of care, free of charge to our patients and their families.

For further information on Hospice services visit our website www.evhospice.org.uk

At the Hospice or at home volunteers can make a difference – @SRELTD #HospiceCareWeek

A local hospice is inviting people to find out how they can make a huge difference by donating their time, skills and knowledge either at home or at the Hospice.

During Hospice Care Week 2013, Monday 7 to Sunday 13 October, Eden Valley Hospice is encouraging the local community to find out how they can make a difference by donating their time and skills. Whether it is at home or at the Hospice, every day hundreds of volunteers make the local hospice the beautiful place it is today.

Steve Golding, Voluntary Services Manager, explains, “For a lot of people time can be the biggest issue, we all know how hectic life can be. But as a volunteer the level of flexibility means that there is a role to fit in with the busiest of diaries. There are also opportunities for people to volunteer their skills and time from home without having to come into the Hospice.”

Suzanne Burgess, owner of Solway Renewable Energy LTD, is one of a handful of volunteers who donate their expertise to Eden Valley Hospice from home. From assisting the marketing department to updating the Hospice Twitter page, every day they make a difference.

“I have been volunteering at Eden Valley Hospice for a few months now. It was Volunteers Week and I saw the call to action on Twitter so I emailed the Hospice and asked what I could do. I work and run my own company from home which can be isolated, so coming to the Hospice means that I can meet other people,” explained Suzanne.

Whatever skills, experiences and knowledge people have gained throughout their life Eden Valley Hospice can provide a volunteering role perfect for them. Not only will volunteering make a significant difference to the lives of local people with life limiting illnesses it can also provide company, new friends and a lot of enjoyment.

If you would like to make a difference this Hospice Care Week and become a volunteer at Eden Valley Hospice please contact Steve Golding on 01228 817658 or visit http://www.evhospice.org.uk/hcw13

What could you do for your local hospice? #CountMeIn #HospiceCareWeek

A local hospice is inviting people to find out how they can make a huge difference by donating their time, skills and knowledge.

During Hospice Care Week 2013, Monday 7 to Sunday 13 October, Eden Valley Hospice is encouraging the local community and local businesses to take the Count Me In! pledge and to find out how they can help the Hospice.

Everybody who makes the pledge has the potential to make a huge difference to the lives of local people with life limiting illnesses. From assisting the nurses on the Adult Inpatient Unit to helping at a range of fundraising events throughout the year, every day a team of over 400 volunteers make Eden Valley Hospice the beautiful place it is today.

Eden Valley Hospice is continually updating the range of volunteering opportunities providing you with the opportunity to use your skills to make a difference. From retail to driving and office work to fundraising there is a volunteering role perfect for everybody in the local community.

Hospice Care Week is an annual week of activity to help raise the profile of Hospice Care across the UK. This year the local hospices will be highlighting the growing need for hospice care.

To take the Count Me In! pledge or to find out more about the exciting new volunteering opportunities contact Steve Golding on 01228 817658 or visit www.evhospice.org.uk/hcw

 

“Exciting new venture for local hospice!”

A local hospice is delighted to announce that they are set to embark on an exciting, new retail adventure as they open a furniture shop later this year.

In the coming months Eden Valley Hospice will open its very first furniture shop in Carlisle. The store will stock a range of good quality, usable furniture but the Hospice requires the local communities help.

During Hospice Care Week, Monday 7 to Sunday 13 October, Eden Valley Hospice is encouraging people to take the Count Me In! pledge and donate their time or items to the new furniture store. The Hospice is searching for people to carry out a range of volunteering roles, from collecting donated items to helping customers with their purchases, or items of furniture which are no longer needed.

Anne Hall, Hospice Retail Manager, said “Everybody at Eden Valley Hospice is excited about embarking on this brand new adventure for the Hospice. The store will provide the local community with a fantastic way to support the Hospice and purchase furniture when they are redecorating their house. The furniture shop is hoping to stock a wide range of items, including suites, dining sets, beds and wardrobes, but we need to communities help.”

From a few hours to a few days a week, the local community can make a huge difference to the lives of local adults with life limiting illnesses by donating their time to Eden Valley Hospice.  Volunteering in the Hospice shop will also provide people with the opportunity to donate their skills, knowledge and experiences in driving, retail and furniture restoration.

Anne continued, “The new furniture shop will also bring with it a range of new and exciting volunteering roles perfect for everybody. We are looking for volunteer drivers with their own transport to help pick up donations, people to reupholster furniture and create shabby chic furniture.”

Further information about Eden Valley Hospice’s new furniture shop will be released in the coming months, including the official opening day and opening times.

If you are redecorating your house or have any items which you would like to donate to the Eden Valley Hospice furniture shop contact Anne Hall on 01228 817615. Or if you would like to become a volunteer during Hospice Care Week please contact Steve Golding, Voluntary Services Manager, on 01228 817658 or visit www.evhospice.org.uk/hcw13

“I don’t think that the Hospice could run without volunteers” [#HospiceCareWeek]

From having your hair cut to a natter over a cup of tea, the smaller things in life can often be the most important things and at Eden Valley Hospice a team of volunteers provide companionship and support for local adults.

From Tuesday to Friday volunteers support the Day Hospice nurses in creating a vibrant, comforting, home from home environment. Without the passion and dedication of the volunteers the popular facility would be unable to provide the wide range of activities to local adults with life limiting illnesses.

Carol Douglas, Day Hospice Activities Coordinator, said “I don’t think that the Hospice could run without the volunteers, they do such a wide range of jobs. It is nice for the patients to have a friendly face when they come to the Hospice, it is like being at home.”

During Hospice Care Week, Monday 7 to Sunday 13 October, Eden Valley Hospice is encouraging the local community to find out how they could make a difference by donating their time at the Hospice. From supporting the nurses in Day Hospice to assisting at a wide range of fundraising events throughout the year, there is a volunteering opportunity at Eden Valley Hospice for everybody.

The volunteers wide range of skills, experiences and knowledge ensures that no two days are ever the same in the Day Hospice with a wide range of activities for everybody to enjoy.

Alice Smith, Day Hospice volunteer for 12 years, said “I get a lot of pleasure coming to the Hospice. If the patients feel better when they go home then we have done something right.”

Carol Douglas concluded, “They are all fabulous and all talented. They all have a wide variety of skills to bring to the Hospice and we find out what they are good at. Just because people have retired doesn’t mean they don’t have any skills.”

The importance of volunteers at Eden Valley Hospice can never be underestimated and this Hospice Care Week the local Hospice is encouraging you the local community to become a volunteer.

If you would like to make a difference to the lives of local adults and children with life limiting illnesses  by becoming a volunteer contact Steve Golding, Voluntary Services Manager, contact 01228 817658 or visit www.evhospice.org.uk/hcw13

 

Local choir to sing for the Hospice

A local choir will help Eden Valley Hospice celebrate this year’s Hospice Care Week with a very special performance in Carlisle.

On Friday 11 October, the Dalston Male Voice Choir will perform an array of uplifting and popular songs at a concert held at St George’s Church on Warwick Road. All of the proceeds raised at the event will support Eden Valley Hospice’s dedicated team of nurses and specialist doctors care for local adults and children with life limiting illnesses.

Katrina Sander, Community and Events Fundraising Manager, said “The Hospice would like to thank the Dalston Male Voice Choir for hosting this fantastic event and raising money for Eden Valley Hospice. The brilliant event provides the local community with a fantastic night of live music and entertainment whilst raising money for the Hospice.”

Hospice Care Week, Monday 7 to Sunday 13 October, is an annual week of activity to help raise the profile of hospice care across the UK. The year Eden Valley Hospice is encouraging the local community to make a difference to the Hospice by donating their time and becoming a volunteer, hosting a fundraising event or attending the Dalston Male Voice Choir performance.

To purchase your tickets or to find out how you can make a difference at Eden Valley Hospice contact the Fundraising Team on 01228 817613. Tickets for the concert are £8 per person.