Category Archives: Hospice News

Charity & CSR, Hospice News

Friends come together to support Forever Flowers

Friends Rachel Cable and Carly Murray have come together to support Forever Flowers and shared their experiences of hospice care as they remember their loved ones.

Forever Flowers is a new campaign by City Hospice, Cardiff’s local hospice, which invites supporters to purchase a limited-edition flower to celebrate the lives and remember much-loved family members, friends and loved ones. The unique tributes will feature in a special display in the grounds of Cardiff Castle from Saturday July 24 to Sunday August 8.

In recognition and appreciation of the care City Hospice provides to people in the capital, from specialist at-home care for patients to support services for families, Rachel and Carly are getting involved with Forever Flowers this summer.

Rachel said: “My father passed away last summer of cancer. I didn’t really know anything about hospice care before my dad became ill and suddenly, City Hospice popped up and were able to navigate all the services and care that he needed. They looked after him at home and looked after us, his family, as well.

“I’m really excited to support this campaign because it’s a lovely way of remembering my dad at a time where we can’t all get together, hug and do all the things we’d normally do when grieving.

“The exhibition at the castle actually starts on the day that my dad passed away so it will be a nice way to mark the anniversary and once the exhibition is finished, we’re going to place our flower with the apple tree that we planted for dad on the allotment.”

City Hospice is Cardiff’s local hospice and is the only provider of home-based specialist palliative care in the capital – providing care and compassion for 550 patients at any one time, in addition to bereavement counselling and support services for families.  The support is really valued and means a lot to grieving families going through a challenging time.

Carly explains: “My mum passed away from COPD in 2017 and we’ve had so much invaluable support from hospice care. I’m supporting Forever Flowers because it’s just a really special way to commemorate her.

“It’s something you can do with others as well and they are all going to be displayed together. It’s a nice idea, that you are part of a tribe of other people who have dealt with similar things as you have; everyone coming together to celebrate loved ones and create something that is going to be really beautiful.

“Our family will be going to the castle to see the display. We haven’t decided yet where our Forever Flower will go afterwards but I will be asking my daughter where she wants Nanny’s flower to go so that she can be part of putting it somewhere special.”

Through their shared experiences of loss and hospice care Rachel and Carly’s friendship of 13 years has grown stronger.

Rachel said: “Because dad passed away during the pandemic, we couldn’t do all the things we normally do to grieve. Having a friend like Carly texting and ringing me to see if I was OK meant an awful lot.

“When it’s Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas or big events, it can be really difficult. Unless you’ve lost someone you don’t necessarily understand quite how difficult those things can be so having a shared understanding and support is really valuable.”

Carly added: “With Rachel, I felt like I had got somebody very close and special as a friend in the way she supported me. When most people have moved on and are carrying on with their lives, Rachel was still checking on me, acknowledging my loss and it made a massive difference to me.”

Forever Flowers can be purchased by visiting cityhospice.org.uk/forever-flowers and cost £18 per flower.

Hospice News, News, North Wales

Volunteers Head Into North East Wales Community to Inform and Support Those with Life Limiting Illness

A BAND of volunteers are heading into communities across North East Wales and the borderlands to inform and support patients and loved ones of those who have life-limiting illnesses.

Nightingale House Hospice has upskilled and trained a number of its’ volunteers to go out into the community offering information and support about the services it has on offer.

The Nightingale House Info Points wer unveiled at the hospice’s flagship store in Regent Street from Tuesday, 11 May – Thursday 13, May.

The purpose of the Info Points is to help those who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting condition including cancer, heart failure and Motor Neurone Disease, and tell them more about how they can be cared for by the hospice and the services available to them.

Volunteers preparing to visit the community

The ambassadorial volunteers have previously undertaken a number of volunteer roles within the hospice and are already familiar with the services on offer. But now the new scheme has gone one step further by training them on the clinical and support services that patients and their loved ones could access.

All the services at Nightingale House aim to support people either during an extremely uncertain time, during and after treatment or when there are no more treatments available. Help, support and therapies are available for when life becomes more difficult and less enjoyable.

Volunteer Manager Jo Kearns said: “We have gathered together a very loyal and knowledgeable group of volunteers to help us develop the new Info Points service and help us reach out into our communities, offering information and support and letting people know about our services but more importantly how they can access them.

“People are generally referred to the hospice by their key health care professional such as their Specialist Nurse or GP but patients or their loved ones can also make a direct referral to us just by picking up the phone and these direct calls often result in them accessing our wide range of services including our in-patient unit.”

Nightingale House Info Point Volunteer, Kevin Jones said: “I have been involved with the hospice for a number of years and I believe this opportunity for us to go out into the community and tell people about the amazing services that can help them better manage their illness or support them and their carers’ in other ways, such as spiritual, emotional or psychological support is so important.

“We want to go out there and tell people that the hospice is not just a place where you go to die but a vibrant, caring and supportive environment where the team throw their arms around you and give you the support you need, when you need it most. Nightingale House mostly relies on fundraising and charitable donations to keep it running and the more we can highlight the services available the better for all concerned,” added Kevin.

The Info Points will be moving around the catchment area as new locations are identified over the coming months. If you have a public space and think it would be a great place for our volunteers to locate for a couple of hours each month then please get in touch with Jo Kearns, Volunteer Manager, Nightingale House Hospice on 01978 316800.

Healthcare, Hospice News, News

North Wales hospice nurses step up to the mark day and night

CLINICAL Services at Nightingale House has been strengthened to provide a more seamless service for chronically ill patients to access the care they need.

Angela Smith and Paula Pritchard have taken up new roles as Deputy Ward Managers at the hospice. Paula will be in charge of the day shifts and Angela will take over for the night shift.

The pair who are long-standing members of the clinical team are already well-versed in the workings of palliative care for those with life-limiting illnesses across North East Wales and the borderlands.

Both Angela and Paula are embracing their new roles and are excited to share their experience by taking the helm to ensure patients continue to receive excellent high-quality care within the hospice setting, where 40% of in-patients admitted to the ward were discharged last year.

Working at the hospice was Paula Pritchard’s dream job. She was inspired by the wonderful holistic care given to her uncle at the hospice several years ago. Paula said: “Palliative care has always been my passion. We meet extraordinary patients and families that leave a lasting impression on us all and inspire us to provide the care we do.

“The end of life deserves as much beauty, care and respect as the beginning and I am extremely proud to be part of a team that wholeheartedly believes this.”

Angela has worked at Nightingale House since 2007 and up until recently was the Practice Development Nurse. She said: “My responsibilities are now for the night-shift team and I am loving the opportunity to combine my love of nursing with being able to support our clinical managers to provide first-class evidence based care to the highest quality. It is an honour to be able to do this role and nurture our team, working closely with Paula and others to ensure there is a smooth transition from one shift to another. This change and continuity can make all the difference to patients and their loved ones.”

Ward Sister, Ruth Bond said: “I am delighted to have Angela and Paula working closely with myself and the strategic team to ensure all our patients and their families have the care and facilities they deserve to ensure their own personal journey and experience is to the highest standards. As a team we will be able to develop our services tailored to the needs of patients with life-limiting illnesses and continue to improve and develop our holistic approach to care.”

Charity & CSR, Hospice News, News, Retail

The Queen B donates 10 days of hospice care to local charity

A small business owner in Penarth has fundraised £1,500 to pay for 10 days of nursing care in City Hospice’s Donate a Day campaign.

Jodie Tanner is the owner of The Queen B Boutique, a clothing retailer specialising in high-end mother of the bride and occasion wear, with stores in Penarth and Barry.

Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, including store closures for the majority of 2020 and cancellations of weddings and other events, Jodie adapted and diversified her business. The Queen B started offering products online along with more casual wear to meet the needs of customers staying at home, and her team offered ‘live’ Facebook events which attracted hundreds of loyal customers.

Jodie had kindly agreed to host a Fashion & Fizz event in aid of City Hospice in April 2020, which was very well received and sold out quickly. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic the event had to be postponed and has not yet been able to take place.

Still wanting to show her support, Jodie decided that the sale of her VIP cards and carrier bags would go to City Hospice for the rest of 2020.

In early 2021, Jodie came across the recently relaunched Donate a Day campaign which encourages supporters to donate or raise £150 to pay for a dedicated day of nursing by a City Hospice clinical nurse specialist. Feeling this would be a good way to thank VIP card holders, by demonstrating the positive way their collective donations are making a difference, Jodie decided to donate the proceeds to the campaign.

The combined total of the VIP cards and carrier bags, along with an additional personal donation from Jodie, will fund 10 days of nursing care.

Jodie Tanner, Owner of The Queen B Boutique, said: “I know from personal experience just how essential the care City Hospice provides is, especially at such a difficult time for patients and their families. I am thrilled to have been able to donate enough to fund several days of nursing care, and it’s really rewarding for both my team and our customers to see their donation being directly used to pay for a day of nursing. I am delighted to name a dedicated Donate a Day on 12th April to celebrate the long awaited re-opening of retail.”

Liz Andrews, Chief Executive of City Hospice, said: “We can’t thank Jodie and The Queen B Boutique enough for their generous donation. After such a hard year for the retail industry, it’s incredible that they are still out there supporting charities like ours so that we can continue our important work.

“The 10 days that they donated allow us to provide life-changing care to our patients and important support to their families. The COVID-19 pandemic has put an increased strain on our services, with even more patients and families needing our support, and these 10 days will help our nurses to continue to provide their vital care. Donate a Day is a great opportunity for businesses to support our charity and see how their donations are used directly to provide essential nursing care.”

For more information on Donate A Day or to pay for a day of nursing care on a date of your choice, visit: https://www.cityhospice.org.uk/get-involved/donate-a-day/

Food & Drink, Healthcare, Hospice News, News

Nightingale House Hospice Launches New Hand-Crafted Berry Gin

Following the success of a specially produced gin, which has helped raise funds for patient care, Nightingale House Hospice has branched out to develop a new berry flavoured edition.

Last year the hospice collaborated with Shropshire Gin Distillery to produce a bespoke Nightingale House hand-crafted gin to celebrate its 25th Anniversary.

The independent distillery, based in Ellesmere is known for creating their own artisan-handcrafted premium gins using traditional copper still methods. The company is the proud winner of two International Wine and Spirit Competition awards.

The new Berry Gin has been carefully selected from a handful of tailored botanicals. It is a fresh and fruity juniper led gin with a subtle sweetness from vibrant raspberries and strawberries alongside fresh peppery aromatic notes derived from pink peppercorns. It gets its beautiful blush colouring naturally from the raspberries with no artificial colours and flavouring.

This limited-edition gin costs £36.50 per bottle and can be purchased directly from the Shropshire distillery’s website https://theshropshiredistillery.co.uk/gin with a percentage from each bottle sold going directly towards patient care. It will be launched on 22 March.

Emma Glynn from Shropshire Distillery said:  “We are really happy to commission Nightingale’s second edition to their gin range and have enjoyed working with Sarah and the team to create their Berry Gin.  They wanted a berry theme and I was able to get creative and produce for them this beautiful blush gin, which like all of our gins, does not contain any artificial flavourings, sweeteners or preservatives. It has been a very difficult year for most, and the hospice has faced such a challenging year. We are proud to support them”

Sarah Povey from Nightingale House said: “It’s been wonderful working with the Shropshire distillery over recent months. After explaining our ideas they were completely on board and were able to bring our vision to life. We are incredibly grateful for all of the time and work they have put into producing such a beautiful fruity gin and we cannot wait for our supporters to try it.

“It has been a challenging year for the hospice due to the cancellation of our mass participation events. The funds raised from our house gin have made all the difference to our patients and their loved ones. We hope our Nightingale Berry Gin will be just as successful.”