Newsletter - April 2010
Palliative Care Partnership
A revolutionary partnership has been launched
as the result of a strategic link-up between the NHS, Tynedale Hospice
at Home and the Charlotte Straker House in Corbridge The new Palliative
Care Partnership is dedicated to coordinating the services provided
to patients and their families.
Operating across west Northumberland, it includes GPs' practices,
district nursing teams, Tynedale Hospice at Home, Macmillan nurses,
Northern Doctors Urgent Care, Hexham Hospital, Hexham Red Cross,
the North-East Ambulance Service and local patients' and carers'
groups.
One of the driving forces behind it, Corbridge GP Dr Bill Cunningham,
said: "The attitude to death and dying in society has changed.
People are much more uncomfortable than they used to be talking
about it and dealing with it, even though it is part of the human
condition.
"This partnership is about improving that experience we are
working together to deliver better, more coordinated care where
the patients' wishes are taken fully into account.
Thanks to the launch of the partnership, Tynedale Hospice at Home
has been drawn into the NHS services commissioning plan and gained
additional funding as a result.
Established in 1993, it previously relied on a bank of freelance
staff. However, it can now afford to directly employ nurses and
support workers, including nurse lead Katharine Russell, who is
responsible for clinical excellence and staff training.
The hospice's services are provided in the patients' homes free
of charge, to patient and carer alike.
Dr Rob Kingett, a Corbridge GP very experienced in palliative care,
is taking the lead role in providing the medical care needed in
the 3 bed palliative care unit at Charlotte Straker House.
Dr Cunningham said: "If home life becomes difficult because,
say, the symptoms have become quite nasty, patients can go in and
be made more comfortable. Then we hope they will go home again,
with an improved package for controlling their symptoms in place.
"The Palliative Care Partnership is not just about dying it's
also about quality of life and achieving a good level of support
at home."
Thanks to Helen Compson at the Hexham
Courant for allowing us to adapt this article
RAINBOW DAY – What is it?
Our Bereavement Support Services provide support
to those who need it after the death of a loved one. That support
is available to children, young people and adults. The month of
May sees the launch of one of our services for bereaved children.
This takes the form of a bereavement workshop and has been named
Rainbow Day. It is open to children between the ages of 5-16 years
old and will be facilitated by me and a team of trained bereavement
support volunteers. One of the things that we know from research
and experience is that bereaved children can feel very isolated,
and bringing them together for a day can really help.
The day itself is very carefully structured to enable the sharing
of stories and feelings in a safe, supportive environment and through
a range of activities which have been well tried and tested. The
day is planned for Saturday 22nd May and will run from 10 a.m. until
3 p.m. and will be held in St. Mary’s R.C. First School in
Hexham.
We have several children now who we know are coming but it is not
too late to include other children in the day. We will need final
numbers by Wednesday 5th May, so if you have a child or children
in your family who you think might benefit from the day, please
contact me on 600388 or by email Janet@tynedalehospic.com and I
will arrange to visit you.
I will let you know in the next newsletter just how the day worked
out.
Can you help?
For Rainbow Day, we are looking for large cuddly bears or other
animals which can sit on the floor and that don’t mind being
hugged! They must be clean and in good condition. If you have something
that might be suitable please ring me first just in case we are
flooded with offers.
Janet Jackson (Rev’d), Bereavement Services
Coordinator & Chaplain
Our New Charity Shop and Book Shop
 |
We opened our new charity and book shop in January
this year after a 6 week closure for a refurbishment. Our charity
and book shop is so important to us and we wanted to create
more room on the ground floor.
However, our refurbishment was done on a very small scale but
looks fantastic, changing only as little as we needed to, for
the desired result. We used second hand furniture where we could
and gave a fresh coat of paint and we were really fortunate
that the Lions Club of Hexham did a lot of our decorating and
joinery work free of charge, can we say a big thank you again
to them, and we could not have done it without them.
Thank you also to our staff and volunteers who all went that
extra mile to help us in the run up to opening, what a fantastic
team we have.
Our opening day was brilliant with the Duchess of Northumberland
giving her time to come and talk to our staff, trustees and
volunteers and cut the ribbon across the door on our opening
day which raised a fantastic £546. Thank you to everyone
who was there.
Have you visited our shop yet? You will be surprised at the
range and cost of the goods we sell. We now have a dedicated
bookshop which people love and feedback from the public is wonderful.
The fresh layout and space gives a real comfortable feel and
it’s an enjoyable place to visit and remember every penny
spent goes in supporting our work in the community.
Our charity shop on the ground floor has doubled its space with
a fantastic range of clothes, accessories, shoes and homeware
all priced to sell. Students from the QE High School have their
own spot and window space in the shop and their themes have
certainly drawn attention and are bringing in people of a much
wider age range.
We always welcome donations of goods to sell in our shop so
please donate only good quality items. Look at what you give
us to sell, is it good quality, do you think we can sell it? |
Please DONATE DON’T DUMP!
We have something for everyone, please visit us and support your
truly local charity in the heart of Hexham serving the community
of Tynedale and Ponteland.
| Volunteers |
|
|
Volunteering at Tynedale Hospice at Home
There has never been a more exciting time to volunteer for
Tynedale Hospice at Home. The re-opening of the extended charity
shop on Battle Hill in Hexham along with the fantastic new
bookshop just next door, has meant an influx of new volunteers,
each bringing ideas and experience from other places. We welcome
the new faces, look forward to welcoming more, and to developing
the shops using some fresh ideas.
The number of volunteers in the Bookshop has exploded from
6 to 25. It was initially predicted that the bookshop would
only be able to open half days but I am delighted to report
that short of one afternoon just after we opened, the Bookshop
has been able to open both morning and afternoon without fail.
This is thanks to our dedicated volunteers who are enthusiastic
and willing to be flexible to provide the cover for us to
open for business.
Can you give your time to help in either the book or charity
shop for just 3 hours each week? We need more regular volunteers,
so why not register as an occasional volunteer; we can ring
you when someone is off sick or during busy holiday periods.
We have a number of new Volunteer Drivers who I would like
to welcome to Tynedale Hospice at Home. The drivers take our
patients to appointments for treatments and they are reliable
and trustworthy making sure that patients get to and from
their appointments on time. We couldn’t provide such
fantastic services without them. We have had some fun at the
inductions which are both informative and provide a time to
meet.
We are hoping to extend our bank of office volunteers to assist
us with admin and general office work. We hope that in the
near future we will be able to cover the office most mornings
and afternoons with varied roles to help with the smooth running
of the office. Not all office volunteers need to use a computer;
just a warm and friendly voice to man our phones and good
organisational skills.
The first group of bereavement support volunteers have gone
through initial training for our new bereavement support service
and are now in their roles supporting both adults and children.
One area I wish to develop is to have a bank of occasional
volunteers to help with all of the events that we have throughout
the year, be it an event in the Abbey or simply coming in
to help with our occasional mail shots. This less structured
approach to volunteering will appeal to those who work or
have other commitments, so if you feel you would like to join
the list for occasional volunteering please contact me for
more information.
I asked one of our present office volunteers to write something
for our newsletter to give an overview about volunteering
in the office
“As an office volunteer the workday varies and is never
boring. Tasks range from telephone work, photocopying, dealing
with mail shots and other administration, including contacting
other volunteers for fundraising events. And last, but not
least, supplying the rest of the office team with tea and
coffee as required!”
To conclude, I would like, on behalf of Tynedale Hospice at
Home to invite anyone who is interested in supporting our
“truly local” charity to contact me to see how you
can make a difference.
cathy@tynedalehospice.com
|
|
This newsletter is also available
for download from the web site at www.tynedalehospice.com.
Perhaps you have a friend or relative who would like to see
a copy too? Just give Lorraine a quick call on 01434 600388
or email her at lorraine@tynedalehospice.com
and ask her to add them to the emailing list.
Of course, if you'd like to just forward this copy to them,
that's all right by us.
|
Metal 'til Midnight
 |
On Saturday 6th February 2010, Tynedale Hospice at Home held
one of its most controversial and surprising fundraising events
to date. ‘Our Metal ‘til Midnight event’ was
the result of a combination of ideas from a few volunteers
and members of staff who wanted to try a new approach to fundraising.
Word of the event attracted interest from a number of local
companies who were very generous in providing sponsorship
money, which combined with eBay for charity money, funded
the event.
The over 18's only event was a seven hour metal-fest at Hexham
Racecourse and featured live music from local metal bands
Stomp 66, Damaged Inc., Maiden England and Skneepa. Along
with the fantastic bands, the combination of a DJ playing
all the metal and hard rock classics, a hog roast, bar, HMV
supplied prizes and a fantastic venue all helped to create
a fantastic night. The atmosphere was infectiously happy and
the event went without a hitch. It was an unforgettable night
for all!
Many people who attended the event have thanked Emma and
Shaun, telling them that Metal ‘til Midnight was the
best night out they’ve had in a very long time and that
it was certainly the most ‘metal’ Hexham has ever
seen! The event was not only great fun for all involved but
also helped to raise awareness of the work of the Hospice
and successfully raised a grand total of £2,000!
The response to the event has been overwhelming and it seems
all who were involved and who attended are keen for Emma and
Shaun to arrange another event, perhaps on a larger scale
next time... watch this space!
|
A note from a Hospice Nurse
My name is Karen Robertson. I am a Mum of
three lovely children and a nurse for the Hospice team since May
2009. You’ve probably heard this said many a time, but my nursing
role can only be described as a great pleasure. To be invited into
peoples homes to work is indeed a privilege.
The term hospice nurse evokes a range of images and meanings to
different people. Work as a hospice nurse is as much about listening
as it is about clinical care. The work can be challenging, in very
emotional circumstances and I gain immense satisfaction from the
fact that I can enter peoples homes and lives for a short period
of time and hopefully make a positive difference. It is not always
that we become involved with families at the end of life, in fact
we like to be invited to provide care earlier. This enables us to
establish relationships and support patients and relatives sooner
in the palliative process.
The Tynedale Hospice at Home has given me the opportunity to meet
so many inspirational people and I wish to continue and develop
this special role into the future.
Light up a Life 2009
Our Light up a Life 2009 event which was held on 5th December 2009
outside Hexham Abbey raised a total of £5740. Thank you to all
who supported us. The 2009 Book of Remembrance is on display in Hexham
Abbey until the end of April. It will then circulate around Churches
in the Tynedale area throughout 2010; further details of churches
who will participate will be put on our website when we have them.
Fundraising
Recent Donations
We are fortunate that we continue to receive donations in recognition
of a truly local charity; we show a selection below and thank everyone
for continued support.
|
Society of Matfen Golfers
Christmas Fairs at Riding Mill, Stocksfield and Wylam
Peters Snowdrop Appeal
Hexham Business Forum
Hexham Constituency Liberal Democrats
Trinity Tuesday Coffee Mornings
Concert at the Sage in Gateshead
Oaks Hair Studio in Stocksfield
Abbey Aid and Global Issues
Rochester Village Hall Lunch
Churches Together in the Park
SCA Hygiene Products
Rotary Club of Hexham – Street Collection
Hexham District Darts Club
|
£700
£347.50
£1500
£430
£100
£250
£6852
£500
£2057
£1205.55
£228.19
£500
£1205
£250
|
Our thanks to our regular supporters and those
who ‘Give monthly’, if you would like to support us in
this way, please contact us on 01434 600388 or visit our website
for more information.
Forthcoming events/Fundraising
Throughout the year organisations and individuals
raise money for Tynedale Hospice at Home. If you would like any
more information please contact Tynedale Hospice at Home on 01434
600388 or visit our website
A Celebration of Prudhoe Music
On Saturday 8th May 2010 at 7pm, Prudhoe Methodist Church presents
a Celebration of Prudhoe Music to be held in Prudhoe Community High
School. Music by Prudhoe Community Band, Prudhoe Community Choir,
Prudhoe Gleemen Choir and Ryton and Prudhoe Methodist Brass Band.
Tickets are available from Prudhoe Information Centre or contact Ray
Hutchinson on 0191 4144883. Refreshments and raffle. This is the second
year Ray has organised this concert and has proved to be very popular,
don’t miss this wonderful concert. All proceeds to Tynedale Hospice
at Home.
Northern English Singers
...present ‘Feel The Spirit’ on
Saturday 15th May 2010 at 7.30pm in Hexham Abbey. A programme of
choral and organ music presented in aid of Tynedale Hospice at Home,
with Michael Haynes on the organ and Howard Layfield as conductor.
Tickets are on sale £12 each and £9 for students, including
refreshments and are available on the door or in advance from;
Tynedale Hospice at Home 01434 600388
Hexham Abbey Gift Shop 01434 603057
Queen’s Hall Arts Centre 01434 652476
Survive & Give
We are holding a very unusual fundraising event which I know will
appeal to those brave hearts amongst you. It’s a survival event
over 4 days from Friday 3rd September to Monday 6th Sept 2010. We
need 6 people who need to raise £1000 per person for it and
for this people will learn the survival skills such as shelter building,
fire-lighting, wild foods (inc squirrels and a deer to skin and prepare)
etc PLUS traditional crafts inc flint knapping, pottery fired in a
fire, cordage making, resin glue making, leatherwork, hand forging
a knife and much more.
If you are interested get your place booked soon and we need £100
deposit to secure a place.
Contact Christine on 01434 604321
email: christine@tynedalehospice.com
Snods Edge Teas
Why not come along and enjoy Sunday Teas at Snods Edge, in beautiful
surroundings. The ‘Afternoon Teas’ at Snods Edge, which
are held in the Church Hall are always very popular, and we are very
lucky to be involved on the dates below when all the money raised
will come to Tynedale Hospice at Home. On the Sunday Tea menu are
delicious homemade pies, scones, sandwiches and cakes. Join us on
Sunday 16th May, Sunday 25th July and Sunday 12th September 2010.
Northumberland County Show
The organisers of the Corbridge County Show have again kindly given
us a place at this great event to raise funds. As usual the show will
be held on the bank holiday weekend on Monday 31st May 2010 at Tynedale
Park in Corbridge.
Please come along and offer your support to us and also have a great
family fun day out. This year we will be having a Victorian theme
to coincide with the display of vintage tractors. The show is open
9am till 6pm. Visit www.northumberlandcountyshow.co.uk for more details
on admission charges, and for more information about the exhibits.
Christmas Bells
In the run up to Christmas, from mid November onwards, we have our
Christmas Bell appeal. Boxes of bells are distributed around the
Tynedale area in different outlets, from Doctors surgeries to shops.
Our 2009 appeal raised a fantastic £1040. Many thanks again
to all who supported us.
Ways to donate to Tynedale Hospice at Home
- By Cheque or cash to the Charity Office
- By Regular Giving – monthly giving – complete one of our
monthly giving forms, available from the Charity Office, to set up
a standing order.
- Just Giving – log onto the just giving website – where
you can create your own ‘page’ if you are interested in
fundraising for us or wish to make a donation. Simple and easy to
use following the on screen directions. www.justgiving.com Go to the
‘contact us’ then onto the help section where advice
is given about raising money and donating to charities and frequently
asked questions.
Tynedale Hospice at Home
19 - 21 Battle Hill
Hexham
NE46 1BA
Tel: 01434 600388
Email:lorraine@tynedalehospice.com
Winning numbers for the 100 club are as follows:
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
| October 2009 |
86 |
33 |
37 |
| November 2009 |
30 |
55 |
24 |
| December 2009 |
59 |
7 |
37 |
| January 2010 |
25 |
19 |
55 |
| February 2010 |
50 |
20 |
17 |
| March 2010 |
39 |
25 |
6 |
|
