October 2016 | Issue 171
network
internal magazine for staff and volunteers
Designing
our
Hospice’s
future all
together
Organisational and general news
Contents
Hello:
3
Staff and Volunteer Survey
5
New clinical leaflets
6
Fundraising news
Sharon Place, Finance Officer; Bernie Ryan-Self, Hospice Neighbours
Coordinator; Karen Basham, Registered Nurse; Cindy Young, Shop
Supervisor; Peter Graveline, Assistant Facilities and Maintenance Manager;
Sema Hussein, Bank PA; Michael Todd, Shop Supervisor; Sylvester
Dengzee, Physiotherapist; Tracey Ferencz, Shop Volunteer; Jake Game,
Fundraising Volunteer; Linsey Kearns, Shop Volunteer; Theresa Notcutt,
Reception Volunteer; Beth Soman, Sylvan Ward Carer; Jillian Lindsell,
Catering Volunteer; Robert Ferencz, Shop Volunteer; Kathleen Portway,
Sylvan Ward Carer; Christine Hodge, Shop Volunteer; Joshua Thomas,
Weekend Reception Volunteer; Sarah Pethurst, Reception Volunteer; Frances
Baldwin, Shop Volunteer; Helen Taylor-Brown, Sylvan Ward Carer and Lily
Wolford, Shop Volunteer.
8
Our away days
Goodbye:
Volunteer stories needed
As we develop the content on our website we are in
need of a little help from our volunteers.
We are currently creating some dedicated volunteer
pages which we hope will let the wider community
know about just how much and what you do.
To be able to do this we need your help.
We need volunteers to share with us further details of
their roles and why they volunteer here at St Nicholas
Hospice Care.
If you can help please contact Press and PR Officer
Katie Anderson at [email protected]
or pop into the Marketing Office.
We hope by sharing your stories others will be
encouraged to lend a hand.
Ron Curry, Facilities Manager; Marianne Watkinson, Lottery Administrator;
Bee Bragg, Clinical Administrator; Valerie Wood, Shop Volunteer; Pam
Simmons, Shop Volunteer; Linda Wells, Day Hospice Volunteer; Patricia
Francis, Volunteer Family Support Assistant; Natalie Pulfer, Hospice
Neighbour; Sarah Cunningham, Hospice Neighbour; Jean Guy, Volunteer
Sylvan Ward Kitchen Assistant; Jonathan Watson Lee, Hospice Neighbour;
Kirsty Penny, Weekend Reception Volunteer; Susan Buckle, Shop Volunteer;
Del Amos, Hospice Neighbour; Jo Purvis, Shop Volunteer; Peter Metz, Shop
Volunteer and Pauline Gregory, Volunteer Sylvan Ward Carer.
Farewell Ron and Luzma
We bid a fond farewell to Ron Curry and Luzma
Grayson.
Scones were the order of the day as fond memories
were shared. We hope to see them both soon as they
are set to return on bank.
The next Network deadline is Monday, 7
November. Please email all your stories,
pictures and news to Katie Anderson at
[email protected]
Senior manager on call
Kevin Clements
Georgina Bissell
Barbara Gale
Debra Garside
Rachel Spencer
Pippa Wilding
28 October - 4 November
4 November - 11 November
11 November - 18 November
18 November - 25 November
25 November - 2 December
2 December - 9 December
Staff support counsellor
Julia Dansie
2
October 2016
01787 228334
A chance to talk
Gravetalk is an initiative to encourage people to
think and talk about life, death, society, funerals and
grief. Through conversation, people are encouraged
to interact with others in the group. For staff and
volunteers from all directorates. Free to attend.
Refreshments will be provided.
Wednesday, 9 November 5.15pm-6.30pm in Bradbury
Green. To book a place please contact Alison Peacock
or Genella Kingham on extn 199 or email education@
stnh.org.uk.
Staff and Volunteer Survey
The results of our Staff and Volunteer Survey have given us a chance
to reflect on the organisation as a whole, looking at the things we do
well as well as the areas where changes need to be made.
As we let you know in last month’s edition of network everyone will
have the chance to look at the results theme by theme allowing for
further discussion.
This will be done in three steps:
•Step one: identify key areas
•Step two: communicate the results of identified key areas
•Step three: explore key themes further looking at ideas and
implementing changes.
This month’s theme is WELLBEING
The themes:
•The organisation
•Wellbeing
•Resourcing
•Working practises
•Career and reward
•People management
•Training and development
Results summary
Areas for development
What we do well
The survey showed that 97 per cent of our staff and
volunteers enjoy the work they do.
A higher percentage of all of our staff and volunteers agreed
to all questions when compared to other charities and
hospices.
The results show the high percentage of you agreeing with
the questions has been maintained from last year.
After looking at the results, three questions which staff and
volunteers felt they could not always agree highly with were:
• ‘I rarely get stressed at work’
• ‘I feel appreciated’
• ‘Working or volunteering for this charity contributes positively
to my health and wellbeing’
Further analysis showed the lowest level of agrees were from
clinical staff, managers and staff whose length of service is
over five years.
Ideas for development
• In what ways might we ensure everyone
feels appreciated at St Nicholas Hospice
Care
• In what ways might we create a stress
free environment to promote great health
and wellbeing for everyone.
We need you!
To explore these issues further and develop ideas for improvement we need a team of six to take forward
each of the two ideas for development. Each of the groups will be lead by a facilitator.
If you want to be part of either group please email [email protected] stating which area of
development you are interested in being involved with.
The sessions will last no more than an hour and once numbers are confirmed a location will be set. The
sessions will be informal and will look at some of the problem solving processes we explored during our
away days, but all ideas are welcome.
stnicholashospicecare.org.uk3
Retail and organisational news
MP visits Newmarket shop to handover
cheque and leaves with two chairs in tow
Matthew Hancock, MP for West Suffolk,
saddled up to raise £9,781 for our
Hospice when he took part in the 350th
Newmarket Town Plate.
Mr Hancock, who came second in the
race after narrowly being beaten in the
closing seconds, visited the charity’s
newly relocated Newmarket retail shop to
handover the cheque.
“I am delighted that I was able to raise
almost £10,000 for the Hospice. It is a
charity that supports so many people
across West Suffolk and one that is very
worthy of support. It is a special charity
that helps so many people,” said Mr
Hancock.
The oldest horse race in the world, the
Town Plate, was inaugurated in 1666 by
King Charles II, who rode in and won the
first race. Every year since, it has been
run over the same three and a half mile
course in Newmarket.
Mr Hancock said: “I thoroughly enjoyed
taking part in the race, it was very exciting
from start to finish and I was delighted to
be able to do it in aid of the Hospice.”
During his visit to the shop Mr Hancock
was given a tour of the building and
chatted to the shop’s manager Martin
Logan and volunteer of seven years Janet
Southgate.
“The shop is fantastic, it is vibrant and I
am sure it will be enjoyed by the people of
Newmarket, it is great to see it so busy,”
added Mr Hancock.
In a change to her usual role our Events
and Challenges Fundraiser Charlie DeMoore also put her sales hat on and
sold Mr Hancock two chairs which had
been up-cycled by prisoners at Highpoint
Prison.
The faces we wear to try and mask our feelings
A thought-provoking mini-bite session
asked staff to think about the masks
they may use both professionally and
personally to hide their feelings and the
impact they may have.
The session, The Faces We Wear, was
led by one of our Family Support Team’s
Therapists Julia Dansie.
It gave attendees the chance to reflect
not only on how they might mask their
feelings but how others may be doing
the same thing - the people we care for,
their families and friends.
Julia explained: “We all wear masks even
if we don’t realise we are doing it.
“Often these masks are there for a
reason so we don’t want to destroy them
as that could be harmful, but recognising
that you wear a mask can be very
helpful. As can the recognition that other
people also wear masks.”
Historically people have worn masks
to give them licence to be another
character, to present a different version
of themselves. Many of us will use a
mask each and every day as we deal
with, and respond to certain situations
4
October 2016
“Historically masks have been used as
coping mechanisms, but that may not be
so useful in the present time,” explained
Julia.
The group also further explored the
reasons why people wear masks:
• To hide emotion or feelings
• To protect yourself
• To transform your personality either
temporarily or permanently
• To fit in with what is expected or
considered ‘normal’
• Learnt family behaviour
• Personal insecurities.
Often we might not be aware of
putting on a mask when responding
to something, and in the same way
we might not be aware of when other
people are putting on a mask. During
the session the group were encouraged
to think about the masks some of the
people we care for and their loved ones
may use to shield themselves.
“Releasing an emotional mask and
allowing yourself and others to see your
instinct reaction to something requires
feel and risk,” said Julia.
General news and events
Cake and the chance to chat were the order
of the day as Open House session launched
Bringing our Hospice’s care and
support into the heart of the community
has been extended with the official
launch of our Botesdale Open House.
The launch session, which took place
on Thursday, 6 October, created a
friendly and relaxed environment, where
people could share their experiences,
and ask our staff and volunteers any
questions.
Attended by those using our services
as well as their loved ones, guests were
able to enjoy refreshments and cakes
which added to the session’s positive
and welcoming atmosphere.
The sessions, which will continue on the
first Thursday of the month from 10am
to midday at Botesdale Health Centre,
are intended to provide physical,
emotional and spiritual support.
You can find out more about the Open
House Sessions on our website.
New advice and support leaflets have now arrived
Finding out important information about
our Hospice, its services, the treatments
and therapies we offer has been made a
lot clearer for our patients, their families
and carers thanks to a redesign and
update of all of our clinical leaflets.
As part of a series of 23, each of the
leaflets has been updated with new and
relevant information thanks to the input
from our clinical teams. The leaflets were
then redesigned to fit into the Hospice’s
brand and of course checked so we can
be sure the information we are giving our
patients and their families is the best it
can be.
For Marketing and Design Officer Hannah
Pepper the project has been a constantly
evolving one.
Hannah explains: “I started the project
about two-years-ago, during some of
that time I was on maternity leave and
because of the way the Hospice changes
and evolves the leaflets have also had to
change in that time to make sure they fit
in with our strategy and the focus of the
Hospice.
“Teams have also changed in that time
too, so all of this has had to be reflected
in the leaflets.
“It was also crucial
to get the leaflets
right, so they have
gone through
different stages and
numerous checks
and approvals.”
Fashionable fun will raise funds for our Hospice
It will be a stylish occasion as shops including Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Golding, Lara B, Martha V, and Roman Originals will have
models strutting their stuff down the runway in a bid to raise thousands.
The occasion, the second of its kind, is being organised by Community Fundraiser Miranda McCoy, and will take place on
Wednesday, 16 November, at the Racing Centre, in Fred Archer Way. It will feature a selection of stalls, where visitors will be able
to peruse shoes, handbags, jewellery and pamper products, with the fun starting at 7pm. Following a complimentary glass of
wine and the fashion show which starts promptly at 7.30pm, guests will be able to take part in a grand raffle and view or purchase
clothes, handbags, and much more while enjoying nibbles and drinks. For tickets, costing £10 each, contact Miranda on 01284
715567 or by emailing [email protected]. Tickets can also be purchased from the charity’s Newmarket retail shop on
the High Street and at the Racing Centre.
stnicholashospicecare.org.uk5
Fundraising news
Businesses accumulate more than £43k
Local businesses took up the gauntlet and
proved their worth as they battled it out to
raise £43,664.62 for our Hospice.
The Jacobs Allen Accumulator Challenge
saw 60 firms given a crisp £50 note in June
with three months to turn it into as much as
possible.
Earlier this month representatives from each
team celebrated their success at a grand final
night at Boxted Hall.
The top prize for the most amount of money
raised, presented by Sheila Burke, of Jacobs
Allen, was won by Green Duck, who raised
an impressive £6,101.97.
The Green Duck team threw themselves into
the challenge by arranging a charity golf day
and events for staff, such as tuck shops and a
day-off raffle.
They even teamed-up with fellow competitors
Box-it East for an event which saw Green
Duck co-founder Graham Duckworth spend
his working day in a box.
Graham Duckworth said: “It has been
entertaining and we are proud to have been
able to support such a worthy cause.”
“What we have especially enjoyed has been
the interaction with other teams. Teaming up
with Box-it for the Duck in a Box event was
brilliant and it was great that we were not just
siloed into Green Duck activities. We took part
in the laser tournament and businesses joined
us on our golf day,” added Matthew Green.
The Marketing Award, to commend the
business that best marketed its fundraising
activities, was presented to Lucy Cronin and
the 365Motivate Team.
The Community Award was won by the
Coffee House, with the Ensors team picking
up the award for Best Teamwork, as judges
felt the 14 members of staff who took a leap
of faith for our charity by completing skydives
demonstrated fabulous teamwork and
motivation.
The Most Creative Idea award went to the Arc
Shopping Centre and Tool Box Marketing,
whose joint efforts really lit up the town with
their Glow in the Arc event.
The final award – Most Entrepreneurial
Strategy - was won by Audrey HydeChambers from Hyde-Chambers Funeral
Services.
With the calibre extremely high this year two
extra awards were also presented.
Claire Brooks, Managing Director of Box-it
East received the Going the Extra Mile Award
for her continued efforts and the team from
Atkins Thomson were recognised for their
fabulous fundraising which saw £2,000 raised
in just three weeks.
Thousands of pounds raised by our many fundraisers
A birthday bash with a
twist raised thousands
when Martin Outram
celebrated his 70th
birthday in style by raising
£2,888. Alongside his wife
Jean, Martin celebrated his
70th year with a party at
Bury Golf Club, but instead
of bringing presents he
asked his guests - more
than 100 of them - to
make a donation to us.
6
October 2016
Michael Howard braved
the clippers for the first
time since Christmas, in
aid of our Hospice and
Macmillan Cancer Support.
The 80-year-old climbed
into the chair in memory of
his wife Jean.
Michael hopes his
fundraising total will grow
to £1,500 which he intends
to split between the two
charities.
Maureen Forbes’ recent
fundraising endeavour in
aid of our Hospice saw her
climb into the hairdresser’s
chair and have her head
shaved. The 70-year-old
is spurred on to complete
her charitable efforts in
memory of her husband
Stuart, who passed away
in December 2012.
Her dramatic hair cut
raised £240.
A fundraiser’s gig in
memory of his father
has hit all the right notes
by raising £1,500. To
commemorate the sixth
anniversary of his father
Ian’s death from cancer,
Lee Graham, decided
the best way to remember
him would be to stage the
musical event Push Play.
Both Lee and his father
shared a love of music.
Daredevil Sabrina Vahidi
reached new heights when
she threw herself out of
a plane. After deciding
she wanted to support
our Hospice, which had
cared for her mother,
she took the plunge and
raised £310 with a skydive.
Sabrina completed jump
on Wednesday, 17 August
which would have been
her mother’s birthday.
Fundraising news
Youngsters take on the clippers and mixing bowl
Jake Game and Isobel Bedford both
pulled out all the stops when it came to
their fundraising efforts.
Twelve-year-old Isobel’s culinary skills
helped her to raise £313.15 when she
set up a charity cake stall close to her
West Row home.
Isobel said: “I really like the charity and I
just wanted to do something to help, my
family also fundraise for the Hospice and
we all really like helping.
“The Hospice helped my nana, it was a
while ago, and although I didn’t get to
meet her it feels nice to be able to help.”
The event was the third of its kind and
saw members of the local community
come together to support Isobel’s
charitable efforts.
Isobel said: ““It was really nice to see
so many people from the village come
to support us. We had some chairs out
so they were able to sit down and my
dad was busy making cups of tea in the
kitchen. My auntie also came along with
20 cakes she had baked.”
Jake Game, 16, was all smiles as he
climbed into the hairdresser’s chair to
have his head shaved to raise £150.
Jake said: “I felt speechless. I had
wanted to do some fundraising for the
Hospice for a while and I thought maybe
I would give the head shave a go and
see how many sponsors and how much
support I could get. I am over the moon.
“The Hospice is a charity close to my
family’s heart. My mum sadly lost her
best friend aged 36 through cancer and
the Hospice were absolutely amazing so
it’s time that I gave back what they gave
her.”
Charitable cycle challenges Rural funds
A cycle ride was a trip down memory lane for
one fundraiser as he climbed into the saddle
to raise £4,233.72 in memory of his wife of
40 years who was cared for by our Hospice.
Malcolm Quantrill, used pedal power to take
on 170 miles, when he completed in his
Mundford to Manchester Memorial Ride.
Malcolm was joined by friend Colin Rands
on his journey which the pair completed in
honour of Malcolm’s wife Yvonne.
Yvonne passed away at the end of March
this year after a four year battle with cancer,
having just celebrated her 60th birthday.
The ride also marked the 50th anniversary
of when Malcolm first visited his relatives in
Timperley with his father and mother, during
the 1966 World Cup.
Malcolm said: “My wife was never very happy
about me doing the journey, but when Colin
said he wanted to do it with me she felt a lot
better about it. It felt really good doing the
journey, especially knowing that we were
raising funds for the Hospice.”
Malcolm
is also
already
thinking
about
taking
part in the
London
to Paris cycle ride next year in a bid to
maintain his fundraising efforts.
Pedalling
254 miles in
three days in
memory of
a husband,
brother-inlaw and
friend saw
thousands raised for our charity.
Angie Durham was joined by her late
husband Mark’s brother-in-law Nigel Dulieu
and friends Paul Thomas as well as John and
Sarah Faith for the cycling challenge.
With the group’s journey, starting in Dunkirk
their first day saw them clock up around 100
miles as they cycled through Belgium and
into Holland.
After resting for the night their second day
in the saddle saw them ride 75 miles back
into France to the town of Roubaix, which is
famous for its cobbles.
On day three the group set off from Roubaix
with their 75 mile route taking them through
historic towns including Ypres before they
reached the finish line just south of Bruges.
The cycle raised £3,094 for our Hospice,
which cared for Angie’s husband Mark,
45, who died on 11 June 2014 after being
diagnosed with a brain tumour the previous
Christmas. The group are already planning
their next charitable challenge - the Way of
the Roses coast to coast cycle route from
Morecambe to Bridlington.
Thanks to the efforts of the organisers
of the Euston Rural Pastimes event, a
cheque for £8,000 was handed over
to our hospice.
The annual event, at the Duke of
Grafton’s Euston Park, showcased
everything rural, including crafts, farm
animals and country skills.
Thousands flocked to the event,
with their entrance fees being split
between St Nicholas Hospice Care
and local churches.
A Christmas fayre at
Foxhealth Barn will be packed
with festive fun when it
takes place on Saturday, 26
November. The event will run
from 10am to 4pm and will
give visitors the chance to
enjoy more than 20 stalls
packed with Christmas goodies.
stnicholashospicecare.org.uk7
Designing a Future - away days
Both of our Designing a Future away days have now taken place.
Some 127 staff attended over the two days and 11 volunteers. The
sessions allowed staff and volunteer representatives from across
our community to consider how we can all build the best future
for our Hospice over the next two years. The sessions featured
innovative problem solving, great ideas and a lot of laughter as
everyone worked together to create a vision for the future which
will see the very best care for those in their final chapters.
Sharing what we do
In the morning stories shared by
staff gave an insight into some of the
wonderful work that goes on within our
Hospice, as well as the chance to learn
more about our different services.
We heard from teams who shared their
own achievements as well as changes
that had happened and their outcomes.
Chief Executive Barbara Gale then
explained the next steps in our strategy.
She reflected that whilst we have made
some changes to
what we do and
how we do it – to
achieve our vision
we need to be
more creative –
novel, useful and
scalable.
Thinking differently
It was up to Alex Menhams from the
Ideas Centre to get everyone thinking
more creatively.
Everyone was encouraged to think
about some of the issues those using
our services and their families may face
and how we could find solutions and
suggest new ideas.
The key problem areas groups were
given to think about were:
•People and their families as they face
death and bereavement
•Those in our community who wish to
support us financially and in other ways.
Working in groups
each person was
asked to come up
with five possible
problems and after
writing them down
on post-it notes
the group came
8
October 2016
together to see if the problems fitted into
themes.
After considering each of the emerging
themes groups decided on the three
they would like to take forward to
develop and discuss during the
afternoon session.
Finding our solutions
The theme of the afternoon session was
turning problems into solutions using
Lego.
Everyone was asked not to rush straight
to an answer but to carefully consider
the problem, firstly by creating a Lego
model to illustrate it and then working
with a partner to come up with a
solution, and changing the model to
reflect this.
These models were then discussed by
the whole group who decided which
problem/solution they wanted to present
and reflect on what they have learnt as
they listened and discovered.
The next steps
Two ideas have been chosen that
will be taken forward for further
exploration using Ideas Centre tools:
• Helping family and carers feel more
equipped when caring for someone
up to and including the time of death
• Developing a process for people
who want to volunteer flexibly.
Anyone who is interested in being
part of these developments please
speak with your manager or contact
Barbara.
Other ideas about out of hours
support, an advice line and mobile
information services will be explored
in the next phase.
Don’t forget... the next copy deadline for Network is Monday, 7 November