Chestnuts - Chestnut Tree House
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Chestnuts Your newsletter from Chestnut Tree House Autumn 2021 Here when you need us With your support, we’ll never stop caring for local children and their families ALSO INSIDE... Making magical moments | What you’re helping to achieve | Fundraising events to look forward to
You’re amazing!
I’m extremely proud to welcome you to your autumn newsletter
and to thank you for standing with us through the COVID-19 crisis
In May, I became the new Chief Executive of Chestnut As restrictions have started to ease, we’ve been able to
Tree House and learned of your incredible support. reopen for day visits and short breaks, giving the children
In what has been a truly challenging time for all of us, and their families some much
you kept reaching out to help others through your needed ‘me’ time. We couldn’t
generous gifts and virtual fundraising activities – as have done it without you, and
well as taking part in our Spring Raffle, weekly Lottery I know your generosity will go
and visiting our online shop. on long after the pandemic. I
really can’t thank you enough.
With your help, and with everyone working together to
manage changes, we’ve been able to continue delivering
Warmest wishes
outstanding care and support to local children with
life-limiting conditions and their families at the time
when they need it most. They include Vicki and her
Ben
little daughter Faith, who you can meet on page 3. Ben Merrett, CEO
You did it!
A huge thank you to everyone who
donated to our summer appeal,
featuring Jack and his parents, Emma
and Kevin
Caring for a child with complex needs is far from
straightforward, and the pandemic has made it even more
difficult. With our day services on hold and many families
shielding to keep their vulnerable youngsters safe it’s been
harder than ever to take a break, which is why we’re so
grateful for your outstanding support.
Together, you’ve raised an incredible £31,543 to help
us welcome back children like Jack to do all the things
they love. And you’ve given Emma, Kevin and many more
devoted parents the chance to relax and recharge their
batteries, ready to face another day.
“Jack has been going stir-crazy without Chestnut.
When they were finally allowed to open their
doors again, he was ready for his stay, I can tell
you that!”
Emma, Jack’s mum
Stay in touch Email hello@chestnut.org.uk ChestnutTreeHouse @ChestnutSussex
2
Making happy
memories
Thanks to you, we can give two-year-old
Faith and her family the chance to relax,
have fun and escape life’s pressures
In 2018, Vicki from Haywards Heath attended her 16-week
baby scan. She was full of excitement and couldn’t wait
to welcome a new sister for her children Lily and Logan.
Instead, she received some devastating news. Vicki’s baby
daughter had an occipital encephalocele, which meant her “Faith’s vision, hearing and mobility are severely impaired,”
skull hadn’t fused properly. A specialist hospital confirmed explains Vicki. “She has to be tube fed and no one dares
the diagnosis and told Vicki that her little girl was unlikely talk about her life expectancy, because she’s done
to survive. amazingly to even get this far.”
“They told us she had less than a one per cent chance,” “ The children love it”
explains Vicki. “And that even if she lived, she would be
In January, Faith celebrated her second birthday, and the
wheelchair bound and never see, hear or breathe unaided.
family chose their favourite photos from every month of
But they also couldn’t guarantee that.”
her life. “At least half of our favourite memories with Faith
“ I wanted to keep going” are because of Chestnut Tree House,” says Vicki.
Refusing a termination, Vicki was determined to fight The hospice has been a lifeline for the whole family,
for her baby. Thankfully, she received support from enabling them to escape from everyday pressures, attend
a bereavement midwife, who suggested a referral to events in their local community and even make new friends.
Chestnut Tree House. “I contacted Lucy, a Community
“Lily met a little girl who is her age, but in a wheelchair and
Nurse at the hospice, who listened to our story and said
who can only communicate through slight eye movement,”
that they were there to support us whether Faith passed
explains Vicki. “She’s made friends with the girl and her
away at birth or if we needed end-of-life care. We wouldn’t
sister, and they sit there having a laugh. It’s great for her
just have the baby and then have to walk away.”
to see that there are other families like ours. It gives her
Faith was born on Wednesday 16 January 2019, and people to talk to who understand and it has given her a
despite her obvious brain exposure, she was breathing. more positive outlook.”
At just 36 hours old, she underwent seven-hours of
surgery to help correct her brain exposure. Since then, “ We get to be a family”
Faith has been cared for by the hospice and continues to When asked what life would be like without Chestnut Tree
defy all expectations, but she has very complex needs. House, Vicki says, “I don’t know. It would take away a big
part of Faith’s quality of life. The swimming, the sensory
room, everything. We couldn’t do that without them.
“If you’re thinking about fundraising for your local children’s
hospice, then all I can say is thank you. Because of you, we
are not always in hospital surrounded by machines, we are
somewhere that feels like home. And that is massive.”
Meet Vicki, Faith and the family
Vicki and her family have faced enormous
challenges and know that Faith’s future is uncertain,
which makes their positivity all the more moving.
You can meet this lovely family and hear what Vicki
has to say at: www.chestnut.org.uk/faiths-story
Write to Chestnut Tree House, Dover Lane, Poling, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9PX Telephone 01903 871820
3
Back in business
In April, we were delighted to reopen
our shops and warehouse, and welcome
back our wonderful customers
Many of our volunteers have returned and we were
pleased to welcome new members to the team. Together
with our staff, they rang up record sales in the first few
weeks, thanks to your outstanding support.
It’s brilliant to be back, and we’re very grateful for all
your generous donations. We also appreciate your
patience during the times we had to temporarily
suspend donations to ensure safe capacity and the
safety of our staff and volunteers.
Granny Rosie’s kindness
Chichester resident Rosie Turner is fondly known as
Granny Rosie, and over the years she’s adorned our
Chichester shop windows with her colourful knitted
characters – attracting lots of customers inside and
leading to many donations. Now, Granny Rosie features
in a wonderful new book written by her daughter-in-
law, the bestselling author Kate Mosse. ‘An Extra Pair
Paul’s pledge of Hands’ is an inspiring story about caring for those we
love, and we were thrilled when Granny Rosie and Kate
Arundel post office owner and postmaster Paul Money is a
popped in to say hello. As always, Granny Rosie had
great supporter of Chestnut Tree House and has generously
plans for more knitting!
offered to donate towards the running costs of our Arundel
charity shop for the next two years. For the first year Paul You’ll find more information on all of our shops at
has donated funds towards a new shop laptop. www.chestnut.org.uk/shops
Your Will can help others
October is Make a Will month, when some local
solicitors agree to waive their Will-writing fees in
lieu of a donation to Chestnut Tree House
During October, you can have a simple single Will written
for just a £110 donation, or a simple joint Will for £160.
It costs £116.79 per hour to provide the community
services that allow children with life-shortening
conditions receive care in their own homes, so the
suggested donations will make a real difference.
To find out which solicitors are taking part and how
Make a Will Month works, visit www.chestnut.org.uk/
makeawillmonth or call 01903 871820.
Stay in touch Email hello@chestnut.org.uk ChestnutTreeHouse @ChestnutSussex
4
Meet our lead We need you!
volunteers Our income plummeted by 70% during the
COVID-19 crisis and, with less than 9p in every
pound being funded by the government, we rely
A huge thanks to the dedicated on your support more than ever. Here are just
volunteers who have helped establish some of the ways you can help provide crucial
this new and exciting role hospice care for local children, week after week.
Could you be a winner?
Play our Chestnut Tree House Lottery from just
£1 a week and help raise crucial funds to ensure
our services can continue
If you’d like the chance to become our next Lottery
winner and scoop £1,000 or one of 22 other weekly
cash prizes, join now at www.chestnutlottery.org.uk
or call the Lottery Team on 01903 871842.
“You’re on mute!” How many of us have heard
Promoter: St Barnabas Hospices (Sussex) Ltd. Responsible Manager:
that phrase as we’ve battled with technology to Becki Jupp. Licensed under the Gambling Act 2005. Registered Charity
stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues? Number 0256789. www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk Players must be 16
years old or over and a UK resident.
Thankfully, it hasn’t stopped a group of hospice
volunteers who have spent the last few months helping
to create and define a new ‘Lead Volunteer’ role. With
over 50 years of volunteering experience between
Make a monthly donation
them, they were perfect for the job and came up with Your kind donations cover at least 75% of our
lots of good ideas for what promises to be a really care costs for children across East and West
rewarding role. Sussex and South-East Hampshire.
Thanks to supporters like you, we’ve managed to keep
Our Lead Volunteers will manage community events,
going during the pandemic and continue providing
act as hospice ambassadors and coordinate other
life-changing care for children and families who really
volunteers. If you’re interested, please contact us at
need it. But we now need to recoup and plan for
hello@chestnut.org.uk
further difficult times ahead. By giving a regular gift
of as little as £5 a month you can really help us, and
“You get back far more than you give” by adding Gift Aid you’ll enable us to claim an extra
Hospice volunteer 25p for every £1 you give. You can make a regular
gift online at www.chestnut.org.uk/regulargift
Write to Chestnut Tree House, Dover Lane, Poling, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9PX Telephone 01903 871820
5
Join us for Castle Night Trek
Saturday 14 May 2022
fun filled
Our long-awaited night-time
trek around the grounds of
events
Herstmonceux Castle is sure
to be spectacular, so grab your headtorch and join us.
Register your interest on our website today!
Challenge yourself and do something
amazing for Chestnut Tree House. Whatever
your passion, we’ve got something for you!
LA10k
Saturday 5 September
It’s been a while, and we’ve missed those start line
Thank you!
butterflies, home stretch highs and running together again
Whether you’re a first-time runner or looking for your PB,
come and join us. You can register until 31 August from
We were able to hold a couple of fantastic
just £22.
events this summer and we’re really grateful
to everyone who took part
Thrilling skydive 31 October It was brilliant to welcome back our team of MTB heads
Register now for the ultimate for Hit the Downs and to ride the trails together,
scream at Halloween. Take on raising vital funds for Chestnut Tree House. An
our thrilling 125mph skydive incredible 600 riders took to the hills and raised over
and get that exhilarating £26,000 – an achievement we can all be proud of.
feeling while raising
Our White Cliffs abseil in Peacehaven on 3 July
money to provide care
was another huge success. Plucky participants took
to the children
on the exhilarating 120-foot descent to support our
and families we support.
work. You’re all heroes in our eyes!
Of course, none of our events would be possible
Nurses Steps February 2022 without our wonderful volunteers, so thank
you all. We couldn’t do it without your support.
Our Chestnut Tree House challenge is back with a bang.
Walk in the footsteps of our fantastic hospice nurses,
by taking either 7,000 or Get involved
10,000 steps a day throughout Visit www.chestnut.org.uk/challenge-events
February. This is a great way to choose your challenge and register today.
to keep fit and support local All registrations come with our COVID Promise,
children needing hospice care. allowing you to sign up with confidence.
Corporate events
Chestnut Tree House Golf Day
Friday 3 September, Slinfold Golf Club – £380 for a team of four
Our annual charity Golf Day is set in the beautiful Sussex countryside, with
an 18-hole golf course spanning 165 acres of mature park and woodland.
Your day starts with registration and refreshments at 9am and finishes with a
delicious barbecue you can invite your colleagues, friends and family to attend,
complete with live entertainment and a silent auction (subject to COVID
restrictions). For more information, sponsorship opportunities and to book a
team, please email corporate@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk
Stay in touch Email hello@chestnut.org.uk ChestnutTreeHouse @ChestnutSussex
6
Christmas
crackers! Santa Night iDrop
Saturday 20 November 2021
Ho ho ho! Our popular Santa
With our fabulous festive fundraisers, you
iDrop is back, and we’re inviting
can help make Christmas sparkle for the you to test your nerves and see
children we care for and their loved ones breathtaking views of Brighton
in this iconic i360 abseil with
Choose our Christmas cards a twist. Every penny you raise
will help our patients and their
Our 2021 range of Christmas cards has a delightful families through their own personal challenge, so
design for everyone. They come in packs of 10 and please sign up today.
you can buy them in our charity shops, use the form Registration is just £45, with a minimum
enclosed with this newsletter or order online at sponsorship of £285 and you can find out more at:
www.chestnut.org.uk/onlineshop www.chestnut.org.uk/santa-night-idrop-2
Enjoy Reindeer Fun
From dazzling Christmas dance-offs
to a festive run or ramble, enjoy some
exciting Reindeer Fun Christmas tree collections
There are loads of reindeer-themed frolics Following last year’s successful pilot, we’re
to choose from, and we’ll give everyone free expanding our Christmas tree collection in
antlers, a red Rudolph nose and a Santa partnership with the fantastic charity, JustHelping
suit (one suit per group). All we ask is that As well as collecting trees in Brighton, we’ll be visiting
you have lots of fun and raise as much Southwick, Shoreham, Bognor Regis, Crawley, Hastings
sponsorship money as you can for Chestnut and St Leonards. The collections will take place in early
Tree House. Find out more and sign up today January, so please check our website and social media
at: www.chestnut.org.uk/reindeer-fun in December for more details. And if you’d like to help
Our thanks to the Lodge of Union 38, Sussex
collect the trees, we’d love to hear from you. Just email
Freemasons for sponsoring Reindeer Fun 2020 hello@chestnut.org.uk
Animal World sensory networking
Wednesday 29 September 2021, from 11am – 1pm
Stanhill Court Hotel
Meet other like-minded businesses and discover the
sensory world loved by children with life-shortening
conditions, as you cuddle Louie the baby meerkat or
stroke Felipe the chameleon.
After a long period of uncertainty about the future, this
is a great time to grow your contact list and learn about
the sensory activities we offer. Reserve your place now by
emailing: corporate@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk
Write to Chestnut Tree House, Dover Lane, Poling, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9PX Telephone 01903 871820
7
A million thank yous
You stood with us through the pandemic and helped make 2020 another
year of love, care and comfort for local children and their families
274 children and young
adults received our
services across East and 596 COVID-safe community visits
West Sussex and South 974 overnight were made by both Nurses and Care
East Hampshire. stays took place, Support Workers. This is despite the
mainly for crisis or impacts of shielding and lockdown
end of life care. restrictions, which made some families
wary of using secondary care services.
60 Annex activity day sessions were 990 counselling and
held from August to November, when therapy support sessions
restrictions were lifted. Over the year, were provided for children
our Activities Team sent out 819 fun with life-shortening
activity packs to help keep children conditions and their
entertained during lockdown. parents/carers and siblings.
Your kindness is incredible, and we hope you’re proud of these achievements.
You can also read
