Reaching out With your support, our amazing hospice nurses are still helping patients and their families despite COVID-19 - St Barnabas House
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Your newsletter from St Barnabas House Spring 2021
Reaching out
With your support, our
amazing hospice nurses are
still helping patients and their
families despite COVID-19
ALSO INSIDE...
Seeing people through the worst times | Meet our fantastic Therapy Team | Celebrating our volunteers
Staying determined
As we push through the COVID-19
crisis, we’re so grateful to you, our Enter our Spring Raffle
amazing supporters
You could win £2,021!
Thanks to you, we’ve adapted our services, added new Imagine kick-starting 2021 with an amazing
beds and worked tirelessly to ensure the people we care £2,021 – while helping local people and their
for continue to feel safe, well looked after and able to families make the most of their time together
stay in touch with their families.
Our Spring Raffle tickets are just £1 each, and there’s
Our nurses have held people’s hands, and laughed and cried a second prize of £500, a third prize of £250 and five
with them through these difficult times, and the cover of runner-up prizes of £50.
your newsletter – created by a healthcare professional called
It’s really simple to enter, and some of you will have
Karen – reflects their incredible dedication. With your help,
tickets enclosed with this newsletter. If you’d like to
we can continue providing our patients with crucial care, and
buy more or encourage friends and family to take
I hope you’ll enjoy reading about the huge difference you’re
part, you can enter online at www.stbh.org.uk/raffle
making to people like David and their loved ones. Thank you.
The closing date for entries is 15 March 2021, and
Warmest wishes,
the draw will take place on 22 March 2021. We’ll
put the winning numbers on our website and notify
all the lucky winners. One of them could be you!
Becki Jupp, Director of Fundraising
Standing side by side
With your support, we helped David
and his family through one of the
toughest times of their lives
In December 2019, David was travelling home from
work when he had a massive seizure on the train.
He was rushed to A&E, where a scan revealed a brain
tumour. David was then admitted to hospital, where he
underwent a craniotomy to try and remove the tumour.
This was the start of a long and stressful journey for the
whole family. Thanks to you, we were there for them.
Days of uncertainty
“When David woke up from the operation, he seemed his
normal self. But then things started to go wrong,” explains
David’s wife, Danielle. “The pressure in his head kept
going up and he was becoming less and less responsive.
He was taken for emergency surgery and the next time I
saw him, he was intubated on the Intensive Care Unit.”
While he was still in Intensive Care, David’s family “The ward had strict visiting hours and I was really
learned that his tumour was a grade 4 glioblastoma – stressed about managing Christmas with the children,
the most aggressive type of cancer. By 23 December, as we didn’t want to leave David alone,” says Danielle.
he’d undergone multiple emergency surgeries, leaving “So it was a big relief when we heard St Barnabas House
him completely immobile and unable to communicate. had a room for him.”
Stay in touch Write to St Barnabas House, Titnore Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 6NZ
2
Together for Christmas
David was transferred to the hospice on Christmas Eve,
and we were delighted to be able to welcome the whole
family. “We enjoyed Christmas lunch around David’s
bed and the children opened their presents next to their
daddy, which helped make the day special for us,” says
Danielle. “By the start of the New Year, the whole care
team knew us really well, and it was wonderful to see
the positive impact the hospice was having on David’s
recovery and wellbeing.”
As well as specialist care from our nurses, David received
a huge amount of support from our Therapy Team. By
March, he could walk around the nurses’ station using a
walking frame, and soon after he was able to go home.
Care at home
“The hospice made sure we had everything we needed
– from helping us apply for carer’s support to providing Looking to the future
equipment such as ramps, handrails and a wheelchair,” Thankfully, David has continued to gradually improve, and
explains Danielle. “When the country went into lockdown, his last couple of MRI scans show the tumour hasn’t grown
the Therapy Team continued to visit David. By then they for at least six months.
felt like part of the family.”
“My main goal (as well as getting back to playing table
David continues, “With their help at home, I learned tennis and kitesurfing) is to return to my job, where I used to
to walk unaided again. One of the biggest breakthroughs manage a large team of software engineers,” says David.
came when I was able to leave the house and go to “The Therapy Team have referred me to the community
the beach with the whole family. Stepping into the Neuro-Rehabilitation Team to help with the cognitive aspects
sea felt amazing!” of my recovery. It’s comforting to know that St Barnabas
House is there to support us when we need them.”
“I don’t think I’d anticipated how positive
the hospice would be for the whole family.
The children looked forward to visiting
David and the building felt like a soothing
space for all our anxieties during that
uncertain time.”
Danielle
The green heart
of St Barnabas
Our lovely courtyard has new furniture, thanks
to the generosity of The Morrisons Foundation
Everyone loves sitting in the sunshine, and our new, high-quality
furniture means our patients, staff and visitors can enjoy it even more.
The Morrisons Foundation has also replaced our sun-protection canopy
with a remote-controlled awning, offering shade when people need it.
We’re really thrilled and very grateful for this wonderful improvement,
and a huge thanks also to local company and charity partners Warnes
Projects, for installing everything so professionally and at cost.
Email info@stbh.org.uk Telephone 01903 706300 @stbarnabashouse
3
Meet the team
From physio sessions to gardening groups,
our incredible Therapy Team goes the
extra mile to boost patients’ wellbeing
Inspiring independence
When she’s not mountain biking, sea swimming or
hiking, our intrepid Occupational Therapist Caroline
is helping patients achieve their goals.
“Patients’ goals can be big or small; from washing their
own hair again, to returning to work or resuming a
sporting activity they enjoy,” explains Caroline (pictured
below left). “I support patients at the hospice and in their
own homes, and when the time comes I’m also involved
in enabling them to remain at home for end of life care if
that’s what they want.”
Caroline was part of David’s Therapy Team, and he
especially looked forward to their outings to the seaside.
“David really impressed me,” says Caroline. “His goal was to
be able to walk again and eventually go home. Over time, Encouraging activity
we were able to get him to walk using an aid, and now he’s Therapy Technician Tiz joined the team two years
helping his wife decorate their youngest child’s bedroom!” ago, and runs gym sessions and gardening groups
for patients.
Tiz’s group exercise classes are currently halted due to
the pandemic, but the one-to-one sessions she’s started
are proving very popular.
“From the outset of the pandemic, I kept in regular
phone contact with patients who were self-isolating
at home,” says Tiz. “A lot of them hadn’t left their front
doors for months, so were understandably a bit unsure
about coming back to the hospice. Now, with support
from myself and the team, they’re enjoying our one-to-
one gym sessions.”
Creating happiness
Green-fingered physiotherapist Trish loves
gardening, and nurturing our patients’ wellbeing
and quality of life.
“The simplest of activities, that we often take for
granted, are what some of our patients miss most in
their lives,” says Trish. “I work with patients to improve
muscle strength and mobility as well as providing
breathing exercises to help with respiratory disease and
breathlessness. With the right exercises and equipment,
people are able to embrace the small things that mean
so much. Sitting out in their garden for example, or
walking their dog and pursuing their hobbies. Recently,
we even enabled a lady to get back on her horse.”
Stay in touch Write to St Barnabas House, Titnore Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 6NZ
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Helping
people through
Your support means our Family Services
Volunteers can stay in touch with bereaved
families during the pandemic.
Shopping
Sadly, we had to stand down many of our hospice
and retail volunteers as we changed and adapted our
services to cope with the coronavirus. But thanks to
you, we were able to offer telephone training to Family
update
Services Visitors such as Avril Pizzey and David Pierce,
enabling them to continue giving crucial support to
families who have lost their loved ones.
Avril has provided face-to-face bereavement support
These have been difficult times for for over 15 years, and was initially concerned that giving
our retail operation but we showed telephone contact only would feel too distant and aloof.
Yet she has quickly adapted to the new way of working.
great resilience, with record shop
sales between lockdown periods
At the time of writing, our shops and warehouse are
temporarily closed. However, as soon as restrictions
are lifted and we can reopen, we’ll continue
to provide a safe shopping experience for our
customers, staff and volunteers. Meanwhile, you can
still shop online. Last year, our online shop was very
popular, and we had record Christmas card sales.
Right now, we have a great selection of greetings
cards and money wallets, so why not enjoy browsing
at www.stbh.org.uk/online-shop/greetings-cards
Looking ahead
When we can reopen safely, you’ll be able to visit
our fantastic Worthing Wedding Boutique and the “I’ve learned to use my sense of hearing acutely to pick
discount store in Broadwater. You can treat your furry up on people’s emotional state, and so far this seems
friends with our popular line of pet gifts, and shop to be working,” says Avril. “When a client thanks me for
for furniture in many of our stores. Plus, we offer talking with them and says they’re looking forward to
collection, delivery and house clearance services. the next session, I feel I am doing some good.”
David has found the
change challenging
too, but is glad
he’s been able to
continue helping
people through what
can be a strange and
traumatic time. “I’ll
be ecstatic when
everything is normal
Upon reopening, we’ll need good quality items to sell again, but I will look
again. So please save your unwanted Christmas gifts back and say that it
and other items to donate to us. You’ll find the latest was an experience,
shop updates at www.stbh.org.uk/shops and thank and that we did okay
you so much for your understanding and support. in difficult times.”
Email info@stbh.org.uk Telephone 01903 706300 @stbarnabashouse
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Get involved
Whether you’re a thrill-seeker, marathon
megastar, or cycling supremo, we’ve got
a fundraising activity for you!
Choose your heart-pumping moment
We all need a breath of fresh air in 2021, and what White Cliffs Abseil Saturday 3 July,
better way to get it than to take on our thrilling new Peacehaven Heights Clifftop
Bungee Jump or White Cliffs Abseil?
Perhaps you’ve always fancied a Skydive over the Salisbury
Wing Walking Sunday 18 July,
Headcorn Aerodrome, Kent
Plains or even an exhilarating Wing Walk? These events are
naturally socially-distanced, so whatever gets your heart
pumping, we’ve got it covered:
Skydives Saturday 17 April, Sunday 15 August and
Sunday 31 October, Old Sarem Airfield, Salisbury
Bungee Jump Saturday 5 June,
Steyne Gardens, Worthing
Supporting us at Christmas
Christmas is always a special time at St Barnabas House and we’re so grateful to you,
our wonderful community, for coming together to celebrate and support the hospice.
Light Up a Life St Barnabas Christmas appeal
We were overwhelmed by your kind support of A huge thanks to all of you who so kindly
our 2020 Light Up a Life appeal. Together, you donated, and helped make Christmas as
raised a fabulous £52,867, which will make a huge special as possible for our hospice patients
difference to the patients and families being cared and their families.
for at St Barnabas House. As well as your generous donations, we
Sadly, due to the COVID-19 crisis, we couldn’t hold our much- received hundreds of heart-warming
loved annual service at Worthing Assembly Hall. Instead, we bauble messages, which we hung up
held a virtual remembrance celebration, which you can watch for everyone to see. Altogether
now at www.stbh.org.uk/lightupalife-virtualservice you raised an amazing £60,238,
enough to pay for all our care
You can still light a virtual candle and make a dedication
services over the festive period.
to your loved ones online at www.stbarnabashouse.
dedicationpage.org/dedicateacandle
Wear it Festive
We’re grateful to everyone who wore their favourite
festive jumper, pair of reindeer antlers or Santa suit for our
Wear it Festive event in December. You helped raise vital
funds for local hospice care, with donations still coming in. for St Barnabas House
Stay in touch Write to St Barnabas House, Titnore Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 6NZ
6
Walk Cycle
NEW DATE for 2021 Hit the Downs MTB
We were really disappointed to have to cancel our – Sunday 11 July
annual Night to Remember event last year, and we’re After 2020’s postponement, Hit the Downs is back
very grateful to the fantastic 300 of you who joined us on 11 July! Social distancing measures will be in place,
virtually for Sunrise to Remember. and we look forward to welcoming you – whether
The good news is that Night to Remember is back on you’re a seasoned rider, weekend warrior or taking on a
Saturday 11 September, with all the camaraderie and personal challenge. Pick your route and Hit the Downs
solidarity it brings. The nights should still be balmy, and with us!
we hope to be able to bring you all the bells and whistles
this fantastic event deserves. We hope to see you there! Choose your cycling challenge
If you prefer a road cycling challenge, head to our
South Downs Trek website and choose between the London to Brighton
This popular 26.2 mile challenge also returns on Cycle Ride on 19 September, or something a bit
Saturday 18 September. Calling all strollers, stompers, further afield. There are plenty of ways to saddle up
ramblers and trekkers – join us for a marathon walk for St Barnabas House.
across the rolling hills of the South Downs, while
supporting St Barnabas House.
Run
My Marathon Month: April 2021
Could you take on the challenge of running a marathon
over the month of April? Or dare you take it up a level,
with a 50-mile ultra-marathon in the same period? We’re
challenging you to run 26.2 or 50 miles in 30 days, and
support our St Barnabas House patients along the way.
More great events
Many of the nation’s most popular runs are returning
later in the year, with COVID-19 safety measures in
place. The highlights are listed below and you can find all
this year’s running opportunities at www.stbh.org.uk/run
Choose your walking challenge Worthing 10K
If you’re looking for other opportunities to don your Sunday 7 June,
walking boots and raise funds for St Barnabas House, take Worthing Seafront
a look at the various walking challenges on our website –
from the Jurassic Coast Challenge, to trekking Snowdon
at night, there’s something for everyone!
Good luck ...
Brighton Half
Marathon
Sunday 27 June,
...to our amazing supporters taking
Brighton Seafront
part in the Spinnaker Tower Abseil
on 18 April; postponed from 2020 Brighton Marathon
due to weather conditions. We and BM10K
know how much you’re finally Sunday 12 September,
looking forward to this event Brighton Seafront
and hope you all have a fantastic
experience. Thank you so much For more information on all
for your patience and support! our events and to sign up, visit
www.stbh.org.uk/events
Email info@stbh.org.uk Telephone 01903 706300 @stbarnabashouse
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We need you!
The crucial services we provide would not be possible without
people like you, and there are lots of ways you can support us
Make your sunflower memories
Our annual Sunflower Memories appeal is a lovely
way to remember a loved one, and help St Barnabas
House at the same time
As in previous years, we’ll be displaying hundreds of sunflower markers,
each bearing the name of a loved one for whom a donation has been made
to the hospice.
We’ll be contacting previous participants by post to tell you about this year’s
appeal. You can also find details at www.stbh.org.uk/sunflower-memories
or by calling the Fundraising Team on 01903 706329.
Leave a gift in your Will
The kind gifts people leave St Barnabas House in their Wills support
everything the hospice does. We couldn’t continue without them
Look out for news of our annual Make a Will Month
in October, when you can have a simple Will written
or updated by a local solicitor, in return for a donation
to St Barnabas House.
“You looked after a very dear friend of mine
who died at a very young age; he always sang
your praises. It’s amazing how much you do
and how little funding you get. Leaving a gift
in my Will is my way to give back.”
Gifts in Wills fund the care costs of one in every
Mrs E, who has kindly remembered
four people we support. And with COVID-19 St Barnabas House in her Will
affecting other areas of our fundraising, they’re more
important than ever.
The current situation, coupled with the life changes
Our wonderful legacy benefactors
many of us have experienced in the pandemic, has We’re grateful to all of those who have remembered
made people think more about the importance of St Barnabas House in their Wills, and we’re proud to
having a valid Will. Of course, you’ll want to take remember and celebrate their kindness in our online
care of your loved ones first. But if you can, please book of benefactors. You can browse
consider leaving a legacy gift to St Barnabas House. the pages of this special book and view
Your thoughtfulness today can help us guarantee the names of our generous supporters
dedicated, compassionate hospice care for local at www.theonlinebookcompany.com/
people and their families in the future. OnlineBooks/StBarnabas
You can also read
