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d d d DAWN WALK d d d d f f d d f d Letter from the Consultant Dear All As we enter an exciting new phase in the journey of St David’s Hospice by being confirmed as a Specialist hospice, I am privileged to be seen as part of this enthusiastic, dynamic team. I am originally from Namibia, and studied Medicine at the University of Stellenbosch (near Cape Town) in South Africa.  After finishing my degree, I came to Wrexham to start my career as a junior doctor.  I then worked in several hospitals in North and South Wales before starting specialist training in Palliative Medicine in 2004. Recently, I have been appointed as Clinical Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine at Cardiff University (but based in North Wales).  This means I work as a consultant in Palliative Medicine for half of the week (of which one day is at St David’s Hospice) and the remaining time is used furthering the education of and research into Palliative Medicine in North Wales. At St David’s Hospice, I work with Dr Leask and his medical team, in conjunction with the nursing team and allied healthcare professionals, to assist them in their endeavours to ensure optimal care for our patients.  With the wider team, I am involved in service development, striving eagerly to play my role in ensuring that we rise to the challenges ahead. I am looking forward to a long and rewarding relationship with St David’s as we take the service forward, and increase links with the Trust and other units in Wales. Kind regards Marlise Poolman Way before sunrise, on Sunday, 23rd August, over three hundred women took part in our 2nd Dawn Walk. The sponsorship is now coming in steadily. As we go to press the total stands at £15,300. This should rise considerably in the weeks that follow, and we hope to at least equal last year’s total of £16,000. AUTUMN/WINTER 2009 NEWSLETTER ST. DAvID’S HoSPICE DISPELLING THE MYTHS St. David’s Hospice – A Very Special Place My mother, who lives in Morfa Nefyn, was referred to St David’s Hospice by the medical staff at Nefyn Surgery, so Mike and I drove up from Hampshire to support her at this important and difficult time. We don’t know the area, but with the help of good signposting we found the Hospice quite easily from the A55. We felt distinctly nervous as this was our first introduction to hospice care for our immediate family. Imagine our relief when we saw an entrance area alive with people enjoying their afternoon tea & cakes in a lovely sunny café, and most important of all a big welcome from the charming lady sitting at the reception desk. We were immediately taken down to the in-patient area where we found my mother enjoying the calm, friendly, reassuring atmosphere. The staff made us so welcome, and this welcome was extended to our very elderly spaniel James! My mother adores James so his presence was most reassuring for her too. For the duration of my mother’s stay at the Hospice we stayed at her house in Nefyn, and found the daily journey from the Lleyn to Llandudno quite straightforward and incredibly worthwhile when we saw the amazing quality of her care. This was also helped by the fact that the staff made every effort to make us feel as at home as possible. St. David’s is indeed a wonderful place, and I would recommend it to any family who finds itself in need of the very special service it provides. Jennifer Charles By virtue of its location in Llandudno, it’s fair to say that the population of Conwy County are better informed about our services and developments than people, say from Gwynedd and Anglesey. This needs to be addressed, because although there are excellent community services in these areas, sometimes what is needed is an inpatient stay, and this is where St. David’s Hospice comes into its own. So it’s important that whether you live in Llandudno or Holyhead or anywhere in between you know how your Hospice can serve you. Maybe before the days of the expressway there would have been real and justifiable concerns about the accessibility of the Hospice to anyone living outside the Llandudno area. But now (Unless of course the A55 is being dug up. Again.), it takes a little over half an hour to get to the Hospice from Bangor or Caernarfon, under an hour to get here from Holyhead, and just over an hour from Pwllheli. We also need to dispel the myth that hospices are all about dying. Hospice care is about much more than this. Although we cannot gloss over this aspect of the work, and we would not want to, what must be stressed is that hospices are all about living with a terminal illness, the dignity of individuals, and the value placed on every minute of life. Much of what we do here concerns symptom control, and very often patients may come for a short stay, so that symptoms can be stabilized and they can return home to enjoy a greater degree of comfort than they would otherwise experience. And in some cases, because hospice care extends to the family and other loved ones, we can provide specialist respite care. This can be invaluable for the well-being of the carer, thus enabling the patient to be cared for at home for longer. Another thing that needs to be stressed is St. David’s is an adult hospice which essentially means that it cares for anyone over the age of eighteen who meets the clinical criteria, regardless of class or creed, completely free of charge. And here I hope to dispel another misconception, and that is that St. David’s only cares for cancer patients. No. We care for anyone with a progressive life threatening illness, and although cancer is prevalent, it is by no means the only life threatening illness. And St. David’s is not a nursing home or an expensive private clinic! I stress this only because from time to time word gets back to me that that is what people think it is, and it’s upsetting to think that someone who may have benefitted from our care, didn’t get it because they were misinformed. St. David’s is a specialist unit staffed by a multi- disciplinary clinical team led by a palliative care consultant. We are very definitely not elitist. We work very closely with our colleagues in the Health Service, and those from fellow organisations such as Marie Curie, Macmillan and Cruse to name but a few. our referral procedure is not complicated. Your G.P., District Nurse, Macmillan Nurse, or Hospital Consultant can refer you. They need only call us on 01492 879058 and we will e.mail or fax a referral form through to their practice. If they have not heard of us, please spread the word! We are always happy to discuss ways in which we may be able to help, or give more information about our inpatient and day care services. Nia Rosser-Hughes (Matron)

St David's Hospice Autumn Winter Newsletter 2009 English

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Page 1: St David's Hospice Autumn Winter Newsletter 2009 English

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DAWN WALK

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Letter from the Consultant

Dear AllAs we enter an exciting new phase in the journey of St David’s Hospice by

being confirmed as a Specialist hospice, I am privileged to be seen as part

of this enthusiastic, dynamic team.

I am originally from Namibia, and studied Medicine at the University

of Stellenbosch (near Cape Town) in South Africa.   After finishing my

degree, I came to Wrexham to start my career as a junior doctor.   I then

worked in several hospitals in North and South Wales before starting

specialist training in Palliative Medicine in 2004.

Recently, I have been appointed as Clinical Senior Lecturer in Palliative

Medicine at Cardiff University (but based in North Wales).   This means

I work as a consultant in Palliative Medicine for half of the week (of

which one day is at St David’s Hospice) and the remaining time is used

furthering the education of and research into Palliative Medicine in North

Wales.

At St David’s Hospice, I work with Dr Leask and his medical team, in

conjunction with the nursing team and allied healthcare professionals, to

assist them in their endeavours to ensure optimal care for our patients.  

With the wider team, I am involved in service development, striving

eagerly to play my role in ensuring that we rise to the challenges ahead.

I am looking forward to a long and rewarding relationship with St David’s

as we take the service forward, and increase links with the Trust and other

units in Wales.

Kind regards

Marlise Poolman

Way before sunrise, on Sunday, 23rd August, over three hundred women took part in our 2nd Dawn Walk. The sponsorship is now coming in steadily.As we go to press the total stands at £15,300. This should rise considerably in the weeks that follow, and we hope to at least equal last year’s total of £16,000.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2009 NEWSLETTERST. DAvID’S HoSPICE

DISPELLING THE MYTHS

St. David’s Hospice – A Very Special PlaceMy mother, who lives in Morfa Nefyn, was referred to St David’s Hospice by the medical staff at Nefyn Surgery, so Mike and I drove up from Hampshire to support her at this important and difficult time. We don’t know the area, but with the help of good signposting we found the Hospice quite easily from the A55.

We felt distinctly nervous as this was our first introduction to hospice care for our immediate family. Imagine our relief when we saw an entrance area alive with people enjoying their afternoon tea & cakes in a lovely sunny café, and most important of all a big welcome from the charming lady sitting at the reception desk.

We were immediately taken down to the in-patient area where we found my mother enjoying the calm, friendly, reassuring atmosphere. The staff made us so welcome, and this welcome was extended to our very elderly spaniel James! My mother adores James so his presence was most reassuring for her too.

For the duration of my mother’s stay at the Hospice we stayed at her house in Nefyn, and found the daily journey from the Lleyn to Llandudno quite straightforward and incredibly worthwhile when we saw the amazing quality of her care. This was also helped by the fact that the staff made every effort to make us feel as at home as possible. St. David’s is indeed a wonderful place, and I would recommend it to any family who finds itself in need of the very special service it provides.

Jennifer Charles

By virtue of its location in Llandudno, it’s fair to say that the population of Conwy County are better informed about our services and developments than people, say from Gwynedd and Anglesey. This needs to be addressed, because although there are excellent community services in these areas, sometimes what is needed is an inpatient stay, and this is where St. David’s Hospice comes into its own. So it’s important that whether you live in Llandudno or Holyhead or anywhere in between you know how your Hospice can serve you.

Maybe before the days of the expressway there would have been real and justifiable concerns about the accessibility of the Hospice to anyone living outside the Llandudno area. But now (Unless of course the A55 is being dug up. Again.), it takes a little over half an hour to get to the Hospice from Bangor or Caernarfon, under an hour to get here from Holyhead, and just over an hour from Pwllheli.

We also need to dispel the myth that hospices are all about dying. Hospice care is about much more than this. Although we cannot gloss over this aspect of the work, and we would not want to, what must be stressed is that hospices are all about living with a terminal illness, the dignity of individuals, and the value placed on every minute of life.

Much of what we do here concerns symptom control, and very often patients may come for a short stay, so that symptoms can be stabilized and they can return home to enjoy a greater degree of comfort than they would otherwise experience. And in some cases, because hospice care extends to the family and other loved ones, we can provide specialist respite care. This can be invaluable for the well-being of the carer, thus enabling the patient to be cared for at home for longer.

Another thing that needs to be stressed is St. David’s is an adult hospice which essentially means that it cares for anyone over the age of eighteen who meets the clinical criteria, regardless of class or creed, completely free of charge. And here I hope to dispel another misconception, and that is that St. David’s only cares for cancer patients. No. We care for anyone with a progressive life threatening illness, and although cancer is prevalent, it is by no means the only life threatening illness. And St. David’s is not a nursing home or an expensive private clinic! I stress this only because from time to time word gets back to me that that is what people think it is, and it’s upsetting to think that someone who may have benefitted from our care, didn’t get it because they were misinformed. St. David’s is a specialist unit staffed by a multi-disciplinary clinical team led by a palliative care consultant. We are very definitely not elitist. We work very closely with our colleagues in the Health Service, and those from fellow organisations such as Marie Curie, Macmillan and Cruse to name but a few.

our referral procedure is not complicated. Your G.P., District Nurse, Macmillan Nurse, or Hospital Consultant can refer you. They need only call us on 01492 879058 and we will e.mail or fax a referral form through to their practice. If they have not heard of us, please spread the word! We are always happy to discuss ways in which we may be able to help, or give more information about our inpatient and day care services.

Nia Rosser-Hughes (Matron)

Page 2: St David's Hospice Autumn Winter Newsletter 2009 English

Volunteers are the life-blood of the Hospice. Without them the tills in the shops would cease to ring; the coffee at Café Dewi would not flow; and the reception desk would lose its friendly smile. And these are but a handful of the tasks that volunteers do for the Hospice! Right now the Distribution Centre needs people happy to put in a few hours a week, processing clothes etc. before they are sent out to the shops. We would also dearly love to open Café Dewi over the weekend, but need a bank of willing volunteers who can commit themselves to a couple of hours on a Saturday or Sunday.If you think you might like to help, but need further information, please contact Janet Magill (Administrator) on 01492 879058.

All in a Day’s Work‘Do you know the way to the coach park/Barclays bank/the loos/that other charity shop – you know the one?’

‘Do you sell knitting needles? Have you got a top hat? A wedding dress? Do you sell coat hangers?’

‘What is St David’s?’

As a volunteer in the Lloyd Street Shop in Llandudno it is surprising the variety of questions one gets asked. But if I don’t know the answer, Eryl the team leader usually does, so no problem! I am kept busy wrapping up china & glass purchases, clothes or books – always enquiring ‘Do you need a bag?’ A lot of customers bring a carrier with them which saves on ours. Jewellery and curios are kept in the display case next to the till and customers often ask to have a good look at an item before they buy. And then we both marvel at anything from a beautiful old brooch to a set of silver fish knives! When it is a bit quiet I help Eryl to keep the shop tidy, re-hanging garments or pricing books. The variety of stock at the Lloyd Street Shop is amazing. We even sell furniture, prams and pushchairs. And it can get interesting when a customer wants to buy the suit modelled on the dummy in the window! It can be a bit of a tussle to undress the dummy much to everyone’s amusement and then Eryl sets up a new window display.

Being surrounded with all this wonderful variety of goods – oh volunteer beware – what temptation lurks! Having recently moved house I had a good clear out and donated lots of ‘unwanted’ items to the Hospice shop. But, oh no – I can’t resist (Eryl smiles as I say), ‘oh I haven’t read this book and here’s a mirror which will look great in my new house and what about this cushion, the colour matches ...’ So off I go at the end of the day, very happy with my purchases. Just like many of the customers who seem so pleased with their ‘finds’. Comments such as -

‘I can’t believe I’ve found this – I have been searching for one of these for ages!’

‘My Mum had one of those – fancy seeing that!’

‘Can I try this on? oh – doesn’t it look great. What a bargain!’

‘And what about these lovely shoes?’

- all liven up the afternoon. A welcome tea break mid-session soon comes round. When we shut up shop at 4.30 pm Eryl cashes up to see if we have had a successful day. We usually have! And what is more I have enjoyed myself and often secured a ‘bargain’ too. So if you are thinking of volunteering, go on and give it a try, I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Sue Mackie (Shop Volunteer)

Meet the CollectorsSt David’s Hospice would be in a mess without the Hospice Lottery- and the Hospice Lottery would be in a mess without our dedicated team of collectors, who go out in all weathers to collect the Lottery subscriptions of 4000 of our 11,500 members- that’s 35% of the totalmembership.

In this occasional series, we visit our collectors to see if we can find out what makes them tick. Today the spotlight is on Jim Kirkbride of Bull Bay, Amlwch. Jim and his wife Maureen retired to Bull Bay in 2001. Previously they lived in Stockport, Cheshire, and Jim worked as Regional Service Manager for a company which serviced printing machinery. Jim joined our Hospice Lottery team in 2003, and since then has collected over £75,000 from his loyal members, who are scattered all over east and central Anglesey.

Jim is now 74 years old, and shows no sign of slowing down. His only problem with collecting is that it sometimes takes him away from building projects at his home- he has recently completed a new greenhouse.

He enjoys his work as a Hospice Lottery Collector because it enables him to meet many hundreds of lovely people from all over Anglesey, whom he now considers his friends. He feels that he is making a worthwhile contribution to the community, and has discovered that many of his older members have a fund of stories about the history of the Isle of Anglesey and its people.

Jim sees part of his role to gently persuade waverers not to cancel their Lottery membership. He reminds them that their Lottery subscriptions pay the running costs of a totally free service, open to all in North West Wales, to help terminally ill people and their families. To date, the Hospice Lottery has passed

nearly £4.5M to the hospice: the Lottery players pay for one day in four of the Hospice running costs- we couldn’t manage without them - and players also have a chance of a win. Prizes vary from £5 to £2000, and each year we run two Superdraws with prize pots totalling £5000. To join, telephone 0800 9706242 or join online at www.stdavidshospice.org.uk

s Photograph: Jim with three of his Benllech members,Sarah Williams, Rhoda Roberts and Alun Hughes

St. David’s Hospice Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2009 St. David’s Hospice Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2009

Page 3: St David's Hospice Autumn Winter Newsletter 2009 English

Festive Fundraising NewsNever let it be said that here in the Fundraising office we don’t do Christmas. We’ve been thinking about Christmas since before Easter! First there were the cards to be selected and ordered. This needs to be done in January. Seriously! Anyway, we have a great selection and these are now available from all our shops and from the shop here in the reception area of the Hospice. And order forms can downloaded from the website (see address on front page). This would also be a good time to mention our 2010 Calendars. Twelve great photos of North West Wales. Thirteen if you include the lovely cover photo of the rainbow over Blaenau Ffestiniog.

We also have a Share a Card scheme. Great for the planet, and it also puts an end to all that crazy last minute writing of cards to colleagues and the ‘Help! Who have I forgotten?’ moments. Now instead we can add our Christmas messages to the Nativity Poster which can be pinned up or passed around the office, and all we need do in return is pop a donation into the pot. So take the initiative and contact us. Everyone at your workplace will be grateful and immensely relieved!

Then there is the Trafford Centre Coach Trip on Thursday, 12th November, timed with Christmas shopping in mind. Tickets cost £13 and go fast. Last year we filled two coaches. Probably could have filled another had there been another one to fill. All I’m saying is, ‘he who hesitates is lost’. Book your place now.

The Annual Hospice Christmas Fair is scheduled for Saturday, 5th December. This year the accent is on calm, so there won’t be a bouncy castle, reindeers, or people dressed up as snowmen singing Walking in a Winter Wonderland. However, Father Christmas will be there, and so will all the most popular stalls. This year the venue will be the Reception and Cafe area of the Hospice, and next door in the Loreto Convent Hall. A decision based on practicalities and logistics! What we will need in advance is unwanted gifts for our Nearly New Stall, cakes and jam, jewellery and handmade crafts, and all these will be gratefully received at the Hospice in the week leading up to the day.

Beth Bithell & Marie Lidgett(Fundraising Co-ordinators)

A huge thanks to all of you out there who have supported us so magnificently during the course of the year. Not only have you turned up to our sponsored walks in droves, thrown yourselves out of planes, bought tickets for the Summer Ball and various concerts, attended the Summer Fete etc., but so many of you have taken on fundraising projects of your own, thereby swelling the coffers and helping us to keep the show on the road.

£15,000 was raised at this year’s ‘Black & White & Bling’ Summer Ball.

£8,200 raised at Summer Fete.Hon. President William Roache drew the

crowds! Shhh…don’t tell Deirdre!

Treading the Boards of Llandudno Pier raised £1,940.

Cllr. Phil Edwards, the 2008/09 Mayor of Colwyn Bay raised a grand total of

£14,000 for his chosen charities – St. David’s & Ty Gobaith.

FrEEFALLING!Andrew Leater & Nicola Thomson raised

£1,100 in memory of Andrew’s Mum.

The Pendyffryn Hall Fun Day -£2,100 raised. Bringing their total

to over £8,000. Nice Shark!

The Magistrate’s Court Tea Bar Teamhave raised a phenomenal £24,000

since 2003.

St. David’s Hospice Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2009 St. David’s Hospice Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2009

Page 4: St David's Hospice Autumn Winter Newsletter 2009 English

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Not All Doom and Gloom A recurring question for St David’s is “how is the downturn affecting the Hospice?” and it’s not a straightforward one to answer.

At the end of June 2009, expenditure was greater than income, which is obviously not ideal. But while individual donations are down compared with previous years, income from areas such as ‘In Memoriam’ is up, and the shops are bringing in more money too. So we are cautiously optimistic that things are moving in the right direction, and that balance can be restored. We just cannot afford to be complacent!

In July we were informed that our allocation for 2009/10 from the Welsh Assembly Government had been agreed and we have been granted the sum of £240,000 to be put directly to help support patient care. This will help fund our part-time consultant post, increase the amount of medical cover available, and develop the team which supports the nursing staff (therapists and social worker).

This money from the Welsh Assembly Government is very welcome, but we are conscious that our allocation for next year could change. So there will be no resting on laurels or easing up on fundraising. The fact is we need to find £1.5 million per year to ensure that our patients get the best possible care. Nothing less will do.

Andrew Humphreys (Finance Officer)

Income January to June 2009 - £889,124 Expenditure January to June 2009 - £969,839

fLottery income -

net figure17%

Grants1%

Welsh Assembly 1%

Interest & Investment0%Donations

3%In Memoriam

6%Misc3%

NHS7%

Fundraising eventshospice & community

initiated11%

Legacies27%

other overheads6%

Repairs & Main’t4%

Premises Costs3%

Fundraising Costs4%

Shop Expenses15%

Admin Wages11%

Patient Care57%

Shop Sales24%

10TH ANNIVERSARy

St. David’s Hospice Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2009 St. David’s Hospice Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2009

on the 27th May St. David’s Hospice celebrated its 10th Anniversary. Amongst the guests were Phyllis Ford, the driving force behind the initial

fundraising campaign to establish St. David’s Hospice; Arthur Shaughnessy, the 1st Chairman; and Gladys Harrison our current Chairman.

I am originally from the Bala area and went to school there, going on to Aberystwyth University to study law. I served my articles with a large Wrexham firm who acted for N.U.M. and so was frequently sent down the coalmines to investigate accidents. I’ve had a lot of sympathy with the miners ever since. We also handled several murder cases.

I qualified as a solicitor in 1961 and arrived in Llandudno in 1969. At first I did a great deal of criminal court work, which I enjoyed immensely, but it was too time consuming, so I gave it up and for the last 30 years have

concentrated mainly on wills, probate and trust work. I retired last year but I’m still involved as a consultant.

I’m married to val, and we have three children - Lisa, Ryan and Mark. They have all spent lengthy periods in vietnam, Hong Kong and China respectively, and this necessitated several holiday visits to these countries. Ryan and his family still live in Hong Kong.

We have six grandchildren, going on seven. They keep me occupied some of the time, and I play some golf, but I do miss my work, and the

daily contact with clients and the satisfaction of being able to help them. However, my involvement with St. David’s is very fulfilling.

Spotlight on J.O. JonesTrustee NewsThe Board of Trustees welcome J.o. Jones to his new post as Hospice vice Chairman following the retirement of Brian Goldsmith. J. o. who is also the Company Secretary has been a trustee for 5 years and brings a wealth of experience to this new role.

We also welcome Geoff Homer from Fairbourne in Gwynedd; Jack Moffet from Colwyn Bay; and Mike Mason from Llandudno. These three new trustees bring their skills on a voluntary basis and we are delighted to have such a strong input to our governance team.

Gladys Harrison (Chairman)

Page 5: St David's Hospice Autumn Winter Newsletter 2009 English

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The Tree of Lights, organised for St. David’s by the Rhos on Sea Rotarians, has raised an incredible £75,600 since its inception in 1998. But this tree represents so much more than fantastic fundraising. In the words of a former president of the Rhos on Sea Rotary Club –

‘ Every year more and more dedications flood in, and every year we come together to sing and remember those we love. It’s always special. There is so much pressure to enjoy ourselves at Christmas that we often lose sight of how difficult it is for those who have lost someone close, and I believe that the Tree of Lights can act as a focus and concentrate our thoughts on what is important in life. The Rhos on Sea Rotarians consider it an honour and a privilege to be able to give our continued support to our local St. David’s Hospice and the community with this venture.’

The Lighting Up Ceremony will take place at 4.30pm on Sunday, 29th November, on the Cayley Promenade, Rhos on Sea. All welcome.

Tree of Lights

Phot

ogra

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reen

RHOS-ON-SEA ROTARy CLUB - TREE OF LIGHTSIN AID OF ST DAVID’S HOSPICE

I would like a light on the tree to celebrate/commemorate

.........................................................................................................................................................................

I would like to donate £ ..........................................................................................................................

Your Name ...................................................................................................................................................

Your Address ...............................................................................................................................................

GIFT AID: Please tick the first box if you are a taxpayer.An extra 25p for every £1 you donate can be claimed without any cost or inconvenience to you. e.g., a donation of £20 becomes £25.00p.

Tick the second box if you would like an entry in the Book of Lights

Send this form and your donation to:Fundraising Dept, St David’s Hospice, Abbey Rd, Llandudno, LL30 2EN

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A Social Worker’s Role at St. David’s HospiceWhen I came to work at St David’s Hospice in February 2008 my post was new and I felt very excited about developing this service. I’m well into my second year now, and proud of what’s been achieved.

A large part of my role is to enable people to be cared for at home for as long as possible. This involves co-ordinating patient’s discharge home from Inpatients, and maintaining Day Care patients at home with the provision of home care support. I

help people (patients and carers) understand what care assistance is available to them, help locate funding to pay for the care, and also help to arrange putting this care into place. And if for any reason, a patient can no longer be cared for at home, I then help to find a nursing home placement and the necessary funding. Providing information about financial benefit entitlements is a very important aspect of my work, as financial difficulties can be linked to illness,

and are certainly the last thing anyone needs at such a time.

I also work within the Conwy and Denbighshire Child Bereavement Service, accepting referrals for children who have experienced a bereavement and identifying the most appropriate agency to help them cope with their loss.

In July 2009 my role in developing the Social Work service at the Hospice was recognised by Conwy

County Borough Council, and I was nominated for an award at the annual Celebrating Excellent Achievements Award. That was great, but more rewarding is my own belief that the Social Work service makes a valuable contribution to the work of the multi-disciplinary team here at St. David’s, and that the team makes such a difference to patients and their carers during such an important time in their lives.

Suzanne Jones (Social Worker)

This beautiful Edwardian Style Doll’s House was built and furnished by Sid and Brenda Walker from Rhos on Sea. Sadly, Brenda died before the work was complete, but made Sid promise to finish and donate it to St. David’s in order to raise funds. It now stands, pride of place, in the Hospice Reception. A testament to a remarkable lady.

Tickets: £1 Available from the Hospice, or from any of the eight Hospice Shops.

Draw date: 10th December 2009

A Collector’s Piece

St. David’s Hospice Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2009 St. David’s Hospice Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2009

Page 6: St David's Hospice Autumn Winter Newsletter 2009 English

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PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP OUR RECORDSUP TO DATE

We like sending you information 2-3 times a year to keep you informed about St David’s Hospice and how you can help. We hope you find it interesting. But if you no longer wish to receive information or you are receiving duplications, please complete this form and return it to the address below. This will help to keep our costs down. Thank you.

Name: ........................................................................................................................................

Address: ....................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................. Postcode: ..................................

Telephone no: ..........................................................................................................................

o Please remove me from your mailing listo I am receiving more than one copy o I would prefer to receive the newsletter electronically

Email Address: ...................................................................................................................

Please return to:St David’s Hospice, Abbey Rd, Llandudno, Conwy, LL30 2EN. 01492 879058.Alternatively email your details to: [email protected]

St. David’s Hospice and its lottery company St. David’s Promotions Ltd. are registered under the Data Protection Act 1998. The Hospice does not pass personal data to any other organisations.

The Great St. David’s Hospice Coffee Morning Challenge

Put the kettle on and help us raise£10,000 before 27th May 2010.

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best! So in this our 10th Anniversary Year, we are hoping that The Great Coffee Morning Challenge will capture the imagination of our supporters and raise £10,000 before 27th May 2010. All that’s needed is a church or community hall, or even your front room or garden, and a band of friends who aren’t afraid to get stuck in. It‘s also worth bearing in mind that ‘Coffee Morning’ is a very loose term and can apply to Coffee Evenings, Afternoon Tea Parties, Cheese & Wine, and Cocktail Parties, and that the Fundraising Co-ordinators at the Hospice are on hand to help with publicity, and any advice you may need.

For further details or an information pack please contact Beth or Marie on 01492 879058 (office hours).

A brief account of Gary Eisenhauer’s epic fundraising journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats

I completed the ride on Wednesday June 10th, arriving at John o’ Groats between 7.30 and 8pm in the evening after a final day’s ride of 73 miles (slightly less than the previous day’s 98.5 miles). I managed to cover a total of 1,292 miles between leaving Land’s End on the 23rd May and arriving 19 days later at John o’Groats. This mileage was bolstered by a 69 mile sportive (in the southern Peak District/Donnington Park area) at the end of the first week and some navigational issues in Exeter, Bristol and Chesterfield! But, it was an adventure I’ll remember for some time and I won’t forget the fact that my bike spent one night propping up the bar in an empty pub and another night in a disabled toilet (again in a pub!). Its a long story.

The weather was great if you ignore the fact that I had head winds nearly every day from the Peak District onwards! So much for prevailing wind currents being

generally south to north! However, it only rained on 3 of the 19 days (2 mornings and an afternoon to be precise) though was a bit too hot around the northern Peaks/south Yorkshire. The heat, the very steep hills in this area probably contributed to the hardest couple of days for me and I did struggle to cover any miles at this point. However, for the vast majority of the time I was smiling and the question is where next?

The only mechanical issues were tightening a loose bolt on the rear carrier in the Forest of Dean and a broken chain on the very last day 40 miles from the end! Didn’t get a single puncture in all those miles!

Three cheers to Gary for raising £1125.90. Not so much a drop in the ocean, as a big fat puddle!

Goats + Tigers = SheepSpring 2001 and we were having goat trouble. It

would seem that the grassy slope directly behind the

Hospice was the favoured gathering place for the

resident ‘orme Billies’ after their breeding duties had

been discharged. Don’t get me wrong, I like goats, but

sweeping up after them was becoming a full-time job.

The car park was in danger of becoming knee deep in

the proverbial… Not only that, but we were feeling

responsible for the destruction they were wreaking in

neighbouring gardens on the way to our lush pasture.

They were the match for any fence or gate. And as for

hedges - they loved them! Armed with brooms, we

would see them off the grounds every morning, and

the next day they would be back, munching happily,

totally unfazed by our lack of hospitality. Things were

getting desperate, and we even shelled out good

money for some sonic contraptions advertised in the

Times Magazine. We strapped them onto the eaves

on all four corners of the building, switched them on,

and waited for the goats to depart. They didn’t turn

a hair. It was time to up the stakes, and these stakes

came in the shape, or should I say smell of tiger poo.

Joe Ashton (our 1st C.E.) had read an article about the

deterrent power of said substance.

‘Janet…’ he said, ‘… it’s like this! one whiff of a large

predator, and you won’t see them for dust.’ And that’s

how come, one day after work, I found myself at

the Welsh Mountain Zoo taking delivery of two big

black plastic bags of Sumatran Tiger droppings. We

loaded them into Joe’s old Peugeot, very carefully,

and made our way straight back to the Hospice to

take advantage of a rare goat free evening. Here

we donned rubber aprons, and wearing surgeon’s

gloves began the painstaking task of crumbling

and scattering the tiger’s offerings all around the

perimeter of the grounds. A good day’s work we

thought. Next day I left home feeling fairly confident

that we’d sorted out those pesky critters. And so we

had. Not a goat in sight. Instead, most unusually, a

sizeable flock of sheep!

Needless to say, this was just a temporary blip in the normal order of things. Emrys (the farmer) fetched his renegade sheep, the goats came back, and we have learnt to tolerate these lovable rogues. We just keep on sweeping!

Janet Magill (Administrator)

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Nineteen Days in the Saddle

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St. David’s Hospice Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2009