St Luke's Hospice Plymouth

Here at St Luke’s our community is so important to us. It means even more when local businesses join together to show their support. You may have seen their name on our Men’s Day Out promo as the sponsor for the event - JEM Scaffolding – Plymouth’s leading scaffolding company. This year they have done some incredible fundraising alongside Sherford Building and Developments raising £25,000. The money was raised from a golf day earlier in the year and their recent ball, both at Boringdon Park Golf Club. It will enable us to provide a package of care at home for 25 families. Darren Toms is the Managing Director of JEM Scaffolding and has gone above and beyond supporting St Luke’s, from donating gifts at Christmas to sponsoring Men’s Day Out. Darren said: “The drive for me was when dad was cared for by St Luke’s back in 2018 . He was in here for well over 3 months. I got to see a different side to the hospice by being here every day until the end. “It’s something that I want to support, it’s personal. Something that Plymouth and our community needs. That was it for me back then. I have seen families come in who have not been in the best position and I thought if I could help them at some point in the future and make their lives a bit easier then I would.” Having been friends since childhood Darren joined forces with Kev Ryder, one of the Directors at Sherford Building & Developments to embark on the fundraising challenge. Darren added: “Myself and friends lost a very close friend earlier in the year and on top of that Kev’s Dad passed away at Christmas time, so we thought what else can we do. Everyone worked amazingly as a team to pull it together. To make the money we did everyone who was involved in it should be very proud of themselves. I would especially like to thank my wife Michelle for her support, she helped care for my Dad a lot and knows how much this means to me so has put in an amazing effort.” Carla Ryder, Administrator at Sherford Building and Developments and wife of Kev, said: “St Luke’s is a charity really close to our hearts. My mum was here 5 years and was well looked after and Kev’s Dad sadly passed away last Boxing Day being cared for at home by a team from St Luke’s. The team managed to make him comfortable at home so he could stay at home with the family on Christmas Day. Even though it was Christmas they went out of their way to make him feel comfortable. “So this was something that we always wanted to do and we’re really pleased that we’ve been able to raise such a great amount of money that will hopefully help St Luke’s in many ways. 25 families at home that would get that packet of care. It’s amazing, it makes me want to cry. That’s why we do it and that’s why we will continue to do it year on year.” Thank you JEM Scaffolding and Sherford Building and Developments for your amazing support.

We are here for you 365 days a year. Nurses Julie and Rachel are some of the team working at our specialist unit today, making sure that our patients and their families can experience all the home comforts they are used to during the festive period. Like so many of our staff they have set time aside from their loved ones to be there for our patients, giving them comfort and kindness. You can show your appreciation for our nursing teams by sponsoring a nurse and giving a regular donation to enable them to continue delivering our care to those in need. https://bit.ly/2WAdkgD We can care because you care. Thank you.

For many of the St Luke's team, Christmas does not mean a day off. We provide our service 365 days a year. While you've been opening your presents or tucking into the turkey, our nursing teams have been bringing the gift of our specialist care to people's homes. Mary and Emma have been on the roads today delivering our Urgent Care Service and helping to keep people at home for Christmas. It is thanks to them and all our wonderful team that many of our patients and their families can celebrate the festive season together. Merry Christmas to all our staff and thank you for your ongoing hard work and dedication.

We would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas. From all of us here, we hope you have a really special day with your loved ones. Thanks to our hard working teams and volunteers like the wonderful Dazzle, we are just a phone call away if you need us. Christmas doesn't stop us from delivering our care.

Santa will have plenty of help pulling his sleigh tonight as there has been sightings of hundreds of reindeers prancing around. Pupils at Boringdon Primary School in Plympton took part in our Rudolph Run last week, raising more than £2,300 through sponsorship - providing a care at home package for at least two families - which is truly incredible. Year 5 teacher and PE Lead Naomi Campbell said: “St Luke’s is a local charity and we have had families in the past involved with them so it is a charity really close to the school’s heart so it was really good to be involved in the Rudolph Run. “St Luke’s is a charity the children hear about, they’ve got parents who have perhaps done other bits and pieces for St Luke’s and will be aware of it in that way. By taking part it empowers children, they feel they are helping a local charity like their parents might have done in the past, while making them aware for if anything was to happen in the future. “It’s coming up to Christmas and for the children as much as they’re thinking about Santa and things arriving for them, it’s also a time of giving and showing the children that by doing the Rudolph run we’re giving back to help two families in the local area is really important. “We planned for the children to do ‘Rudolph says’ during the run, they also skipped, hopped, jogged, danced, wiggled, jiggled and some even rolled. We just had a great time moving around and raising funds for St Luke’s.” To read more about our Rudolph Run visit our blog: https://lnkd.in/e_8EnVEw Thank you to Delt Shared Services Ltd for supporting our Rudolph Run.

Being at home for Christmas is something many of us can sometimes take for granted, being surrounded by loved ones, filled with laughter and love. When you are diagnosed with a terminal illness, where possible we will do all we can to keep you at home. Our team work out in the community visiting homes across Plymouth, South West Devon and East Cornwall, providing specialist care and support for you and your family to enable you to stay there. Our nurses will be out this Christmas period, making home visits to all our patients, whatever the weather. Show your support for our nurses this Christmas by making a donation. By sponsoring a St Luke’s nurse you enable us to be there for patients and their families when they need us. Find out more here https://bit.ly/2WAdkgD

It’s not just Santa that has been busy preparing gifts this year. The team at Services Design Solution (SDS) have generously donated a selection of gifts for patients and families at our specialist unit. Kate Lowman from SD Solution visited our Turnchapel HQ with bespoke toiletry bags for our patients as well as some board games to keep patients and their families entertained over the festive period. Kate and the team have been very generous over the years with regular gifts for our patients and staff. Thank you SD Solution!

Christmas can be an especially tough time when someone very close to you has died. You know the festive season won’t be the same without them. That’s something Kim Marshall is acutely aware of following the death of his dear wife, Chris, at their home in Hooe, last January. But, after receiving personal support from St Luke’s, Kim feels he’ll be able to treat his first Christmas alone as an opportunity to light up Chris’s life, reflecting on the happy relationship the avid Plymouth Argyle fans shared for 32 years. “At Christmas I’ll be thinking of Chris and all the good times we had together. I think you have got to try to think on the positive side. It will be difficult and there will probably be a few tears, but I don’t think that’s unhealthy,” said Kim. Support and understanding for our patients’ family members and close friends is a vital part of the compassionate package of care St Luke’s offers at the end of life for people affected by terminal illness. “It is so comforting to know someone is there for you. St Luke’s will always have a special place in my heart and it’s so important that people know about what they do.” Read Chris and Kim’s story on our blog https://lnkd.in/e2TqV2zP

Many of you were touched by the story of Ray Day and his wife, Sandra, who recently featured in a special TV report on hospice care by BBC Spotlight. The couple won viewers’ hearts with their frank and moving interview, talking about how they were coping together with the impact of Ray’s terminal prostate cancer diagnosis, and how St Luke’s compassionate and holistic care was helping them both. A week after filming the interview, Ray died at the couple’s Ivybridge home, aged 77. All of us at St Luke’s would like to offer our sincere condolences to Sandra and to Ray’s family and friends. We would like to thank them for allowing us to share their personal story to highlight the difference it can make when hospice care is delivered at home. Ray’s funeral will take place on at 12.30pm on Thursday 2 January at St John’s Church in Ivybridge, followed by a service at Plymouth Crematorium at 2pm. Friends and family are welcome at both services.

Run Rudolph run! There was prancing, dashing and running at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School last week as they took on our Rudolph Run. Schools from across Plymouth and the surrounding area have been taking part in the festive fun run, with the children encouraged to raise sponsorship, while gaining an understanding of the work St Luke’s does in their community, especially at this time of year where we work to try and keep families together at home for Christmas. Nearly 300 pupils from Holy Cross ran through Beaumont Park wearing a pair of reindeer antlers they had each decorated themselves, with smiles and laughter all around. Partnerships Lead at St Luke’s, Sarah Wallis said: “Holy Cross Catholic Primary School haven’t just chosen to do the Rudolph Run, they are also giving us their collections from their Nativity Plays and a Carol Concert at St Boniface Cathedral as well. They know just how vital St Luke’s is to their community and have been really committed supporters of St Luke’s for a number of years. They have also had a couple of super fundraisers in the school who have contributed over £100 each to the school’s fundraising efforts. It was really quite something to see all three hundred Holy Cross children running through Beaumont Park, it was magical!” Headteacher Finola Gill said: “As a Catholic school, the principles of Catholic Social Teaching are central to our curriculum and looking after others by supporting charities such as St Luke's Hospice Plymouth, is important to us. At Holy Cross, we encourage the children to look beyond their own needs and wants and to consider those less fortunate. “St Luke's is close to our hearts as it is a local charity which goes above and beyond to serve the community and this is why 288 children and over 20 members of staff put on their Christmas jumpers and completed the Rudolph Run. They raised a phenomenal amount of money through sponsorship and we are extremely grateful to all those who supported us.” To read more about our Rudolph Run visit our blog: https://lnkd.in/e_8EnVEw Thank you to Delt Shared Services Ltd for supporting our Rudolph Run