Lighting up the season: TEC Construction brings Christmas cheer to Turnchapel

12th December 2025

Our specialist unit at Turnchapel was filled with festive cheer last week as the kind-hearted TEC Construction helped us to light up our beautiful Christmas tree – standing tall enough for our patients to enjoy its sparkle from their windows.

Thanks to TEC Construction and their local subcontractors at LTC Access and ACD Electrical – the night’s sky was lit up with hundreds of multi-coloured lights and a shining star sitting atop of the impressive tree – watched on by our nurses, patients, family members and members of our community including children from Hooe Primary Academy who graced everyone with a selection of beautifully sung Christmas carols.

Martin Bownman, Operations Director at TEC Construction, said: “We were approached by St Luke’s to say that they were looking for someone to help put an extra special touch for Christmas. We came up with the idea of putting the lights on the Christmas tree which is straight outside the patient wards. So we approached a couple of our local subcontractors at LTC Access and ACD Electrical and together we managed to get some lifting equipment here and put the lights on the tree for the duration of Christmas for the patients.”

A local Plymouth-based company, TEC Construction are no strangers to helping St Luke’s, holding an annual winter dinner and dance at Boringdon Park Golf Club, which this year raised an impressive £14,000 for our patient care.

Martin added: “It’s great to see the local community getting involved and supporting St Luke’s. It is a small thing we can do, but it is such a big thing for patients and families to actually be able to look out the window and feel the magic of Christmas.”

Pupils from Key Stage 2 at Hooe Primary Academy made the trip to the hospice, to help bring some Christmas cheer to the evening. For many of the children, it was the first time coming to a hospice, which can often be a daunting prospect.

Mr Sullivan, Key Stage 2 Lead at Hooe Primary Academy, said: “Speaking to the children around things that happen not just on a global scale but also on a local scale – I think sometimes the things that are a little bit closer to home can get missed. We talk about lots of global issues but actually having this as an opportunity to come up and visit some people who unfortunately are going to pass away at some point.

“It’s important for the children to have an experience of that and I think to do it in an age-appropriate way that’s not scary for them and not something that’s going to make them feel upset or uncomfortable or worried is really important as well, reducing that taboo and letting them know that actually it’s okay to come to somewhere like this and it’s not somewhere you have to be scared of. It’s quite a warm pleasant place to come and giving them that positive relationship, may put a positive idea in their head that it’s not somewhere they need to be fearful about.

“To be able to bring a little bit of Christmas cheer is really important to us, but also to the children to understand that not everyone is as fortunate as them and to just bring that little bit of a smile to a few people’s faces.”

Thank you to TEC Construction, LTC Access, ACD Electrical and Hooe Primary Academy, together you have helped to create a magical start to the season, bringing light, joy, and a true sense of community to our hospice.

Our care at Turnchapel

Related articles

, ,

BLOG: Tender care at home eases singing star Jean’s farewell

Glamorous singing star, TV character actress, inspirational and loving mother, vivacious and supportive grandmother and great grandmother, Jean Dike lived her extraordinarily full life with dignity, elegance and grace until the very end. One of Plymouth’s best-loved entertainers and matriarch of a large, unconventional, artistic family, she embraced several identities during her lifetime.
, ,

BLOG: Going the extra mile for Albion’s ‘Queen’ Anne: Sam’s tribute at Men’s Day Out

One man is going the extra mile – literally – at our Men’s Day Out next week, to honour Plymouth Albion’s beloved ‘Queen’ – Anne Prue. Sam Lever, from Plymouth, is the Vice-chairman and interim secretary for Plymouth Albion 200club. On Saturday 14 March he will be walking our Men’s Day Out for the second year running in memory of Anne, who was an avid supporter of St Luke’s and secretary of the 200club.
, ,

BLOG: By Royal invitation…How we flew the flag for St Luke’s at the King’s reception for carers

As His Majesty reached out to grasp my hand, the significance of the momentous occasion suddenly hit me. There, in the historic hallows of St George’s Hall, as the sun set behind Windsor Castle, not only was I meeting King Charles face-to-face, but I was bestowed with a right royal opportunity to sing St Luke’s praises to the gothic-beamed rafters in the most illustrious company possible...
, ,

BLOG: Josie’s journey: a legacy of love and awareness

Sometimes, life is not as long as we expect, or hope it will be. Receiving a terminal diagnosis can feel shattering on every level. Yet with tenderness, the utmost sensitivity - and kindness that never wavers - the right care and support can bring peace to an anxious mind and soothe a frightened heart. At Turnchapel, where talented artist Josie is a patient, she is surrounded by those who matter most to her: husband Laith – her ‘rock’ - and their two bright, beautiful girls, Becca, aged 10, and Sophie, 6...
, ,

BLOG: Supporting our people to learn, grow and thrive: National Apprenticeship Week 2026

This Apprenticeship Week, we’re celebrating the people at St Luke’s who are growing their skills, building their confidence and taking the next step in their careers - all while continuing to make a difference every day. We now have nine members of staff undertaking apprenticeships across the organisation - from our clinical and care teams to retail, admin, finance, IT and HR. This week we wanted to shine a light on the nurses who have been leading the way for career development.
, ,

BLOG: Lighting the way: businesses back city’s summer art trail and auction in aid of local hospice care

Plymouth’s business community is charting a course for hope, coming together to support St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s Guiding Lights, a major public art trail and auction set to illuminate the city this summer. Recently, representatives from local businesses and other organisations gathered at the National Marine Aquarium to select their favourite lighthouse designs from over 90 submitted by talented artists from Plymouth and further afield. Together, they cast their votes for the designs they most want to see the artists bring to life as full-scale sculptures. Their choices will help shape a trail of striking lighthouses that will shine across Plymouth and beyond this summer, attracting visitors, boosting the local economy, and symbolising the comfort, guidance and compassion for which St Luke’s is renowned.
, ,

Cultivating care: The volunteers who keep our hospice gardens blooming

If you ever visit our specialist unit at Turnchapel one of the first things you will notice are the carefully cultivated gardens surrounding the hospice building. Every Wednesday a group of 6 volunteers have been giving up their time to dedicate some care and love to our gardens, keeping them pruned, de-weeded and full of life. Their hard work creates a peaceful, welcoming space for patients, families and staff to enjoy - a place where nature offers comfort and calm during difficult times.
, ,

BLOG: Why paramedic Jess swapped emergency sirens for hospice calm

Life as a paramedic was fast-paced, stressful and involved critical decisions every single day for Jess Timbrell. After several years of training and hands-on service on the road, she was both confident and qualified to respond in emergencies and make split-second choices to save people’s lives. But something was missing. “I always had an interest in palliative care,” said Jess. “As a paramedic, you go out to a lot of people who are at the end of life, but you can’t spend the time you want with them because emergency demand is so high. “It was so disheartening sitting with someone in an ambulance queue outside the hospital for hours, knowing they didn’t have long to live. And then when I did drop them off, I would never find out what happened to them.”
, ,

BLOG: Ben and Sean’s two-wheeled adventure for hospice care

Sean Holland and Ben Connex are taking on an epic adventure: riding from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back - a staggering 3,200 miles - on learner-legal 125cc motorcycles! This challenge is in memory of Sean’s brother, Colin, an avid motorcyclist, who was cared for by St Luke’s. Sean and Ben met back in 1998 on the Southwest clubbing scene and have since become firm friends and fellow riders. “We have always shared a love for two wheels and when the clubbing stopped, we became born again cyclists,” said Sean, Creative Director at NexPay, our card payment provider for all our shops.
PreviousNext

Our Care

Support us

Courses

Information

BLOG: Running for care: Darite’s festive dashBLOG: Community spirit shines bright as Plympton street supports St Luke’...