The latest news and updates on and at St Lukes Plymouth. Follow us on social media or sign up to our newsletter for more updates.
“What better way to say thank you than to throw yourself out of a plane?!”
Caitlin Talbot took part in a skydive last month raising more than £1200 for our patient care.
The 21-year-old, from Plymouth, who is currently completing a degree apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying, jumped from 15000 ft in memory of her loved ones.
“St Luke’s is a place that I hold very close to my heart and their mission is one that has supported my family in our hours of need,” she said.
Just like our hospice, good companies recognise the importance of connections and always keeping a compassionate heart for the communities they serve. Last month, it was our great pleasure to welcome representatives from local and regional businesses to the smart, comfortable surroundings of our b.kinda coffee shop* in Plympton for a networking event with a difference, not to mention mouthwatering array of treats!
Over coffee and cake – plus, delicious brownies, buns and flapjacks – familiar faces already generously supporting St Luke’s mingled with ‘newcomers’ finding out about the many facets of our charity for the first time, from patient care to retail, education, fundraising and volunteering.
At St Luke’s we’re an intentionally inclusive organisation, encouraging and supporting a wide mix of people to feel comfortable and confident to be themselves when they are working or volunteering for us.
As part of this year’s National Inclusion Week – and embracing the retail theme for next week’s Hospice Care Week – we’re shining a light on our charity shops and how our managers welcome and support volunteers with learning disabilities and mental health issues, not only to help them add to their skills and stretch their horizons, but to feel truly valued as members of St Luke’s one big team.
Award-winning comedian Suzy Bennett and her pub landlord husband Willy Shambrook made a big splash for St Luke’s at their Lido wedding earlier this month, putting hospice care, and the special people the couple have loved and lost, at the heart of a unique ceremony.
Planning the big day, Suzy and her mum, Jean, were browsing a local wedding fair (“just for a laugh and to get free stuff!”) when they spotted the St Luke’s stand and ordered a big batch of our beautiful forget-me-not remembrance pin badges.
Emotional patient journey inspires Alin’s passion to give back to St Luke’s
Driving a poorly patient on his final journey from home to St Luke’s specialist unit had a deep and emotional effect on Plymouth taxi business owner Alin Turi.
Appreciating for the first time the exceptional service the hospice provides for people at the end of their lives, Alin promised himself that he would support St Luke’s in the future.
Three years later, Alin’s DevonXpress Travel has not only become the chief corporate backer for St Luke’s Sponsor a Nurse campaign, but two per cent of every customer’s fare collected via a special online link will be donated directly to St Luke’s to support patient and family care.
Making a difference – our brand new impact report – is hot off the press and it’s packed with fascinating facts about what St Luke’s has achieved during 2023-4.
Flick through its pages to discover the successes, the challenges, and the passions that drove our staff, volunteers and supporters, day after day, to benefit people in our community who need our compassionate end-of-life care and support.
It’s mid-morning on a Friday and in the conservatory at St Luke’s Turnchapel HQ a handful of patients are perched on the edge of their chairs, lifting their feet from left to right, right to left, in small, controlled movements, under the careful direction of physio Charlotte.
On the surface, this gentle, but challenging, chair Pilates session is all about strengthening core muscles to help improve or maintain mobility and balance. But dig a little deeper and the power of these weekly gatherings goes way beyond physical benefits.
Like all St Luke’s care, the focus of the class is holistic, tuning in to mind, body and spirit to encourage and enable patients to live as fully as possible, for as long as possible.
“Being so young it was hard for me to understand the illness and what was to come, St Luke’s attended our home regularly and helped me process our new way of life.”
Dealing with the grief of losing a parent can be tough at any age, but as a teenager it can be a challenging time to navigate.
This was especially true for Will Ross. Ten years ago, when he was just 14, his mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now aged 24, he is embarking on a gruelling cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats in Scotland all in aid of St Luke’s as a thank you for the care his mother received.
A special visit to Britain’s most famous prehistoric standing stones has had a profound effect on patient Mark Glover and his wife, Jane, who are being supported at home in Plymouth by St Luke’s. Here the couple talk about their experiences and how fulfilling his bucket list ambition has renewed Mark’s passion for the limited time he has left.
Saying the final goodbye to your loved one after their death is never easy but doing it in a way that is personal to them – and meaningful to you – can make it all the more special and perhaps even a little easier to bear.
Recently, we had the privilege of going behind the scenes at The Park, Plymouth City Council’s new crematorium, before its official opening. Joined by colleagues from our Education team, several St Luke’s nurses took a tour of the state-of-the-art facility, which will provide a calm and comforting space for the people of Plymouth and surrounding areas to remember and pay tribute to their loved ones.
