Latest News and Happenings at St Luke’s Plymouth. Follow our blog or sign up to our newsletter for our latest news.
They say there’s strength, as well as safety, in numbers, especially when you’re in the company of people who share the same aspirations and goals.
That must explain the overwhelming sense of empowerment, togetherness and possibility at the recent Hospice UK conference, where hundreds of us gathered with the common aim of making sure excellent palliative and end of life care is available for everyone who could benefit from it, wherever they live in the UK and whatever their circumstances.
Bereavement is hard at any time of year, but the festive season – and Christmas itself -can feel particularly challenging for anyone experiencing grief. No-one understands this more than us. As well as providing specialist end-of-life care for people with terminal illness, we offer their family members bereavement support too.
This week (2-8 December) is National Grief Awareness Week, in association with The Good Grief Trust. The aim of the week is to raise awareness of grief, highlight the support on offer and to normalise conversations around it.
An unmissable mix of mates, miles and special memories, the South West’s most popular men’s walk is back – with a twist! – for 2025, raising vital funds for local hospice care.
Registration opens on Monday 2 December for the hugely popular Men’s Day Out in aid of St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth and the compassionate, expert care the charity provides for local families going through the toughest of times. The flagship event – which last year attracted more than 2,000 sponsored walkers – is taking place on Saturday 22 March.
“What am I going to wear?” It’s a cry that rings out across the land every year when the festive party season is on the horizon. The countdown is on to find something elegant and fashionable, that suits you and your budget.
Before you start scrolling online, did you know that a trip to your local St Luke’s charity shop could be the answer to all your ballgown and frock dilemmas, not forgetting fancy shoes, evening bags and a touch of bling to complete the look?
Partywear – along with Christmas jumpers – is a major focus for our shop managers and volunteers at this time of year. Their mission is to have you looking a million dollars for your special do, without breaking the bank.
We’re delighted to congratulate George Lillie on his appointment as the permanent Chief Executive of St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth. Formerly our Clinical Director and Deputy Chief Executive, last year George stepped into the role of CEO for a limited period at a time when we desperately needed his wealth of experience, understanding and leadership.
Following a rigorous and robust recruitment process, with some very strong applications, our board of trustees have confirmed that George was the outstanding candidate.
It sounds like the title of one of those feelgood British films about friends and neighbours pulling together to support one another. Think Calendar Girls, The Full Monty or Fisherman’s Friends the Movie.
This scenario features a group of bereaved strangers who meet at the Compassionate Café at their local community hub and agree to one lonely chap’s “silly idea” to go on a seaside coach holiday together.
St Luke’s is launching a brand-new podcast to help open up the conversation about death and dying.
The St Luke’s education team are working in partnership with Livewell and Macmillan GP Facilitators from Plymouth, South Hams and West Devon to create a regular podcast for health and social care professionals centred around facilitating good end of life care. The podcast will cover a range of end-of-life care topics, offering top tips and tools to practitioners based on best practice guidance and day to day experience.
More than 1,000 cyclists saddled up on Sunday for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s thrilling Tour de Moor challenge across Dartmoor, riding as one to raise funds for the charity’s compassionate end-of-life care.
Community-spirited riders wearing distinctive branded T-shirts, turned the moor blue in support of the vital services St Luke’s provides for local families affected by terminal illness.
Every time Harry Stevens and his family drove past the Tour de Moor billboard he would always ask to take part, desperate to join the experienced cyclists as they took on the epic rides across Dartmoor, but always being just a little bit too young for the longer routes.
Finally, for the first time, it is Harry’s time to ride, the now 9-year-old can ride alongside his dad on our adventurer style 28km route on Sunday.
It’s a year since St Luke’s b.kinda coffee shop opened its doors in the heart of Plympton and it’s certainly made a strong impression on the local community in those first 12 months.
It’s not just about the excellent coffee and the tempting menu. It’s about the dedicated staff who have made it into an inviting place where every customer feels welcomed, looked after and treated as an important individual.
