Midnight Walk
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BLOG: Plymouth tickled pink for hospice care | Midnight Walk

Midnight WalkPlymouth tickled pink for hospice care

Hundreds of ladies tickled Plymouth pink on Friday night, as they walked across the city to raise vital funds for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth.

Setting off from Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park stadium, women and children of all ages joined together to celebrate the charity’s 40th anniversary year by taking part in the hotly anticipated mass participation fundraising event, Midnight Walk.

This year’s event saw all ages join together to walk in memory of their loved ones, with the introduction of a brand new QR code trail adding an interactive element to the shorter 2.5 and 5 mile family friendly routes.

Born in the 80’s, celebrate in the 80’s

The theme of the night was 1982, the year the hospice first opened its doors to patients. Four decades later and St Luke’s is still providing compassionate care and support to the terminally ill and their families. For the last 40 years, the charity has held a prominent place in the hearts of many Plymouth families, with Midnight Walk being the perfect occasion to unite in sharing cherished memories.

Midnight Walk Kelly Allmett from Saltash with friend Faye Judic from Peverell landscape

The 1982 theme proved popular with participants, Kelly Allmett, from Saltash, works at Derriford Hospital in the haematology department. She said: “Born in the 80’s, celebrate in the 80’s. You can see how much loss there is around us, but it is such a supportive, fun environment to celebrate people that we have lost. I lost my sister in December and wanted to do something in her memory for a local charity that does so much for our community.

 “St Luke’s plays a massive part at Derriford, they’re not just a place for family and patients, they support everyone around them, providing somewhere for patients to go and be looked after, not only in the last days of their lives but in support of treatment too.”

Midnight Walk Kelly Allmett from Saltash with friend Faye Judic from Peverell landscape

Samantha Hetherington, from Widewell, said: “It’s nice to get together as a community and support a good charity, cancer touches a lot of people’s hearts, it affects so many of us in different ways. I’d just like to do my bit. I lost my friend Kate 8 years ago, she was only 32, but she died of bowel cancer and last year my dad died from an aggressive form of lung cancer. To be able to walk and remember our loved ones and help those ones that are currently living with it and trying to fight it, means a lot.

“The atmosphere tonight is uplifting, everyone sharing their experiences and being with other people who have shared that grief and maybe even going through it themselves.”

Samantha set herself the challenge of completing the 15 mile walk. She said: “To push through a bit of pain for what people go through is minimal. St Luke’s is iconic, everybody knows what good things St Luke’s does and hopefully we can keep raising money to help them make those people’s lives a little bit better.”

Sponsored by Drakes Jewellers, the annual flagship event saw participants walk either the 2.5, 5, 10 or 15 mile route in memory of lost loved ones, having fun and making new memories as they celebrated the lives of people special to them who will never be forgotten. This year, walkers were invited to bring a copy of a favourite photo of their lost loved one and add it to the charity’s Memory Wall on the night, so that their legacy could live on for all to see.

Midnight Walk Michelle Homeyard and 10 year old Iyla form Thornbury landscape

Michelle Homeyard and her 10-year-old daughter Iyla, from Thornbory, were walking the 2.5 mile route in memory of Iyla’s grandad, John Homeyard. Iyla, who added his photo onto the Memory Wall, said: “My grandad sadly died a couple of months ago from cancer and St Luke’s provided end of life care to him.”

Michelle added: “St Luke’s helped him feel very comfortable near the end and were very supportive of the family. He wanted to be at home, where he was comfortable and around his family, so they came to the house. They made the process, as hard as it is, a bit smoother and easier for him and the family as well, providing us with reassurance.

“A massive thank you to St Luke’s, they do so much. We have a lot of respect for them.”

Midnight Walk

The pink-clad participants were treated to a fun and energetic warm up by the Plymouth based fitness class Cheezifit before embarking on the walk, which took in landmarks including Smeaton’s Tower and the Barbican.

The money raised through sponsorship by participants helps keep the St Luke’s team on the road 365 days a year, giving their compassionate care to patients in the comfort of their own home and supporting their families. Walkers can pay in their sponsorship money online and see their times here or they can pay it in at one of the St Luke’s charity shops.

Midnight Walk Shelley Martin and 12 year old daughter Shania from Weston Mill landscape

Shelley Martin from Weston Mill has been taking part in St Luke’s Midnight Walk for the past decade and this year brought her 12-year-old daughter Shania along.

Shelley said: “It is a humbling and emotional evening, hearing what others have experienced and how St Luke’s have been there for them. St Luke’s are an amazing charity. They were an amazing support to my husband’s family when he lost his uncle and to me when I was losing my god mum and auntie Barbara and just knowing that they were on the end of the phone, that no matter what, meant a lot. I’m in my 40’s and I have never known a Plymouth without St Luke’s.”

Head of Fundraising at St Luke’s, Penny Hannah, said: “We are delighted to bring our Midnight Walk 1982 in 2022 to celebrate 40 years of care for your local hospice. It is such a warm and loving event giving the city the chance to remember their loved ones and make many people proud.

“I would like to thank every single walker for your compassion and kindness. This year we opened the event to younger people, plus we added a wheelchair and push chair friendly route, of 2.5 miles, which has been a popular addition. Our kind sponsor, Drakes Jewellers have been complete diamond supporters, everyone involved from volunteers, to the event village venue Argyle, we could not run this event without their kindness, so thank you.

“The event means we can continue caring for future generations to come at home, in Derriford or our specialist unit at Turnchapel. Thank you again to everyone involved.”

Register your interest now for Midnight Walk 2023 here.

b.kinda
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BLOG: Thinking outside the box: introducing brand b.kinda

b.kinda

Thinking outside the box: introducing brand b.kinda

Cheap, trendy and disposable, fast fashion is ruining our planet. Find out how a new venture supporting St Luke’s compassionate care is a style-savvy, purse-friendly way of fighting back.

Since our earliest days, in the 1980s, St Luke’s has been an innovator – a leader rather than a follower in the hospice sector, setting the bar high not only for patient care but in our fundraising, retail operations and the specialist education and training we provide for health and social care professionals, all of which generates vital income for our charity.

Did you know, though, that we also have St Luke’s Ventures (SLV), a trading company we established in order to make profits that support our compassionate care? For example, our popular weekly lottery is part of this. Excitingly, over the past year SLV has been developing a new brand – b.kinda – as you might’ve seen from social media posts about the launch of its ground-breaking, environmentally friendly ‘mystery box’ concept, which having gone live nationwide is already exceeding expectations.

b.kinda

How the b.kinda mystery box works

For a fee of just £15, the concept – believed to be the first of its kind in the country – enables each style-conscious women who signs up via the website at www.bkinda.co.uk to receive four items of high-quality, pre-loved womenswear by post, beautifully presented in an eco-friendly package complete with a handwritten note thanking her for her recycled purchase. The twist is that the items she receives are ‘sight unseen’, having been handpicked for her by the b.kinda team in accordance with the details she provided via a simple questionnaire before placing her order online.

Taking note of her clothing size, the age-range to whose style she gravitates and the colours she does not warm to, the team – Victoria Lammie, Gemma Axworthy and Sharon Clemens, assisted by volunteers – scans rail upon rail of second-hand womenswear options, all of which despite being of excellent quality (many with the tag still on!), have not sold when displayed in our charity shops.

b.kinda

Each b.kinda customer is sent clothes carefully selected for her to love and keep. If, however, there’s an item she decides she doesn’t like, we’re encouraging her to fully embrace the circular economy by clothes swapping with friends or donating the item to charity rather than throwing it away.

b.kinda

So, as our ‘new kid on the block’, just how did b.kinda and our mystery box idea come about? Mike Dukes, Commercial Director at St Luke’s, explains: “As a charity needing to raise millions each year to provide our service for local families, there is no room for complacency when it comes to seeking new ways to help fund what we do. As per St Luke’s strategy, we are constantly assessing the commercial environment around us, keeping an eye on developments that could dent our income as well as scanning the horizon for ways to diversify our income streams so we can channel profits into our hospice care.

“While our network of charity shops continues to generate significant income for St Luke’s, which is really good news, the high level of donations – particularly womenswear – means there simply isn’t enough space to display it all. Over the past five years, we’ve incorporated larger retail premises into our portfolio, but to keep adding more charity shops would simply be too expensive.

“Having already increased with regard to income from our shops and from fundraising, we came up with our mystery box concept because it builds on the recycling we already do so well through selling second-hand goods. As well as being a natural progression, it also provides the opportunity for us to sell donated womenswear nationwide rather than solely on our own patch, greatly increasing our income potential.

b.kinda

“As with any new venture there is always an element of risk, but the mystery box concept is underpinned by our robust market research, which shows that as well as wanting to support a worthy cause by shopping for pre-loved bargains, women who visit charity shops are also motivated by the thrill of ‘the find’. We have gone for a dedicated website rather than listing each item of clothing on our eBay store because with 6,000 donated items of womenswear at any one time, we could never photograph each item, let alone write up the individual descriptions required!

“I firmly believe the timing is right for what we are doing. Due to more people turning to online shopping during the pandemic, they are now far more comfortable purchasing what they need this way. It has become the norm, so it makes good business sense for us to turn this to our advantage. The early signs are really encouraging, but we’re focussing on growing slowly so that we maintain the quality of our offer. The potential is really exciting – over the next five years, our mystery boxes could generate at least half of the retail income we achieve now from shops.”

Learn more about b.kinda and sign up for your mystery box.

b.kinda

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BLOG: Taking on an epic challenge in aid of local hospice care

Taking on an epic challenge in aid of local hospice care

Six big-hearted adventurers from Devon and Cornwall are going further than the extra mile to raise money for St Luke’s by taking on a challenge like no other – they’re going over 5,000 miles!

On Friday 1 July, Jackie Giles and Lewis Philips from Plymouth, Claire Lemasurier from Tavistock, Sophia Wilson from Torpoint, and sisters Chloe Reeves and Holly Fulford from Looe set off on the trip of a lifetime to Malawi in eastern Africa, having already raised more than £28,000 between them for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, thanks to sponsorship from family, friends and colleagues.

The group – all of whom are covering the cost of their trip themselves – are determined to raise even more money to help St Luke’s continue its specialist service for local families affected by terminal illness. Pushing themselves mentally and physically, they are doing this by taking on the epic challenge of climbing Malawi’s highest peak, 10,000ft (3,000m) Mount Mulanje, in just three days.

While in Malawi, one of poorest countries in the world, the group will learn about its culture and use their skills to help make a difference by volunteering with local communities, including in schools, children’s centres and hospices.

For Holly Fulford and Chloe Reeves from Looe, taking on the Malawi Challenge for St Luke’s is their way of saying thank-you to us for looking after their mother Beverly with such compassion before sadly, she died in December 2018, aged 59.

Holly said: “Our mum was such a special person, who meant the world to us. She spent the last 11 days of her life at Turnchapel, where not only was she given amazing care, the team made sure we always felt welcome as a family, even letting us stay over with mum.

“St Luke’s helped us all at an unbelievably difficult time so when Chloe and I heard about the Malawi Challenge in aid of the hospice, we leapt at the chance! Doing something epic is our way of giving back to St Luke’s and helping families like our own.”

To raise sponsorship, the sisters organised a dance-a-thon, a jazz day and a collection on the Torpoint Ferry. Chloe said: “I don’t think there’s anything more important than end of life care, and we don’t talk enough about how amazing hospices are.

“Thank you to everyone who has sponsored us. When we reach the top of Mount Mulanje, we’ll be thinking of our wonderful mum.” Sponsor Holly and Chloe

For Sophia Wilson from Torpoint, the Malawi Challenge appeals to her sense of adventure and desire to support a really worthwhile local cause.

Sophia, 33, said: “I’ve always been passionate about Africa, and the opportunity to raise money for St Luke’s by taking on a tough mountain climb was too good to miss!
“As a dietician at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, I work alongside the St Luke’s team that ensures patients with terminal illness receive the bespoke care they need at the end of their lives. It’s given me insight into the vital work of the hospice.

“I’ve put lots into training for the Malawi Challenge, so a huge thank you to everyone who’s got behind me. Every penny of sponsorship raised will help keep St Luke’s doing what they do so well for families across the community.” Sponsor Sophia.

Our thanks to Sophia, Holly, Chloe, Claire, Lewis and Jackie for taking on such an epic challenge, and to every person who has sponsored them. Your kindness counts more than you may ever know!

Sponsor our incredible adventurers:

Claire Lemasurier, Tavistock

Sophia Wilson, Torpoint

Holly Fulford, Looe

Chloe Reeves, Looe

Lewis Phillips, Plymouth

Jackie Giles, Plymouth

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BLOG: St Luke’s goes back to where our retail success began

St Luke’s goes back to where our retail success began

In our 40th anniversary year, we have cut the ribbon at premises on the same city centre street where we opened our first-ever charity shop nearly four decades ago.

When St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s new retail store in New George Street welcomed its first customers on Monday 4 July 2022, it was a case of the present echoing the past. Having launched our very first shop elsewhere on the same road in the 1980s, our charity has come full circle back to where its retail success began.

Located between Greggs bakery and the large corner unit that formerly housed Poundland, our new St Luke’s shop is stocked with good quality, pre-loved homeware, including cushions, curtains, throws, glassware and crockery – the kind of items that have been much harder to find in the city centre since the closure of department stores such as Debenhams and British Home Stores. Also on sale are clothes, books and bric-a-brac all donated by our St Luke’s supporters.

Mike Picken, Head of Retail at St Luke’s said: “Opening a new charity shop highlighting our trusted brand in – or near – one of the communities where we deliver our care is always exciting, but the launch of our latest store feels extra special.

“Back in the late 1980s, we opened our first shop to help generate more income to support St Luke’s compassionate care. We’d been deluged with items donated by a community who’d taken the hospice to their hearts. Ever since then, donations have remained high and our customer base loyal because people recognise their support benefits families in their own local area right when they need help most.”

“Our New George Street shop complements our existing outlets in the city centre – Drake, where the focus is on higher-end ladies’ clothes, and Toys R Us, which is very popular for second-hand furniture.”

At the helm of our New George Street store is Manager Julie Bickford, who previously managed St Luke’s Drake City Centre shop. She said: “Ever since we opened on Monday, there’s been a real buzz because we’ve been busy serving St Luke’s regular customers as well as welcoming new faces as word about the store spreads. What we need, though, are more volunteers to help us keep everything running smoothly in store.

“Whether you can give a day of your time each week or just a few hours, it will be so appreciated. You’ll be part of a friendly team making a vital difference with one of our city’s most respected charities.”

St Luke’s New George Street shop is open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Anyone interested in volunteering there should call our volunteer services team on 01752 401172 or email volunteer@stlukes-hospice.org.uk

Aspire Competitions Joanne
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BLOG: Generous Joanna backs our care

Aspire Competitions Joanne
Generous Joanna backs our care

What could be better than winning a stunning custom VW T6.1 campervan? To also have the option of donating £500 to a well-deserved charity of your choice!

We’re so touched by the generous gesture of local lady Joanna Davis, who has chosen to give her prize money to our charity in recognition of the vital service we provide for local families going a very difficult time.

Joanna’s dream scenario became reality when she found herself the proud winner of ‘Walter the Wasp’ campervan after trying her luck with Aspire Competitions, a Yeovil-based company which regularly gives away prizes worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Though she never expected to win, Joanna’s name was called out on Aspire Competitions’ live draw, after the 38-year-old professional had let the fact that she had entered slip her mind! Needless to say, that day Joanna became the owner of a camper that succeeded all of her expectations and fell in love with the prospect of freedom and travel entering her life once more.

With every sell-out camper competition, Aspire Competitions donates £500 to a charity of the winner’s choice, giving every participant the knowledge they are donating to a good cause. To date, they have given well over £60,000 to various charities.

For Joanna, there was never any question which charity she wanted to benefit from her win. With a friend working as part of our team, and knowing people who have received our care, she was keen to kindly ensure we received the donation to help our patients. She said: “The support St Luke’s gives to patients and their families is phenomenal.”

A big thank-you to community-spirited Joanna. Learn more how you can get involved.

Make a Will Week 2022 May
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PR: St Luke’s Make a Will Week May 2022

Make a Will Week 2022 May
St Luke’s Make a Will Week

It’s straightforward to do, helps protect your loved ones after you die and ensures your estate is dealt with in the way you choose, yet many of us put off making our will.

With this in mind, St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth is encouraging people to take advantage of its Make a Will Week (9 – 15 May), when community-spirited local solicitors are giving their time free of charge to create or update wills in return for a donation to the much-loved local charity. The funds this raises help the hospice continue its vital service for families across Plymouth and surrounding areas.

Having a will can help bring you peace of mind, knowing that when you die your wishes will be carried out. It is also an act of kindness for the loved ones you will leave behind because having a record of your wishes will make an already distressing time for them that little bit easier. A will also avoids everything you own being shared out in a standard way defined by law, which might not be what you want.

Making a will is especially important if you have children or other family who depend on you financially, or if you want to leave a gift to others you care about.

The companies taking part in Make a Will Week include Guardian Angel, Farewill, GA Solicitors, Fursdon Knapper Solicitors, Woolcombe Yonge Solicitors, SWLaw Solicitors, Roper James Solicitors and Start Point Law in Kingsbridge.

Speaking about the event, St Luke’s Head of Fundraising Penny Hannah said: “Our Make a Will Week is an ideal opportunity to make or update your will, especially if your marital status has changed, you have bought a house or recently added to your family.

“People often forget that it is not always about sorting out the financial aspects. A will ensures your final wishes are clear. Your possessions and property are going to the right place, and the family and children you leave behind will be looked after.”

Creating or updating your will is also a time when you might choose to leave a legacy to a cause close to your heart. For St Luke’s, it is the funds the charity receives through legacies that help the hospice plan for the future so that no-one in the local area who has a terminal illness need miss out on high-quality care at the end of their lives.

“Leaving a legacy to St Luke’s is a compassionate gesture that helps future generations and makes more of a difference to our patients and their families than you will ever know.”

To create or update your will, simply contact one of the solicitors taking part to make an appointment between 9 and 15 May, quoting ‘St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth Make a Will Week’.

A full list of participating solicitors can be found here!

St Luke's Men's Day Out 2022
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PR: Guy power! – thousands of men on the march for hospice care

St Luke's Men's Day Out 2022
Men’s Day Out 2022 – your highlight’s

A multitude of men gathered in solidarity at the weekend to show their support for one of Plymouth’s best-loved charities and the specialist service it provides for local families.

St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s sell-out event Men’s Day Out, which returned on Saturday 23 April, saw 2,000 men walk a 12km route, starting and finishing at Plymouth Albion RFC. With many stepping out in memory of loved ones cared for by the charity, the annual event is the biggest men’s charity walk in the South West, if not the whole of the UK.

Sponsored by JEM Scaffolding Ltd, the day of fun and banter was enjoyed by men of all ages and fitness levels, raising much-needed funds to help St Luke’s continue its compassionate care for local people with terminal illness in their last months, weeks and days of life.

The charity, which has been providing its service free of charge to patients for 40 years, relies on the support it receives from the community to do this. Looking after people with cancer, motor neurone disease and other progressive, life-limiting conditions, the hospice team provides not only expert medical care but vital emotional support for patients and their relatives and friends, making a difference at the toughest of times.

Importantly, Men’s Day Out gives the guys who take part the opportunity to talk as well as walk, supporting each other and sharing memories of those close to them who have died but will never be forgotten. Recognising that it is often the case that men struggle to reach out for support when they need it, this year’s event was also attended by national mental health charity Samaritans.

Participant Darren West from Plympton, who was walking in memory of his mum, said: “The atmosphere at Men’s Day Out is really relaxed, and as guys we find it easier to chat with each other over a beer. I think the event has a very positive effect in that way as well as raising money for such an important cause.”

Among the other men taking part was Jared Lovell from Derriford, walking in memory of his grandmother Sandra Cross, who was looked after by the hospice at home before sadly, she died in 2020.

Jared, who was walking with his stepdad Dean Roberts, said: “Nan was such a special person, who always saw the best in people and brought out the best in them, too. She was the matriarch of the family and the glue that held us all together.

“The care she received from St Luke’s at home at the end of her life was superb and it helped granddad, too, easing some of the pressure on him. Doing Men’s Day Out is a great way to give something back to the charity that helped our family just as it does for so many others.”

Also taking part was Antony King from Plympton, walking in tribute to his father-in-law, Adrian. Antony, who was joined on the walk by friend Kevin Wearne, said: “Adrian was an amazing man. He was very intellectual and outgoing, and he loved travelling to Italy with his wife Mary. When he got cancer, it was a such a difficult time so we were really grateful when the hospice team got involved.

“Adrian was looked after by St Luke’s at Turnchapel and then they cared for him at home because that’s where he wanted to spend his last days. St Luke’s staff are second to none and Plymouth is very lucky to have them. That’s why we support the charity as much as can through events like Men’s Day Out, Tour de Moor and Open Gardens.”

Nina Wearne, Partnerships Manager at St Luke’s, said: “There is something very heart-warming about seeing so many men turn out in support of St Luke’s, and with 2022 being our charity’s 40th anniversary year, this time it felt even more special.

“A huge thank-you to everyone who took part and raised thousands of pounds to help us meet the rising cost of providing our service for families across Plymouth and its surrounding areas. We are also very grateful to the local companies who get behind our event and, of course, to our all our wonderful volunteers, who kindly give their time to help the day run smoothly.

“Such kindness from our community has kept St Luke’s going for the past 40 years, and income generated from our events, including Men’s Day Out, will help us continue doing what we do best, looking after people with terminal illness so they can make the most of every day and create precious memories with the people who matter most to them.”

Register your interest for Men’s Day Out 2023

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PR: Community unites in support of local hospice care

Community unites for Midnight Walk in support of local hospice care

Midnight Walk turned Plymouth bright pink as a thousand women and girls came together wearing tee-shirts of that hue to walk across the city, raising vital funds to help ensure local people with terminal illness get high-calibre care that helps them live well to the end of their lives.

On Friday 20 August, saw much-loved local charity St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth welcome faces both familiar and new to its hotly anticipated mass participation fundraising event, Midnight Walk, following the sponsored walk’s cancellation last year because of the pandemic. So popular was the event in aid of the compassionate care the hospice provides across Plymouth and surrounding areas that it was a complete sell-out.

Setting off from Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park Stadium, the ladies followed 5, 10 or 15-mile route taking in many Plymouth landmarks, including Smeaton’s Tower and the Barbican. And when the challenge got tough, moral support came in abundance from the spectators who cheered them on from their front gardens and the passing motorists who tooted their horns in solidarity.

The event, sponsored by GA Solicitors, saw many participants walking in memory of lost loved ones, having fun and making new memories as they celebrated the lives of people special to them who will never be forgotten.

Among those taking on the full 15 miles were Caroline Mercer from Salcombe, her daughters Cerys and Tegan and friends Debbie, Emma and Alice. The group was walking in memory of Lyndsey (Lynds) Fisher-Khoury, Caroline’s best friend and godmother to Cerys and Tegan, who was looked after by St Luke’s at Turnchapel before sadly, she died in May 2019.

Caroline said: “Lynds was such a special person – she loved life and was so kind and caring. She was always beautifully dressed and shone in any room yet was so down to earth. She was a lovely godmother, too, and we all miss her so much.

St Luke's Midnight Walk Caroline Mercer

“When Lynds needed St Luke’s care at Turnchapel, they looked after her wonderfully in a beautiful room looking onto the gardens. It helped her husband Mark, and all of us, to see that she was comfortable and at ease in such a peaceful place where nothing was ever too much trouble. Whenever we visited Lynds, we were always made to feel so welcome by the staff and I will never forget their kindness at such heart-breaking time.”

Also walking 15 miles were sisters Tracey Brannan from Crownhill and Suzanne Clough from Brixton, walking in memory of their much-loved grandfather Peter Clough. St Luke’s cared for Peter at home and later at its specialist unit at Turnchapel.

Tracey said: “Doing Midnight Walk this year feels extra special because it’s coming up to ten years since granddad died and it’s our way of paying tribute to him. What stood out to me about St Luke’s was the way their care helped him not just physically but mentally, too. They gave him – and us as a family – the ultimate support throughout. It’s really important to us to show our gratitude because there’s an endless need for what the charity provides.”

St Luke's Midnight Walk Tracey and Suzanne

Suzanne said: “I would have been marrying my fiancé Ashley today, but we postponed because of the pandemic. So, it was wonderful to be in an atmosphere of celebration at Midnight Walk, remembering our amazing granddad and doing our bit for such a vital service for our community.”

Head of Fundraising at St Luke’s, Penny Hannah, said: “What an electric atmosphere! A huge, heartfelt thank you to all the ladies who came out to support St Luke’s – you are all incredible and we loved seeing you!

“From the dedications on the backs of all the tee-shirts it was clear to see the positive impact St Luke’s has had on so many local families in need at a time of crisis.

“After the disappointment of having to cancel last year’s Midnight Walk due to COVID-19 safety measures, this year’s event felt even more special. For some of the ladies taking part, it was the first opportunity they have had to reunite with family and friends since losing a loved one during the past 18 months, which have been so incredibly tough for people going through bereavement.

“We are so grateful to everyone who took part. Sponsorship money raised helps keep our team on the road 365 days a year, giving their compassionate care to patients in the comfort of their own home and supporting their families – all of which helps make our community a kinder place for people living and dying with terminal illness and for those close to them, too.

“I also want to thank all the other big-hearted people who make an event of this magnitude possible. That includes our army of amazing volunteers, our sponsors GA Solicitors, Plymouth Argyle, Cheezifit for the fantastic warm-up routine, Devon and Cornwall 4×4 Response Team, Devon and Cornwall Cycle Marshalls, PL1 Events and all the businesses and other organisations who’ve donated products and services. We simply couldn’t have done it without them and we are so grateful.”

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BLOG: Meet our new Head of Finance

For most people, changing jobs and joining the staff of a new organisation can be a time of trepidation as well as excitement – but what is it like when your arrival and induction happen to coincide with a global pandemic?  Claire Fisher, who joined us as Head of Finance in early June, shares the background that led to her joining our charity and reflects on her first six weeks in post during such an unprecedented time.

Claire said: “Being born and bred in Plymouth, the name of St Luke’s was very familiar to me and I’ve always known it to be synonymous with dignity, respect and compassion. So, when I heard about the opportunity to join as Head of Finance, it really sparked my interest and I wanted to find out more.

“My whole career has revolved around finance, which is not that surprising given that maths was my favourite subject at school, and it was joining Plymouth City Council at the age of 18 that gave me the chance to train and qualify as an accountant. Then, when Plymouth became a unitary authority, in 1998, I was promoted to the role of Group Accountant, leading a team providing technical accountancy support to the whole authority, on topics such as VAT and treasury management. I also took a lead role in the production and audit of the statutory accounts and submission of government returns.

“The council played a really important part in my life, and not simply because it’s where I spent the first 24 years of my career. It’s was also where I met my husband, but later – after we had our children – my perspective began to change and I found myself seeking a new professional direction where I could hopefully see more of a tangible positive impact for my efforts.  Teaching was a career I’d considered at school and, though I decided again not to take that path, the idea of broadening my horizons and working in a school remained attractive.

“It was the opportunity to join Lipson Co-operative Academy as Assistant Business Manager, in 2013, that saw me take the leap into a very different work environment. I had the autonomy to review and shape all aspects of the school’s financial activities, and I’m proud of the improvements I made during my seven years there.  I also managed other aspects of the school business activities, including main reception, which helped me to get involved in all aspects of school life.”

“I wasn’t actively seeking a change of job when the advert for the Head of Finance role at St Luke’s was pointed out to me by a friend.  However, the chance to develop professionally – while also making a valuable contribution to one of the charities I personally support – made it an opportunity not to be missed!  For me, part of the attraction of working for a charity is that rather than the focus being on expenditure, as in my previous roles, the key is to develop and sustain income streams.  Of course, the delivery of quality services to local people is at the heart of what we do here, and that has been an important aspect for me throughout my career.

“What no-one could have foreseen, of course, was the pandemic and the huge impact it would have on everyone’s lives, including at work. I won’t pretend that my induction period has been without its challenges, given the very unusual circumstances, but the warmth of the welcome I’ve received from everyone has been truly humbling and helped me to quickly feel part of the team. In particular, my Finance team colleagues have gone out of their way to help me settle in.

“I’ve really appreciated the friendliness and support, especially as I joined just a week before the main annual audit, an exceptionally busy time made all the more demanding by the additional workload brought about because of the COVID-19 situation, including the financial modelling that’s been urgently required to help our charity steer its way through these unchartered waters and keep providing such outstanding end of life care.

“This role and the organisation itself both feel a really good fit for me. My great auntie and my husband’s auntie were both cared for at Turnchapel, where I’m based (though currently doing some of my work from home), so I already knew it was an uplifting place, and I feel a real affinity with all that St Luke’s stands for.

“I only have to look as far as the messages that come in with some of the donations to sense the overwhelming love and respect our community has for St Luke’s and the fact there are so many ‘stories’ lying behind the £ signs I see in our accounts. For example, there was one just recently from a regular volunteer, who said she was making a donation in lieu of putting in her usual shifts – she wanted to continue contributing to the cause she holds so dear while she awaits the call to return to her voluntary role when it’s safe to do so.

“That sums it up for me. St Luke’s is the city’s best-loved and most respected charity, and I feel excited and proud to now be playing my part in helping to ensure a sustainable future for the vital service it provides.”

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BLOG: COVID diary of a hospice Consultant

Written by Dr Jeff Stephenson, Consultant at St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth

I didn’t pay much attention to the news stories about Wuhan, and the Facebook posts from fellow Christians there asking for prayer. I probably said a few ‘arrow prayers’ but didn’t really engage. It was all far away, and it wouldn’t ever impact us. I’m challenged once again to widen my circle of concern and engagement.

COVID-19 is now here. Changes we have been talking about around our ways of working get a kick-start as staff move out of buildings and embrace technology. Skype and PPE intrude on working days. I dislike both of them. The very thing that brought me into hospice is the human contact. Presence and proximity and touch are fundamental to palliative care. It’s not the same caring for the dying from behind the barriers of mask and gloves.

I read of the experience of Italian colleagues who found that palliative care had to be “brutally” adapted. Early on in our own experience it is restrictions on visiting that injure most, both families and staff. Seemingly inhumane and rapidly changing guidance, in the name of safety. And common sense in applying the guidance for a while goes out of the window, a testimony to the prevalent fear. Thankfully, pragmatism and compassion soon prevail for those at the end of life.

I sense the fear all around. I sense it amongst some of our staff. Society’s new mantra is ‘Stay safe’. Precautions are necessary, but what are such messages doing to the collective psyche in a culture that already idolises safety? I reflect on the early Christians who stayed behind in Carthage and other cities across the Roman Empire to care for plague victims, and the fruit of their service and sacrifice.

Stories from London start to mirror those from Italy, and we begin to take seriously the possible impact on our region. There is talk of a local Nightingale unit. This is a defining hour. Inwardly I sense that it isn’t going to be as bad as they are predicting here. We are not London. I tell colleagues that, based on prophetic conviction rather than science. But I prepare for the worst and trust for the best. And we need to support the wider healthcare community in this crisis or else the credibility of hospices may be in doubt.

We adapt our community and hospital support, and we temporarily increase the number of our beds (all with precious piped oxygen) from twelve to eighteen. We offer to help out with the Nightingale. The option of us taking COVID patients comes to the table.

I meditate for several days on worship and sacrifice. I am genuinely not afraid for myself. I dwell in Psalm 91, reciting it aloud every morning when I arrive on the ward, declaring its truths over the hospice, staff and city. But I am burdened by the possibility of losing one of my nursing or medical colleagues. It seems a reasonable sacrifice to lay down one’s life while trying to save others. But almost all our patients are already dying. Laying down one’s life to enable them to have a better experience? If I died as a direct result of my work, wouldn’t that be a terrible waste? A life poured out in service and worship is never a waste. Greater love has no man than this…..

I recommend that we isolate part of the hospice to take patients dying with or from COVID. It is the right thing to do but it will put staff in harm’s way. I tell my team that I will personally attend any COVID patients admitted to the unit, even if it means coming in when I am not meant to be at work. Their response is humbling and inspiring. They won’t hear of it. In fact, they will preferentially protect me, as my age puts me at higher risk.

The kindness of strangers is all around us in this crisis. It makes me believe that great blessing will come out of it. That and of course the certain knowledge that God works all things for good to those who love him (Romans 8:28).

As the weeks go by it feels like a bit of a ‘phoney war’. There have been cases in the city, and some deaths and the heart-breaking stories surrounding those. But the expected surge hasn’t happened here.

A month on there has been no need for our eight designated COVID beds, so we open them up again to general palliative care. All our services have been strangely quiet. Where are all the ‘usual’ patients? We have had hundreds of empty hospital beds, everything gearing up for a deluge that thankfully never comes.

Three months on and we still haven’t had a patient in the hospice with confirmed COVID.

Now the talk is about the ‘even bigger’ second wave that is going to hit us over the winter. Here we go again. I refuse to buy into that kind of fear. But the toll on staff is showing. Call it ‘COVID fatigue’ if you like, but fatigue seems too bland a description. There is a pervading weariness, bordering on exhaustion in some.

The ‘usual’ patients are coming back, but are generally more poorly than before, often more advanced. The turnover for all teams is ‘brisk’. The emotional impact of the drip feed exposure to suffering is intensified by the post-adrenaline crash, and defences on the line between self-preservation and the need to embrace it in order to engage meaningfully can seem all the more fragile.

But there is hope. And learning. And blessing. Some incredible blessing – He floods the darkness with brightness, even the darkness of the shadow of death (Job 12:22). We talk about and plan for restoration. I am immensely proud of those I work with. Our services will never be the same again – and that for the better. We have shown ourselves to be agile and flexible and resilient. There have been tensions along the way, but we have a greater cohesiveness across clinical teams. We have collaborated effectively with external services. We stepped up to the plate and responded to the need and we will reap the benefits of that. And we have been given the opportunity and privilege of redefining who we are and what we do going forward.

by Dr Jeff Stephenson, Consultant at St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth
*end*

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