Tag Archive for: hospices

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BLOG: Dave lives his best life at punk party send-off

Punk drummer Dave Whatmore was thrilled to be right at the heart of the action when his friends staged a unique farewell gig in his honour.

It’s not often someone gets to attend their own send-off, but the best, and only, seat in the house was reserved for Dave at the punk all-dayer held on last Saturday (14 October) at The Junction pub in Plymouth.

Featuring some of his favourite local bands, and some from farther away, it wasn’t only an epic party that everyone who came will never forget, it also raised more than £2,000 to split between his chosen charities – St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth and Macmillan.

“There’s no point having a party while you’re lying in a coffin, you’ve got to do it before you go,” said Dave, 58, a familiar face on the Plymouth music scene, who has a terminal cancer diagnosis and is being supported at home by St Luke’s.

“We held a ‘sorry to see you go’ charity gig at the Junction on Mutley Plain, a going away party type of thing. It was a nice little tribute and nice to be there and see it, rather than them doing it while I’m dead. A lot of people don’t get that chance.

“I couldn’t have wanted anything better than that. It was great fun and very nice of them to do it. There were so many people there. I sat in my seat with a circle of protectors around me. I knew pretty much everybody there. A lot of people I hadn’t seen for 30 or 40 years. It was so nice to see everyone and for them to actually be able to come and speak to me.”

At the end of April, after an episode of acute chest pain, Dave was told that he had inoperable cancer and that he might not make it to Christmas. He took a little time to digest his prognosis before his punk rebel spirit started to kick in.

“They told me I’m probably not going to see Christmas. My reaction was to buy a ticket for next February to see a band at The Junction,” said Dave, speaking at home in St Judes, surrounded by his faithful dog Poppy, his partner Alice, her two dogs Pinky and Troy, and their little cat.

He acknowledged that it was the support of St Luke’s clinical nurse specialist Debbie Hutchinson that has encouraged and enabled him to keep living in the moment and make the most out of the time he has left, to the best of his ability.

Like many people, Dave had a limited idea of what hospice care means or what to expect from St Luke’s before having a personal connection.

“I didn’t really understand what St Luke’s did and the help and love they give until I met Debbie. I thought hospice care was going in somewhere, being in a bed, shut away and you’re going to die. It isn’t anything like that.

“I get visits at home, and I get what I need to be able to do things for myself. Debbie and St Luke’s are just a phone call away if I need anything, which I have occasionally, and it’s been sorted straight away. They sorted out my medication when I would have been two days without it. Thanks to Debbie I wasn’t. I love that lady, she’s great – like a second mum. It’s a joy that there are people like Debbie and her friends who are willing to look after people and in a worse state than me.

“OK, I’m going to die at some point, but that is going to happen to us all at some time, it’s just going to be a little sooner for me than I anticipated. I’m not going to be down and angry about it. I want to enjoy what time I’ve got left and enjoy my friends because, apparently, they enjoy me.”

Immunotherapy treatment has helped Dave to feel stronger in the short term, harnessing the energy and drive to make special memories.

“I know I’m going to deteriorate; it is going to get worse and worse, but until that point, until I can’t do anything for myself, I’ll keep doing as much as I can,” added Dave, whose favourite bands of all time are Stiff Little Fingers and The Stranglers. He’s been getting out to as many gigs as he can. Just a couple of weeks ago he was able to travel to Torquay to witness PiL, another long-time favourite, in action. He also has his eye on one last outing for his own precious drum kit.

Dave’s connection with the Plymouth music scene goes back four decades. He has played drums with several popular local bands, including Mad Dog McRea in the early 1990s, Bateman and Unusual Stars. Punk is in his blood, and he has been building up a great collection of live videos from gigs he’s attended, sharing them on his YouTube channel (UPK Dave) – including his own farewell party.

Friends initially wanted to take Dave to this year’s Rebellion punk festival in Blackpool. Realising he wasn’t well enough to go they pulled out all the stops to bring the party to him and let him know how much he means to them.

Called A Gig for Spotty – Dave’s nickname inspired by the green-spotted Mohican-haired sidekick of 1980s kids’ TV hero SuperTed – it featured six bands and was organised by his mates Tom Proctor and Kevin and Alison House, with Mickey Byrne and Sweary Mark on guest DJ duties.

“It is really, really lovely. They put it all together in a couple of months. They rang up the bands and they said yes. Cult Maniax from Torrington split up 20 years ago but got back together for this gig, with two original members. We were all together back in the 1980s,” explained Dave, who used to sport his own impressive red Mohican back in the day. “One band came all the way from Blackpool and there was another band from Bristol and the others from Plymouth.”

The full 2-11pm line-up featured Bus Station Loonies, Hellwigs, Wags to Wytches, The Hate, Bad Blood and Cult Maniax.

Co-organiser Kevin House wrote on Facebook: “No words to say how proud we are of absolutely everybody connected with this and I don’t just mean the people that organised, helped, bands, the venue, I mean all of you that came and supported… The party for Dave Whatmore that was the whole reason for this, I hope we did you proud Spotty…”

The last word goes to Dave: “We did this thing, we made some money, and I chose who I wanted it to go to. I’ll be happy if it helps at least one person.”

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BLOG: Queen’s nurse award confirms Jen’s passion to inspire


Community nurse Jen Nicholls has scored a ground-breaking double win for excellence at St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, becoming the organisation’s first Queen’s Nurse and first Advanced Clinical Practitioner.

Jen, who works across the inpatient and leads the community team, recently graduated with a Masters’ degree in Advanced Clinical Practice from Plymouth University. In December she will travel to a ceremony in London to be awarded her prestigious Queen’s Nurse badge.

“I’m very proud to hold both these titles. I couldn’t have achieved this without my teams, who are fantastic,” said Jen, 45, who has spent almost all her spare time studying over the past four years.

“I’m passionate about palliative care, and this is great for St Luke’s reputation and for our focus on outstanding end of life care in our community.”

Jen is now one of just 38 nurses working across community services in Devon – and only 2,500 nationwide – who currently hold Queen’s Nurse status. It’s a discretionary award that requires evidence of experience, skill and commitment as part of a rigorous selection process.

“Becoming a Queen’s Nurse gives me the opportunity to be part of a network of like-minded professionals who are influencing improvements in nursing care in the community. It will also mean I can raise the profile of specialist palliative care among community nurses and share learning,” she said.

Jen’s qualification as an advanced clinical practitioner empowers her to confidently guide patients throughout their whole journey within palliative and end of life care, on a practical and strategic level. She can use her advanced knowledge to assess patients’ symptoms, diagnose and treat, prescribe medication, evaluate their care and prevent unplanned admissions to hospital. She can also support partnerships with GPs and management of the most complex of patients.

“If there is someone who needs to go into our specialist unit after being cared for by us at home in the community, then I can make sure it’s a smooth transition, for example.

“Having ACPs is very forward thinking and new in how it is being incorporated into the medical model. For St Luke’s it’s a real move forward in terms of integrating roles. It benefits us through aspects of its four pillars of clinical practice, leadership, education and research.

“Taking my Masters has been a challenge and there have been times when I thought I couldn’t do it, but my most important driver is to keep the patient at the heart of everything we do, and really make a difference to their care.

“I have a close family and they supported me through my studies, but I have to say they are pleased I’m not studying at the moment!” said Jen, who has now set her sights on learning to cox for her gig rowing club at Charlestown.

Always ambitious, she has certainly come a long way since her first job aged 17, working as a health care assistant in her local cottage hospital in Bodmin. At 18 Jen moved to Bristol to do her nurse training, working in haematology and oncology, and by 26 she had become a ward manager.

Moving back to her Cornish hometown, Jen was ward manager at Bodmin community hospital for eight years before joining St Luke’s Hospital Team in 2016 and finding her true passion.

“I came over to work in the community team for six months and really enjoyed it. In 2019 I became the lead for the community team and a year later I became a nurse consultant and absolutely loved it. It has to be my best job ever. It’s so rewarding, and I feel so privileged to be part of patients’ and their families’ lives at such an important time,” she said.

“I’m really proud to be representing all the patients that I have cared for in my career. They have made me the nurse I am today. I am very enthusiastic to keep developing and be the best and most inspirational nurse I can be and fly the flag for nursing careers.”

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PR: Sun shines on hospice Tour de Moor challenge

More than 1,100 cyclists saddled up on Sunday for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s thrilling Tour de Moor challenge across Dartmoor, conquering craggy kilometres and raising funds for the charity’s compassionate end of life care.

In glorious sunshine, the community-spirited riders of all ages and abilities proudly donned their azure branded T-shirts to turn the moor blue in support of the vital services St Luke’s provides for local families affected by terminal illness.

Negotiating the rugged wilds of the moor, 686 participants pitted their two-wheel skills against the toughest, hill-filled terrain for 52km, while 237 took it down a gear for the brand new 33km Granite and Gears Cycle Trail route, and another 138 opted for a gentler, family-friendly 11km ride along the tarmac paths of Drake’s Trail.

One of St Luke’s flagship annual events, every £1,000 raised by Tour de Moor represents a full package of specialist care at home, free of charge, for one patient and their family on the charity’s patch which reaches across Plymouth and out to more rural areas around Tavistock, Dartmoor and the South Hams.

In previous years it’s often been a battle of mud, along with the sweat and gears, but apart from a few splashy puddles this year’s challenge was more about keeping hydrated in unusually warm temperatures above 20C.

Amid the throng of keen riders were many taking part to pay tribute to a loved one who was looked after by St Luke’s at the end of their life.

Taking on the 33km was Sam Downing, 37, cycling in memory of his dad, Trevor Downing from Plympton, and his cousin David Lawrence from Bigbury, who both received care from St Luke’s nursing teams, as well as friend Godfrey Jay from Cornwall, all of whom died quite recently.

“It’s all about doing something to give back to the people who helped care for them,” said Sam, who raised more than £200 in sponsorship and was riding alongside work colleague Rhys.

“My cousin David passed away just about a month ago and this would have been his 34th birthday, so it feels good to be able to do Tour de Moor today. He had care from St Luke’s at home.

“Dad had prostate cancer and he was in and out of St Luke’s at Turnchapel two or three times in the last six months of his life.”

Possibly the youngest rider confidently braving the 33km route – and certainly one of the event’s biggest fundraisers – was George Lake, aged eight, from Tavistock. His total topped £1,000 thanks to sponsorship from family, friends and other generous donors, including local company DCUK.

Dad, Matthew, who was pedaling the miles with his son, said: “George decided he wanted to do a charity cycle ride. We are lucky not to have needed St Luke’s care, but it’s a cause that is so well known and respected locally that we wanted to support its services.”

Mum, Anna, added: “We see St Luke’s cars out visiting people in our area and we know in years to come our family may need them.”

Teenagers Emily Wragg, 14, and brother Ben, 17, rode with their dad Gareth, in memory of their Nanny, Anne Briggs, and had totted up more than £300 in sponsorship.

Ben said: “St Luke’s helped our Nan out a lot at home at the end of her life and we wanted to do something to help St Luke’s.”

Making it a fun-filled family day out on the gentler 11km route along Drakes Trail for the second year running were the Rixons from Sherford.

Alfie, aged five, and his sister, Annabel, eight, were joined by their intrepid teddy bears Green Bow and Pink Bow, and their dad, Edward.

He said: “I do Tour de Moor and Men’s Day Out every year and would usually cycle the 33km route, but these two aren’t quite big enough yet, although they’ve been riding bikes since they were very young and could do it easily!”

Shane Darwood and his four-year-old rescue cocker spaniel Jess were both having a blast negotiating the moors on his e-bike – a popular choice for the slightly less energetic cyclists. He said: “What a day for it. Absolutely beautiful!”

St Luke’s Head of Fundraising, Penny Hannah, said: “I think this year’s Tour de Moor has been really special because times are tough for a lot of people. That almost 1200 riders still made sure they came out to support St Luke’s work in the community is incredible. Every single one of them should feel proud that they are helping us to keep our services running for the people who need us.

“Of course, we could not have put on something of this scale without our sponsors Print Copy Scan. Huge thanks to them and to everyone who took part in this year’s challenge, plus our army of volunteers, Dartmoor National Park, Maristow Estate, David May Motor Services, The Hire Shop, Devon and Cornwall 4×4 Response and Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team. You have all done your community proud!”

Register your interest for Tour de Moor 2024.

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BLOG: Make every day count as part of our hospice team

Most of us, when we look back on our career, want to feel we’ve made a difference – that the weeks, months and years have really counted and we’ve left the world better than we found it. This is a big part of what makes our lives meaningful, and it’s a great motivator to keep doing the work we do or, perhaps, change direction completely.

If you’ve never considered working as part of our hospice team – or thought about it but not yet gone ahead – it’s worth knowing our staff often tell us it’s been the most fulfilling part of their career – by far! And we’re not just talking about St Luke’s doctors and nurses here – it’s our equally dedicated people working more behind the scenes, too, from kitchen and maintenance staff to administrators, fundraisers, and finance, marketing and IT buffs. All play a vital role in the trusted service our charity provides – free of charge – so that no-one in our community needs to miss out on gold-standard care at the end of their life.

Hospice Care Week (9 – 15 October) is an opportunity for us to say an extra-big thank-you to each and every one our dedicated, hardworking crew. We see you, we value you, we celebrate you!

With demand on our services growing, it’s more important than ever that we continue to attract talent across our services, from hands-on care and bereavement support to our charity shops and fundraising events. As an employer of choice, we want our staff to enjoy coming to work. We offer a positive, supportive and inclusive environment that encourages them to thrive, and attractive benefits and rewards, including generous annual leave and a cash-back scheme to help with everyday health costs, such as dental and eye care.

So, if you’ve been on the fence about working for our hospice, the time to apply is now. It could just be the most life-enhancing move of your career.

We look forward to hearing from you! Visit our job vacancy page and set up a job alert.

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BLOG: Plymouth Argyle Finn makes patient Michael’s day


“It’s an amazing place, and you never know who you’re going to meet!”

St Luke’s patient Michael Scott thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he spotted top Plymouth Argyle player Finn Azaz walking onto the ward in our specialist unit at Turnchapel.

“Never in a million years did I think that would happen. I recognised him straight away because he has come back to Argyle again this season and he’s scored some goals in recent games. Last year I saw him play a couple of times and, of course, I’ve seen him in the media,” said an astonished and delighted Michael, who has taken his son and daughter to matches at Home Park in the past. “It was a complete surprise!”

Modest midfielder Finn has recently started volunteering for St Luke’s in his spare time. The 23-year-old stopped to chat with Michael and another patient on the ward during his recent visit to our HQ to help the fundraising team.

“Finn came over to talk to me and I told him my life story,” added Michael, 61, who was thrilled that he was able to meet the rising football star before being discharged home a couple of days later. “He came across as a very genuine and nice bloke and he asked me some very good questions. I wish him well for the rest of the season and hope Argyle do as well as they did last year when they went into the Championship.”

Liverpool-born Michael, who lives at Keyham, was in the Royal Navy for 34 years, retiring in 2012. He was working as a safety officer for cruise ships before his diagnosis with Stage 4 bowel cancer. He was seen and supported by St Luke’s hospital team at Derriford before being transferred to our inpatient unit for specialist symptom management. He and his family – wife, Angela, daughter Bethany and son Matthew, who has followed his dad into the Navy – will now have the support of our at home team.

“I’m looking forward to going home but I have thoroughly enjoyed the two weeks I’ve spent in St Luke’s as an inpatient. The people are fantastic, and I feel honoured to have been asked to come here,” said Michael, who was also thrilled to be allowed a couple of hospice visits from his chocolate Labrador Milo. “It’s an amazing place, and you never know who you’re going to meet!”

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BLOG: Taking action and making an impact on National Inclusion Week

This week is National Inclusion Week 2023, where we celebrate inclusion and discover the transformative actions we can take to create inclusive workplaces.

This year’s theme is ‘Take Action, Make Impact’, which aims to get organisations thinking about their actions to support individuals in and outside the workplace.

Here at St Luke’s, we want to make sure that we are doing all we can to ensure that there are no barriers to not only our care, but our information and resources too.

One action we have taken is implementing the Recite Me assistive toolbar on our website to support everyone online.

We hope this positively impacts the experience that our website visitors have on our website as they utilise a range of customisable tools to read and understand our content in a way that best suits their needs.

You can choose from a range of tools including text-to-speech functionality, fully customisable styling features, reading aids and a translation tool with over 100 languages 65 of which are text-to-speech.

You can use Recite Me toolbar by clicking the ‘Accessibility’ button at the top of the page.

With over one billion people worldwide who live with some form of disability or impairment, it is vital that we prioritise inclusivity.

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BLOG: Harry’s BIG cycling challenge

An 8-year-old with big fundraising goals will be taking on the moors on Sunday 8 October at our Tour de Moor.

Harry Totham and his dad Paul will be taking part in our Tour de Moor for the first time this year, with high hopes to raise ‘BIG’ money for our compassionate care.

The self-confessed bike fanatics, from Elburton will be taking on our 33km route, which is brand new for this year, giving riders a fresh challenge to embark on.

Paul said: “Harry and I love anything and everything bike related. We are entered into the 33km race as Harry said he wanted to challenge himself, as in his words ‘11km wouldn’t be a challenge for him and he wanted to raise BIG money!’ If he could he probably would have gone for the 52km but there is always next year! (And knowing Harry this will be his challenge next time!).”

The pair have been making sure to test their pedals before the big day, with Harry attending a weekly cycling club as well as training with his dad.

“Harry and I go out on Mondays for a long ride. He trains at his cycling club Dartmoor Velo (which I am a coach for) on a Wednesday and Saturday and often races on Sundays at Regional events. It’s such a great friendly sport where the support of the other club members gives it a real family feel.”

So far, Harry and his dad have raised £350 on their JustGiving page, completely smashing the £100 fundraising target! This means they have been entered into our draw to win an exciting prize!

To follow their fundraising journey click here.

Like many of our riders at our Tour de Moor, Paul and Harry may not have seen our care in action first hand, but they have seen the impact our care teams have in the local community.

“We have been fortunate enough not to be impacted by anyone in our family or friends needing the support of St Luke’s, but Harry wanted to raise money for a worthy charity. Since moving down here 6 years ago from London, we have heard and seen the great work St Luke’s provides for local people in their time of need. So many people raise money for charity after they have been affected by something which is amazing, but how amazing is it for an 8-year-old wanting to raise money for a charity that has not affected his life.”

Our Tour de Moor is sponsored by Print, Copy, Scan Ltd. Time is running out to sign up, with spaces limited, you only have until Wednesday 4 October to register, so sign up now and get ready to take on Dartmoor.

Don’t forget that your registration fee only covers the costs of us running the event – it’s the money you raise through donations and sponsorship that will help us continue providing compassionate end of life care, free of charge, for everyone in our community who needs it.

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BLOG: Saluting sponsors who keep our flagship fundraisers flying

Kind-hearted sponsors play a huge part in enabling St Luke’s key fundraising events to happen year after year, bringing in hundreds of thousands of pounds to support our compassionate end of life care.

Members of Plymouth’s independent business community whose generosity helps make our flagship fundraisers such a rip-roaring success were invited to our Turnchapel headquarters to receive a huge heartfelt thank you on behalf of everyone at St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth and those whose lives we touch.

The valued contributions of local firms Michael Spiers, Marchand Petit, Print Copy Scan, NFU Mutual Plymouth, Jem Scaffolding, Sir Fix-a-lock Ltd and Plymouth Golf Centre were saluted with a slap-up breakfast celebration in the conservatory.

It was an opportunity not only to receive personal thanks from St Luke’s Head of Fundraising Penny Hannah, events lead Georgina Mayhew, events advisor Chloe Symons and new partnerships advisor Kim Dover, but also to meet each other and reflect on how and why they support the hospice and what it means to them.

Jackie Spiers, widow of Michael Spiers, founder of the renowned Plymouth based jewellery retailer, attended the reception with marketing and PR manager Fiona Spear, proudly standing close to the Memory Leaf the family sponsors in memory of her husband.

Michael was cared for at Turnchapel and at home before his death in 1999 and since then the business has supported St Luke’s in many ways. They are currently the main sponsors of St Luke’s popular Midnight Walk, which this year has so far raised more than £125,000 for patient care.

Jackie said: “St Luke’s is our favourite charity from the heart because when Michael was here, he was happy. The first time he came he was apprehensive, but the was soon very content flirting with the nurses who were all lovely. There is a lovely family feel here.

“I won’t say Michael loved coming here, but he wasn’t worried or anxious about it because everyone was so kind. He was in the inpatient unit for about a week the month before he died to sort out his pain relief, and he later died at home.

“The staff are wonderful and do an unbelievably good job and that’s why we support St Luke’s and we will carry on sponsoring Midnight Walk.”

Gordon Maunder, company chairman of Marchand Petit estate agents, came to the breakfast with marketing manager Rebecca Martin. The company became co-sponsors of Midnight Walk in 2023, after Gordon’s mother, Christine, was cared for at home by St Luke’s leading up to her death in 2022.

Gordon said: “My mother always thought that giving was almost a selfish act because it makes you feel good yourself, and I agree with that. You never know when it might be you who needs St Luke’s help so, from a personal point of view, giving a little something is a good thing to do.”

Jo Young and Kerry Hogan are partners in NFU Mutual Plymouth and have been sponsoring St Luke’s Open Gardens scheme for the past three years, helping to raise £55,000 this season alone.

Jo and Kerry said: “Although we don’t have a personal connection to anyone who has been cared for by St Luke’s, a lot of our customers and members do and it’s a charity everyone knows about.

“For our business it’s about wanting to give something back to the community. We share the same values and the same geographical area as St Luke’s and our relationship with Open Gardens is a perfect fit for our business.”

Jonathan Philpotts, director of Plymouth Golf Centre, is a new sponsor who recently came on board to support St Luke’s corporate Golf Days and attended the breakfast with golf operations manager Sam Stephens.

Jonathan said: “I have always been very much in awe of what St Luke’s does. It is just incredible, and the staff always have a smile on their faces. St Luke’s has been very helpful to a lot of friends of mine. Then in 2019 my business partner John Spry had end of life care from St Luke’s at home.

“We had already supported St Luke’s for about ten years with little prizes here and there. When we were asked to come on board with the rebranding of St Luke’s Golf Days we thought it would be brilliant to get involved. As well as a support package we are giving a prize package worth around £1,200 for Golf Days held in aid of the hospice.

“We like to do our bit. I have always taken part in Men’s Day Out… and never made it back to the rugby club once!”

Karl Welburn of Print Copy Scan has sponsored our Tour de Moor cycle challenge for the past six events, as well as taking part himself.

“If you live in Plymouth you will know someone who has a relationship with St Luke’s. The events are good fun alongside something that is so sad. I just really enjoy it and the people you get to work with.”

Darren Toms, managing director of Jem Scaffolding is a familiar face for many people at St Luke’s, especially at Christmas time when he becomes a “secret Santa” donating gifts and festive food for patients and their families.

His company are long time sponsors of Men’s Day Out, St Luke’s most successful annual event which this year raised more than £140,000.

Darren became involved after his father, Jim, was cared for by St Luke’s at home and in our specialist unit in 2018.

Paul Montgomery, aka Sir Fix-a-lock Ltd, supports several of St Luke’s flagship events at once by sponsoring all the signage used for Men’s Day Out, Tour de Moor and Midnight Walk, as well as flying the charity’s flag in a host of other ways through the year.

St Luke’s Penny Hannah said: “You are all so important to us. In the past year you have helped us to raise more than £600,000 and that represents a huge amount of care for our patients and their families. We can’t thank you enough.”

If your business would like to get involved, there’s a host of opportunities available to support St Luke’s and our events through sponsorship and regular giving, and we’re always ready to listen to your ideas. Please contact our fundraising team at partnerships@stluke-hospice.org.uk

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BLOG: Ross’s decade of cycling the Moor for St Luke’s

This year’s Tour de Moor marks a special occasion for one of our dedicated riders.

Ten years ago, Ross Blackmore decided to get on his bike for our compassionate care, fast forward a decade and he is ready to take on his 10th charity ride on Sunday 8 October.

Ross, from Down Thomas, is a self-confessed cycling fanatic. Being no stranger to mountain bike racing, Ross will be taking on our 52km ‘Beast mode’ on the day, a tough on and off road adventure to test the endurance and skill level of even the most experienced of cyclists.

Like many of our riders, the story behind Ross’ initial participation lies in memory of his grandad, Cyril Hollow. Cyril was cared for by St Luke’s 11 years ago at the age of 83, after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He spent his last few weeks at our specialist unit at Turnchapel.

“I take part in the Tour de Moor to raise money for St Luke’s because of grandad being in there, to continue to raise money. The care that St Luke’s goes to, looking after people at the end of their life. Nothing is ever too much trouble. They made me and my family feel at ease and kept us updated all the time.”

So what keeps Ross coming back year on year? “For me it is getting out and exploring Dartmoor. It is nice to be out enjoying the fresh air as well as for the challenge and pushing your limits.

“The day itself is fantastic, there is a great atmosphere, I love it. Chatting to people on the way around, laughing, banter, it’s just a great event.”

Will you be joining Ross on the Moors in October? With just a month to go until the boldest cycling event in the South West, sponsored by Print, Copy, Scan Ltd, now is the time to sign up.

However, like Ross, it is the money you raise in sponsorship that makes the real difference. Providing hospice care free of charge to our patients is something we feel so strongly about. But this is only possible due to the kindness and generosity of you, our supporters.

If every Tour de Moor cyclist commits to raising at least £100, we’ll collectively have enough to care for 100 families at home at the most crucial of times.

What’s more if you raise over £100 in sponsorship and have paid it in by 26 November 2023 you will be entered into a draw to win an exciting prize! Simply set up your JustGiving page when you sign up and see how much you can raise!

Signed up already and can’t wait to get those pedals turning? Cyclists can now download the GPX route for both the 33km and 52km routes from our website to get you kitted out for the big day.

Sign up for our Tour de Moor here.

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BLOG: Sparksy’s legacy for St Luke’s Pilgrims fans

Lifelong Plymouth Argyle fan Ray Rogers became a VIP for the day when he was treated to prime seats for the match against Blackburn Rovers last weekend thanks to a heart-warming new regular guest ticket arrangement between St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth and the club.

The 77-year-old grandfather, who is receiving care at home from St Luke’s specialist nursing team, was the first to benefit from the new initiative set up in memory of much-missed club ambassador and commentator Gordon Sparks, and sponsored by PLG Consultants, Devon-based disability and accessible property specialists.

In a move that makes it possible for fans like Ray to witness their team in action at Home Park, two privileged accessible seats have been reserved for a St Luke’s patient or family member and their guest for every Argyle home game in the 2023-24 Sky Bet Championship season.

Not only will they have a great view from PLG’s wheelchair accessible branded viewing platform in the Beacon Electrical Lower Mayflower stand, but they’ll also have the dedicated services of volunteer Elliott Darcy to make sure their visit goes smoothly, plus vouchers for refreshments, and regular check-ins on the day from St Luke’s nurse specialist and Pilgrims’ fan Debbie Hutchinson.

Ray, who lives at Southway, has been an Argyle fan since he was a child and his dad used to take him to Home Park. He’d been a regular season ticket holder until this year when his health deteriorated, and he was thrilled to be able to attend a match again.

“It’s difficult for me to get there now. I can’t handle the steps,” said Ray, who has been treated for colon cancer.  He was accompanied on Saturday by his youngest grandson, Dylan, 19.

“Just being there was great. And they had a good result as well – 3-0 against Blackburn Rovers. I really enjoyed the day and the fresh air. I had a nice comfy chair. I shared a pasty with Dylan and had a cup of hot Bovril. Everything about it was wonderful.”

Ray also got to meet and have his photo taken with former Argyle Captain Gary Sawyer and was given a match programme.

Ray’s wife, Wendy, said they were delighted when St Luke’s clinical nurse specialist Alex Chapman visited them at home and told them Ray could have the tickets.

“She said they were VIP tickets and that he would be met, and they would provide a wheelchair,” said Wendy, who drove Ray and Dylan to the game. “Everyone was so helpful when we got there, including the car park attendants who found us a space. Elliott was a very nice chap and Ray was really well looked after.”

The seeds for the new scheme were sown when Sparksy was receiving care last year from St Luke’s both at home and in the hospice’s specialist unit. He chatted to clinical nurse specialist Ali Griffiths about their mutual love of Argyle and how he wanted to make it possible for patients who are Pilgrims fans to get to the club’s home games. Almost a year after the popular BBC Radio Devon broadcaster’s death the idea has now blossomed into reality, with the help of key partners and a willing volunteer.

Daniel Pippen, Argyle Supporter Relations Manager, said: “Our teams are passionate about delivering the very best experiences for our supporters, and this initiative will help us to do exactly that for those cared for by St Luke’s. We know this will make a real difference to those who will visit us through the scheme and hope it will stand as a fitting legacy for our beloved Sparksy.”

Phill Gill, PLG Consultants Managing Director, added: “We have been looking at ways of supporting the club in a way that fits the work we do. Having listened to and been friends with Sparksy for many years and seen the tremendous help St Luke’s gave to my best friend’s sister earlier this year it felt like a great initiative to be a part of.”

Purely by chance, 28-year-old volunteer Elliott, a boxing coach from Plympton, contacted Argyle to volunteer at exactly the right time to help get the programme off the ground. A keen Pilgrims supporter, he had been moved by the story of young Sunderland FC fan Bradley Lowery who had terminal cancer and was helped to get to as many games as possible, and he said he was keen to support something similar in Plymouth.

“I contacted Argyle to suggest this, and Dan told me about the scheme being set up in memory of Gordon Sparks. I never expected it to get to this point – it’s great that it is actually happening. I’ve agreed to be there on a voluntary basis for every home game to meet the St Luke’s guests and look after them from start to finish,” said Elliott. “Kindness costs nothing, but I haven’t done anything like this before, so it’s very new to me and I’m finding my feet. It was really great to meet Ray, and Dylan did a fantastic job looking after his granddad.”

St Luke’s Head of Fundraising, Penny Hannah, added: “This is very special! If someone is a fan and have been for years, they do not want to miss out and often one of their last wishes is to be at Home Park. All of us at St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, and especially our nurses, are overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity shown by Argyle and PLG, by creating this gift to the patients in our care and their families who wish to get to a match, just as Sparksy wanted.”

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