My dream is to form one or two additional groups in the South Hams – maybe in Kingsbridge, Salcombe, Ivybridge or elsewhere.

Tag Archive for: South Hams

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BLOG: Open Gardens 2022

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Open Gardens 2022

Always an annual highlight, our Open Gardens season feels even more special this time around. That’s because 2022 is our 40th anniversary year!

We simply couldn’t have reached this milestone without the kindness of all our supporters. This includes everyone who attends our Open Gardens and, of course, the big-hearted people who throw open their beautiful gardens to welcome them. Together, over the 12 years the scheme has been running, you have raised more than £429,000 to help local families receive our charity’s compassionate care, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

A huge thank you to NFU Mutual Plymouth for sponsoring this year’s scheme – please look out for their stand at our gardens this season.

Whether you’re a green-fingered guru or someone who simply enjoys being outside in the beauty of nature, we’ve got a diverse selection of enchanting gardens to delight and inspire you this season. Many of our featured gardens are hidden gems not normally open to the public, so visiting is a rare chance for you to get an insight into garden planning and planting schemes. For a Mothering Sunday treat, we have the opening of Gnaton Hall’s spectacular spring gardens on 27 March. Come and explore this private estate and enjoy tea and cake on the lawns.

Gnaton Hall | 27 March | 2pm – 5pm | PL8 2HU

Gnaton Hall image

Enjoy over five acres. which include a spectacular display of daffodils, walled gardens and grand Magnolia trees. Peaceful woodland walks surround the terraced lawns, where a selection of delicious cakes will be served.

Mothecombe | 15 May | 11am – 5pm | PL8 1LB

Mothecombe image

Approached through its pretty hamlet of thatched cottages, Mothecombe has a formal walled garden with a terrace by Sir Edwin Lutyens. A gravel walk through the orchard and bluebell woods, planted with a wide variety interesting trees and shrubs, leads past the bog gardens and down to the private beach.

Flete House | 3 July | 12 – 5pm | PL21 9NZ

Flete House image

The enigmatic and fascinating Flete House is surrounded with elegantly landscaped parkland estate. The Italianate gardens, shrubbery and water gardens are complimented by some excellent specimen trees and panoramic views of the beautiful South Hams. Join us for exclusive access to the private and historic Devon estate.

These and all our other Open Gardens provide an enjoyable and inspiring way for our supporters to raise vital funds for local hospice care. Please let your family and friends know so that they can visit, too. The more people who support our events, the more families St Luke’s can help across Plymouth, West Devon and East Cornwall.

Tickets are available on the day, and we have a contactless payment facility as well as accepting cash. Entry is free for under-16s. We aim to offer refreshments and plant sales at all our gardens, where possible.

On behalf of all of us at St Luke’s – and everyone we look after- a big thank-you to our visitors, garden owners and volunteers who make our Open Gardens scheme so popular and successful.

For directions and details visit our Open Gardens webpage.

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BLOG: News from the Friends of St Luke’s in the South Hams – July 2021

Aerial photograph of the South Hams

 

Our volunteers are gradually mobilising after the lockdown. Recently, the Friends in Modbury held a most successful stand at the Modbury Fair, selling clothes, accessories and raffle tickets to raise almost £500. This is a really sociable and supportive group, and it is a pleasure to be associated with them.

My dream is to form one or two additional groups in the South Hams – maybe in Kingsbridge, Salcombe, Ivybridge or elsewhere. Membership can lead to lasting friendships, while supporting an essential local healthcare charity. Do get in touch with me if you might be able to help – please see my contact details below.

With the easing of some lockdown restrictions, St Luke’s Open Gardens scheme has been able to proceed. In the South Hams the weather was glorious for both our events at Lower Combe Royal (Kingsbridge) and at Gnaton Hall (near Newton Ferrers); it was a little cloudy at Lukesland (Ivybridge) and at Sommerswood Lakes (South Brent), but this did not detract from the fabulous flora and scrumptious cakes. We are so grateful to the owners who open their beautiful gardens in aid of St Luke’s.

Our next Open Garden is at Bowringsleigh (Kingsbridge) on 5 September. Further information can be found at here. Here, you will see there’s also the opportunity to win an original painting by Brian Pollard.

A Compassionate Café was held in Kingsbridge in mid-June. This enables anyone who is looking after someone who is dying, has been bereaved or is living with a life-limiting illness to talk to someone with a sympathetic ear. Where needed, more specialised services can be signposted to provide specific advice. Do come along to the Compassionate Café for tea, coffee and a chat, every second and fourth Saturday, 10.30am – 12.30pm, at Harbour House Café, Kingsbridge. Please contact the café organiser, Linda Christian, on 07517 019131 in advance to say that you wish to attend or for more information.

We are grateful to the Lions Club of Ivybridge who invited us to run a stand at their annual Fun Day on 10 July. Thanks also to Martin French of the Totnes Hire Shop, who ran a stand: ‘Surf for St Luke’s’. The sun came out in the afternoon – as did the local crowds – and the event was a great success. On the Friday night the Wurzels played their ‘scrumpy and western’ gig, much enjoyed by the audience dressed in their hillbilly outfits.

The St Luke’s shops in Modbury and Ivybridge are getting back to normal, post-Covid. They have a terrific range of ‘pre-loved’ (and some new, factory-outlet) clothing and other bric-a-brac. They are normally open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 9am to 4pm, and can receive donations of goods on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, although this can be limited by a shortage of space.

There are many other events further afield, such as the Eddystone Lighthouse Challenge on 24 July. Eight boats have entered in aid of St Luke’s, all from the Plymouth area, so I’m looking for an entry to represent the South Hams. See Sail for St Luke’s for details.

Please contact Colin if you feel you might be able to help: 01752 492626/ cpincombe@stlukes-hospice.org.uk.

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BLOG: News from the Friends of St Luke’s in the South Hams – June 2021

Colin Pincombe, St Luke’s Impact Volunteer Partner in the South Hams, rounds up the news on what’s been happening across the area to support our charity’s compassionate care in the community.

“Our volunteers are gradually mobilising after the lockdown. Recently, the Friends in Modbury held a most successful stand at the Modbury Fair, selling clothes, accessories and raffle tickets to raise almost £500. This is a really sociable and supportive group, and it is a pleasure to be associated with them.

“My dream is to form one or two similar groups elsewhere in the South Hams – maybe in Kingsbridge, Salcombe or Ivybridge. Membership can lead to lasting friendships, while supporting an essential local healthcare charity. Do get in touch with me if you might be able to help – please see contact details below.

“With the easing of some lockdown restrictions, St Luke’s Open Gardens scheme has been able to proceed. In the South Hams the weather was glorious for our events at Lower Combe Royal (Kingsbridge) and Gnaton Hall (near Newton Ferrers); it was a little cloudy at Lukesland (Ivybridge), but this did not detract from the fabulous flora and scrumptious cakes.

“Future Open Gardens are at Lower Combe Royal (Kingsbridge) on 20 June and Sommerswood Lakes (South Brent) on 11 July. More will follow, and further information can be found here. Here you will see there’s also the opportunity to win an original painting by Brian Pollard. We are so grateful to the owners who open their beautiful gardens in aid of St Luke’s.

“A Compassionate Café was opened in Kingsbridge in mid-June. This enables anyone who is looking after someone who is dying, has been bereaved or is living with a life-limiting illness to talk to someone with a sympathetic ear. Where needed, more specialised services can be signposted to provide specific advice. Do come along to the Compassionate Café for tea, coffee and a chat, every second and fourth Saturday, 10.30am – 12.30pm, at Harbour House Café, Kingsbridge. Please contact the café organiser, Linda Christian, on 07517 019131 in advance to say that you wish to attend or for more information.

“We have been chosen to be sponsored by the Lions Club of Ivybridge and to run a stand at their annual Fun Day on 10 July at the Rugby Club, Cross-in-Hand, Filham, Ivybridge. Please visit us there or, better still, put on your straw hats and come to enjoy The Wurzels on 9 July from 7pm. Booking and further information can be found here.

“There are many other events further afield, such as the Eddystone Lighthouse Challenge. Nine boats have entered in aid of St Luke’s, all from the Plymouth area, so I’m looking for an entry to represent the South Hams. See Sail for St Luke’s for details.

“Do contact me if you feel you might be able to help – 01752 492626 / cpincombe@stlukes-hospice.org.uk.”

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PR: Join forces to help protect high-quality hospice care in the South Hams

A Kingsbridge man, passionate about protecting the specialist service that ensures local people with terminal illness receive the high-quality care they need – and deserve – at the end of their lives, has taken up a new voluntary role with the charity carrying out this vital work.

Colin Pincombe has recently been appointed Impact Volunteer Partner with St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth. He is now sending out a rallying call to all like-minded people in the South Hams, asking them to join him in giving some of their spare time to help revitalise local recognition for the charity and build its resilience for the years to come.

Colin has had a long career in business, chairing NHS Trusts and, more recently, as a Trustee of Rowcroft Hospice. He is currently Chair of South Hams Hospital League of Friends.

St Luke’s is committed to caring for patients in the place that’s right for them, which for many is in the comfort of their own homes. Not only does this enable them to stay close to their loved ones, it reduces the need for them to travel into Plymouth for hospital treatment. This is of even greater importance for people living in isolated rural areas, where accessing all kinds of services can be more difficult. St Luke’s covers the whole of the South Hams district except Chillington to Dartmouth, which is served by Rowcroft Hospice.

While the hospice gives tailored care and support to patients and their families at no cost to those who receive it, this service does not come cheap to the charity. With people living longer and with more complex conditions, referrals are growing year on year, which increases pressure on its limited resources.

As an independent charity, St Luke’s relies on donations and fundraising from the communities it serves so that no-one who needs expert, compassionate care at the end of their life has to miss out. The pandemic has meant a particularly uncertain year for the hospice, with its income impacted by the temporary closure of its charity shops as well as the postponement of its mass participation events, such as Midnight Walk, until safer times.

Speaking about his new voluntary role with St Luke’s, Colin said: “The economic climate is only going to get tougher for everyone, including charities, so if we want to have the assurance that St Luke’s can continue serving our communities in the years ahead, now is the time for us to take action and show our support.

“That’s why I’m asking fellow South Hams residents from all walks of life to join me in spreading awareness of St Luke’s in our local area with a view to raising funds and recruiting volunteers to ensure the sustainability of the charity. I believe that together, we can make an important difference for our community.”

Penny Hannah, Head of Fundraising at St Luke’s, said: “Many people naturally associate the name St Luke’s with Plymouth but in fact our team is on the road 365 days a year, including across the South Hams, so that people living and dying with terminal illness know they have not been forgotten.

“I am delighted Colin has joined St Luke’s as Impact Volunteer Partner. He brings with him a great deal of valuable experience in the healthcare sector as well as an understanding of the pressures facing our charity, making him a real asset. We are tremendously grateful to him for getting behind St Luke’s to help us be here for local families for generations to come.”

Due to the pandemic, no meetings will take place in person until it is safe to do so, but to register your interest in joining Colin in giving a little spare time to support the vital work of St Luke’s in your local area, please email him at cpincombe@stlukes-hospice.org.uk or call St Luke’s on 01752 492626.

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