Tag Archive for: St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth

,

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.

, ,

BLOG: Channel swim challenge for our compassionate care

Endless miles of water and only yourself for company can be a daunting prospect for many. But for some St Luke’s supporters, a cross channel swim is at the top of their fundraising bucket list.

Mike Goodman, from Saltash, took on the ultimate challenge of swimming across the channel for St Luke’s last week.

Mike, who you may recognise as being the manager at the Embankment Road Co-op, swam the gruelling 20.5 miles of open water between England and France all in aid of St Luke’s.

It took Mike an incredible 14 hours and 45 minutes to complete the swim.

Mike, who has always had a love of swimming, decided to take on the epic challenge after his friend and training partner, Neil Brinkworth, who had completed it himself four years earlier – raising a staggering amount for St Luke’s – gave him the push of encouragement.

He said: “I have always been a keen swimmer, starting at an early age and joining Plymouth Leander Swimming Club. I was never a fast swimmer but I enjoyed the challenge even then of distance swimming and getting my two mile badge.

“My good friend and training partner, Neil encouraged me to do the swim after we completed the channel as part of a four man relay, going on to swim from Land’s End to the Isles of Scilly as a team of six and becoming World Record holders for the fastest time, and more recently in June this year, the same team completed the North Channel, from Northern Ireland to Scotland.”

Mike, who has always been a supporter of St Luke’s – even kindly donating milk for refreshments at our most recent Open Garden – has already managed to raise over £3,200 for our patient care on his JustGiving page.

He said: “St Luke’s has been a great support to many people I know, including relatives, so I wanted to fundraise for such a great local cause.”

Swimming the channel is no easy feat, with Mike having to take on a vigorous training schedule to prepare for the big day.

“Training wise, I’ve been swimming twice a week for an hour early in the mornings, concentrating on technique as well as speed work and two sessions a week in the gym focusing on stretching, to help prevent injury and improve flexibility and range of movement. I have been sea swimming normally once a week and then more every other weekend when I’m not working full time.

“My training peaked with six-hour sea swims, or if time and weather did not permit, three hours in the pool followed by three hours in the sea the following day.”

But the training was all worth it in the end, especially when Mike was able to see the French coast on the horizon after hours of physical exertion.

“The toughest part was going through the 6/7 hour pain barrier as this was the longest time on my training swims. Once past that and up to 10 hours I knew I had passed the separation zone (mid channel) and that as minimum I was half-way, so psychologically it was all downhill from there with a decreasing amount of hours.

“The magic was seeing the French coast and being told by your crew, ‘This is your last feed,’ knowing you had less than one hour to go! My team got to swim in and film me finishing on the beach and celebrate the crossing.”

Thank you and well done to Mike for this incredible achievement. Thanks to his dedication and hard work, we can be there for even more patients and families who desperately need our care and support.

,

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

,

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.

,

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.”

,

BLOG: Born to ride – A New Year’s wish come true.

For many of our Tour de Moor riders, cycling is their passion and runs through their veins.

This is absolutely true for one of our younger riders, 8-year-old George Lake from Tavistock, who will be achieving his New Year’s wish on Sunday 8 October.

While many toddlers were learning to walk, George was learning to ride. George’s mum Anna Lake, recounts where his love of cycling first started. “He has been into cycling since he was old enough to toddle along on a balance bike – which was when he was about 18 months old! He now loves riding on the moors and going downhill riding at Gawton Gravity hub.”

No stranger to a challenge, George even recently competed in the South West XC series where he came third overall in the Under 8’s category.

Clearly no novice when it comes to cycling, George first heard about our Tour de Moor charity cycling event last year and knew straight away that he wanted to be part of the action this year. So much so, that when writing a list of things he wanted to achieve in 2023 at New Year, one of his wishes was to take part in Tour de Moor and raise money for St Luke’s while doing so.

George has already got his JustGiving page up and running, aiming to raise as much as possible so that we can continue to provide care and support to hundreds of people and their families who are going through the hardest of times.

While the family have not had to call upon our services previously, Anna has seen where St Luke’s sits within our local community and knows how important it is to support our services to prepare for whatever the future may hold.

“Although we don’t have an attachment to St Luke’s in a personal way, we recognise it’s a great local charity doing important work in our community and one day, we may need to call upon their support.”

George will be taking on the 33km route with his dad Matt, which this year has been revamped for an improved ride, featuring plenty of on and off road challenges to put his skills to the test.

During the summer holidays, George has been kickstarting his training in preparation for the event. Anna said: “George rides on the moors most weeks with his dad and over the coming weeks they’ll be doing some longer training rides in the run up to the big day!”

Like George, you don’t have to have witnessed our care first-hand to take part in our Tour de Moor. By taking part and fundraising for our care, you can ensure that yours and your loved ones’ futures are cared for, whatever they may hold.

The registration fee for our Tour de Moor, sponsored by Print, Copy, Scan Ltd, only covers the costs of running the event, which is why the money you raise in sponsorship means so much to us. 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! So don’t forget to set up your JustGiving page here and join the big-hearted bunch of cyclists taking on Dartmoor in October.

Register now and be part of something special.

,

BLOG: Military nurses sign up for garden duty

Nurses’ hands aren’t only for delivering compassionate care. A band of community-minded military nurses put their green fingers to good use recently on voluntary weeding and seeding duty in the grounds of our specialist unit at Turnchapel.

It’s hard graft every day on the wards of Derriford Hospital for the members of the Joint Hospital Group South West, so it was a breath of fresh air for them to roll up their sleeves and lend St Luke’s garden team a hand last week.

When they’d finished outdoors, they spruced up the Memory Tree in the conservatory at Turnchapel, polishing the leaves so that each one shines brightly for the special loved one they honour.

The enthusiastic Armed Forces group were pictured at the end of their afternoon session along with St Luke’s maintenance worker Dave, maintenance volunteer John, and specialist unit nurse Rachel.

Laura Champion, lead for the JHGSW group said: “We really enjoyed the experience and it’s something we would do again. In fact, we would like to make it a regular thing.

“We’d had end of life training, learning about what to do when someone dies on board ship. We decided we wanted to do something useful for St Luke’s for our team building session, so we emailed to offer our services.”

Laura, who toured the specialist unit with group member Poppy Archer-Dunne as part of their first ever visit, added: “We do get patients who go on to be cared for at St Luke’s specialist unit and it really helps to be able to picture where they are coming to.

“We were aware of St Luke’s excellent work in Derriford, but it was so beneficial to get a better understanding of the unit and find out how St Luke’s operates in the community.”

Poppy said that as well as giving St Luke’s a helping hand, the nurses got a lot back from by their visit.

“It’s lovely and peaceful here – it has a very nice vibe. I found it really therapeutic. We were very lucky with the weather, and we were very well looked after.”

Plymouth is the base port for all the nurses – a mix of Royal Navy and RAF personnel. They keep their skills up by working at Derriford in between deployments.

“A lot of the nurses are a long way from home, with many living at HMS Drake, and they don’t know Plymouth very well. It was great for us to get out of the city a bit and enjoy the amazing views here.”

At St Luke’s we welcome volunteer groups from local organisations and businesses. Our corporate volunteering days are great for team building, while supporting end-of-life care in your community. Find out more by emailing corporate@stlukes-hospice.org.uk

,

BLOG: On the right lines for vital car park mission

Kind-hearted line painting company JHB were quick to come to the rescue when we needed urgent help to mark out parking spaces for patients’ visitors at our specialist unit.

It’s crucial that visitors coming to see our patients can park easily at our Turnchapel site, especially when time to spend with their loved one is running short. But the original lines were old and worn, making it hard for people to see where the reserved spaces were.

After deciding to relocate the visitor spaces to a safer, more obvious and convenient place, we appealed to Devon firm JHB to complete the job for us. We were thrilled when they jumped at the chance to provide their skills and services free of charge for their local hospice.

“The thought of someone panicking, wanting to get to the hospice quickly and park without a problem really made me think,” said Tom Brooks, JHB’s senior estimator. “We understand that something important like this can pop up when there isn’t the budget for it, so we were delighted to help ease the situation.

“We are quite an open company, always willing to do our bit. There was such a good reason for having this area lined fast. It was a no-brainer for us to be honest.”

Head of Facilicites Louisa Duggan-Smith said: “At St Luke’s our care extends beyond the wards to make sure your experience of our services is positive, friendly and free of unnecessary stresses.

“It’s a priority for visitors coming to see our patients – sometimes urgently – to be able to park easily, close to the main entrance of our specialist unit. That’s been made so much easier with the generosity of this good-hearted local company, and we are so grateful to them.”

JHB is a family firm run by James Hodge-Brooks and his wife, Beth, and Tom is their nephew. Based at South Brent but covering the whole of the UK and into Europe, they paint lines and lettering for major clients, including national highways and large corporate car parks, as well as providing special surfaces for sports grounds and playgrounds.

Tom arranged for one of JHB’s teams to take time out of their busy schedule last week to spend a morning at our Turnchapel site getting the job done urgently and to the highest standards, and he was delighted to come down with them to find out more about the hospice.

“I’d heard about St Luke’s work through family and friends, but on a personal level it was great to come and hear what the organisation does and why it is so important,” he said.

“We had a two-man team – Dave and Adrian – on the job. They had to clean away everything that was there already, and sweep any lose stones away. All the bays had to be set out with a chalk line, then they marked out all the lettering before making the final thermoplastic markings.

“I have to say it does look fantastic with the white parking bays, the lettering and the red walkway lines. Because we did the parking bays, it made the disabled bays on the other side of them look a little bit sad so we refreshed them as well and did the pedestrian symbol too. It’s the small details that count!”

,

BLOG: Pushing the pedals for hospice care

Our avid cyclists choose to take on our Tour de Moor for a variety of reasons, including the thrill and challenge. But for many, there is a much more sentimental reason for taking part.

Callum Storr and Cameron Oakley are flying the flag for fundraising in amongst their training for the charity ride on Sunday 8 October.

The 19-year-olds from Plymouth and Lawhitton, Launceston, have not only been pounding the pedals in preparation for the big day, but they have been working hard to secure donations from friends and family as part of their fundraising journeys.

Both friends have experienced the care St Luke’s provides within their families and so decided to honour their relative’s memories by aiming to each raise at least £100 for our compassionate care on their JustGiving pages.

Callum is fundraising in memory of his great grandma, who was cared for by St Luke’s. “What’s better than doing what you love and raising money for a charity which helped my family when my great nan Pat had cancer and needed it the most?” he said. “So, I thought it was my time to give back and to help the charity that helped our family.”

Cameron will be cycling in memory of both his aunt and uncle, Sue Strohmeyer and Peter Oakley, who both received our care.

Cameron said: “My uncle Peter and I shared a birthday but unfortunately I never had the chance to meet him as he died of a heart attack before my birth. I’ve been told by my dad that St Luke’s helped him through his end-of-life process which is very comforting to hear.

“My auntie Sue, I happily had the pleasure of meeting and seeing fairly often when I was younger. She sadly had cancer and in 2012 we thought we would all go on holiday to Turkey for her last holiday. A year later she was the placed under St Luke’s care for her end-of-life care, I always remember going in and talking to her about my day or other day to day things.”

The pair will be taking on the 52km route, which has been enhanced for 2023 and will see them face plenty of on and off-road challenges to put their cycling skills to the ultimate test. Despite the unrelenting rain, they have been busy getting out on their bikes at any opportunity this summer, practising some longer rides to prepare them for the big day.

Callum said: “I’ve only just started getting into mountain biking as a hobby recently because of Cameron, who took me on my first proper mountain bike trail from Burrator Reservoir to Princetown and back where I fell in love with mountain biking. So Cameron told me about Tour de Moor and what it’s about, so I agreed to do it with him while raising money for St Luke’s and doing what I love.”

This will be the second year in a row that Cameron will be taking part in our Tour de Moor, but this year he is determined to raise as much as he can through his fundraising.

He said: “I did Tour De Moor last year for the first time but unfortunately didn’t make a fundraiser page due to me signing up so late. This year I thought I’d do Tour de Moor again but try to raise as much money as I possibly could to help others.”

While jumping on your bike is the first step, many may not realise that your registration fee only covers the costs of running the event, it is the money you raise in sponsorship for our Tour de Moor that makes the real difference. By setting up a JustGiving page like Callum and Cameron, you can help us to continue to provide compassionate end of life care, free of charge, for everyone in our community who needs it.

The inspiring duo have set themselves a goal of each raising £100, with the added challenge of doing the ride in fancy dress as a banana and flamingo if they achieve their goal.

If like Callum and Cameron, 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, just like we did for their families.

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! So don’t forget to set up your JustGiving page here and join the big-hearted bunch of cyclists taking on Dartmoor in October.

Sponsored by Print Copy Scan, a local supplier of printers and copiers, our Tour de Moor challenge is best known as an adrenaline-packed two-wheel quest that can test the skills, fitness, and endurance of even the toughest of cyclists. But it’s so much more than that. With three distances and difficulty levels to choose from, it’s the ultimate inclusive family friendly cycling adventure.

Sign up today here and join us as we ride as one for hospice care.

,

BLOG: The next steps in St Luke’s leadership journey

George Lillie will be stepping into the role of Chief Executive of St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth with immediate effect.

Chair of the Board of Trustees, Charles Hackett, and his fellow trustees have invited George, our Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Clinical Services, to be seconded to this key position until at least April 2025 and he has accepted.

Charles said: “The tragic loss of our newly appointed CEO Christina Quinn seven weeks ago left St Luke’s in an upsetting, unsettling, and unprecedented situation, and we have taken time to consider very carefully what the next step should be.

“With his huge experience, enthusiasm, and integrity, we are confident that George is the right person to steer St Luke’s sensitively and effectively, supported by our skilled Senior Management Team, as we work together towards the longer-term future.

“George has been with the organisation since 2001, director of Clinical Services since 2005 and our Deputy CEO since 2017. He has an exceptional passion for palliative care and is a proud champion for St Luke’s services in the wider integrated health care system.”

George said: “It’s an honour for me to take on the role of Chief Executive. I have a real passion for making sure St Luke’s continues to provide the exceptional care we are so rightly renowned for and to keep building on that reputation. I’m also keen to make immediate progress with some of the important projects that are already under way.”

Our Care

Support us

Courses

Information