Tag Archive for: volunteer

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Marking volunteer Margarethe’s silver service at St Luke’s

Back in 1998 Margarethe Marsh walked into her local St Luke’s charity shop and offered to help once a week. Twenty-five years on, she’s still volunteering at our Saltash branch and loving every minute of it.

This week shop manager Hayley Pollard was joined by St Luke’s head of retail Mike Picken and retail area manager John Saunders to congratulate Margarethe on her inspirational long service and present her with an engraved plaque, a certificate of recognition and flowers, as well as plenty of cake to share with her shop colleagues.

When Margarethe began volunteering, the Saltash St Luke’s shop was at the top of Fore Street, virtually next door to the opticians where she worked part time. Looking for something worthwhile to fill her time after her two daughters had grown up and left home, she popped in to ask her friend Brenda, then the shop manager, if she could lend a hand.

“And the rest is history,” laughed Margarethe, 74, whose infectious smile and ready humour light up the whole shop. “I knew Brenda socially and I had heard about St Luke’s, Dr Sheila Cassidy and the history of how it all started.

“I didn’t have any personal family reason for getting involved – I was very lucky then to have a healthy family – but it was a way for me to give something back.”

Living locally with her husband, she has been a stalwart of the volunteer team at Saltash once a week ever since, moving with the shop when it relocated to more modern and spacious premises closer to the Tamar Bridge around eight years ago.

Turning her hand to anything that needs doing, from serving customers and manning the till to sorting through donations, steaming clothes, pricing items and putting them out for sale on the shop floor, Margarethe says nothing much has changed over the years, apart from people’s attitudes to charity shops.

“They don’t have the stigma they used to,” says Margarethe. “There’s certainly nothing musty or smelly about this place and we’re very lucky with the donations and support we get here. Because St Luke’s is local, people are very generous.”

One of the aspects she enjoys most is the chance to spend time with a wide variety of people and she has a special camaraderie with her fellow volunteers and a great relationship with manager Hayley, as well as regular customers.

“It gives me friendship and a reason to be out,” adds Margarethe, whose activities have become a little restricted by a degenerative eye condition. “I can’t read, the TV is blurry and I’ve had to give away all my craft materials because I can’t see well enough any more. But there is always something useful for me to do here.”

She especially enjoys meeting the younger volunteers. “It’s lovely because you can be cheeky and fun with them. You can give them the benefit of your experience and you can learn a lot from them too.”

Find out more about volunteering with St Luke’s here.

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Reflections from CEO Steve

With my retirement as St Luke’s Chief Executive coming up on 4 May, I want to take this opportunity to say what an immense privilege it has been to serve at the helm of our hospice for the past six years.

It would be far too difficult to home in on just one or two memories that I will take with me from my time as CEO, and my years as Deputy and HR Director before that, so instead I’ll share the overriding feeling I am left with as I approach retirement.

It really has been way more than a job – it has been the most incredible journey, working alongside our amazing staff and volunteers, and I speak from my heart when I say I am very proud of what we have achieved together, always putting the best interests of our patients and their families at the centre of what we do.

I want to say a huge thank-you to everyone I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with at St Luke’s. The dedication all our staff and volunteers show to our community day in, day out is second to none, and I say this recognising that maintaining such a high calibre of service is often very challenging in the face of growing demands on our hospice team. I am so grateful to have ended my career at a place where everyone cares so much and is working towards the same, shared goal.  

The decision to step away has not been an easy one, but I am retiring at the time that feels right for me, professionally and personally, and with the assurance of knowing that St Luke’s incoming CEO, Christina Quinn, is absolutely the best pair of hands to receive the reins from me.

She will be supported by the same great group of senior management colleagues I have been fortunate enough to work alongside.

For those of you who don’t already know, until last November Christina was Chair of our charity’s Board of Trustees. She comes with not only her trademark dynamism and many years’ experience at senior level within the NHS, but also the knowledge, wisdom and insight gained from six years of leading our governing body, during which time we have weathered the pandemic and gone through transformation.

I want to thank current Chair of Trustees Charles Hackett (and former Chair Christina), and every other member of our board for their support over the years. Being a trustee is a massive responsibility and they work tirelessly to steer our charity safely towards our vision. We could not do what we do without them.

As I prepare for my retirement (I’m still getting used to that word!) and then ‘decompressing’ from the huge responsibility of running a hospice, I want to let you know that I am not thinking of this as ‘goodbye’. While I won’t be interfering in the running of St Luke’s, I’ll be following St Luke’s with interest and great affection – and you’re bound to see me pop up, getting muddy at Tour de Moor and no doubt volunteering at Midnight Walk.

In signing off this last message as St Luke’s CEO, I want to say thank you again to everyone for their support in making sure St Luke’s continues to be the safe haven our community needs for anyone diagnosed with, or affected by, life-limiting illness.

Thank you.

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CEO Steve Statham retirement
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CEO Steve Statham discusses his retirement and St Luke’s

CEO Steve Statham retirement

CEO Steve Statham discusses his retirement and St Luke’s

Chief Executive of St Luke’s, Steve Statham, has announced he will be retiring in April 2023 after six years’ service in the role and 18 years with our charity.

Here he discusses his retirement and time at St Luke’s and how he will be leaving the charity in very capable hands.

There is never a ‘perfect’ time to leave a job and organisation you hold very dear, but both personally and professionally it feels like the right time for me to hand over the reins to a successor who will bring with them their own ideas and leadership style.

The decision to retire next year has not been an easy one – not only because I’m incredibly proud of the service that together we have grown, shaped and honed so that it’s the very best it can be for our patients and their families, but because the St Luke’s team are the best of the best.

If you’ll bear with me, I’m going to repeat a story that I’ve told at many a Welcome Day over the years, and it goes back to when I first set foot inside Turnchapel for my interview as HR Director 18 years ago. If I’m completely honest, it was more about getting interview practice than securing the job itself. After all, I told myself, wouldn’t a hospice be rather a depressing place to work? Of course, I was wrong – something that didn’t take long to dawn on me. And, by the time my interview was over, I really wanted the job!

St Luke’s empathy, compassion and positivity was absolutely palpable that day at Turnchapel, just as it always is there or wherever you come into contact with our staff and volunteers. It’s what inspired me to take the job and progress to the role of Chief Executive (via a few years in the Deputy position), and though it’s hard to describe the special atmosphere to people who’ve never experienced it, it’s what I still feel every single day when I come to work.

Being CEO is not a nine-to-five job, far from it, and that’s exactly what you’d expect. Even when I’m out and about in the evenings and at weekends, there are always people wanting to talk to me about St Luke’s and share their personal stories of the difference our team made to them in the midst of a very tough time. In that sense, as CEO you are always ‘on’, but this has never felt like a burden to me. The attention and feedback from our community is simply testament to how much our staff and volunteers do for these families, always exceeding expectations and leaving them with memories that still bring them comfort, even many years on.

Reflecting on my time at St Luke’s and what I feel proudest of – alongside my colleagues – is the way our organisation has continuously innovated to keep pace with the changing needs of our patients, who always come first. There have been times when we’ve had to make difficult decisions, but it’s this agility and patient-centred approach that has helped us adapt and thrive, maintaining the trust of our community and meeting them at their point of need, wherever they happen to be.

I am also proud of the partnerships we have built and strengthened along the way, including with University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Marie Curie and Livewell South West, that are so critical to the delivery of seamless care for patients.

While none of us will forget the pandemic in a hurry, so relentless did it feel for us all, what it did for St Luke’s is shine a light on our specialist knowledge and skills in end of life care and bereavement support, which were in demand more than ever before. The way our teams reacted swiftly to help ease the load on our health and social care partners, dealing with huge challenges with such good grace, has been noted throughout our local networks, increasing awareness of, and respect for, what we do.

Even more so than before, they will look to us for their education needs, recognising how valuable our expertise is to them. This is especially heartening given St Lukes’s continued investment in our Education team and its provision for health and social care providers, from GPs to care home staff.

In closing, I want to reassure you that during the next six months before my retirement starts, I will be committed to leading St Luke’s diligently.

I will be leaving our hospice in good shape and in very capable hands. Though it will be very hard to say goodbye in April, it is my trust in our team that gives me complete peace of mind as I plan the next phase of my life.

Travelling…cycling…yes, there’ll be more time to enjoy those, but apart from that I’m remaining open to what retirement may bring. What is certain is that I will take with me huge pride, respect and appreciation for all my colleagues right across St Luke’s our unwavering supporters and fantastic memories of an exceptionally special time.

Best wishes

Steve

Chief Executive

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Platinum Champion Award
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Royal recognition for volunteer Adrian

Platinum Champion Award Volunteer Adrian

Royal recognition for volunteer Adrian

You couldn’t meet a more modest man, but our long-serving volunteer Adrian Frost so deserves the royal recognition he’s received for his outstanding contribution to our community!

From many thousands of nominees across the UK, Adrian is one of 490 volunteers selected as Platinum Champions by the Royal Voluntary Service, whose President, the Duchess of Cornwall, signed the certificate he’s received along with his specially designed pin badge. The prestigious awards launched to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are shining a light on Adrian and others like him who go above and beyond to make life better for others by giving their time and skills to help them for free.

Over his 24 years with us, Adrian’s volunteered as a driver and as part of our events team as well as doing lots of fundraising, but his greatest gift is the time he dedicates to supporting our terminally ill patients and their family members, too.

Volunteer Adrian

Adrian, who lives in St Budeaux, said: “Initially, I assumed befriending and bereavement support would be way beyond my comfort zone, but instead it became my calling. It’s a privilege that people let you into their lives when they’re going through such a difficult time, and by listening with compassion you’re reminding them they don’t have to face it alone.

“At St Luke’s we’re a close-knit team of staff and volunteers all supporting each another to do our very best to help people live out their last weeks and days as peacefully, comfortably and joyfully as possible. That the hospice does all it can to be there for patients’ families, too, means it is even more deserving of every bit of support our community can give.

“It was witnessing the kindness of St Julia’s Hospice in Cornwall when they looked after my brother Roger that inspired me to start volunteering with St Luke’s, and when my niece said it was the one good thing that came out of the heartbreak of losing her dad, it meant more to me than I can say.

“To be recognised as a Platinum Champion for volunteering is a terrific honour, and one I did not expect. I think of it as being not just for me, though, but for all of us who proudly serve our community as part of such a dedicated and respected team.”

Steve Statham, Chief Executive of St Luke’s, said: “Adrian is a modest man, who does not give to our charity expecting recognition, yet is so deserving of the title Platinum Champion. A huge thank-you to him for 24 years of loyal service, during which time his kindness has touched countless lives.

“All our valued volunteers are the reason our charity’s limited resources can stretch further to reach more families who need us, and we never take their generosity for granted.”

Could you spare a few hours to volunteer as part of our friendly team? We have lots of different roles and would be delighted to help match you to the one that’s right for you. Learn more about volunteering at St Luke’s.

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Volunteers week 2022
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Volunteers’ Week, 1 – 7 June

Volunteers week 2022

Volunteers’ Week, 1 – 7 June

Three big cheers for our hospice volunteers!

What better time than national Volunteers’ Week to shine a light on the local heroes who so generously give our charity their time and skills for free? Together with our staff, our volunteers help make our community a kinder place for people with terminal illness or experiencing bereavement.

While we’re proud of them all year round, this week is a special celebration of these big-hearted individuals. After all, as a charity we simply couldn’t do as much as we do, as well as we do it, without the vital contribution they make.

Monkey Volunteers Week

Paul ‘Monkey’ Wade brims over with enthusiasm talking about volunteering as part of our Events team for the past eight years. A familiar face at Tour de Moor, Midnight Walk and Men’s Day Out, Paul loves being in the great outdoors, whether it’s marshalling or putting up the signs along the route, to help keeping everything running smoothly. Paul, from Kings Tamerton, said: “If I volunteered at every St Luke’s event for the rest of my life, I still couldn’t repay all the kindness given when the hospice cared for my beautiful mum, Caroline, before she died.”

For many of our charity shop customers – particularly those who’ve been bereaved or are feeling isolated – our stores are a place where they find compassion as well as quality bargains. Likewise, gaining a sense of connection appeals to our volunteers, too. It’s what inspired Eleanor Richardson to get involved, first on reception at Turnchapel and now a day a week at our Shabby Chic charity shop on the Barbican, where we sell vintage treasure.

Eleanor Volunteers Week

Eleanor, who lives in Oreston, arrived in Plymouth after spending most of her life in South Africa. She said: “Living alone and adapting to life in a new country felt daunting, so being welcomed into the St Luke’s family was just what I needed. Becoming a volunteer is such a great way of meeting people as well as contributing to something really worthwhile. I love serving our customers and can honestly say I get far more from volunteering than I give.”

For John Horwell of Down Thomas, helping to keep our Turnchapel grounds neat and tidy as part of our maintenance team is his way of thanking us for caring so well for his beloved wife Margaret before sadly, she died. John said: “It comforts me to be giving something back. When I see families arriving, my heart goes out to them because I relate to what they are going through, but I know that with St Luke’s they are in the very best of hands.”

John Volunteers Week

Kindness is powerful, especially for people who are terminally ill or grieving, so we are hugely grateful to our warm-hearted befrienders and bereavement support volunteers, too.

Mary Burroughs, who lives in Yelverton, spent all her working life in senior administrative roles in healthcare organisations, including Guy’s Hospital in London and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. As a volunteer with us, she gives an hour a week to listen to and support people whose loved one was looked after by St Luke’s.

Mary Volunteers Week

She said: “You might assume listening to people who are grieving is depressing, but I don’t see it like that at all. Of course, there’s sadness because someone they love has died, but I regard it as an honour that they share their story with me and can be open about how they’re feeling.

“It’s all part of them gradually coming to terms with their loss and adapting to a new way of being. When someone says I’ve made a difference to them, it really touches my heart.”

Volunteering with us could turn out to be the most rewarding role you’ve ever had! If you can spare a few hours a week as part of our friendly team, we’ll support you every step of the way.

Find out more  | Volunteer with St Luke’s

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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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Clapping for the South West Blood Bikes

This Thursday night, we’ll be clapping for these heroes in helmets!

A huge shout out to all the amazing volunteers behind South West Blood Bikes, a local charity which literally goes the extra mile delivering blood samples between organisations including UHP NHS Trust and St Luke’s, saving our own precious resources.

More than that, these big-hearted bikers who give their time for free have really stepped up during the current crisis, picking up prescriptions from pharmacies and delivering them to people isolating at home.

From one charity to another, we want to say we couldn’t be more grateful for the vital service they provide. When ‘normal’ life resumes, you’ll see them fundraising at all sorts of public events, so please dig deep to show your support!

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Sterling service with a smile behind the mask


Among our amazing volunteers giving their time and skills unpaid to help our charity is a special lady who has stepped up from one shift a week to five in these extraordinary times.

On a ‘normal’ Thursday, Linda Morris is a friendly face at our airy Driftwood Café at Turnchapel, where she serves meals, snacks and drinks to visitors and staff with a warm smile. It’s a role she has grown to love since she began volunteering with us after her beloved husband Brian died and following retirement from her long career in procurement at the University of Plymouth.

Now though, with the pandemic meaning that sadly, she can’t visit her mother or sister – who are both living in separate care homes – Linda is kindly using her free time to make even more of a difference. With the café currently closed and visiting patients restricted due to safety precautions, she is putting the experience she has already gained at St Luke’s to good use, helping her Catering colleagues by serving food and drinks to our patients on the wards at the specialist unit.

Linda said: “Usually, I visit mum in her care home every day and my sister two or three times a week, but the impact of the pandemic means a lot more spare time. It is hard not being able to see them, but I didn’t hesitate to up my hours at Turnchapel because I know the difference an extra pair of hands can make.

“It’s very much a two-way thing because, living alone, my St Luke’s family means a lot to me. So yes, I give but I also gain. The unit is such an uplifting place and I love being there with other volunteers and chatting with the nurses.”

During her shifts, Linda is busy making teas and coffees for our patients and serving their meals so she wears the necessary PPE, including facemask. She said: “I’m used to helping out, serving drinks on the ward as part of my usual shift, and I always say hello to the patients and let them know by my smile that I care. Now though, my mask means they can no longer see me smiling, so I try to spend a little longer with them, chatting and having a bit of friendly banter. We even laugh together when they can see my goggles steaming up!

“I relate to some of what they’re going through being separated from family at the moment, and if I can show them I care, I feel I’ve made a difference.”

Catering Manager Lesley Henderson said: “Without our volunteers we would struggle to run our catering so well even in ordinary times and now, their support is more appreciated than ever. Linda is so helpful and positive, going way above and beyond with all these extra shifts, and I couldn’t be prouder that she’s part of our team.”

A big thank you to Linda, as well as all our other kind-hearted volunteers. Whether you are currently volunteering with us or isolating at home, we really value you all!

Learn more about volunteering at St Luke’s.

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