It’s time to round up your mates, sign up for our flagship Men’s Day Out and walk, talk and remember together.
On Saturday 11 March you can join the mass of big-hearted men marching through Plymouth to support the compassionate care St Luke’s provides for hundreds of local families at the toughest times in their lives.
This special day is so much more than a fun, banter-fuelled, outing to revel in with your friends – it’s also about being mindful of our mental health. Many of us walk in memory of loved ones but, let’s face it, men can be masters at masking how we really feel, even when we’ve lost someone we care deeply about.
Voicing how we feel and sharing our precious memories can make a big difference, and Men’s Day Out offers a great opportunity to drop the brave face and open up to others in the same boat.
Discover a special bond with friends old and new as you stride a scenic 12km (7.5 mile) route through the city and waterfront from 10am. Winding up at Plymouth Albion, you’ll be ready to tuck into a well-earned pasty, enjoy a welcome beverage and cheer the local boys as they clash with the Rams from Reading.
Places for Men’s Day Out – kindly sponsored by Jem Scaffolding Ltd – always go fast. So, dodge the scrum, sign up now and start getting friends, family and colleagues to sponsor you.
Registration costs just £35, but that only covers your T-shirt, refreshments, rugby ticket and event costs. It’s your additional sponsorship and donations that really make the difference to the patients who need our vital service at home, in hospital and at our specialist unit at Turnchapel, 365 days a year.
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/MDO23-Blog-Header-1.jpg7731030Gabby Notthttps://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/st-lukes-hospice-plymouth.svgGabby Nott2022-12-01 08:55:052022-11-23 03:45:45BLOG: Men’s Day Out 2023 makes mindful miles matter
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/MDO26-WEB-FEATURE.jpg7601320Gabby Notthttps://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/st-lukes-hospice-plymouth.svgGabby Nott2022-11-29 05:51:102025-03-26 21:18:37Men’s Day Out
Drawing on their professional and life experience to help St Luke’s by kindly giving their time and skills free of charge, our trustees are community-spirited volunteers who ensure our charity is governed prudently and with great integrity.
Such generosity to our organisation and the people we look after is in itself a big contribution, so when we learned trustee Mike Risdon was going a step further – well, several thousands of steps! – by taking on a sponsored trek along part of the South West Coast Path to fundraise for us, we were blown away!
Mike, who spent more than 35 years in senior financial management for large industrial companies, joined our Board of Trustees in 2017. His roles there include Treasurer, Chair’s Governance, Finance and Audit, Risk Management Committees, and Director of SLH Ventures Ltd.
With 2022 being St Luke’s 40th anniversary year, Mike was inspired to pull on his walking boots and get training for his trek. He then completed it over four days in May, hiking 63 miles from Looe in Cornwall to Salcombe in Devon, which roughly represents the coastal catchment area covered by our hospice team looking after people at home, in hospital and at Turnchapel.
While Mike’s trek was an opportunity to take in beautiful scenery, his focus was firmly on raising as much sponsorship as possible. And, thanks to the generosity of his family, friends and colleagues, he’s achieved a terrific result: more than £2,000 towards the compassionate care we provide at no cost to our patients.
Mike said: “When my wife Jan needed end of life care, Rowcroft Hospice in Torbay was there to help, and I have never forgotten the difference their kindness made to us both.
“Since becoming a trustee of St Luke’s, I’ve gained insight into just what it takes for hospices to keep on providing such high-calibre specialist care and support. As charities facing rising demand on their services, they need our support more than ever and I’m pleased to be doing my bit.
“Thank you to everyone who sponsored me – my hope is that I’ll have helped inspire other people to follow in my footsteps by fundraising for St Luke’s, however they choose to do it.”
Our thanks to Mike and his fellow trustees for everything they do for our charity – it is so appreciated!
If you’d like to take on a challenge to support us, there are so many ways to choose from. Click here to find out more.
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mike-blog-1.png7731030Gabby Notthttps://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/st-lukes-hospice-plymouth.svgGabby Nott2022-06-08 22:00:222022-06-07 23:08:53BLOG: From boardroom to coastal path
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
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
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
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.
Community unites for Midnight Walk in support of local hospice care
Midnight Walk turned Plymouth bright pink as a thousand women and girls came together wearing tee-shirts of that hue to walk across the city, raising vital funds to help ensure local people with terminal illness get high-calibre care that helps them live well to the end of their lives.
On Friday 20 August, saw much-loved local charity St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth welcome faces both familiar and new to its hotly anticipated mass participation fundraising event, Midnight Walk, following the sponsored walk’s cancellation last year because of the pandemic. So popular was the event in aid of the compassionate care the hospice provides across Plymouth and surrounding areas that it was a complete sell-out.
Setting off from Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park Stadium, the ladies followed 5, 10 or 15-mile route taking in many Plymouth landmarks, including Smeaton’s Tower and the Barbican. And when the challenge got tough, moral support came in abundance from the spectators who cheered them on from their front gardens and the passing motorists who tooted their horns in solidarity.
The event, sponsored by GA Solicitors, saw many participants walking in memory of lost loved ones, having fun and making new memories as they celebrated the lives of people special to them who will never be forgotten.
Among those taking on the full 15 miles were Caroline Mercer from Salcombe, her daughters Cerys and Tegan and friends Debbie, Emma and Alice. The group was walking in memory of Lyndsey (Lynds) Fisher-Khoury, Caroline’s best friend and godmother to Cerys and Tegan, who was looked after by St Luke’s at Turnchapel before sadly, she died in May 2019.
Caroline said: “Lynds was such a special person – she loved life and was so kind and caring. She was always beautifully dressed and shone in any room yet was so down to earth. She was a lovely godmother, too, and we all miss her so much.
“When Lynds needed St Luke’s care at Turnchapel, they looked after her wonderfully in a beautiful room looking onto the gardens. It helped her husband Mark, and all of us, to see that she was comfortable and at ease in such a peaceful place where nothing was ever too much trouble. Whenever we visited Lynds, we were always made to feel so welcome by the staff and I will never forget their kindness at such heart-breaking time.”
Also walking 15 miles were sisters Tracey Brannan from Crownhill and Suzanne Clough from Brixton, walking in memory of their much-loved grandfather Peter Clough. St Luke’s cared for Peter at home and later at its specialist unit at Turnchapel.
Tracey said: “Doing Midnight Walk this year feels extra special because it’s coming up to ten years since granddad died and it’s our way of paying tribute to him. What stood out to me about St Luke’s was the way their care helped him not just physically but mentally, too. They gave him – and us as a family – the ultimate support throughout. It’s really important to us to show our gratitude because there’s an endless need for what the charity provides.”
Suzanne said: “I would have been marrying my fiancé Ashley today, but we postponed because of the pandemic. So, it was wonderful to be in an atmosphere of celebration at Midnight Walk, remembering our amazing granddad and doing our bit for such a vital service for our community.”
Head of Fundraising at St Luke’s, Penny Hannah, said: “What an electric atmosphere! A huge, heartfelt thank you to all the ladies who came out to support St Luke’s – you are all incredible and we loved seeing you!
“From the dedications on the backs of all the tee-shirts it was clear to see the positive impact St Luke’s has had on so many local families in need at a time of crisis.
“After the disappointment of having to cancel last year’s Midnight Walk due to COVID-19 safety measures, this year’s event felt even more special. For some of the ladies taking part, it was the first opportunity they have had to reunite with family and friends since losing a loved one during the past 18 months, which have been so incredibly tough for people going through bereavement.
“We are so grateful to everyone who took part. Sponsorship money raised helps keep our team on the road 365 days a year, giving their compassionate care to patients in the comfort of their own home and supporting their families – all of which helps make our community a kinder place for people living and dying with terminal illness and for those close to them, too.
“I also want to thank all the other big-hearted people who make an event of this magnitude possible. That includes our army of amazing volunteers, our sponsors GA Solicitors, Plymouth Argyle, Cheezifit for the fantastic warm-up routine, Devon and Cornwall 4×4 Response Team, Devon and Cornwall Cycle Marshalls, PL1 Events and all the businesses and other organisations who’ve donated products and services. We simply couldn’t have done it without them and we are so grateful.”
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/MNW21-BLOG-HEADER.jpg7731030Gabby Notthttps://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/st-lukes-hospice-plymouth.svgGabby Nott2021-08-21 13:04:062021-08-21 13:18:28PR: Community unites in support of local hospice care
Inspired by memories of her beautiful mother who was cared for so compassionately by St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, our charity’s very own Finance Director is set to take a million steps to raise vital funds that will help other local families affected by terminal illness.
Sue Cannon, who joined the senior leadership team at the hospice just over three years ago, is taking on the walking challenge with her sister, Carol Giles. Starting on 1 July, they’ll be clocking up at least 11,000 steps each a day to make sure they reach their target of a million steps each by 30 September.
Sue and Carol’s mother Christine was looked after by the hospice team at home and at Turnchapel before sadly, she died in 2002.
Sue said: “I’ve had the privilege of working at St Luke’s for over three years now and in my role I see first hand how the efforts of all our supporters help pay for the care our charity gives free of charge to those who need it. I decided it was time to do my bit!
“For Carol and me, taking on this walking challenge is also a way of saying thank you to St Luke’s for being a beacon of light for our family. Our dear mum died far too young at just 55. It was an incredibly difficult time, but the team was so kind, helping dad and us to deal with some of the day-to-day challenges you don’t expect. The practical support and advice we received in addition to the specialist care they gave mum at home and at Turnchapel made such a difference.
“I am especially proud that as well as Finance, Facilities and IT, I am also responsible for the Catering department at the hospice, as this brings back really special memories – the simple joy that our mum got from hearing the tinkle of the drinks trolley and the wonderful home-cooked food she enjoyed.
“Thank you, St Luke’s, for caring for our mum with such warmth and compassion…. Let the steps begin!”
Sue is aiming to raise £1,000 to provide a full package of care, emotional support and practical advice for a family at home – see here.
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/SUE-BLOG_compressed.jpg7731030Gabby Notthttps://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/st-lukes-hospice-plymouth.svgGabby Nott2021-07-01 13:17:482021-07-12 05:59:14BLOG: Steps that say thanks a million for such superb care
Leaping 15,000 feet from a plane is an exhilarating way to raise funds for our patient care, but what motivates someone to embrace a challenge many would find too daunting?
For nursery worker Rosie Pryce, 23, it is the memory of her much-loved grandad David, who was looked after at Turnchapel before sadly, he died last November, aged 86. Thanks to the outstanding quality of the care David received after he was transferred from hospital to our specialist unit, Rosie is taking on a skydive as her way of thanking our charity for making his last days of life so peaceful and comfortable.
She said: “Grandad was very frail and his condition was deteriorating so he chose not to have anyone visit him at the unit except my grandma Sylvia and their three children, including my dad Kevin. While it was very hard knowing he was so poorly, it was such a comfort hearing from them that he was being looked after by nurses they described as ‘angels’ whose care they said was ‘perfect’.
“I was so reassured to know grandad was in the best possible place for him, with the privacy of a room where grandma could stay by his side day and night. They were childhood sweethearts and married 64 years so spending this precious time together in such an uplifting environment really made a difference to them both at a difficult time.
“The St Luke’s team made sure grandad was pain free, and the nurses were so kind. They turned his bed so he could enjoy the wonderful views out across the water because they heard how he was mad about all things coastal and once owned a boat.
“I have happy memories of days spent with him by the sea, and his love of outdoor swimming was legendary, so it means a lot to know that he could take in a view that was so meaningful to him.”
“When I heard about the opportunity to do a skydive to raise money to give something back to St Luke’s, it really appealed to me. I’m quite a thrill-seeker anyway and felt like I wanted to do something remarkable for grandad because he was such a kind and special person who always had time for me.
“He was a practical joker and that fun-loving side has rubbed off on all our family. Although it’s a big leap, I think the skydive will be great fun so it’s a fitting way to remember grandad and do good for other local families who need the help of St Luke’s.”
Thank you, Rosie – we really appreciate you taking the plunge for our charity!
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BLOG-HEADER-ROSIE.png7731030Gabby Notthttps://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/st-lukes-hospice-plymouth.svgGabby Nott2020-02-25 10:38:242020-02-25 10:38:24Skydive for Grandad
With this week, being not just the start of the new year but a whole new decade, many will be looking to set goals for themselves or even take on an exciting challenge for 2020 – or beyond!
What better way to push yourself out of your comfort zone than by getting involved in a challenging and exciting event that also benefits your community? We are urging you to put your best foot forward, take a leap or even scale the world’s longest manmade structure to raise funds that ensures care in our community
Today, we have launched not just one but two of our most popular flagship events, Men’s Day Out and Midnight Walk, giving people the chance to celebrate the lives of their lost loved ones while raising much-needed income that helps families make memories together when time is running short.
Men’s Day Out, is loved for the rugby, banter and camaraderie and the unity of walking together raises thousands for St Luke’s. Officially, the region’s biggest men-only sponsored event for charity is back this Saturday 28 March. The event, which is Powered by IU Energy, will see guys gather for a day to remember, striding the city streets before they return to Plymouth Albion RFC for a well-earned pasty and pint and the not-be-missed clash between the home team and their Richmond rivals.
Meanwhile, St Luke’s is inviting ladies to turn Plymouth pink on Saturday 11 July, when its popular Midnight Walk returns. This year, the much-anticipated event, which is sponsored by Nash & Co Solicitors, includes a new challenge – 20 miles for 2020 commencing at 20:20 hrs – in addition to the new 5 and 10-mile routes. That’s not all that’s new, because this year walkers will set off from Home Park (Plymouth Argyle FC) and all will be wearing Midnight Walk’s signature bright pink t-shirts. As always, it promises to be a great night out with the girls, with many walking in memory of loved ones.
Nina Wearne, Community and Events Fundraising Manager at St Luke’s, said: “Whether you take part in Men’s Day Out or Midnight Walk as a personal challenge or to celebrate the life of someone special, please know that St Luke’s could not do what they do without the support from you, our kind-hearted community. Perhaps this is your first time, or maybe it’s an event you enjoy year after year; these events are a fantastic way to have loads of fun whilst making a vital difference for local families.”
For those who’d prefer to take the plunge to show their support for St Luke’s, there are opportunities to take part in an exhilarating skydive on Saturday 21 March sponsored by BT Local Business. The 15,000ft leap is free for those who raise a minimum of £395 in sponsorship.
Looking further ahead – a once-in-a-lifetime challenge – The Great Wall of China Trek is taking place from 6 to 14 November 2021, offering participants an unforgettable adventure. Those who are interested are invited to attend an information evening on Tuesday 11 February 2020 to find out more but don’t hold back as registration is already open.
Nina Wearne said: “As well as being a mesmerising experience hiking along one of the most famous structures in the world, this is an opportunity to soak up China’s vast variations in landscape, culture, wildlife and heritage – not to mention cuisine! It’s a fantastic way to do something different and also make a difference.”
Details of these and all St Luke’s flagship fundraising events are available here.
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/New-Year-New-You-Blog-Header.png7731030Gabby Notthttps://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/st-lukes-hospice-plymouth.svgGabby Nott2019-12-31 22:35:512020-01-03 09:34:36New year, new challenges for 2020!
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“He was a practical joker and that fun-loving side has rubbed off on all our family. Although it’s a big leap, I think the skydive will be great fun so it’s a fitting way to remember grandad and do good for other local families who need the help of St Luke’s.”
