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Events Update 2007
New Kitchen for Fundraising
The new kitchen for the Fundraising office was kindly donated by Howdens and the tiles by Wirral Tiles. The fundraising team will need a lots of cups of tea up to Christmas to keep going and raise money so this early Christmas present is much appreciated!
Trans Pennine Trail
Seven intrepid cyclists are riding the Trans Pennine Trail aiming to raise £3000 for the anniversary appeal. Riders include Alan Thomas and his three sons, Shaun. Dean and Martin, Lee Davies, Keith Farrell and Dave Scregg.
Covering over 170 miles over three to four days the riders left the Hospice on the 28th September. Watch this space to read how they get on.
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2007
2007 Theme
The theme for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2007 is care across the ages – from children to older people highlighting the fact that people of all ages need access to hospice and palliative care and that people of different ages have different needs.
Every year, millions of people around the world living with a life-limiting illness experience unnecessary pain and distress, either unaware of or unable to access the care they need. High quality hospice and palliative care which aims to meet the needs of the whole person can and does, provide an answer. This is an issue that affects literally everybody on the planet – we would all like our lives – and the lives of those we love – to end peacefully and comfortably.
Hospice care is not about 'helping someone die' but instead about helping someone to live as comfortably as possible with their illness. It's about seeing them as a living person, not a dying patient. It's supporting those closest to them and adding life to days, whether or not days can be added to lives.
St John's Hospice is about more than just providing specialist symptom and pain relief – although that is a very important part. The Hospice also addresses individuals' psychological, social, spiritual, and practical needs. The Hospice is able to respect the individual's wishes and helps them in ways appropriate to them, both individually and culturally.
This year St John's Hospice has to raise £2.2 million pound to run and has launched an ambitious 25th Anniversary Appeal to raise £500k to equip a new therapy and out patients wing.
For more information or to get involved please call 0151 343 0778.
A poem for World Hospice Day
When my life is finally measured in
Months, weeks, days, hours,
I want to live free of pain,
Free of indignity, free of loneliness,
Give me your hand,
Give me your understanding
Give me your love,
Then let me go peacefully
And help my family to understand.
Quotes
Dame Judi Dench has given a message of support to World Hospice and Palliative Care Day.
Everyone should have the right to hospice care. Help us to make it happen.
Bono from Irish rock band, U2
In life, you try your best to hold on tight to your dignity, in death sometimes others have to hold onto it for you. The premise of hospice care is very close to the bone for me. The hospice was available to look after my father before he died of cancer.
These people are kind of angels. They escort you to the door of your death; they are the midwives for delivery into your next life. The comfort and relief they provide is exponential, it spills over to family, friends, colleagues. It's a blessing that everyone should be able to receive.
In the poorest countries, where so many people are fighting for their lives, the conditions of death don't get much of a look in. But how we care for the sick and dying is surely a litmus test of our humanity. Just as we fight for equality in life, we should fight for equality in death.
Sir Elton John
Access to the best quality care, when facing terminal illness, is a human right, but it is a right that many people, in almost every country, are denied. We need to let governments know that this is unacceptable. Please join me in this initiative and make your voice heard.
Lesley Woodhead, St John's Hospice Fundraising and Marketing Manager
World Hospice Day gives everyone an opportunity to reflect on the work of Hospices across the world and how important the work is in caring for so many patients and their families.
It is also a day when all Hospice staff and volunteers feel proud of their work.
Coastal Walk 2007
This year's walk was a resounding success; we estimate over 4,500 walkers took part!
At the start of the walk at Seacombe Ferry it was a hive of activity, many walkers easily identified in their Hospice T-Shirts, lots of people in fancy dress which added to the fun atmosphere of the walk, plus plenty of our 4 legged friends all eager to get going.
This year the weather was very kind to us, almost perfect conditions, a slight breeze and hazy sunshine, most people took their time and stopped half way for a leisurely lunch, arriving at the cliffs at Thurstaston mid afternoon.
At the 13-mile point there was free ice cream for all walkers, this I have to say went down very well. On reaching the final check point at 15 miles they were greeted by the Rotary Club of North Wirral, a fantastic band, a goodie bag from Unilever and St John's Hospice with the marquee filled with sweets and drinks for all our walkers.
The atmosphere was great, most people taking time to sit on the grass rest their tired feet and listen to the band, tired but elated that they had finished the walk. The walk is well organised, with plenty of checkpoints, water stations plus medical help should you need it, we must say “well done” to the Rotary Club for organising such a successful day that ran like clockwork.
I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all our walkers, the sponsorship is coming in thick and fast. I shall update the web site as soon as I have the final total.
You walking keeps us running!
Driveme.net Charity Draw
The Ultimate Supercar experience. Tickets £1.00. All proceeds to the hospice.
Draw takes place monday 10th September.
The Cheshire Cheese Wallasey Village
7 Peaks Challenge 30 June - 7 July
Rob McLintock the manager of the Cheshire Cheese set himself and a group of his regulars the toughest of challenges, to climb 7 peaks in 7 days to raise £7,000.
In the team were
- Rob McLintock
- John Williams (Guinness John)
- Gordon Eaves
- Terry Corcoran
- Kevin Williams
- Brenda Kenyon
- Mia (the pub dog)
And keeping them all in order and in the right place at the right time was, Mike Lysaght who works in the Fundraising department at the Hospice. He volunteered to take the gang, drive them to and from the mountains, having a cold beer ready once they got back down!
Rob and his team chose the Lake District for this challenge, as the peaks are all so different and all equally tough. They set off on Saturday 30th June, leaving the Wirral at about 6am, arriving in Langdale Valley in time for their first challenge Pike O'Stickle.
The Seven Peaks they chose were
- Pike O'Stickle
- Helvelyn
- Redpike
- Coniston Old Man
- Highstreet
- Haystaks
- Skiddaw
The diary
Start
The team stayed in Chalets on Lake Windermere, they financed the whole trip themselves, leaving all the money they were pledged to come directly to the Hospice. They could not have chosen a worse week to take on such a challenge, it rained from the minute they left the Wirral to the minute they left the Lakes.
Out of the 7 mountains they only managed a view from the top on one of them, Skiddaw which was one of the toughest climbs, got the better of Brenda and she cried all the way up and all the way down, but she still got up the next day and did it all again! Gordon who was reluctantly given the job of 'map reading' one day, managed to lead the tired, grumpy, cold, group through a flood plain, where they narrowly missed contracting 'Trench foot'
His punishment was a yellow card and having to purchase many many drinks!
The gang finished their challenge on Helvelyn and on reaching the top, experienced the glorious 2 degree temperature! With their hands frozen to their walking sticks and feet that they could not even feel, they arrived at the bottom to be met by Mike in the aptly named Travelers Rest.
Entering the pub they noticed a couple huddled in front of a roaring open fire, please bear in mind this is in JULY! They all moved towards the fire gently moving the couple out of the way and as they started to thaw, they steamed like a group of damp dogs by the hearth!
Finish!
Tired damp and in need of a good bath and a rest, they made their way back to the Cheshire Cheese. The team so far has handed over £3,400 to the Hospice, some of the walkers are still collecting the money in.
On behalf of St John¹s Hospice I would personally like to thank you all for taking part in such a tough challenge.
I know that at times it was awful as the weather was so bad, I also thank each of you for taking the time off and financing the whole trip yourself. I know it was a very demanding schedule and on a rainy day probably not that much fun.
Well done all of you for taking part, and of course to Mia the pub dog who probably ran up each mountain at least 4 times!
The Tunnel 10K road Race 3rd June 2007
For those of you that like something a little different, this is the race for you! The unique opportunity to run through the Wallasey tunnel, guaranteed quicker than in rush hour!
Runners start in Pall Mall in Liverpool and finish in New Brighton on the sea front. This race is open to any ability and many runners took it easy, St John's Hospice manned the water station which was sited just at the exit of the tunnel, a welcome site for all those thirsty runners, we were rushed off our feet as the more serious competitors raced past.
The weather was good and not too hot like last year, this year the race was sponsored by Norwich Union and they provided a goodie bag and a beautiful medal for all the runners, there was even the odd celebrity to welcome you home!
We estimate nearly 1600 runners took part, this race will just grow and grow, for those of you that don't do metric it's about 6.2 miles. The atmosphere as you enter the tunnel is great, very noisy, with people shouting the obligatory “oggy oggy oggy”. If you don't fancy the training of a full marathon this race is the one for you, 2008 will be a fantastic year to take part as Liverpool is the city of culture, as soon as I have the confirmed date I will let you all know.
Your running keeps us running!
Thank you to everyone that took part