Category: Fundraising
Remember loved ones in countywide hospice Light Up a Life celebrations
Nine celebrations will be held across Lincolnshire throughout November and December, to remember loved ones who are missed
St Barnabas Hospice is inviting the local community to remember someone they will never forget at their annual Light up Life celebrations. These unique celebrations are a special time for families and friends to join together in remembering the people that they love, who are no longer with us.
Each event will feature touching readings, music and a time for quiet reflection; candles are lit in remembrance.
Karen Lee, Member of Parliament for Lincoln, has been a big supporter of hospice care since her friend, Denise, sadly died of bowel cancer aged 52. Denise spent time being cared for by St Barnabas Hospice at their Inpatient Unit in Lincoln.
Karen said: “The services at St Barnabas were superb. Denise had spent over twenty years working as a nurse and knew the reputation that St Barnabas had. She wanted to spend her last moments at the Inpatient Unit because she had such confidence in the Hospice.”
Although she wasn’t cared for by St Barnabas, Karen’s daughter, Lindsay, sadly died of breast cancer in May 2011. Karen said:
“It will always be upsetting to remember loved ones, but St Barnabas has enabled such a positive way in which we can remember them. It keeps them alive in your heart.”
Each Light up a Life celebration will last approximately one to one-and-a-half hours. They are free to attend and are open to everyone, regardless of faith. There is no need to book in advance.
Find your nearest Light Up a Life celebration:
- Boston – Sunday 25th November, 2pm – Salvation Army, 59-61 High Street, Boston PE21 8ST
- Sleaford – Sunday 25th November, 3pm – Sleaford Methodist Church, Church Lane, Sleaford NG34 7DF
- Lincoln – Tuesday 27th November, 6pm – Our Lady of Lincoln Church, Laughton Way, Lincoln LN2 2HE (followed by a Torchlight Procession at 7.30pm from Clayton’s Sports Ground, Lee Road, Lincoln LN2 4BH)
- Spalding – Sunday 2nd December, 3pm – St John the Baptist Church, Hawthorn Bank, Spalding PE11 1JQ
- Skegness – Sunday 2nd December, 2.30pm – St Pauls Baptist Church, 19 Beresford Avenue, Skegness PE25 3JD
- Gainsborough – Tuesday 4th December, 6.30pm – United Reformed Church, Church Street, Gainsborough DN21 2JR
- Louth – Sunday 9th December, 3pm – Louth Methodist Church, Nichol Hill, Louth LN11 9NQ
- Sutton – Saturday 15th December, 2pm – St Andrew, Sutton Road, Hannah cum Hagnaby LN13 9QL
- Grantham – Sunday 16th December, 2.30pm – St Wulframs Church, Church Street, Grantham NG31 6RR
One of the Light up a Life celebrations is the Torchlight Procession, which sees hundreds of people carry flaming torches through Lincoln to a special service at the Cathedral, where the Tree of Life stands. Karen said:
“If I was to dedicate a light on the St Barnabas Tree of Life outside Lincoln Cathedral, it would mean a lot to me. I like the idea that the tree is a living thing and it helps keep memories alive.”
If you would like to dedicate a light in memory of someone this year, or for more information about the Light up a Life events, please go to www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/LUAL
St Barnabas Hospice to light up Lincoln in annual Torchlight procession
Community set to welcome more than 1,500 people in annual St Barnabas Hospice Lincoln torchlight procession
St Barnabas Hospice is inviting the local community to remember someone special in their flaming torchlight procession.
A pipe band will lead the procession from Claytons Sports Ground at 7.30pm on Tuesday 27th November 2018, making its way past St Barnabas Hospice on Nettleham Road before finishing at the West Front of Lincoln Cathedral.
Once at Lincoln Cathedral the Tree of Life is illuminated for the first time, each light dedicated to someone special. Those attending will be able to leave a ‘message of love’ which is tied to the railings surrounding the tree.
The event is free and open to everyone, not just those touched by hospice care.
Becky Otter, Events Manager, said:
“The Torchlight procession is the most poignant event in the Hospice calendar and one that is very close to my heart. Each year hundreds of people from our local community walk shoulder to shoulder in memory of those they love and it is a sight like no other.
“It is moving, emotional and inclusive; everyone is there to remember and to support each other. Best of all, the event is free and open to everyone, not just for those touched by hospice care.”
Flaming torches can be purchased on the night from 6.30pm for £5 each and are for over 16’s only. Battery lanterns will also be available for £3.50 each.
Road closures will be in place from 7pm- 9pm including: Nettleham Road, Lee Road, Church Lane, Eastgate, Newport, Bailgate.
If you would like to dedicate a light in memory of someone this year, or for more information about the Light up a Life events, please go to www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/LUAL
Enchanted Forest Ball raises £9,000 for St Barnabas Hospice
The Enchanted Forest Ball, held at The Lincoln Hotel on Friday 5th October, raised over £9,000 to support patients and families living with a life-limiting or terminal diagnosis in Lincolnshire.
Guests were entertained by the award-winning mind magician Looch and took part in his “Challenge the Mindreader” performance. The evening also featured an auction, raffle and live music from Rebecca Gilliland.
Laura Stones, Event Fundraiser for St Barnabas Hospice, said:
“It was a fantastic night that was filled with fabulous food, brilliant entertainment and delightful company. Thank you to our sponsors, our supporters, our guests and our volunteers for their generosity and hard work – you’ve all helped to make this a special occasion and together we’ve raised thousands of pounds to support local families.
“The evening was made even more special for one of our guests who purchased a Hospice Lottery Raffle Ticket and won a staggering £3,000 on the night!”
The ball was supported by the local business community, including Flowers by Design and Scothern Nurseries Plant Centre who donated floral decorations for the evening, Cakes by Carol who donated woodland designed cupcakes and, Chris Rowe for donating uplighters and AJP Woodsman for donating room decorations.
For information on future fundraising events at St Barnabas, visit our Events page.
Hospice Moonlight Walk sees hundreds of people take to the streets of Stamford
Hundreds of inspirational people took to the streets of Stamford on Saturday night to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice
An incredible £38,000 was raised when over 400 people took to the streets of Stamford dressed in pink, for St Barnabas Hospice’s first Moonlight Walk in the town.
Before the walk, everyone participated in an energising warm-up led by Wildcats Theatre School that included the popular viral dance, ‘Baby Shark’, and music from ‘The Greatest Showman’.
Many walkers enjoyed getting their cheeks bedazzled with glitter and bought flashing accessories from the merchandise stall in order to light up the streets of Stamford.
The walkers departed from New College Stamford’s Borderville Campus at 9.30pm for their 10km walk around Stamford.
Amelia Mochan, Events Fundraiser for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:
Raising £38,000 is completely overwhelming and definitely exceeded our expectations. The money will go directly towards the care in the south of the county.
We provide care and support to so many people in Stamford and the surrounding areas but the event has really helped raise the profile of St Barnabas and increase the awareness for people who do not know about our services.
We were delighted to have fifty new volunteers on board for the night, who were key to the success of the walk. A massive thank you goes to for RJ Scholes Funeral Directors for sponsoring the event; we couldn’t have done it without them.”
St Barnabas Hospice are delighted to announce that both the Lincoln and Stamford Moonlight Walks will be back again in June 2019. If you would like to register your interest for either of these events, please call the Fundraising team on 01522 540 300, or email fundraising@stbarnabashospice.co.uk.
Hospice announces “Virtual Marathon” fundraising opportunity
St Barnabas Hospice doctor, Dr Adam Brown, talks about his motivations to fundraise through challenges and why everyone should get involved with the Virtual Marathon
St Barnabas Hospice have announced a brand new way to fundraise for the charity. The ‘Virtual Marathon’ is similar to a regular marathon, taking on 26.2 miles but the difference is that you can allow yourself a day, a week or an entire month to complete it!
Dr Adam Brown, a consultant at St Barnabas Hospice Lincoln, is a regular fundraiser and has taken part in several challenge events in order to raise money for the Hospice. He encourages people who may not be able to complete a traditional marathon to sign up and try a Virtual one in aid of St Barnabas Hospice.
Adam said:
“I know my knees are not up to doing 26 miles on the road in one go these days, but the virtual marathon allows you to run or walk where you like, when you like, and over a month it can work out to be less than a mile a day.
“I plan to run around my local park, and as long as I stay ahead of target of one mile per day I know I will get there by the end of the month.”
It’s only £5 to sign up with a minimum sponsorship amount of £26. That’s only £1 per mile! If you wish to take part, please register on the St Barnabas Hospice Website: stbarnabashospice.co.uk/events/virtual-marathon.
Adam said:
“Of course I’m biased, but I get to see on a daily basis the amazing work that the Hospice does, and the difference it makes in people’s lives. It is a huge privilege to be able to help deliver the standard of care that we all aspire to and to go the extra mile for patients and their families.
“I know we can only do this because of the huge number of people across Lincolnshire and beyond who give their time and effort to raise so much money for St Barnabas Hospice.”
You may already be walking a mile a day without realising it, whether you’re walking the dog, commuting to work or doing the school run. So why not do it while raising money for your local Hospice?
If you would like to take on a challenge event in support of St Barnabas Hospice, please contact Mike Pastor at mike.pastor@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call 01522 540 300.
Lincolnshire golfers needed to help raise money for local Hospice
Join St Barnabas at the annual Rilmac Golf Day in Market Rasen and help raise money for hospice care
On Friday 28th September, Rilmac are set to hold their annual Golf Day in Market Rasen. This is to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice, as well as the British Heart Foundation and Prostate Cancer UK.
The Golf Day will be held at Market Rasen Golf Club, Legsby Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3DZ. Teams of four can enter, and can be made up of men, ladies or mixed. The maximum men’s handicap is 28 and for ladies it is 36. All participants will receive coffee and a bacon roll in the morning, plus a meal after play. Entry is £200 per team with all proceeds going to support the three charities.
Caroline Swindin, Corporate Fundraiser for St Barnabas Hospice, said:
“We are delighted to be one of Rilmac’s chosen charities for this year’s Golf Day, and hope everyone attending enjoys the event.
“The money raised for our Hospice at this event will go a long way in helping us deliver specialist, end-of-life care to people in Lincolnshire living with a life-limiting or terminal illness and their families and carers.”
Golfers can enjoy refreshments, kindly donated by Market Rasen Tesco, at the halfway house at hole nine. There will also be a raffle during the day.
Rob Harris, Head of Business Development at Rilmac, said:
“Rilmac are delighted to be hosting our Charity Golf Day at Market Rasen in support of three fantastic charities. We hope the day will be a great success and we can raise as much money as possible.”
Gary Burr, Fundraising Manager at British Heart Foundation, said:
“We are very grateful that Rilmac have chosen the British Heart Foundation (BHF) as one of their chosen charities for this event. Events like this will raise vital funds towards the life-saving research that the BHF carries out across the country.
“We fund over £100m of research each year into all heart and circulatory diseases, along with the conditions connected to them. This funding is only made possible by the generosity of the public, so we would like to say a big thank you to Rilmac for joining us in our fight to beat heartbreak forever.”
James Beeby, Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said:
“We are hugely grateful to Rilmac for organising the Golf Day and choosing Prostate Cancer UK as one of their three charities.
Golf is a great fit for Prostate Cancer UK but sadly this disease is not out of bounds. One in eight men will be affected by prostate cancer in their lifetime in the UK, so this is a disease that exists in every golf club. We need to drive home this hugely important message to men and their families and this Golf Day is the perfect platform to do that.”
To sign up to this event, visit www.rilmac.co.uk/charity-golf-day or for more information, contact Rob Harris at r.harris@rilmac.co.uk
Hospice Make a Will Month is a huge success
St Barnabas Hospice has announced the success of their 2018 Make a Will Month
Throughout May this year, St Barnabas Hospice teamed up with local Solicitor firms to give Lincolnshire residents the chance to make or amend their Will free of charge. In return, they asked people to leave gifts to the Hospice in their Will.
Compared to 34 people who participated in 2017, this year saw an overwhelming 139 people taking part, with 64 gifts being left to St Barnabas Hospice and two donations being made. This figure is still rising. These gifts will help St Barnabas care for more people across Lincolnshire living with a life-limiting or terminal illness, and their families and carers long into the future.
The Solicitors which were involved in this campaign are: Dale & Co Solicitors, Hodgkinsons Solicitors, Langleys Solicitors, Ringrose Law and Sills & Betteridge Solicitors. Thanks to these five companies, the campaign was able to reach more people across Lincolnshire than ever before.
Sam Waterer, Individual Giving Fundraiser at St Barnabas Hospice, said:
“We are delighted with the success of this year’s Make a Will Month, and are excited that some Solicitors have already come on board for next year too! The campaign featured strong imagery from three of our volunteers, who were asking people what their legacy is. It’s great that the community took so well to the campaign, and we can’t thank these volunteers enough for helping out.
“In addition to running Make a Will Month each May, St Barnabas is now able to help supporters all year round who are wishing to make or amend their Will. We have a helpful pack with all the information you need, and are happy to provide our list of trusted Solicitors for those who are unsure on who to use.”
It is important to consider making your Will, whatever stage of life you are at. There is always something to sort out, whether you have just bought a house, own a business, had a baby, had a change in health or simply want to secure the future for your loved ones.
By choosing to leave a gift in your Will to St Barnabas Hospice, you will be helping to secure the future of end-of-life care in Lincolnshire. Although we hope that this won’t be for many years to come, your gift will enable us to care for more people living with a life-limiting or terminal illness, and their families and carers.
To receive your free pack, email sam.waterer@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call 01522 540 300.
Local lady set to tackle Moonlight Walk Stamford in memory of her mum
A lady from Deeping St James will take part in 10k Moonlight Walk in memory of her mum
Rachel White, a 50-year-old from Deeping St James, will be taking part in this year’s Moonlight Walk Stamford to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice. She will be walking in memory of her mum, Patricia Austin.
The Moonlight Walk will take place on Saturday 15th September with doors opening at 8pm and the walk setting off at 10pm. It is a 10km walk around Stamford, beginning and ending at Borderville Sports Centre on Ryhall Road.
Patricia spent around three weeks in the care of the St Barnabas Bourne Hospice at Home team in September 2017, following her diagnosis of advanced sarcoma.
Rachel said:
“The care Mum received from St Barnabas was fantastic. The Hospice at Home team considered how she was each day, and only did what she wanted doing. They were also very supportive of Dad and I, and kept us informed all the time.
“A memory that stands out was seeing one of the nurses putting Mum’s face cream on. They didn’t just rub it in, they actually gave her a little massage which was so caring.
“One day they brought in a special cap so Mum could have her hair washed properly. Although she didn’t have much hair, it was important to her that it always looked nice.”
Rachel will be taking part in the Moonlight Walk with her husband, Neville, and daughter, Sophie. In January 2018, she also volunteered for St Barnabas by delivering leaflets about the Christmas Tree-cycle campaign. Additionally, she arranged to have a collection at her Mum’s funeral for the Hospice. You can sponsor Rachel by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Rachel-White-PMA
Amelia Mochan, Events Fundraiser at St Barnabas Hospice, said:
“Rachel is a wonderful lady, and I’ve welcomed the support she has been able to give to the Tree-cycle campaign, as well as helping distribute leaflets for the upcoming Moonlight Walk. We are very proud to have people like Rachel and her family walking shoulder-to-shoulder with us in memory of loved ones. It isn’t too late for others to sign-up and join us too!”
Tickets for the Moonlight Walk Stamford cost £15 for adults (age 16+) and £10 for children (age 11-15). Sign up at www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/moonlightstamford18 or call 01522 540 300 for more information.
Community fundraising volunteers urgently needed for local Hospice
St Barnabas is on the lookout for people across Lincolnshire to volunteer some of their spare time in their local community
Following a successful launch of the new St Barnabas ‘Collection Champions’ team, the Hospice are now looking to grow this group of volunteers who give up part of their spare time to help gather collection boxes.
This volunteering role requires people to donate a few hours every fortnight. Volunteers will visit businesses local to their home address and gather in the Hospice’s full collection boxes, swapping them for new ones. They will then be required to drop the full boxes off at the Fundraising office in Lincoln.
Collection Champion volunteers must have a full driving license and access to their own vehicle. They will be provided with a Hospice induction and sufficient training in order to carry out the role successfully.
Sam Waterer, Individual Giving Fundraiser for St Barnabas, said:
“Our Collection Champions have been doing a wonderful job of helping us gather the many cash donations made across Lincolnshire. The last sweep of boxes brought in an amazing £8,000 for the Hospice!
“In total, 2017 saw £27,838.24 donated to St Barnabas through collection boxes. We are so thankful to be building such a dedicated team of volunteers who we can trust with returning these donations safely to us.”
St Barnabas are looking for volunteers across the county to join the Collection Champions team, but are in particular need of help in Skegness, Spalding, Lincoln and Woodhall Spa.
Whether you want to add to your CV, do a random act of kindness, or simply just find out more about what a hospice is, anyone curious about this role should give St Barnabas a call to find out more.
For more information about the role or to register an interest, please call Sam Waterer on 01522 540 300 or email sam.waterer@stbarnabashospice.co.uk
Lincoln lady wins ballot for Hospice’s first ever London Marathon place
A 29-year-old lady from Lincoln has won St Barnabas Hospice’s first London Marathon place
29-year-old Rebecca Roberts from Lincoln has successfully won a ballot for the first ever St Barnabas Hospice London Marathon place, after beating 40 other passionate supporters of the Hospice to take part in this exciting fundraising challenge.
Rebecca, who works at Simpsons Boutique Spa at Branston Hall, said:
“I’ve always wanted to take part in the London Marathon, but have never plucked up the courage to go for it before. When I saw the St Barnabas Facebook post advertising the place, I thought it would be perfect.
“There isn’t another charity that I would rather do it for, so it just seemed like the right time to give it a go.”
The furthest Rebecca has ran so far is 10km (just over six miles), but she is now in training for the 26.2 mile route. She hopes to raise a minimum of £2,500 for the Hospice, but has high hopes of exceeding this number with the help of family and friends. Rebecca can be sponsored at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rebeccaroberts23
Rebecca said:
“My mum used to work as a Nurse at St Barnabas, so I know from that point of view about the charity and all of the amazing things they do. She worked up at the Day Therapy Centre in Lincoln, and also at the Hospice in the Hospital in Grantham.
“I’ll be running in memory of both family members and family friends who have used St Barnabas’s services. The care they received was absolutely brilliant – there was just nothing that was too much. I think St Barnabas are just fantastic.”
Rebecca has previously fundraised for the Hospice by running in the 2017 Colour Dash with her mum and sister. She has also taken part in other sponsored races, as well as fundraising activities with her family and friends.
Rebecca said:
“With it being the first time that St Barnabas has had a place in the London Marathon, hopefully a lot of people can get behind me and help to raise as much money as possible for such a good cause
Mike Pastor, Challenge Events Fundraiser at St Barnabas Hospice, said:
“We are delighted to have been given our first ever London Marathon place, and it’s lovely to hear that the winner of our ballot has such a strong connection to the Hospice. I am sure Rebecca will do brilliantly on the day, and would encourage everyone to really get behind her.”
If you would like to find out more about raising money for St Barnabas Hospice, email fundraising@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call 01522 540 300.