Category: Fundraising
Lady signs-up to cycle 500km in a month during lockdown to raise money in memory of her dad
Lisa Ashton has chosen to do a 500km road cycling challenge on her mountain bike, throughout May to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice in memory of her dad, Brian Waterall. Brian was age 66 when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and he sadly died in May 2016, just six months later.
Lisa and her sister have previously fundraised for charities by taking part in the Colour Dash and cycling events in London, Cambodia and Vietnam. To date, they have raised an incredible £6,000 for various charities to support other patients like Brian at the end of their life. Jenny, Brian’s widow, supports St Barnabas by donating many items to their charity shops, including many items she has knitted herself. 
Lisa said, “Dad was such a lovely and cheeky man. He served in the RAF for 38 years and always loved to be on the go. Even after retirement, he took up golf and became a member of the Grantham Bowls Club.
“Dad was admitted to hospital in 2015 with abdominal pain, which we thought was gallstones. An MRI and CT scan uncovered an advanced kidney tumour and the kidney could not be removed. It was at this point that we were put in contact with St Barnabas Hospice to care for Dad and the whole family until the end. St Barnabas cared for dad at home for a few weeks, then an attempt was made to plug the blood supply to the kidney, but this resulted in a severe infection and he ended up in intensive care. I remember feeling devastated, my dad was always the strong active one, to see him fighting this awful condition was heart breaking.
“Thankfully this wasn’t his time and he was able to recover from the infection. St Barnabas then cared for dad in the Hospice in Grantham for the three weeks leading up to his death. Every staff member and volunteer we met were just excellent, caring and compassionate. They supported us all and made Dad as comfortable as possible. Dad loved the outdoors, so the nurses often pushed his bed out onto the patio so that he could still enjoy this in his last few weeks. They even helped him have a sip of his favourite beer – Guinness – which put a smile on all our faces! 
“My most precious memory is the last day that dad was able to communicate with us. We all enjoyed an ice cream together in the sunny Hospice gardens and it just felt so normal and peaceful.
“My son and niece came to the Hospice to see their grandad aged 12 and 10. Often clinical environments can be quite daunting, but the Grantham staff provide such a relaxing atmosphere and they coped well with seeing him. The whole feel of the place is just very relaxed and homely.
“After Dad died, Mum had constant support from the Hospice, including check-ins, group counselling and their old friendship group. She was able to get support both from the Hospice staff and from other people who had gone through similar experiences to her. She still meets up with members of the friendship group four years later.
“It upset me to hear of the huge financial losses which St Barnabas are facing due to the impact of the coronavirus and I am determined to do my bit for them and for Dad. My 500km bike ride will be completed by doing around 10 miles per day throughout May. It will be the furthest I have ridden in a month, but I am more than up for the challenge for such a worthy cause.
“Dad will be up there watching me and spurring me on. I know this is what he would have wanted.”
Lisa’s cycling challenge begins on Friday 1st May and she is trying to raise a minimum of £310 for St Barnabas Hospice. To donate to her cause, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lisa-ashton12
Local business raises £35,000 for St Barnabas Hospice in just two years and wins award
HomeLet has raised an incredible £35,000 for St Barnabas Hospice and won an award during their two-year charity partnership.
After two years of working in partnership with St Barnabas Hospice, HomeLet has raised £35,000 for the end-of-life care charity. This incredible amount of money could fund a day of hospice care across Lincolnshire, 256 nurse visits to patients at home or 2,047 bereavement support sessions for individuals.
It costs £11.9 million each year for St Barnabas Hospice to continue providing care and support to people living with a life-limiting or terminal illness and their families and carers.
It was recently announced at the National Association of Hospice Fundraisers conference that HomeLet and St Barnabas Hospice collectively won the Corporate Partnership award, beating other hospices from around the country.
Helen Lloyd, Engagement and Communications Manager at HomeLet, said:
“We love supporting the Hospice. They’re so easy to work with and we know many people who have benefitted from their care, including many colleagues.
“This will be our third year of supporting St Barnabas Hospice. Our employees love the Challenge events that the Hospice organises and it’s great because HomeLet have agreed to pay all entry fees so that all the staff member has to do is raise the money. There are people who did challenges last year for the Hospice who are queuing up to do more (as soon as we are able) this year!
“We’ve done so many different things to raise the money for St Barnabas and have the support of our wonderful charity committee. We’ve had a giant Monopoly game, Jaffa Cake Friday, monthly bingo, cake baking competitions. Someone raffled off a McDonalds breakfast and we’re planning to do a ‘dress as what you wanted to be as a kid’ day, complete with school dinners and biscuits and milk for break time. There is nothing we won’t try.”
“We offer an employee Wellbeing Day each year, which means they get a free day to do whatever they think will best improve their wellbeing. I think some of our colleagues will use this to volunteer for the Hospice, whether that’s in their sorting warehouse, gardens or at an event.”
Caroline Swindin, Fundraising Development Manager at St Barnabas Hospice, added:
“All the employees at HomeLet are an absolute pleasure to work with and we’re delighted that they will once again be supporting St Barnabas Hospice this year. HomeLet has announced that they will be 100% match funding again this year, meaning they will match the amount their staff fundraises to double the final total. I really look forward to working with them during 2020.”
Partnering with a charity is a great way to motivate staff, like HomeLet has done. It improves your corporate social responsibility and recognises that your company is taking steps to improve the world around them. To discuss a charity partnership with St Barnabas Hospice, email caroline.swindin@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call 07435 970 309.
1990’s GMTV star, Mr Motivator, has partnered with St Barnabas to get people moving during isolation
St Barnabas Hospice has joined forces with fitness star, Mr Motivator to bring #IsolationMotivation to the UK.
Working in partnership with Mr Motivator, first made famous in the 1990’s on GMTV, St Barnabas Hospice has announced a new initiative, allowing people to exercise, and fundraise if they wish, whilst staying at home in isolation. 
The coronavirus has brought many challenges for charities – how will they continue to raise money for their vital services? How can they engage supporters and help them with their wellbeing and health during these unprecedented times? How can they help to contribute to the national coronavirus effort?
St Barnabas has answered all these questions with the fantastic, at-home #IsolationMotivation. They are helping members of the public exercise whilst social distancing, keeping their supporters engaged with a fun alternative to mass participation events, and if they can, either donate or raise some much-needed money for end-of-life care in Lincolnshire.
The Hospice is asking for people to visit their Facebook page daily at 10am, where they will find Mr Motivator’s ten-minute work-out. There will be a work-out each day for two weeks to help with people’s wellbeing and mental health during this crisis. Whilst this is a fun and inclusive activity, people are being encouraged to set up a Facebook fundraiser to raise £28 for St Barnabas if they can. This £28 is just £2 per work-out, which is the cost of a cup of tea or coffee that people often buy on their way into work.
Mr Motivator, 1990’s GMTV star, said:
“Join St Barnabas and me, Mr Motivator. We want you to get involved, get off your sofa and stay fit. If you could donate to St Barnabas that would be great too!
“Do the Mr Motivator work-out once a day for two weeks and raise £28 for the Hospice. That’s £2 a work-out and you’re halfway to a healthy habit.
“Stay inspired and motivated every day. Stay healthy at home with Mr Motivator and Isolation Motivation!”
Mike Pastor, Challenge Events Fundraiser at St Barnabas Hospice, added:
“£28 would help our nurses to care for a patient in their own home for an hour-and-a-half. Even during this period of isolation, our nurses will be travelling to visit some of the most vulnerable in Lincolnshire, helping those at the end of their life to die with dignity and compassion.
“It is tough being told you have to stay indoors as much as possible, so we are trying to bring some light-hearted fun to living rooms across the country. We want to get people up on their feet, get people motivated and raise a smile during this dark time.”
Those wanting to get involved with #IsolationMotivation are encouraged to share photos and videos of themselves taking part with the Hospice and Mr Motivator. Use the hashtag and get friends and family involved too.
The daily work-outs will begin on Friday 27th March at 10am and last for two-weeks. They can be accessed at www.facebook.com/stbarnabaslinc and supporters are encouraged to set up a Facebook fundraiser alongside taking part, which can be done at www.facebook.com/fundraisers
Colour Dash Cancellation – FAQs
Why has the Colour Dash Fest been cancelled?
Following government advice regarding social distancing and the coronavirus, we have sadly made the decision that this year’s Colour Dash Fest will be cancelled until further notice. We appreciate that many of our supporters have already purchased tickets to this event and that this will come as a disappointment to those who were planning to attend. It is not a decision we have taken lightly and the safety of our supporters, volunteers, staff and patients is absolutely paramount.
Will you be running the event at a later date and can I transfer my entry?
We are looking at alternative dates and working with a number of our suppliers. We will advise in due course so please ensure you follow our social media pages to keep updated. Those who have registered for Colour Dash Fest will be emailed using the email address collected at the point of registration.
I have set up a JustGiving page and would like to refund my supporters, how do I do this?
If you have set up your own individual JustGiving page, we recommend that you contact JustGiving to issue your supporters a refund.
If you have created a fundraising page through the ‘Team’ option, this is slightly more complicated and we are reviewing the options with JustGiving to see what we can do.
We fully support you if you need to contact JustGiving to refund a donation given to your fundraising page.
I would like to financially support the Hospice during this time, what can I do?
Your donations and support mean a tremendous amount to us during this time and we would be grateful if you would like to donate your Colour Dash Fest entry fee to the Hospice. Please let our Supporter Care team know if this is something you would like to do by emailing supporter.care@stbarnabashospice.co.uk.
I have paid my entry fee and would like a refund, who do I contact?
If you would like a refund, please contact our Supporter Care team on supporter.care@stbarnabashospice.co.uk and the team would be happy to assist you with this request.
Will St Barnabas be in touch again?
We hope to get back in touch with you in two to three weeks time with a further update.
Hospice modernises ‘Adventure’ brand to embrace new fundraising trends
With the changing fundraising landscape, charities are seeing a rise in supporters stepping out of their comfort zone to take on challenge events.
St Barnabas Hospice, a Lincolnshire-based charity, embraced this growing method of fundraising by appointing a Challenge Fundraiser, Mike Pastor, in 2017. Since then, Mike has grown this area and has helped an additional £330,500 be generated from hospice supporters in the past two years.
In the 2019 CAF UK Giving report, the number of people saying they have given to charity has dropped from 61% to 57% over the past three years. This is why charities such as St Barnabas Hospice are looking at different ways to engage supporters and raise money. Championed by Mike Pastor and Amelia Chambers (Marketing & Communications Manager), the Hospice has unveiled their new ‘Adventure’ brand, putting them at the forefront of challenge fundraising. 
Amelia said:
“We have worked with Root Studio in Lincolnshire to totally transform the face of our challenge events. The re-brand began by changing the name to ‘Adventure with St Barnabas’ and from there our designer, Tom, was able to create seven illustrated characters to represent the seven key areas of challenge fundraising.
“Our hope is that these striking new images will encourage a new generation of supporters who want to take part in challenge fundraising for the Hospice. We’re really excited to see some of the areas grow with the rollout of this new brand.”
Root Studio has previously worked with other notable businesses in the UK, including Chester Zoo, Mission Burrito, New Theatre Royal and the Lincolnshire Showground.
Mike added:
“JustGiving has recently announced that cycling events have the second highest fundraising page value, so this is an area we will be particularly looking to grow. We have already come on board with the GIANT Lincoln Cycle Sportive and will be offering this as a cycling option for those supporters who want to fundraise on a bike!
“The people who fundraise for us are so inspirational and their courage and kindness is second-to-none. Our new ‘Adventure’ brand is a reflection of these incredible people and we hope it shows that you don’t have to be at the peak of physical fitness to go on an Adventure with St Barnabas.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Root Studio. The combination of their creativity and their understanding of the Hospice has resulted in something which we are very proud of.”
The Hospice would like to introduce you to:
Bushcraft Björn, Trekking Trevor, Swimming Marge, Running Roger, Skydiving Stella, Wingwalking Winnie, and last but not least, Cycling Cedric!
To view the full list of ways you can Adventure with St Barnabas, visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/events. If you would like to get in touch with Mike to learn more about the successful re-brand of St Barnabas challenge events, email mike.pastor@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call 01522 540 300.
Hospice launches dragonfly appeal to fund new child bereavement service in Lincolnshire
St Barnabas Hospice is selling ironwork dragonflies in memory of loved ones this Spring.
Following the hugely successful Forget Me Not campaign last year which raised in excess of £100,000 for the Hospice, St Barnabas has now launched the Dragonfly Appeal which will follow the same format this Spring. 
The story of the dragonfly helps children to understand the death of a loved one. Later this year, the Hospice will be launching a free children’s bereavement service, so children and young people can talk about their grief in one-to-one or group settings, with trained counsellors. Money raised from the Dragonfly Appeal will help to fund this new venture.
The dragonfly story fits perfectly with this campaign, as it is a story which the St Barnabas nurses give to grieving parents and children to help them through a difficult time. Read the dragonfly story here: www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/the-dragonfly-story
Tracy Tuffs, Counselling Service Team Lead at St Barnabas Hospice, said:
“Having a child bereavement service at St Barnabas is something that has been in the pipeline for a while. We currently support adults across Lincolnshire with their grief, whether their loved one died in our Hospice or not. Our plans are to launch the children’s service to only those with a direct connection to our Hospice initially and then evaluate from there.
“It has been lovely for the St Barnabas Wellbeing team to work so closely with the Fundraising and Marketing teams to bring this project to life and we’re excited to see how successful it is.”
St Barnabas has partnered with The Old Smithy Forge once again to create handmade, ironwork dragonflies for their supporters to purchase in memory of a loved one. For a donation, supporters can have their very own dragonfly to sit in their garden, home or special place of remembrance. 
The first 1,000 dragonflies purchased will go on display at Doddington Hall from Saturday 4th to Sunday 19th April, so by purchasing early, your keepsake dragonfly will be part of the display in a serene area of the gardens.
Jenny Peake, Supporter Engagement Manager at St Barnabas Hospice, said:
“We’re delighted to be working with Doddington Hall and Wrendale Designs on this fantastic project. Doddington Hall is a beautiful venue and Hannah Dale from Wrendale Designs has managed to capture our little dragonfly in watercolour to support the campaign.
“I would like to say a special thank you to Waterside Shopping Centre in Lincoln for sponsoring the appeal. We work very closely with Dean and the team and it is fantastic that they have chosen to come on board this Spring.”
Dean Cross, Centre Manager at Waterside Shopping Centre, added:
“St Barnabas does fantastic work for people at the most challenging time of their life. I know many of the people who work for our retailers and who shop with us have accessed support from St Barnabas. It’s important for us to give something back to the local community, that’s why we decided to work with the Hospice, and why we agreed to sponsor the Dragonfly Appeal.”
“The Waterside was one of the main sponsors of St Barnabas’ previous campaign, the Forget Me Nots Appeal, and we hope that this fundraising effort is just as successful.”
St Barnabas Hospice is asking for a suggested donation of £34.19 in return for a dragonfly. To put this into perspective:
- £34.19 would fund two bereavement support sessions to help a person through their grief.
- £83.22 would pay for a nurse for a day to hold the hand of a patient and their family, manage their pain and allow them to enjoy precious moments together.
- £115.67 would pay for four hours of care at our specialist Inpatient Unit. It is here that pets can visit their owners for the last time and children can create memory boxes with a parent who doesn’t have long to live.
To donate for your dragonfly and help fund a new children’s bereavement service in Lincolnshire, visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/dragonfly
Local Radio DJ committed to supporting Colour Dash Fest after the hospice care his daughter’s mum received
John Marshall will be supporting this year’s St Barnabas Colour Dash Fest in memory of his ex-partner.
Join John Marshall, Lincs FM Presenter, and St Barnabas Hospice on Saturday 16th May for the return of their popular Colour Dash Fest at the Lincolnshire Showground. The Colour Dash Fest features an untimed fun run featuring coloured paint stations at each kilometre where Paint Pirates will shower participants from head to toe as they go past. Participants can choose to run either 5k, 10k or 15k. 
John took part in last year’s Colour Dash whilst his ex-partner and daughter’s mum, Angela, was being cared for by the Hospice. Last November, Angela sadly died in the St Barnabas Inpatient Unit and John will now be running the Colour Dash once more in her memory.
John said:
“Angela was 49 when she died, but her diagnosis came five years prior to that. She was hoovering one day, thought she had pulled a muscle in her chest and went to get it checked out.
“By the time Angela was seen at the Hospital she had established in her head that it was breast cancer, and unfortunately, she was right. She had a lumpectomy, which appeared to be a success and at that point no more treatment was necessary. But as time went on more complications arose.
“A year or so later she has more issues with lesions. They had to do another operation which involved removing a lot of muscle and lymph nodes. After that she had big problems with lymphedema in her arm. Angela was in a lot of pain and with that the diagnosis went from treatable to “we can’t do anything more to help you”. This was nine months before Angela died.
“At this point Angela was referred to St Barnabas Hospice for respite care. She went into the Hospice several times and was able to return home stronger. There were times that she went into the Hospice and I didn’t think she would come back home again, but within two or three days she was sat up in bed, relaxed and comfortable.
“I think a lot of people’s opinion of the Hospice is that it is a place you go to die. It was a lesson to me, Angela and our daughter Eleanor – we had no idea you could visit for support and symptom relief. When Angela first went in there, I was frightened, and I know Angela was too. But we quickly realised that it could be a place for her to rest and leave stronger. We used to think of it like a 5* hotel because the food was great, and the attention and care was nothing short of fantastic. 
“I’ll always remember the support Annie and the other nurses gave Eleanor. Especially when we were told that the end was close for Angela and there was probably one night to go. Eleanor asked if she could stay by her Mum’s side, so they set up a double bed right next to Angela’s bed. Eleanor was able to lay next to Angela for the final night, holding her hand and chatting to her until they fell off to sleep. She said to Angela “wait for the morning Mum.” Angela wasn’t conscious, but she did wait. It was 7.20am when she died with Eleanor by her side, still holding her hand. If it had to happen, it couldn’t have happened in a calmer way and that’s down to the people at the Hospice providing outstanding care.
“When Eleanor and I left the Hospice for the final time it felt like we were saying goodbye to friends. They had been caring for Angela, and us for a long time and it was an emotional goodbye.”
Tickets are now on sale for the 2020 Colour Dash. Limited early bird tickets are priced at:
- 5k Adult (15 years+) – £15
- 5k Child (5-15) – £5
- 10k Adult (15 years+) – £22
- 15k Adult (15 years+) – £30
“If I could spend one more day with my husband, I would throw him a Gin and Jammies party!”
“Paul was the most amazing husband and daddy to us all. He was a role model to our three children and we all loved him to bits.”
“In January 2018, Paul was diagnosed with bowel cancer, and days later his father was diagnosed with oesophagus cancer. It was a terrible time for us all. Paul went through chemotherapy and radiotherapy every single day for 25 days, all whilst continuing to work in our landscaping business that he had built from scratch eighteen years earlier. 
“A week before Paul had an operation scheduled to remove his cancer, his father sadly died. Paul continued to fight after this, but I could see the sadness in his face and the change in his character. This was in July 2018, and sadly Paul’s cancer continued to grow until it became inoperable. He died in October 2019, age 53.
“I chose to host a Gin and Jammies party in Paul’s memory because he just loved events. In fact, if I could spend one more day with my husband, I would throw him a Gin and Jammies party! We would all tell him a million more times that we love him, and I’d let him buy the camper van that he always wanted. In Paul’s honour, the children and I travelled in a chauffeur driven camper van behind his hearse at the funeral; he would have been so proud.
“At our Gin and Jammies party, there was around 20 people who paid to attend, played games, ate, drank and raised a glass. We had such a fabulous night and raised a total of £325 for the Hospice. Although St Barnabas didn’t care for Paul due to our location, their consultants did give us some valuable advice and support. 
“Gin and Jammies was the perfect way to get all the girls together and have genuine fun whilst supporting a good cause. If it’s something you’re only just hearing of, give it a go! It’s so much easier than trying to arrange a night out somewhere and the money you would normally spend on taxis, club entry, new outfits etc. all goes to St Barnabas instead.
“Register your interest, just like I did, at www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/ginandjammies. The Hospice has even released their own gin for you to sample at your party!”
Paula Tuplin, Louth
“I threw a Gin and Jammies party at home because myself and a colleague both have cancer and wanted to have fun with our girlfriends whilst raising money for a worthy cause.”
“I first saw the advert for Gin and Jammies on Facebook and it seemed like the perfect excuse to get the girls round and have some fun for charity. I chatted to my oldest friend, Ellie May, and we managed to gather 15 people to attend. 
“We played Jenga, table top curling and pass the parcel. There was laughter and chat, as well as gin and prosecco! It was a much-needed catch-up and gave me a reason to forget about my cancer.
“I was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in June 2011. After surgery and five years of follow-on checks, I was then discharged. Last June, eight years after I discovered my skin cancer, I found a lump in my groin. I was absolutely devastated. I had surgery in the August to remove ten lymph nodes, but the surgery wasn’t a success. A PET scan showed melanoma in more nodes which cannot be operated on, so my cancer is now stage four and I am on palliative immunotherapy treatment.
“Since discovering I have cancer, my outlook on life is totally different. I take more time out to relax but still continue to work and get together with friends as much as possible. My husband died seven years ago but I have been very lucky to meet my new partner, Rob. We go on holiday together and socialise with friends.
“My work colleague, Josie Johnson, also has cancer and we are supporting each other through such a difficult time. It’s eye opening when you realise just how many people are affected by cancer in one way or another.
“I have a three-year-old grandson who is my world. He is why I fight so hard against my cancer. 
“My cancer is now terminal, but I am hoping the immunotherapy will give me a few extra years to live. I feel glad to know that the £250 raised by my Gin and Jammies party will help support people across Lincolnshire in a similar position to me. St Barnabas does such an incredible job supporting the people of Lincolnshire and you really don’t know if you or a loved one will ever need their services. When the time comes, I will call upon St Barnabas to support my family and I through my last few weeks.
“There is still time to hold your own Gin and Jammies party to help raise much needed funds. Simply visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/ginandjammies to download your free information pack full of tips and ideas.”
Karen Powell – St Barnabas supporter
Annual charity quiz night set to return to Waddington
The St Barnabas Hospice Wine and Wisdom Quiz Night will return to Waddington for the 24th year.
Now in its 24th year, the St Barnabas Hospice Wine and Wisdom Quiz Night is expected to be a sell-out in Waddington once again. It is the Hospice’s longest-running event and has raised an outstanding £38,500 for Lincolnshire’s end-of-life care over the years.
Taking place on Friday 6th March, 7pm at Waddington Village Hall (LN5 9NX), Wine and Wisdom promises to be a fun-filled night out for friends, family or even work colleagues.
Team bookings are open once more to this eight-round quiz night and the Hospice is looking for teams of 5-8 people for only £6 per head. Included in the ticket price is wine and nibbles for each table and some fantastic prizes for the winners.
Wine and Wisdom began in 1996 and was set up by widower, John Davey, in memory of his wife, Anne. Anne was admitted to the St Barnabas Lincoln Inpatient Unit in 1992 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
John said:
“I will always remember the night I fell asleep holding Anne’s hand and I awoke to find that a blanket had been placed over me by one of the kind people there. It’s only a small thing but it is something I will never forget, and it really meant a lot.
“On Christmas Eve, carol singers were performing in the Hospice. The sound of the music drifted into Anne’s room and the most remarkable thing happened, Anne sat up in bed for the first time in a long time and she sat and sang every carol. For that short time, I had my Anne back. She was just like her old self.
“Wine and Wisdom began as a wonderful way to remember my wife of 29-years and also for our family and friends to remember her too. It also gave us an opportunity to raise money to help other families who need the valuable support of the Hospice.
“I am truly humbled by the amount of money the quiz has raised and it far exceeds any expectations I had. I never expected the quiz to become so popular and I wouldn’t have dared to dream that it would still be going now. It’s a lovely lasting tribute to my dearest Anne.”
St Barnabas now continues to run the Wine and Wisdom event in memory of Anne and both John and their son, Adam have been fantastic supporters and fundraisers for the Hospice ever since Anne’s death.
Due to the popularity of the event, quizzers must pre-book to attend. Visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/winewisdom20 to book your place.