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.

Trek the Great Wall of China in support of local Hospice

Whether a trek to remember a loved one, or for the once in a lifetime experience, support St Barnabas Hospice and explore The Great Wall of China

St Barnabas Hospice are welcoming back the breath-taking challenge event for 2019.

Support St Barnabas by stepping out across the iconic Great Wall and immerse yourself in the history of one of the most impressive architectural of the past.

The ten day trip promises to take you away from the tourist crowds in order to gain a great sense of the scale of this remarkable and iconic man-made structure. Whilst you trek along the various contrasting sections of the wall, both restored and timeworn areas, this challenge takes you over watchtowers and mountains, through historical battlement stations and farmlands.

In 2016, a St Barnabas Health Care Support Worker took on the life-changing challenge with her sister.

Tracy said:

“The Great Wall of China trek was a fantastic life changing experience where we made many friends and had the opportunity to experience the Chinese culture and soak up the wonderful scenery.

“I was honoured to be able to raise the money for St Barnabas Hospice as I see first-hand how crucial our care and services are to the local community.”

Mike Pastor, Challenge Events Fundraiser for St Barnabas said:

“The China Trek promises to be a once in a lifetime challenge. When Tracy returned she caught the bug for challenging herself and has since supported St Barnabas whilst taking on challenging treks, just like China Trek.

“We have limited capacity so please register early, we help with all training and fundraising to support you to get the most out of your challenge.

“Thanks to the support of people like you, we are able to continue to provide dignified and compassionate end-of-life care to those who need it in Lincolnshire. By taking part in a challenge like this you are making memories and making a difference to the hospice care St Barnabas can provide.”

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, wood and other materials. Dating back to 7th century BC and measuring over 5,500 miles long across the Northern borders of China.

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.

Local businesses raise £18,518.91 for Hospice in Accumulator Challenge

St Barnabas Hospice has announced the results of their first ever Accumulator Challenge

St Barnabas Hospice are delighted to announce that fourteen businesses have come together to raise an outstanding £18,518.91 in their first ever Accumulator Challenge.

Businesses of all sizes joined the initiative from across Lincolnshire, and were each given £50 by the Hospice, which they had to invest and turn into more. The challenge launched on Tuesday 3rd April and closed on Sunday 30th June.

A wide range of fun, innovative and clever fundraising ideas took place during the Challenge, including: pet first aid courses, penalty shoot-outs, a door full of jelly beans, a beer festival, spin-a-thon and more.

The Accumulator Challenge culminated in a Celebration Evening, held on Monday 9th July at Lincoln City Football Club. During the evening, the following awards were given out:

  • The team which raised the most money* – Warners Midlands plc (£2,000 raised between four team members)
  • The team with the most innovative fundraising ideas – NatWest Lincoln
  • The individual team member who has performed the best – Andrew Parker, McCain Foods

* For fairness, the final figure raised by each team was converted into an average based on the number of people in that team.

The engraved trophies received by the winners were kindly donated by Viking Trophies in Grantham.

Mick Ewles from winning company, Warners Midlands plc, said:

“The Charity Committee at Warners (Midlands) loved taking part in the Accumulator Challenge, as we were all involved in something that made money for St Barnabas. Winning the award will act as encouragement for us to raise even more!”

Tina Dingley, Corporate Fundraiser for St Barnabas in the South of Lincolnshire, added:

“This is the first year we have done an Accumulator Challenge at St Barnabas and the uptake and enthusiasm for it has been better than we could ever have imagined.

“Based on the success of this year, we are excited to bring this fundraising initiative back again next year. Hopefully more companies will be encouraged to sign up and make it even more of a success.

St Barnabas Corporate Fundraiser for North Lincolnshire, Caroline Swindin, added:

“We have had both current corporate partners as well new supporters entering the Accumulator Challenge this year. It is wonderful to see how successful the teams have been, and some smaller businesses have really given the larger ones a run for their money!

“The money raised will make a real difference in helping us to care for and support people living with a life-limiting or terminal illness, and their families and carers, across Lincolnshire.”

To find out more about how your business can support St Barnabas Hospice, contact Caroline (North Lincolnshire) at caroline.swindin@stbarnabashospice.co.uk/07435 970 309 or Tina (South Lincolnshire) at tina.dingley@stbarnabashospice.co.uk/01476 513 542.

Local radio show host gets gunged in memory of loved ones

A radio show host from the Louth area has been gunged to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice, following the death of several loved ones

Liz Mapleston, a radio show host from the Louth area, has bravely taken on a slimy challenge to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice, following the death of friends and family members, including her mum and grandma.

Since losing her grandma five years ago, Liz has been using the St Barnabas bereavement services at their Louth Day Therapy Centre, and wanted to give something back to the charity which has helped her so much.

Liz’s grandma sadly died in August 2013, from chronic kidney disease and heart failure. Earlier on this year, her close friend also sadly died. This came as a huge shock to Liz, as she had been unaware of his illness.

Liz said:

“Thinking about him now, he would be laughing his head off at me getting gunged in his memory. He would have loved to have been here to watch, and would definitely have thrown the first bucket!

“Having lost all of my family, I understand how unique people are in coping with bereavement, and that no two people go about it in the same way. St Barnabas has let me go at my own pace, and I feel a lot stronger because of it.

“My true inspirations in life are my mum and my grandma. To honour their memory and support more people in my situation, I decided to become a Family Support Services volunteer at St Barnabas Hospice.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to give something back to a charity that has helped me so much, and in a way, I’m using my own experiences to help others. I’m hoping that my fundraising will help them in other ways too.

Liz has previously done charity walks for the Hospice, and has also booked a date in to undertake the gunge challenge on a larger scale next year! So far, Liz has raised £175 for St Barnabas by getting gunged.

During the day, Liz is an online radio show host, and uses this platform to promote the work which St Barnabas does in the local community. Her show, ‘The Lady Liz Show’ can be found at www.popalongradio.weebly.com from 12 – 3pm on weekdays.

Liz said:

“I think that more people should take the plunge and fundraise for St Barnabas. Whether you do something challenging, funny or serious, the money will definitely be going to a good cause.

“The Hospice supports and cares for more than 9,000 people across Lincolnshire who are living with a life-limiting illness, and work tirelessly around the clock to look after those who unfortunately have a terminal diagnosis.”

If you would like to learn more about fundraising in support of St Barnabas Hospice or volunteering at one of their centres or shops across Lincolnshire, please contact fundraising@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call 01522 540 300.

Coach driver set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for local Hospice

A coach driver at PC Coaches will climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice

Chris Offer, Coach Driver at PC Coaches of Lincoln based at the Louth depot, has taken on the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise some much needed money for St Barnabas Hospice.

Chris, age 61, decided to take on one of the world’s biggest challenges after losing over three-and-a-half stone in weight following twelve months training. He said:

“With kind permission from my family, I am completely self-funding this adventure. I’m hoping to raise lots of money for such a deserving local charity.

“Although I have no personal connection to St Barnabas, they are a fantastic charity in my home town of Louth, and I know they do an amazing job both in Louth and the rest of Lincolnshire.

“They deserve all the help that can be offered to them, and I intend to help as much as I can.”

Before his career as a coach driver, Chris was a serving Soldier in the British Army and has been involved in several operational conflicts. Chris said:

“Whilst I was a serving soldier, I participated in several adventurous challenges. I’ve climbed Mont Blanc on ice glaciers, done several parachute jumps and now want to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro!”

Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania, and is the highest mountain in Africa. It sits at 5,895 metres above sea level.

Look out for Chris out training around Louth – he’ll be in a St Barnabas t-shirt. To sponsor him, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-kili.

If you would like to take on a challenging event in support of St Barnabas Hospice, please contact Mike Pastor at mike.pastor@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call 01522 540 300.

Hospice outdoor cinema a huge hit with residents of Lincolnshire

St Barnabas Hospice are delighted with the success of their Barnabas Big Screen event held at the weekend

Almost £10,000 has been raised at St Barnabas Hospice’s first ever Barnabas Big Screen event, held at Daisy Made Farm over the weekend.

In total, around 1,200 people attended the screenings of Pretty Woman, The Lion King and Forrest Gump on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd June, and feedback so far has been extremely positive.

The event provided members of the public with a way of raising money for the Hospice that was totally different to other St Barnabas mass participation events.

Amelia Mochan, Events Fundraiser at St Barnabas Hospice, said:

“A lot of our mass participation events involve a level of activeness – whether that be running, walking or climbing over inflatables!

“We wanted to introduce an event that was completely different and could be enjoyed by a wide range of people.”

The Hospice asked the public to vote on the three films that were shown over the weekend, and only charged a voluntary donation for entry to each.

Amelia said:

“It was lovely to see people coming together in support of our Hospice, and the donations we have received have been extremely generous.

“In addition to ticket donations, we also received donations from the trade stalls who attended the event. The continued support of local businesses at our Hospice events is wonderful, and we would like to thank everyone who attended.

“St Barnabas events could not go ahead without our amazing volunteers and we were pleased to have lots of new recruits for this event. They all did a fabulous job and we really do appreciate their hard work and giving up their weekend – we couldn’t do it without them!”

If you are interested in helping out at St Barnabas events, please do get in touch with the Events team.

St Barnabas Hospice is hopeful that the Barnabas Big Screen will be a prominent fixture in their event calendar in the future, and is welcoming feedback from anyone who attended the event.

To get in touch with the Events team about this event or future events, call 01522 540 300 or email fundraising@stbarnabashospice.co.uk. You can see a full list of the Hospice events at www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/events

Gainsborough Hospice to hold a Vintage Coffee Morning in July

Step back in time as St Barnabas Hospice hosts Vintage Coffee Morning this July

St Barnabas Hospice will be hosting Vintage Coffee Morning on Thursday 5th July 2018, from 10am to 12pm at the Gainsborough St Barnabas Hospice, Front Street, Morton, DN21 3AD.

On Thursday 5th July we invite everyone to attend our Vintage Coffee Morning, which will take place at our Gainsborough Hospice (DN21 3AD), between 10am and 12pm. There will be an array of homemade bakes on offer, local craft/gift stalls and even vintage-style musical entertainment.

Entry is free to all, and funds raised from the Coffee Morning will go towards achieving the £5.5 million we have to fundraise each year in order to maintain our services.

Ella Beale, Community Fundraiser for St Barnabas Hospice, said:

“On the 5th July, we are transforming our regular Coffee Morning, into a vintage-themed fundraiser.

“We are delighted to welcome supporters of the Hospice, and members of the local community alike, to enjoy a selection of homemade refreshments, whilst being transported back in time.

“Since the Hospice first opened its doors, we have been providing services to those living with life-limiting or terminal illnesses throughout Gainsborough and the surrounding areas. Without people supporting event such as our Vintage Coffee Morning, we would not be able to continue to deliver the high standard of care and support we are so proud of.”

For further information or to make a donation please contact Ella Beale on 01522 559 509 or email ella.beale@stbarnabashospice.co.uk. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/events

Magical evening for local charity at annual ball this October

Join St Barnabas Hospice for a magical night at their Enchanted Forest Ball in Lincoln.  

St Barnabas Hospice are hosting their annual Ball at a brand new location with a magical new theme. The evening will take place on Friday 5th October 2018.

The Enchanted Forest Ball will take place at The Lincoln Hotel, Eastgate, Lincoln, LN2 1PN from 7pm. Limited tickets will be available, with prices starting from £50 per person, or £475 for a table of ten, which includes a welcome drink and three-course meal.

Guests will be blown away by entertainment from the award-winning mind magician Looch. Be captivated by his mind reading magic and have the exclusive opportunity to take part in the “Challenge the Mindreader” performance.

The evening will also comprise of an auction, raffle and live music.

Laura Stones, Event Fundraiser for St Barnabas Hospice, said:

“We are thrilled to announce a brand new location and theme for our upcoming Ball. The venue will be decorated to make it feel as though you have just entered an enchanted forest and the evening will continue the theme.

“The evening hopes to raise £10,000. This money is crucial so we can care for more people across Lincolnshire living with a life-limiting or terminal illness.”

Throughout the night, there will be plenty of opportunities to donate to St Barnabas, including a very special pledge moment.

Tickets for the Ball start at £50 per person and can be booked at www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/events/enchanted-forest-ball. For more information, call Laura Stones on 01522 559 515.