Category: Fundraising

From left to right: Lisa & Steve Topham, Jacqui Fairey being lifted, Paul Fairey in the middle and Chris & Sonya Mahoney

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice is searching for novice dancers to take part in their second Strictly Ballroom Fundraiser in Grantham.

Commencing January 2015 dancers will learn to dance a Foxtrot and a Jive with local dance teacher Ann Gibbons. Contestants will then compete on stage in front of a live audience and an experienced judging panel.

Janie McCormick, Event Organiser for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“We are looking for 14 couples to join us and take on this fundraising challenge. This is the perfect event for couples looking to do something special or to take on a new hobby together.”

Registration is charged at £10 per person and as dancing lessons are free of charge each dancer is asked to raise a minimum of £100 sponsorship. Lessons span 10 weeks and begin on Wednesday 7th January, 7.30 – 8.30pm at Long Bennington Village Hall.

Paul Fairey, 2014 Judges Winner, said:

“We couldn’t believe that we won! The whole Strictly event was a great experience; we learnt new skills, made new friends and most importantly helped to raise much needed funds for a great cause. We really enjoyed it.”

Janie McCormick said:

“Grantham held its first ever Strictly fundraiser event in the spring of 2014 and it was a fantastic success with adrenaline at an all time high. Last years event raised over £3,000 and we hope to raise even more this year!”

The grand finale will be held on Saturday 21st March 2015 at the Guildhall Arts Centre where contestants will be given two chances to win the Strictly Ballroom crown with an audience vote and a judge’s vote.

To register or for further information please visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call Janie McCormick on 01476 5941010 or email her at Janie.mccormick@stbarnabashospice.co.uk

Photo courtesy of Stuart Wilde: www.stuartwildephotography.com

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice has raised more than £31,000 in memory of loved ones after they welcomed more than 1,200 people to their Light Up a Life event.

The 14th annual celebration was held on Tuesday 25th November and began with an open service at Our Lady of Lincoln Church followed by a flaming torchlight procession through Uphill Lincoln to the Cathedral.

Becky Otter, Event Manager for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“It was breath taking to see so many people from our local community coming together to share their memories of loved ones. The flaming procession through Lincoln was simply spellbinding and it was touching to see so many bystanders show their support.

“This year is by far the biggest turn out we have had and we are so grateful for all the support we have been given. Every penny raised from this event will help to ensure that people across Lincolnshire receive the end of life care they deserve.”

The procession was led by RAF Waddington Pipe Band and followed by members of the Army Cadet Choral Band. The procession was greeted by songs from a choir before the Tree of Life lights were switched on. People were then invited to tie messages of love to the railings surrounding the tree before coming together again to enjoy mulled wine and soup.

Becky Otter said:

“It is a real honour that so many people chose to remember their loved ones at this event and it was bitter-sweet to see so many torches burning brightly. Perhaps the most poignant moment of the evening was when the procession paused outside our hospice and we were joined by our nurses and patients.

“That was a very emotional moment and many people were visibly moved by this show of respect. Overall the evening was heart warming, emotive and inspiring but ultimately it was treated with the utmost sensitivity it deserved.”

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice will be taking over Lincoln High Street on the 13th December from 9.30am – 3pm for a festive fundraising bonanza!

Fundraisers and volunteers from St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice will be returning to Lincoln High Street this year with a host of choirs to entertain Christmas shoppers.

Each choir or soloist will perform a 30 minute set and Santa Claus will also make an appearance at the St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice Grotto. Children are encouraged to bring along Christmas Lists and tell Santa if they’ve been naughty or nice.

Santa’s Grotto and a stall from St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice will be situated outside St Benedict’s Church between 9:30am – 3pm. Christmas shoppers will be able to pick up their last minute Hospice Christmas cards, gifts and decorations.

Lincoln Sounds has supported St Barnabas for two years with this event. Karen Hare a choir member said:

“This event is not about showcasing our chorus; it is about recognising and lending support to the fantastic and invaluable work carried out by St Barnabas, a charity that has directly or indirectly touched the lives, hearts and minds of many people.”

Kim Adams from the Hungate Singers added:

“We didn’t hesitate to say ‘yes’ when asked to sing on behalf of St Barnabas Hospice. The Hungate Singers are very aware of the work that St Barnabas does on behalf of the local community in Lincoln, with many of us knowing people who have benefited from what the charity provides. “

The St Barnabas Santa’s Grotto and Christmas Sing-Along will be on Lincoln High Street from 9:30am – 3:00pm on Saturday 13th December. Entrance to the Grotto is £5.00 and this includes a gift from Santa.

There are still performance times available if any soloists, choirs or groups would like to get involved then get in touch with Ben Petts on 01522 540300 or email: ben.petts@stbarnabashospice.co.uk

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice is inviting the local community to celebrate the life of someone special at their annual Light Up a Life services.

The Light up a Life services are free to attend and take place at locations across Lincolnshire. Each service has its own Tree of Life where people can choose to dedicate a light in memory of someone special whilst helping St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice raise vital funds.

Becky Otter, Event Manager for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“Light Up a Life provides people with the opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of their loved ones. Last year more than 2000 lights were dedicated on our Trees of Life in memory of someone special.

“The true beauty of Light Up a Life is that it unites the community at a time of year which is often difficult for many. The services enable people to remember together and be comforted by one another.

“Our Light Up a Life celebrations are open to anyone across the county who would like to remember someone special, regardless of whether they have a connection to the hospice.”

Now in its 14th year the Light Up a Life celebrations are special dates in the charity’s calendar. As well as giving people the opportunity to remember loved ones the appeal also helps the hospice to raise more than £35,000 to help them to continue to provide end of life care across Lincolnshire.

Becky said: “Each one of our services across the county are truly special and unique but our service in Lincoln offers something a little different. This service is followed by a flaming torchlight procession which culminates at the Lincoln Cathedral for the switching on of the Tree of Life lights.

“The torch lights burn as far as the eye can see and witnessing this is nothing short of breath-taking. The procession also walks past the hospice on Nettleham Road and this is incredibly moving as we will often stop to sing carols to our patients and nurses.”

Lincoln’s Light Up a Life celebration is held on Tuesday 25th November and anyone who would like to dedicate a light can go to www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/LincolnLUAL or call 01522 540 300.

Becky concludes: “Although there will be many tears shed on the night, Light Up a Life is a poignant, uplifting and positive event that embraces our local community. People can stand shoulder to shoulder and remember the people they love and miss at this special time of year.”

To find a service in your area or to dedicate a light go to: www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/LincolnLUAL

St Barnabas Lincolnshire hospice is searching for adult and child novice dancers to take part in their Strictly Ballroom fundraisers. Adult competitors will learn the Jive and Melody Foxtrot whilst children will tackle the Cha-Cha-Cha and Paso Doble.

Contestants will learn the dance routines over ten weeks before competing in front of a live audience and a judging panel consisting of; Aggi Doughty, winner of Strictly Ballroom in 2011 and 2012 and Andrew Pigg, professional dance teacher from Premier Dance.

Becky Otter, Event Manager for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“St Barnabas Strictly Ballroom has become a pinnacle fundraiser in our events calendar; it is an event I am very proud of. Last year the event raised an incredible £10,000 for hospice care. This year we have introduced a children’s version called Strictly Kids and we hope this will bring even greater success to our Strictly fundraiser.”

Strictly Kids is on the hunt for 50 junior novice dancers, aged 8 – 16, from schools across Lincoln. The adult and child dancer’s will perform in the grand finale which is to be held at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre on the 29th March 2015.

Becky said: “The children’s event guarantees to be as spectacular as our popular Strictly Ballroom event. The diddy dancers will receive free tuition from professional dance teachers from Premier Dance every Sunday evening.

“As the dance lessons are completely free we ask each child to try to raise £50 for the hospice. So we are asking, could your child be crowned the St Barnabas Cha-Cha-Champion?”

Training for Strictly Kidz and Strictly Ballroom commences on the 18th January at St Johns Baptist Church Hall, Sudbrooke Drive, Lincoln.

Becky concludes: “What I love about Strictly Ballroom is that it appeals to people of all ages. The rigorous dance rehearsals require a commitment from the contestants which will ensure an entertaining evening at the glitzy grand finale to be enjoyed by the whole family.”

Registration is £5.00 per person. Both finales will be held on Sunday 29th March at The LPAC Lincoln. The children’s event will be the matinee performance and adults in the evening.

Registration is easy! Adult contestants sign-up here and child contetsants sign-up here. For more information contact Becky Otter at becky.otter@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call 01522 559516

Join St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice in the historic Bailgate for the annual Christmas Craft Fair now celebrating its 11th year!

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice will be returning to the Bailgate Methodist Church for its 11th annual Christmas Craft Fair on the 8th November from 10am to 3pm. This annual craft fair is the perfect opportunity to buy some unique Christmas gifts all lovingly made by local crafters.

This year you will be able to find Daisy’s Ducks handmade novelty doorstops, Joanne Keshmiri selling affordable floral and Christmas decorations for the home and Vintage Handbags from Gill Hart, plus many more.

Ben Petts, Community Events Fundraiser for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“Our Christmas Craft Fair really gets you in the festive mood selling mince pies, Christmas decorations, Hospice Christmas cards and of course the gifts that our local crafters choose to display.”

St Barnabas Hospice will be selling an array of “Bric a Brac,” pictures and books all donated from the Hospice shops. There will also be a chance to take part in the tombola and raffle of which all funds go directly towards local hospice care.

Ben concludes: “Come along and find us in the Bailgate Methodist Church on the 8th November from 10am. Entrance is only 50p and you could go home with a unique Christmas gift while supporting St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice.”

For more information about the Christmas Craft Fair please get in touch with Ben Petts on 01522 540300 or email ben.petts@stbarnabashospice.co.uk

On Sunday, 12th October from 10:30am – 4:00pm Skellingthorpe Community Centre and Youth Hall will play host to the annual craft fair.

The craft fair is the ideal place to find unique gift ideas before the madness of Christmas shopping begins.

The annual Skellingthorpe Craft Fair is now in its 7th year and will be once again packed with beautiful gifts all lovingly made by local crafters from across the county. Come and see JuJu Treats to get yourself some bespoke handmade candles or award winning Rag Rugs handmade by Mary Mason. Whether you want to browse or buy there is sure to be something that will catch your eye.

Shelia Briggs from the Skellingthorpe fundraising group has recently been awarded for 30 years service as a St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice volunteer and will be volunteering her time again this year to help with the annual Craft Fair.

Ben Petts, Community Events Fundraiser for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“It’s amazing that we have such dedicated volunteers who will happily give up their own time to support St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice. When we have a long running event like this it really does go to show how much time and effort each individual puts in to making it a success.”

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice will be hosting their own stalls selling new stock for Christmas, including a whole new range of Christmas cards, decorations and gifts. There will also be the chance to enter a prize draw by getting your program stamped when you enter the Community Centre and Youth Hall.

Ben concludes: “Admission to the craft fair is £1.00. Join us for a cup of tea and a generous slice of homemade cake while you shop to your heart’s content in aid of St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice.”

For more information contact Ben Petts on 01522 540300 or email: ben.petts@stbarnabashospice.co.uk.

From left to right: Events Manager, Becky Otter and volunteer, Anita Grey enjoy a slice of cake

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice is encouraging the local community to get together for tea and cake throughout October for their ‘It’s a piece of cake’ fundraiser.

The annual campaign encourages supporters to host their own cake related events and raise money in aid of hospice care. Last year saw supporters host tea parties; bake-offs and cake sales at their home, school and work.

For the second consecutive year Lincolnshire born celebrity Chef, Rachel Green, is supporting ‘It’s a piece of cake’.

Rachel said: “I am delighted to be a St Barnabas Hospice Ambassador and to offer my support to the ‘It’s a Piece of Cake’ fundraiser. The Louth Branch specifically has been hugely supportive to me and my family whilst caring and nursing our loved ones.

“We have lost two close family members recently and St Barnabas have continued to offer unconditional care in supporting us through our sadness and grief.”

This year St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice must raise £3.8 million in order to maintain their care and services throughout Lincolnshire. The money raised from ‘It’s a piece of cake’ will help more than 8,000 people across county receive the specialist end of life care they deserve.

Veronica Brien, Head of Marketing and Fundraising for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“There are so many ways for people to get involved with ‘It’s a piece of cake’ and it’s the perfect excuse for people to get together and raise money for hospice care. The support from this event ensures that our patients and their families can make the most of every single second they share, regardless of how much time remains.”

For a free guide on hosting an event contact fundraising on 01522 540 300 or email: fundraising@stbarnabashospice.co.uk. The guides can also be downloaded at www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/pieceofcake

Chief Executive Sarah-Jane Mills readies herself for 35-mile walk

The Chief Executive of local independent charity St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice is taking on a 35-mile challenge and walking the boundary of the Lincoln Constituency.

Charity boss, Sarah-Jane Mills, will join local MP Karl McCartney and fellow volunteers and fundraisers as they ‘Beat the Bounds’ to raise money for five Lincoln-based charities.

The sponsored walk is set to take place on Saturday 20th September at 5am from the Horse and Jockey Public house in Waddington and is expected to finish there 18-hours later.

Sarah-Jane said: “I am really looking forward to taking part in this challenge and knowing that I am raising funds for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice makes the fundraiser even more meaningful. For years I have admired our brave supporters who regularly take on physical endeavours and I am delighted to be stepping out to take on one myself.

“I hope that by ‘Beating the Bounds’ I am able to raise awareness of the hospice and the services we provide. If in some small way I can help people gain a better understanding of how the hospice can help when they are at their most vulnerable then I will view the day as a great success.”

The hospice provides specialist palliative and end of life care to over 8,000 people across Lincolnshire who are living with a life limiting illness. This year they must raise £3.8 million in order to continue their care and services.

The five charity walkers are hoping to raise a target of £100 each through corporate and/personal sponsorship with Karl McCartney promising to match each of them.

Sarah-Jane concludes: “I am very grateful for everyone who has sponsored me and for their words of encouragement. It is heart warming and humbling to know that so many people are getting behind me and this event. Every single penny is so gratefully received and will help to ensure that we can continue providing our care and support.”

If you would like to show your support and sponsor Sarah-Jane please go to www.justgiving.com/Sarah-Jane-Mills/

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice welcomes the local community through its doors to raise vital funds at summer fete

On Sunday, 21st September from 11:00am – 3pm, set in the beautifully refurbished gardens of St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice Day Therapy Centre in Lincoln, the annual Fete will have something for all the family.

There will be an array of stalls in attendance selling handmade goods from local crafters, hospice stalls with the traditional raffles and tombola’s plus activities for children throughout the day and even a BBQ.

Ben Petts, Community Events Fundraiser for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“This is what Summer Fete’s are all about, people coming together and having some fun. There’s so much going on throughout the day you wouldn’t want to miss it. The event is completely free, bring friends, family and have a real good afternoon.”

Brian Smith will be providing entertainment by singing the sounds of the 60’s & 70’s throughout the day also burgers and Lincolnshire sausages will be provided by Elite Meats to fuel the BBQ. There really is something for everyone.

Ben concludes: “Last years event raised £1,604.54 which is a fantastic amount for hospice care across the county. This year we hope to beat that and raise £2,000 for patients and their families across Lincolnshire.”