Category: Hospice News
Dedicate a light on the Tree of Life in memory of a loved one
St Barnabas Hospice announce the return of their adored Light Up a Life campaign, along with the poignant Torchlight Procession, now in its 23rd year.
Light Up a Life offers the community an opportunity to reflect and remember a loved one lost, by dedicating a light, in their name, to shine brightly on the St Barnabas Tree of Life outside Lincoln Cathedral. Anyone is welcome to dedicate a light, not just those affected by hospice care.
Every year, the campaign is supported by local, family businesses including The Tower Hotel in Lincoln’s Bailgate. The continued support from the hotel and restaurant is especially poignant as the now owner, Finn Dillon, is honouring his mother, Philly, who sadly died in the Hospice, earlier this year.
Finn says: “Philly’s first diagnosis of Stage 3 Breast Cancer came in 2009, when I was only 10 years old. That same year I remember watching the St Barnabas Torchlight Procession. Although as a young boy, I had no idea what a huge impact St Barnabas would have on our family in the future.
“Every year since her diagnosis, Philly and her team offered mulled wine and soup from The Tower Hotel to participants of the Torchlight Procession, in support of the charity that would one day bring her and her family much needed support.
“Sadly, after years of treatment, Philly’s cancer returned for a third time in 2020. The incredible care of St Barnabas allowed us one last miracle period and we will be forever grateful. We knew she was finally safe. Her final month with us at St Barnabas, provided endless moments of laughter, deep reflection, and the incredible gift of goodbye.
“I am comforted to know many people taking part in Light Up a Life may have had similar experiences to myself and my family, and we are joined together by an understanding of the incredible work St Barnabas do.”
Join Finn in dedicating a light to honour loved ones no longer with us and help the Hospice to care for more people, like Philly, in the future. To do so, please visit: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/Light-up-a-life/
On Tuesday 21st November from 7:30 pm, St Barnabas Hospice will be holding its touching annual Torchlight Procession, starting at Clayton Sports Ground. This unique and iconic celebration is an opportunity for the community to join the Hospice in remembering loved ones.
As the Procession starts, the Hospice will stream the event on their Facebook page for anyone unable to attend. St Barnabas will also light candles in remembrance of our loved ones and invite you to do the same at home.
The transference of light throughout the event is symbolic; a flaming torch is carried by runners from our Inpatient Unit on Nettleham Road, where the pre-event remembrance service takes place, and this torch is subsequently used to light the procession torches.
Once all torches are lit, the procession will commence led by the RAF Waddington Pipe Band. The community will journey past the Inpatient Unit, pausing for a moment of reflection, before moving onto the Lincoln Cathedral. The event concludes with a service of celebration and reflection where the Tree of Life will be illuminated.
The St Barnabas Tree of Life will be adorned with dedicated lights and messages of love. For a small donation, participants are welcome to write a message on the evening and tie it to the tree in memory of a loved one lost.
This year, both the Lincoln Cathedral & the Church of St Mary Magdelene will be open following the Torchlight Procession. St Barnabas staff and volunteers will be available to provide additional support and a space of reflection for participants.
Caroline Swindin, Head of Fundraising and Lottery at St Barnabas Hospice, says: “Each year it is such an emotional event, seeing so many people with torches and lanterns through the streets of Lincoln joined together in remembrance of loved ones lost. The blessing at the Inpatient Unit is an incredibly moving moment, that we know is important to our patients, many of whom gather outside with their families and our nurses.
“We look forward to welcoming hundreds of people from the community on the evening, including Finn and his family who will be heading up the Procession.”
Due to crowd management, pre-registration and pre-order of lanterns and torches is required. To register for the Torchlight Procession on 21st November, visit https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/events/torchlight/
Registrations will close on Sunday 19th November.
St Barnabas Hospice urges people who are unable to attend the Torchlight Procession to visit the Tree when they can for a moment of reflection for loved ones lost.
Finn Dillon is dedicating a light in memory of mum, Philly, who sadly passed away this year
“This Christmas will be the first without my mother, Philippa (Philly), but it warms my heart to know that we can still celebrate Philly’s life thanks to Light up a Life and one of the symbolic lights will be shining brightly for her.”
At an otherwise happy period in our lives, Philly’s first diagnosis of Stage 3 Breast Cancer came in 2009, when I was only 10 years old. It was a devastating diagnosis for the entire family. Philly underwent surgery which was followed by intense rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, all of which she endured with determination and hope. That same year I remember watching the St Barnabas Torchlight Procession and seeing the people travel past where we lived in Lincoln’s Bailgate. Although as a young boy, I had no idea what a huge impact St Barnabas would have on our family in the future.
Unfortunately, a few years later, the cancer returned in her liver and Philly began more treatment. Amazingly, the cancer began to shrink. As a family it felt like we had received a second miracle. Philly was grateful for every day she had and would remind me that every day she got to see me grow past the age of 10, was a miracle. 
Sadly, Philly’s cancer returned for a third time in 2020 and had spread into her spine and bones. In March 2023, she was admitted to St Barnabas Hospice in Grantham. Although it was incredibly scary and upsetting for us all, the change we felt as we walked through the doors to St Barnabas was incredible. We knew that she was finally safe. Philly was moved to the St Barnabas Inpatient Unit in Lincoln, only a few streets away from our family home.
The incredible care of St Barnabas allowed us one last miracle period and we will be forever grateful. The warmth and sincerity the team showed us is something I know we all take comfort from every day. Although visiting was tough, no matter what we were walking into, or the guilt we would often feel when walking away – she was safe. Her final month with us at St Barnabas, provided endless moments of laughter, deep reflection, and the incredible gift of goodbye.
I am comforted to know many people taking part in Light Up a Life may have had similar experiences to myself and my family, and we are joined together by an understanding of the incredible work St Barnabas do. I invite you to join me to Light up a Life this Christmas.
This Christmas, please join me in remembering your loved ones in a celebration of light. I am inviting you to dedicate your light for a loved one so they can shine brightly on St Barnabas Hospice’s beautiful Tree of Life outside Lincoln Cathedral. A donation of just £39.86 would be able to cover the cost for a St Barnabas nurse to care for a patient in their own home for two hours.
You can remember anyone with a light, not just those cared for by the Hospice. As a thank you and token for your loved one, St Barnabas will send you a personalised card and special tree decoration in the post. You will also be invited to attend the Torchlight Procession on the 21st of November.
Your donation for a light could pay for more people like Philly to receive specialist end-of-life care during the most difficult of times.
I know that remembering our loved ones with a light will help lift some of that apprehension that we are all feeling about spending Christmas without them.
Thank you, Finn.
St Barnabas Hospice supporter
Help shape the Future of St Barnabas Hospice with the Organisational Strategy Survey
Can you help shape the future of St Barnabas Hospice? St Barnabas are planning the next 40 years of hospice care in Lincolnshire, and the charity needs your help to form its Organisational Strategy for the coming years.
Your feedback is important to our Hospice, and this is your chance to have your voice heard! Your answers, whether they are possible or negative, will be instrumental in helping our Hospice form our next Organisational Strategy, which will allow us to deliver care of an even higher standard.
The Survey consists of 8 questions, and takes approximately 4 minutes to complete. To offer your feedback, please click here to complete the survey. Alternatively, you can pick up a leaflet from one of our shops or wellbeing hubs.
By taking part, you will be helping us to plan the next 40 years of Hospice care in Lincolnshire by completing our short questionnaire and shape the future of care for your loved ones.
The Winners of the St Barnabas HeART Trail Staff & Volunteers competition are revealed
During the duration of the HeART Trail, St Barnabas staff and volunteers were invited to create and submit anything ‘heart’ related as part of our HeART Trail celebrations.
The entries, of which we received many, were judge by: Caroline Swindin, Head of Fundraising & Lottery; Steve Bond, Head of Volunteering Services; Ollie Williamson, Employee Experience Team Leader; Lisa Simpson, Director of People and Education; and Amelia Chambers, Head of Marketing Communications & Digital.
The quality of the submissions were exceptionally high, which made judging all the more enjoyable. The winners are:
- 1st place, Minnie from Marketing with her handmade slate and glass hearts.
- 2nd place, Debbie from Finance with her sewn HeARTs made from recycled fabrics from our own Charity Shops.
- Joint 3rd place, is Rebecca, Director of Patient Care, with her heart picture and Katy, from Welfare and Benefits, with her stain glass biscuits.
- 1st place, Volunteer winners are Mandy and Ron Morris for their glass artwork.
The Judges have passed on their congratulations to all of the winners, and their thanks for those who took part.
The competition was held to celebrate the HeART Trail, and engage with the members of staff and volunteers. The HeART Trail ran throughout the summer of 2023, and saw 30 HeART shaped sculptures adorn the streets on Lincolnshire. To find out more about the Trail, go to: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/hearttrail/auction/
Grantham Wellbeing Centre Break-in
In the early hours of this morning Wednesday 21st June, there was an attempted break-in at our Grantham Wellbeing Centre.
The perpetrators didn’t manage to get in but have removed one of our CCTV cameras and caused damage to the roof.
Today police and St Barnabas staff are on site inspecting the damage. The police have taken evidence from the site to support with their investigation.
Currently the Centre is temporarily closed so we may carry out essential external maintenance and improve facilities for the many people who use the Centre as a haven, socialising and accessing medical care and support. St Barnabas supports patients throughout the Grantham area by offering services in the Centre, in the Hospice in the Hospital and in people’s own homes.
We are deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence, which is hugely upsetting to the staff, volunteers, patients, and families who use the building. It will be costly for us to repair, taking away vital funds for care.
We are asking people to come forward with any information. Please contact the Lincolnshire Police through their website www.lincs.police.uk or by calling 101, with the incident number 80 210623.
Photography above by John Aron
St Barnabas supports Loneliness Awareness Week
St Barnabas Hospice is passionate about ensuring no person in Lincolnshire feels they are alone, whether they are a patient or member of the community.
For Loneliness Awareness Week 2023, the hospice care charity would like to remind people of all ages that there are many services available that can help combat loneliness.
Social groups at Wellbeing Centres
The charity hosts regular support groups, Coffee Mornings, and activities at their Wellbeing Centres across the county, in Boston, Grantham, Lincoln, Louth, and Spalding.
This includes a brand-new Creative Wellbeing Group, starting this week. It is a supportive, friendly group for anyone with a palliative diagnosis, their family members, carers, or anyone who has experienced a bereavement. Activities include crocheting and knitting, sewing, memory book making, colouring, weaving, paper craft, painting, and other crafts.
Other groups, available to St Barnabas patients as well as the general public are:
– Drop In Coffee Mornings
– Singing sessions
– MND Support Groups
– Secondary Breast Cancer Support Groups
– Bereavement Cafés
To find out more about our groups across the county, visit: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/wellbeing/
Counselling, bereavement support and spiritual care
St Barnabas offers psychological and emotional support to people who are living with a life-limiting or terminal illness, their family members, and carers. Bereavement support is also available to anyone in Lincolnshire who has experienced a bereavement, not just those affected by hospice care.
Counselling can be offered face-to-face within the Centres or in people’s own home by telephone or video call.
Bereavement support is available to any adult affected by grief, not just the family and friends of those cared for by the Hospice.
People can access this support by calling our helpline on 0300 303 1897 from Monday to Friday, 11:00am to 3:00pm or by attending one of our Bereavement Cafés, more information via the link below.
Spiritual care is available to people of all faiths and none, in the Inpatient Unit in Lincoln, Hospice in the Hospital in Grantham and patients accessing care in their own homes. We also have sanctuary spaces in our Wellbeing Centres, which are available to those who have medical appointments or during aforementioned support groups.
To find out more about these services, visit: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/wellbeing/psychological-and-spiritual/
Volunteering
Volunteering for St Barnabas is a fantastic way of being social and making new friends.
Volunteering roles are available in our 25 charity shops around Lincolnshire, in our Inpatient Unit in Lincoln, in our Wellbeing Centres by supporting with our groups, in the community by picking up donation boxes, or as part of our fundraising events.
Lifelong friendships are often formed by our volunteers who work closely together.
Annette Johnson is a volunteer at the Wellbeing Centre in Lincoln and says:
“My husband Dennis passed in 2015 and St Barnabas were so kind, caring and supportive. I wanted to return their kindness, which I did by volunteering as a receptionist, and now I host the weekly Coffee Morning.
“By volunteering I met Irene, who is now a firm friend. The people we meet on these mornings are amazing in their resilience, humour, and support of one another. To be able to help such people in any small way has truly been a joy to me.
“If you are thinking of volunteering, go for it! You will get as much back as you give.”
Visit https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/get-involved/volunteer/ to learn more about volunteering for St Barnabas.
Fundraise for St Barnabas
By fundraising for our charity, you are not only supporting local hospice care, but you can also meet new people and have a great time!
Fundraising can take on many forms – from partaking in a set Challenge event such as a marathon, skydiving, walking over fire or LEGO, St Barnabas organises many events each year to take part in.
You can also host your own event, for instance a Care for a Cuppa bake sale or Pub Quiz.
The beauty of these fundraisers is they can be held anywhere, from your own home or garden, at your workplace, community centre or down your local pub! Choose your location, date and time, request a free fundraising pack and start inviting.
Find out more about fundraising by visiting: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/fundraising/
St Barnabas Hospice becomes a member of the Neurodiversity in Business Forum
St Barnabas Hospice is proud to announce that the charity has joined the Neurodiversity in Business Forum.
NiB is a business-led forum functioning as an industry group for organisations to share industry good practice on ND recruitment, retention and empowerment.
Neurodiversity describes the amazing variety in human neurology, thinking, communication styles and expression. Individuals who are Neurodiverse tend to exhibition traits attributed to conditions such as Autism Spectrum Conditions, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Developmental Language Disorder and Dyspraxia.
The NiB organisation draws upon the cumulative knowledge of neurodivergent experts and leading companies to share best practice and improve the employment and experience of the neurodiverse workforce.
Speaking upon admission to NiB, Mandy Smith, Head of Human Resources said: “By signing up for the ‘Neurodiversity in Business Forum’, St Barnabas recognises that colleagues with neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent neurotypes, bring unique skills and perspectives to the Trust.
“The Human Resources team are in the process of implementing new measures and facilities within the workplace to support our neurodiverse colleagues, and to raise awareness of neurodiversity. We look forward to working with other organisations within NiB to continue to work towards ensuring the best in diversity and inclusion standards.”
To find out more about the Neurodiversity in Business Forum, go to: https://neurodiversityinbusiness.org/
St Barnabas’ Wellbeing Centre in Grantham temporarily closed for essential maintenance and improvement works
40 Faces of hospice care | Meet Stephen Currie, volunteer
When a set of unfortunate circumstances led Stephen to speak to a St Barnabas charity shop manager on the Lincoln High Street, little did he know that the visit would be the beginning of his time as a valuable volunteer at the Hospice.
Leukaemia and a bone marrow transplant meant Stephen was unable to work for a long time, so he was looking for a volunteering role. When he walked into our shop that day, he immediately knew it was where he’d like to volunteer his time. He mentioned it to the manager and got himself an interview the following week.
Stephen was keen, arriving two hours early to his interview. And three hours later, he was officially a Hospice volunteer! On his first day, Stephen started by refreshing the DVD stock and worked at lightning speed. He picked things up quickly and soon trained on the till, becoming a whizz. So much so that Stephen gave his trainer a refresher when the team returned to the shop after the Covid-19 lockdown!
Stephen’s skills didn’t go unnoticed, and his manager suggested he train to become a volunteer leader and take on some managerial responsibilities. After some thought, Stephen decided to go for it and moved to the Burton Road shop in Lincoln. He took his lead from his manager after seeing how well she looked after the volunteers, and he’s a popular team member, making sure everyone enjoys what they’re doing. As well as looking after his fellow volunteers, Stephen was soon sorting clothes, bric-a-brac, games, and toys and keeping the shop neat. But ask anyone, and they’ll say not to let Stephen near the chinaware otherwise there’ll be more tidying up!
Stephen impressed his manager so much that she nominated him for the BBC Make A Difference Volunteer of the Year Award. Stephen was delighted and when Michael Nortin from BBC Radio Lincolnshire called him unexpectedly to let him know, he took the opportunity to talk to the football commentator about Lincoln City FC – Stephen’s favourite team!
Stephen describes himself as similar to a Swiss army knife – very useful! We’d say that like a Swiss army knife, Stephen makes life easier, for our customers, our staff and most importantly, for our patients and their families.
In his own words…
“My first thought was to get some work experience through volunteering. But when I found out more about the Hospice, it made me more passionate about it. I also always remember that without my transplant I might have needed their care. I always say when one door closes, another door opens, and I’m glad it was the Hospice shop door for me.”
To see all 40 Faces and their stories, please visit: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/40faces
40 Faces of hospice care | Meet Sheena Ambler, Senior Clinical Services Manager
Sheena brought a lot of knowledge and experience to St Barnabas when she joined us, and she shares it with colleagues and others to make end-of-life care as complete as possible for patients.
Sheena joined the St Barnabas team in 2010 as Deputy Service Manager based in Grantham, caring for patients in their own homes, and before that, she’d spent several years on an acute surgical ward. But Sheena always had a soft spot for palliative care, especially for supporting patients and families in the community. So there was no way she was passing up the chance to support the Service Manager as her deputy and help develop the then-newly established Hospice at Home team.
Helping build and shape that team was just the start of Sheena’s significant contribution to the Hospice over the years. Today she’s Senior Clinical Services Manager for South Lincolnshire and has several achievements under her belt, while bringing people together for better care has been at the heart of everything Sheena has achieved. She even played a part in bringing her hero Jonathan Van-Tam to St Barnabas to open Novak House, the Boston Wellbeing Hub. Ironically, Sheena was on the Isle of Man that day and missed him!
Going the extra mile is in Sheena’s DNA. Despite taking the time to build a relationship with a patient in the community, he still refused to have Hospice nurses in his home. But Sheena’s persistence paid off, and eventually she made it to the hallway. And that’s when she spotted several steam train pictures on the wall. So knowing he was a steam train enthusiast, Sheena spent the next few weeks learning everything she could about steam engines. It did the trick! Soon after, she made it to the living room, where they’d sit and talk about trains, and Sheena would slip in the questions about his pain and how he was feeling before getting back on track with steam trains. In a similar scenario, Sheena devoured the entire Wisden Dictionary of Cricket!
Sheena goes the extra mile for St Barnabas outside of her role too – literally. Sheena and her cycling club have raised thousands of pounds for the Hospice, encouraging others to do the same.
Sheena’s intuition and natural ability to build relationships have helped her bring together an outstanding team too. It’s exceptionally important to her too and she credits many of her achievements to the team. Although she takes full responsibility for Egg-gate…that’s a story for another time!
In her own words…
“We all belong together as one big team – nursing, maintenance, volunteers, admin and more. The most important thing to me is empowering patients and allowing families to be resilient and cope with an uncertain future. And by working together, we do that.”
To see all 40 Faces and their stories, please visit: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/40faces