Category: Stories

Every day for the last 17 years, I’ve witnessed the level of care given by St Barnabas. I always say we employ compassionate people who happen to have healthcare skills. But it doesn’t matter what job we do at the hospice, patients and their families are the number one priority for every one of us.

We’re always thinking about how we can help make care even better through our role. From me in the finance team making our money and skills go further, to the cleaners going the extra mile to keep everything sterile, to the chief executive talking to the government about funding.

Although my role has changed quite a bit over the years, helping our care team provide even better support has stayed at the heart. Today, my job is about the processes and systems that make us more efficient – tweaking out every last penny to provide a better service, and reallocating funds to where they’re needed to give the very best care.

It’s not how you’d imagine a traditional accountant role, and I think that shows how forward-thinking St Barnabas is. Extending the Hospice at Home service, introducing Admiral nurse support for people with dementia and delivering end-of-life educational services to healthcare professionals outside of the hospice – they all demonstrate our determination to keep improving care.

That’s how I know my gift will be put to the best use for patients and families across our county. I also know that if St Barnabas weren’t around, this kind of support wouldn’t be either.

Being privy to the hospice’s finances, I know how hard funding cuts have hit. A dependable income is more important than ever, and leaving a gift in my Will is my way of giving St Barnabas something to rely on. Also, because I’ve chosen to let the hospice decide how the money is used, I know it’ll be spent on what’s most important for patient care at the time.

It doesn’t matter how much each of us leaves – or if we leave items like jewellery that can be sold in our shops, I know firsthand it’ll all be used to make a big difference, and that’s what matters.

Thank you to Sue, and all our legators. Your legacy will continue through the care you’ll make possible in years to come.

To find out more about leaving A Gift For Generations, please visit: Make a Will with St Barnabas Hospice

Giving someone a dignified death is the most important thing anyone can do, and that’s what St Barnabas does. I work in one of the St Barnabas Hospice shops, and every day, I feel so proud to be helping put money where it needs to go – to hospice care. If you cut me in half like a stick of rock, you’d see ‘St Barnabas’ running right through me! The hospice means everything to me.

Customers often tell me how wonderful the care team were looking after their loved ones. And I remind everyone I work with that we’re not just selling clothes or books, we’re helping take care of local families. But it’s not just the staff and volunteers – we’re all in this together.

When someone buys a £5 jumper, it’s £5 towards pain relief to help someone be comfortable at home or a home-cooked meal for a patient in the hospice. No matter how you support St Barnabas, it’s something to be extremely proud of.

I’ll never forget a friend telling me how lovely it was visiting her son in the hospice. She told me he was so well looked after, and it gave her such comfort to see him happy before he passed. And I think that says it all. If your loved one is peaceful at the end of their life, what more can you ask for?

To be cared for with kindness. To be as free from pain as possible. To be somewhere that feels like home, with your family beside you. That’s the kind of care I’d want for my family, and for me too. And that’s what the hospice gives people. Without St Barnabas, we’d lose it all. We can’t let that happen.

That’s why I think it’s up to us all to help keep St Barnabas going. One way we can do that is by leaving a gift in our Will. If all of us leave something – even something small – we’ll help local families like ours get the care they need when they need it most.

Knowing I’ll still be helping the hospice even when I’m not here anymore feels amazing. And I’ll live on through my gift too.

Thank you to Debbie, and all our legators. Your legacy will continue through the care you’ll make possible in years to come.

To find out more about leaving A Gift For Generations, please visit: Make a Will with St Barnabas Hospice

Before St Barnabas, Richard’s pain was unbearable. And the only respite he got was with powerful pain medication. But that meant he wasn’t with it for much of the time. It was so upsetting to see him in such pain and then in less pain, but not himself.

Emotionally, it was incredibly difficult. Physically, it was starting to take its toll too. Because Richard needed help moving around, everyday things like getting him to the bathroom were becoming impossible. And I wasn’t managing very well.

Still, when a nurse told us there was a place for him at the hospice if we wanted it, I didn’t think we were at that stage yet. We weren’t ready for end-of-life care.

Then she explained how the hospice team are expert at managing pain, and I didn’t need any more convincing. I drove Richard to the hospice that afternoon. And thank goodness I did.

The morning after arriving at St Barnabas, and for the first time in weeks, Richard was alert, calm and comfortable. He’d not eaten properly for days, and he’d finally had some food. He was even sitting up, having a laugh with the nurses!

For the entire five weeks Richard was in the hospice, the nurses couldn’t do enough for him. They’d sit and chat whenever he wanted. And he loved telling them about the places we’d been – showing them the photo albums I’d brought in for him to reminisce.

The team are amazing, and so accommodating. They made visiting so easy – friends could pop in whenever they wanted, and I spent every day with Richard, even taking our dog along to visit.

Still, it was reassuring to know he had other company too. Because there were days I found harder than others, and I’d just sit quietly with him. On those days, the nurses would always make time for a chat with me if I wanted to talk. And I’d leave feeling that bit better.

The relationship Richard struck with the staff meant a lot to both of us. And unbeknown to me, Richard asked them all to sign his favourite grumpy old man t-shirt! It was incredibly emotional discovering it on Christmas Day when I collected his things. Everyone had taken the time to write on it, and it was covered in the most wonderful messages. While I still find it hard to look at, it’s something I’ll always treasure.

We met the warmest and most caring people at the hospice, who treated us like family. The care St Barnabas gives should be the gold standard for end-of-life care everywhere.

St Barnabas is vital to our community – a safety net for us all. Yet it’s only through the kindness of local people that it can carry on. I feel happy knowing that Richard and I are doing some good with our money.

Thank you to Gill, and all our legators. Your legacy will continue through the care you’ll make possible in years to come.

To find out more about leaving A Gift For Generations, please visit: Make a Will with St Barnabas Hospice

It was thanks to the wonderful team at St Barnabas that my partner John was able to spend his final weeks at home, just as we wanted. No matter what needed sorting, they’d say, “Don’t worry” – and I didn’t have to.

From the first time John stayed at St Barnabas to the team’s support at home during the last three months of his life, it was obvious just how much everyone at the hospice truly cares. They took care of so many practical things I didn’t have the time or headspace to deal with, like arranging the right equipment to keep John comfortable and helping me with paperwork so we could have help from carers.

In those last few months, John could no longer get out of bed. Fortunately, I was fit enough to still care for him at home, and I feel incredibly thankful. But the prostate cancer had spread to his bones, including his skull, and the pressure on his brain caused symptoms similar to dementia. It meant I couldn’t leave his side without him becoming distressed – not even when the carers popped in for 15 minutes.

Friends were supportive, but there was little they could do. Without any family for help, day-to-day things like showering and shopping became increasingly difficult. And there was no way I could meet up with a friend for some respite. So I never left the house and rarely saw anyone. It was emotionally and physically exhausting – and incredibly isolating.

Over time, I lost myself and felt like I was just John’s carer. But for a few times a week, the St Barnabas team made me feel like more than that.

Of course, their care for John was always the priority, making sure he was comfortable and not in pain. But they never forgot about me either. Because John felt safe with them, they gave me precious time to myself so I could call a friend or take a shower.

Sometimes I just rested. If I got two hours of uninterrupted sleep through the night, I was doing well, and tiredness took its toll. Sometimes, when John was sleeping during their visits, they’d sit and talk to me. It was nice to have a normal conversation, one that wasn’t about medication or how the night had gone.

The end of John’s life would have been so much harder for both of us if St Barnabas hadn’t been there. The team didn’t just care for John’s health – they looked after every detail. I still can’t believe they arranged for the fire service to check our house was safe before John came home.

St Barnabas gave us the support we couldn’t get anywhere else. It’s the kind of care I’m sure everyone would hope for at the end of their life or a loved one’s.

So it’s sad that something as necessary must be run as a charity – especially as costs are always rising. The thought that someone might miss out on such care in their final weeks or days because the hospice isn’t there is horrifying.

That’s why leaving a gift in my Will gives me great comfort, knowing I can help someone else benefit the way we did. A little bit really does go a long way, and if we all leave what we can, it will add up.

Thank you to Margaret, and all our legators. Your legacy will continue through the care you’ll make possible in years to come.

To find out more about leaving A Gift For Generations, please visit: Make a Will with St Barnabas Hospice

St Barnabas gives its care for free, but I don’t think people realise how much it costs to run the hospice. It’s not run by the government like the NHS. So it’s down to St Barnabas charity shops, fundraising and donations to keep it going.

I’ve been volunteering in the hospice charity shops for over 12 years. The experience and people I’ve worked with have taught me so much – St Barnabas has played an important role in my life. I was especially pleased when the team gave me the chance to teach staff sign language so they could communicate more easily with patients. It felt good knowing I was helping people at the end of their lives.

So I really wanted to give back for all the charity has done for me and help the hospice at the same time. Leaving a gift in my Will to St Barnabas is me saying thank you for all the help. 

The hospice hasn’t only helped me either. The team were there for my dad too when he was terminally ill. Whenever I’d visit, he’d tell me that someone from St Barnabas had been to see him. And I’d get a warm feeling knowing I’d contributed to his care through the things I sell in the shop. I just knew the hospice would be there for him no matter what.

I’m proud to be a volunteer with the hospice. It’s a special place and so important to Lincolnshire. The fact St Barnabas is there for people in my community means a lot to me. It’s another reason I chose to leave something after I’ve gone.  My mum is doing the same.

Knowing I’ll still be helping the hospice when I’m no longer here feels like a great achievement. And it really doesn’t matter how much we leave. It all makes a difference.

I always remember a friend saying to me, “You might not know anyone yet who’s needed St Barnabas’ care, but you may do, and one day you might need it too, so it’s important it’s always there.” And she was right.

Thank you to Jane, and all our legators. Your legacy will continue through the care you’ll make possible in years to come.

To find out more about leaving A Gift For Generations, please visit: Make a Will with St Barnabas Hospice

St Barnabas has been part of my life since 1998. Over the years, I’ve seen the hospice grow and adapt. But one thing that has remained constant is the incredible care. My time working alongside the hospice – first as an NHS commissioner for hospice services, then as Chair of Trustees, and now as Honorary Lifetime President – has shown me just how vital that care is.

Patients and families always say the same thing – it feels different at the hospice. It’s a place where everyone is seen for who they are, not just as a patient but as a person, right to the end. I remember once being asked by the care team if I had a compass, which I did. They were trying to find Mecca for a patient of Muslim faith, so they could face their bed in its direction. It was a simple thing, but it brought the person immense comfort and peace.

I’m always struck by how relaxed and positive patients are when we chat. The team treats everyone like members of their own family, whether at the hospice, in the community, or a patient’s home. The hospice truly adds life to days, and often, days to life.

I’ve known patients who expected to spend their final days in the hospice regain strength and be comfortable enough to return home with loved ones. It’s a testament to the entire team, who combine expert end-of-life care and clinical excellence with genuine compassion.

I take great pride in being part of the hospice and what it achieves. We’re incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated expertise in Lincolnshire. And it’s all down to the support of the community. St Barnabas is only part-funded and therefore relies on fundraising, donations, and gifts in Wills to keep going.

By joining others and leaving a gift in my Will to the hospice, together, we’ll carry St Barnabas forward so it stays part of our community long into the future.  

Thank you to Bob, and all our legators. Your legacy will continue through the care you’ll make possible in years to come.

To find out more about leaving A Gift For Generations, please visit: Make a Will with St Barnabas Hospice

Ron was diagnosed with a rare lung condition in 2014. And since the day we were told he likely had just three to five years left without a double lung transplant, we’ve been on a rollercoaster journey. And complications during surgery meant it didn’t stop despite Ron receiving two new lungs.

Post-transplant, Ron was struggling to come to terms with what had happened. And he was so fragile physically and mentally. I was exhausted from the trauma of the operation and his ongoing care, and still trying to be calm and patient despite us both coping with so much. I wasn’t in a good place.

That’s when Ron got in touch with St Barnabas again – we’ve always felt like part of the hospice since they supported us a couple of years after Ron’s diagnosis.

I’m not sure where we’d be now if it weren’t for the hospice. Sue, Ron’s nurse, saved him from severe depression. And she saved our marriage too. When everyone around us could only see the amazing gift Ron had been given, Sue saw the reality of what we were still living through.

Ron’s transplant was traumatic to say the least – I nearly lost him ten times. But I thought I had to just get on with it. So I kept going, kept pushing through. One of the most important things Sue did for me was to help me stop, to find space and get support to process it all.

Counselling, tai chi, relaxation and wellness classes – it was all there for me as well as Ron. And with the hospice’s help, I learnt to cope, to care for Ron better and to accept that life wasn’t going to be what we imagined. Of course, Ron got help too. And that made things easier for me, especially when the medication and depression changed his mood.

Knowing I’ll likely have to live through it all again one day – planning for the end, saying goodbye – is soul-destroying. But I know St Barnabas will be there for me, and I won’t have to go through it alone.

Everyone there understands. They know when to stand back, when to offer comfort, and when to be there to help you stay strong. They recognise what you need even if you don’t see it yourself, and this has been one of the most valuable things for me. When the time comes, I know I’ll be stronger with their help.

Ron and I realise just how critical the hospice has been, and still is, to our lives. St Barnabas not being there would take away my safety net. So while we both do what we can to support it now, we’re also showing how much we appreciate what Sue and the team have done for us by leaving a gift in both our Wills.

None of us knows what we’ll need in the future, but there’s a high chance we’ll all have something to do with a hospice at some stage in our lives. And I hope that by remembering St Barnabas in our Wills, someone years from now will be able to enjoy a better quality of life, just as we are, no matter how long they have left.  

Thank you to Maxine, and all our legators. Your legacy will continue through the care you’ll make possible in years to come.

To find out more about leaving A Gift For Generations, please visit: Make a Will with St Barnabas Hospice