Category: Blog

17 October 2019

Keith passes ‘amazing’ £50,000 fundraising milestone for Weston Hospicecare

A long-term Weston Hospicecare supporter, who turned his hobby into a fundraising event, has passed the £50,000 landmark in a decade of support.

Keith Price moved to Somerset when he retired in 2001, and immediately began exploring ways to keep himself both busy and entertained after giving up work.

Keith says he investigated but discounted kites and remote-controlled cars, but immediately got the model train bug after going along to a show.

After becoming a regular at such events, Keith – whose own father made a living as a railwayman – hit upon the idea of putting together his own shows in Weston.

He says the town was lacking events of its own, so in 2009 he staged his first show – an event which has continued to grow and grow in every year since.

And after the first show made a profit of £600, which Keith decided to donate to the hospice; and with show attendance and sponsoring since then, his donations have grown too.

This week, Keith visited the hospice to hand over £1,730 from his latest show, bringing his overall total to £50,860 raised for the charity over the past decade.

Keith said: “I moved to the town in 2001, and was looking for something to spend my time on. Kites and cars didn’t appeal to me, but model railways was different.

“I went to a show every week for a couple of years, but there was nothing in Weston, so I decided to do a show. At the time, I didn’t plan to do it for anybody in particular, but when the first show made £600 I decided to donate it to the hospice. I was pleased it was helping something so worthwhile.

“The show has grown each year. It’s not a hobby any more, it’s an obsession.”

Such is Keith’s dedication to fundraising for the hospice – and the Castle Kids Club, which is based out of The Campus, where Keith’s shows are staged – that he even successfully sold raffle tickets to his surgeon during a hip replacement procedure back in 2017.

Weston Hospicecare community fundraiser Rachel Mansfield said: “We are enormously grateful to Keith for his incredible efforts on behalf of the hospice, not just with his latest show, but with his amazing fundraising feats over the past 10 years.

“His shows are keenly anticipated and make a brilliant family day out, so if you’ve not been to one before, it’s worth pencilling the next one into your diary.” Keith’s next model railway show will be held at The Campus on January 12.

15 October 2019

Choir raises hundreds for hospice during emotional concert in memory of Pat and Jackie

A respected North Somerset choir has raised more than £500 for Weston Hospicecare during an emotional concert held in memory of two of its former members.

St Mary’s Church Choir in Hutton performed the Roger Jones musical Wildfire at Christ Church in memory of Pat Jefferis and Jackie Williams, who both died in June.

Both Pat and Jackie had been cared for by Weston Hospicecare in their final weeks – either at home, or at the hospice – and choir members had voted unanimously to stage the event to raise money for the charity.

The concert was a repeat of one staged earlier in the year, when Pat had sung alongside other choristers and Jackie had supported the group as ‘one of the pillars of the organisation’.

Choir director Eric Holdaway and Jackie and Pat’s husbands Dan Jefferis and John Williams visited the hospice to hand over a cheque for £520 raised during what proved a deeply moving occasion.

Some twenty-six members of the choir took part in a production Eric described as having ‘a lot of emotion in it’ even before factoring in the added poignancy of the occasion.

John said: “We were able to think back to the previous performance when my wife had been a chorister, and how we were doing it again for her and for Jackie.

“The support we had here (at the hospice) was fantastic. Even if we held a concert every week, it still wouldn’t be enough to repay the hospice.”

Weston Hospicecare’s Simon Angear accepted the cheque, and explained how grateful the hospice was to receive the support of St Mary’s Church Choir.

He said: “We rely heavily on the support of the community to enable us to provide the service we do, but it especially means a lot to the team when people are motivated to raise money for us after experiencing first-hand the work we do.

“I know this must have been a highly emotional occasion for all of the choir members, but especially for Dan and John, and so it was lovely to be able to welcome them into the hospice to hear about the event and say a personal thank you for supporting us.”

14 October 2019

‘Little cafe with big heart’ donates takings to Weston Hospicecare

A community café in Somerset has lived up to its slogan of being ‘a little café with a big heart’ by donating a month’s takings to Weston Hospicecare.

Lenny’s Café in Shipham is a community-run enterprise, meaning it is wholly staffed by volunteers, while all of its delicious wares are cooked up by volunteers too.

The café – located in the heart of the village in The Square – has been running for 23 years, and is treasured by those who live in the area.

Not only does it provide a meeting place and social hub, it also ensures any surplus food is shared among poorly or vulnerable neighbours who might appreciate the help.

As a non-profit organisation, Lenny’s has always donated its profits to charities, selecting a different one each month to benefit.

Weston Hospicecare was selected to receive money raised in August, resulting in the presentation of £400 to the charity.

Janet Leek, who is one of the café’s current facilitators alongside Margaret Howell, said other recent causes which have been supported include Myeloma UK, Macmillan, Avalon Camps, Christian Aid, Reach and Shipham Brownies.

She said: “Lenny’s likes to go the extra mile; we are called the tiny café with the big heart because we like to be generous.

“It’s somewhere really very friendly and we enjoy meeting different people. I think our volunteers get as much from being here as those being served.”

Weston Hospicecare’s Simon Angear visited Lenny’s to meet the team and accept the donation.

He said: “We’re enormously grateful to everyone at Lenny’s for choosing to support Weston Hospicecare this month. It’s a marvellous donation, and one which will be put to good use supporting our work caring for people with life-limiting illnesses.

“I’d not previously been to Lenny’s, but it’s a wonderful hidden gem staffed by very friendly people, and I’d recommend dropping by for cake if you’re in the area.”

Lenny’s is open from Monday to Thursday each week, and on Saturday mornings.

10 October 2019

Jeffrey Archer pens poem for Weston Hospicecare Christmas card

A unique poem written by novelist Jeffrey Archer will feature in Weston Hospicecare’s 2019 Christmas card – and Lord Archer hopes the verse will help propel the exclusive card to record sales.

The hospice has been offered use of Lord Archer’s words, which serve up a humorous alternative take on the life of Jesus Christ.

The author’s links to the town of his birth – which include his title as Lord of Weston-super-Mare and Mark – and his affection for the hospice led him to donate the poem to Weston Hospicecare.

The poem is printed on the inside of the card, which also features a stunning cover design by renowned local watercolour artist Rosie Smith.

The wintry scene depicts families sledging in Ashcombe Park, and is taken from Weston-super-Mare In Watercolours – Revisited, a published collection of Weston art and insight created by Rosie and husband Howard Smith.

Lord Archer said he hopes his gesture will help generate a funding boost for the hospice during its 30^th anniversary year.

He said: “Congratulations to Weston Hospicecare on having your own unique Christmas card – let’s beat record sales!”

These special cards, which have a limited print run, are now available to buy from the hospice’s shops across the district, and will be available to buy at the charity’s Jackson-Barstow House base in Uphill on Monday. They are priced at £2.99 for a pack of five.

Hospice retail director Gemma Turner says the charity is thrilled Lord Archer has chosen to dedicate his 2019 charity Christmas card to the hospice.

She said: “We are delighted Lord Archer has decided to pick the hospice as his Christmas card beneficiary, particularly as it’s our 30^th anniversary, and we are grateful to him and Rosie Smith for helping to create something really special.

“Supporters can visit one of our shops to buy these fantastic limited edition cards ahead of the upcoming festive season.”

Lord Archer has previously supported national charities like Cancer Research UK with his Christmas poem after he and his wife, Dame Mary, each overcame cancer between 2011-2013.

4 October 2019

Hospice Chaplain and Community Nurse to walk 100km through Portuguese and Spanish trail

Weston Hospicecare past and present staff will walk part of the Camino of St James trail to raise money to support a new day hospice activity.

Chaplain Karen Murphy will be joined by community nurse Gwen Harding and former medical secretary Elaine Turner as they walk 100km from the Portuguese town of Tui to Santiago de Compastella in Spain.

The trio are planning to complete their walk within 10 days to raise money which will help to fund a new seated yoga session for day hospice patients.

Karen was inspired to complete the route after Gwen gave her a book while she was recovering from breast cancer surgery in 2018. The book was about someone who had walked the Camino trail over several months and it had reminded Karen that she had always wanted to complete part of the route.

She said: “Gwen lent me a book about someone who had walked the Camino over several months while I was off work recovering from breast cancer surgery.

“It reminded me this was something I had always wanted to do. The book really encouraged me to feel stronger mentally and emotionally.

“My idea has become a reality and I’m looking forward to setting off to walk 100km of the Camino in Portugal and Spain.

“Any money we raise will go towards supporting a new seated yoga session at our day hospice.”

To support Karen, Gwen and Elaine you can visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/karen-murphy42 to leave a donation.

19 September 2019

Weston Hospicecare invite supporters to take part in #WearItBlue

Weston Hospicecare is calling on supporters across Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset to take part in its brand new #WearItBlue initiative.

The event will see supporters at schools, workplaces and community groups encouraged to dress in blue in exchange for a suggested minimum donation of £1.

It will take place next month between 14-18 October and the hospice is encouraging supporters taking part to use the hashtag #WearItBlue on their social media channels.

Community fundraiser Rachel Mansfield says: “#WearItBlue is an exciting new project and we hope it will give all our supporters a fun way to raise money to support our work.

“You can simply get your workplace to wear blue for a day that suits you during the week or supporters can take the theme further if they wish.

“It provides a fun way to raise some money to support the work of a fantastic charity.

“We hope to encourage as many people in Weston and Northern Somerset to get involved and help support the hospice. Following on from what they have done so well for so many years.”

The hospice’s shops across the region will be running promotions on menswear, ladieswear and kids clothing on Wednesday 16 October as part of the campaign.

For more information and fundraising support, email rachel.mansfield@westonhospicecare.org.uk.

19 September 2019

“I was nervous for the first dance, but couldn’t wait for the second” says Strictly Fun Dancing 2019 winner

Weston Hospicecare is on the hunt for couples to take part in its Strictly Fun Dancing event in 2020 – and 2019’s winner is urging people to sign up to what she describes as ‘the best time’.

Angie Szabo and her partner Stuart Milne won the charity’s second Strictly Fun Dancing event in March after Angie realised an opportunity to pursue her passion for dancing.

She did have to convince Stuart to take part but says they both thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

She said: “I did various dancing competitions when I was young and always loved it.

“I saw a Strictly Fun Dancing poster in a shop window and realised I really wanted to do it.

“The training was a lovely thing to do each Sunday. We met lovely people and we had the best time.”

Like all the couples who have taken part, Angie and Stuart found it challenging – but were thrilled when they got the hang of the moves.

Angie continued: “It was quite frustrating learning the routines to begin with but one of my highlights was suddenly getting the whole routine together a couple of weeks before the event.

“I loved every second of the grand finale. I was nervous just before the first dance but couldn’t wait to perform the second dance.

“Stuart was terrified as he had never done anything like it before and I think the crowed made him nervous. But he loved it and I am so glad he signed up with me.

“When I signed up I wanted to win. During training I saw the other couples doing so well, so I wasn’t even dreaming of winning.”

For the 2020 event, couples are required to pay a £50 registration fee followed by a pledge to raise at least £500. Tickets are then sold for spectators to attend the Winter Gardens finale.

Altogether, Strictly Fun Dancing has raised more than £40,000 for the hospice since it was launched in 2018.

Angie said she was blown away by the support of family and friends which helped her and Stuart to raise more than £700.

She said: “Everyone was very excited for us and the support we had from our friends, family and colleagues was enormous.

“I have friends whose relatives needed the support of Weston Hospicecare so it was personal to us.

“There are so many people who need the help of Weston Hospicecare. The charity makes a huge difference to so many people’s lives so they deserve a lot of support.”

Participants in 2020’s event will be selected over the next couple of months, before training begins in January. The finale will return to the Winter Gardens on Saturday 21 March 2020.

Couples interested in taking part will enjoy 10 weeks of professional training and priority tickets for family and friends, as well as having the chance to lift the coveted Strictly Fun Dancing trophy.

To apply, email grace.dibden@westonhospicecare.org.uk for forms. These should be completed and returned to the same email address by Friday 1 November.

Alternatively, those without internet access can call 01934 423 965 or visit the hospice to pick up a printed version of the application form.

17 September 2019

Sir Cliff Richard and Jeffrey Archer back hospice’s Jill Dando Fund to make dreams come true

Weston Hospicecare is launching a new fund to help patients make last minute dreams come true.

The Jill Dando Fund, named in memory of the charity’s former patron, is supported by Jill’s brother Nigel and her celebrity friends including Jeffrey Archer and Sir Cliff Richard.

The idea behind the fund is that money can be set aside to grant final wishes to patients at the hospice – wishes which may otherwise be unattainable.

It has been inspired by the story of Claire Rutter and Rob Cope, who were married while Claire was a patient at the hospice last year. She had proposed to Rob in the hospice garden, and their fairytale wedding was pulled together in days with help from people and businesses across the community.

Claire’s mum Katrina and Nigel Dando, brother of former BBC television star Jill, have both offered their support for the initiative, along with Sir Cliff and Lord Archer.

Sir Cliff was a long-term friend of Jill’s, and performed at a star-studded fundraiser in Weston in 2000 which was organised in Jill’s memory and raised £65,000 to fund a consultant for the hospice.

(Above): Nick Ross, Cliff Richard, Gloria Hunniford, Alan Farthing, Jack, Nigel and Vanessa Dando at the Winter Gardens benefit. Picture: Weston Mercury
(Top picture): Weston Hospicecare’s Dr Helen Horgan with Katrina Rutter and Nigel Dando at the launch of the Jill Dando Fund.

Before Jill died, she and the Weston Mercury’s then-editor – Judi Driscoll, the hospice’s current chair of trustees – had agreed to jointly launch the consultant appeal, and Sir Cliff and Lord Archer came to the Winter Gardens to help.

Sir Cliff Richard said: “I enjoyed coming to Weston-super-Mare and helping the hospice raise the funds to achieve Jill’s desire to provide the hospice with its own palliative care consultant.

“It’s now 20 years on – and I believe the hospice is celebrating its 30^th birthday – so it is a great idea to launch a Jill Dando Fund for this purpose.

“Jill was a caring, compassionate person and it will be good for her spirit to live on at the hospice in this way.”

And Lord Archer, who often saw Jill at events, said: “Jill was one of the loveliest people I’ve ever known, whose potential was never fully realised.”

Although Claire and Rob enjoyed a successful wedding day last year, organising their big day highlighted a need for a dedicated fund to help hospice patients of the future.

Claire and Rob enjoyed their dream wedding surrounded by family and friends in May 2018.

Judi said: “I spoke to Katrina the day after Claire had asked Rob if they could be married. Claire’s dad had died a few years before and Katrina wanted the best day possible for her daughter and grandchildren. I was inspired by Katrina and the trustees agreed to initiate a special fund for the hospice’s 30^th birthday year.

“We fundraise every day to bridge the gap between the money we need to run the hospice and the Government funding we receive. But our general funding needs to be used to provide for all of our patients and secure our future services.

“The start-up moneys for the Jill Dando Fund have been generously given for this special project – some by people who would not necessarily be asked on a regular basis.”

Katrina said: “This fund is for people like Claire. She really wanted this fairytale wedding; it was everything to her. It was all she ever wanted, from when she was a little girl, to have a princess wedding.

“At first I thought it wouldn’t be possible, just because it had to be done really quickly. I was worried we wouldn’t be able to get the money together, but everybody helped, we had a lot of support from the hospice, and about a week in, I then thought yes, we can do this.

“With help from businesses, friends and family, we were able to give her the wedding she always wanted. It was very, very emotional, but at the same time it was such a lovely day. To have so many family and friends there, the sun shone on her too, and it was a beautiful day. Her family will have those memories forever.

“It was about giving Claire what she wanted and that’s what this fund can do for other people.”

Nigel Dando agreed immediately that the fund could be named after his Weston-born sister Jill, who was such a devoted supporter of the hospice during its early years.

He said: “Jill had always been interested in the work of the hospice and supported it and promoted it in any way she could; having been born in Weston, she realised the work it was doing.

Jill Dando, pictured here at the opening of Weston Hospicecare’s new inpatient unit, was a keen supporter of the charity in its early years. Picture: Weston Mercury

“I think she would have been delighted that such a heartwarming appeal should bear her name in this way. She would be delighted to an extent because it carries her name and she would support anything the hospice was doing, but also because of the reason this fund was set up; to do things far and beyond the hospice’s conventional services.

“The fund is a brilliant idea and one that I’m sure will be supported by well-wishers from Weston and beyond.

“It’s been set up to meet the unseen needs of people and families who are relying on the hospice. If this fund can make some dreams and wishes come true, that is fantastic.”

Introducing The Jill Dando Fund | Weston Hospicecare

13 September 2019

End of life care for brother at Essex hospice inspires sister to take on Weston Hospicecare’s Moonlight Beach Walk

A Somerset woman will take part in Weston Hospicecare’s Moonlight Beach Walk this weekend in support of hospicecare across the country.

Sarah Flower was inspired to register for the event to show her appreciation for care given across the country after her younger brother died aged just 29.

Her sibling, Ross Annear, was cared for by Saint Francis Hospice in Essex before he died earlier this year.

Sarah has encouraged family and friends to take part in the event with her in Ross’ memory, with some living locally and others travelling from Essex to take part.

Ross’ wife Chloe and Chloe’s mother Karen among other family and friends will walk alongside Sarah on Saturday night on Weston seafront.

Sarah said: “My baby brother, Ross, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2012 aged just 22.

“Between December 2017 and January 2018 we received the devastating news that the tumour was growing. Ross had radiotherapy for six weeks followed by chemotherapy.

“Ross and, his wife, Chloe got married on 16 November 2018 and it was a fantastic day. Ross looked very handsome and he was so happy.

“We celebrated Ross’ 29th birthday in March and a week later Ross lost mobility on his left-hand side. This was scary because his tumour would usually affect his right-hand side.

“He was admitted to A&E and had an MRI scan, it took four days to complete and then a further two weeks to get the results. The results showed the tumour was now in Ross’ brainstem and it wasn’t radiation damage.

“In April, Ross had a seizure and he didn’t really recover. He was exhausted and lost even more mobility. Ross told social workers he wanted to be at home and cared for.

“He went home and that week we had district nurses, occupational therapists and a Saint Francis Hospice nurse come round to his house.

“Ross moved into a hospital bed in their spare room and Chloe bought a spare bed so she could sleep next to him. Ross was soon bed-bound and wasn’t eating, drinking or speaking.

“He was then referred to Saint Francis Hospice and got the biggest and best room in there. Everyone there was amazing and I can’t thank everyone enough.

“He was in the hospice for two and a half weeks and the support from everyone was just fantastic.

“The work that hospices do is simply outstanding, it made Ross’ last days comfortable, dignified and treasured by his family.

“We were able to spend as much time as we wanted with him & we knew he wasn’t in any pain at all, he had a very peaceful and pain-free passing.

“His death was pain-free and peaceful and that is the only comfort we all had.

“We have had amazing support. Now we would like to say thank you by raising some much-needed funds for Weston Hospicecare who supply the same support for people nearing the end of their lives in Northern Somerset.

“We never imagined we would need anything like this and now don’t know what we would have done without it.

“Ross was such a proud man and they really did allow him to be cared for in the best way.”

The Moonlight Beach Walk is a ladies-only walk to support the work of Weston Hospicecare by raising vital funds.

Women who wish to take part tomorrow (Saturday 14September) night are advised there are spaces available on a first-come, first-serve basis. These limited places for the event will cost £20 per adult and £15 per child.

9 September 2019

Weston Hospicecare is looking for couples to take part in Strictly Fun Dancing 2020

The search is on for people to take part in Weston Hospicecare’s Strictly Fun Dancing 2020.

The Grand Finale, which has delivered plenty of sparkle over the last two years, is set to return to the Winter Gardens in Weston-super-Mare for a third year on Saturday 21 March 2020.

Participants will receive 10 weeks of expert training from professional dance teachers Ben Hazell and Ali Cooling of Salsa Vida to ready themselves for their big moment.

Sessions will take place each week from January 12 and this year couples will have the pleasure of learning the Argentine Tango and Quickstep.

Like previous years, pairs will perform at least once during the event with the best dancers going through to the final round. The audience and judges will then vote for their winner.

Participants are required to pay an initial £50 registration fee and pledge to raise an additional £500 in sponsorship.

Tickets for the general public will go on sale early next year and, new for 2020, VIP tickets will be on sale which will include a meal, access to a private bar and much more.

Events Manager Grace Dibden says: “Strictly Fun Dancing is a fabulous event and we’re thrilled to be bringing it back for 2020.

“We now need people to polish their dance shoes, prepare their moves and come forward to apply to take part.

“So we are urging people who are thinking about taking part to get in touch.

“It is a superb way to learn a new skill and support the work of Weston Hospicecare while you’re at it.”

Strictly Fun Dancing has been running for two years and the events have raised more than £40,000 between them to support the work of Weston Hospicecare.

To apply, those wishing to don their dancing shoes should email grace.dibden@westonhospicecare.org.uk for an application form at their earliest convenience. You will then have until Friday 1 November to return the completed forms to complete the application process.

Want to check out what happened last year? Watch the video below.