News Stories
Volunteer Request: Collection
We are looking for volunteers to help with a collection at Sainsbury's in Alnwick on April 4th in the foyer. If you can help, please give us a call on 01665 606515. Thank you.
Featured Event: Pit your wits!
Any quiz addicts out there?
HospiceCare are having a quiz night at 40 Narrowgate , Alnwick on Friday 30th March, starting at 7.30pm. You can have a team of up to 6 people, a cold buffet supper will be provided. Tickets are £5 and can be bought from the Hospice.
Come along and test your knowledge!!
Dates for Your Diary 2012
Dates for your Diary 2012
2nd, 3rd, 4th February The Emergency Services Pantomime Group, The Maltings, Berwick, book your tickets now from The Maltings – 01289 330999
March 2nd ‘Come have a ball with HospiceCare’ Hog roast and Auction at Alnwick Guest Hall Tickets £25
March 3rd Coffee Morning Felton Village Hall 10am – 12pm
March 16th Beetle Drive with Pie & Peas Pottergate Centre Alnwick (organised by Rotary) Tickets £5
March 10th Tombola Northumberland Hall (organised by Bailiffgate Museum)
March 30th Quiz Night (cold buffet supper) Alnwick Hospice teams of up to 6 Tickets £5
April 4th Collection Sainsburys Alnwick Foyer Collection
May 5th Bands in the Barn Fenton Centre
May 13th Fenton Spring Fayre Fenton Centre
May 15th Charity Golf Day Foxton Golf Club
May 20th Mindrum Open Garden Mindrum House
June 3rd Druridge Bay 10k Fun Run Druridge Bay
June 9th Procession (Alnwick part of torch week)
June 9th Midnight Walk Alnwick
June 10th Glanton Pyke Open Garden Glanton
June 24th Blagdon Open Day Blagdon
June 30th Ladies Night Berwick
July 8th Shawdon Open Garden Shawdon
Sept 16th Great North Run Newcastle
Oct 8th – 13th HospiceCare Week Morrisons Alnwick Foyer Collection
Oct 28th Craft/Food Fayre Willowburn Leisure Centre Alnwick
Nov 14th Fashion Show Doxford Hall
More details to follow on above events.
Tickets on sale at HospiceCare
Merry Christmas from all at HospiceCare!
We would like to thank everyone who has continued to support us and we wish you all the best over the festive period and the New Year. The daycare patients have thoroughly enjoyed their Christmas parties, and Hospice at Home support will be continuing over the holidays where required.
A special thank you goes to everyone who helped us by donating to the Jam Jar Army campaign. An amazing £12,868.89 was raised through collections and donations. In particular thanks go to Judith O'Reilly, Paul Larkin of the Northumberland Gazette and Sharon Williams for giving their support.
Please check back with us in the New Year to find out what exciting new events are lined up for 2012, with the return of our traditional ones too.
Merry Christmas!
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Light up a Life
Every year we remember someone special, or something special at our Light up a life service. This year we will be at Barter Books on December 4th were we will be lighting candles at our carol service.
The service will begin at 5pm with a choir and harpist setting the scene by a roaring open fire, candles will be available to light and our remembrance book will available to view. Coffee and mince pies will be served from the wonderful Station buffet. Free admission.tickets still needed from HospiceCare 01665 606515 .Donate .
The amazing 'Ambling Angela's'
The Ambling Angelas walked 105 miles around Northumberland this week to raise awareness and funds for the vital care they have received from HospiceCare, please go on their Just Giving page. site and show your admiration for their achievement.
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New eService- Events, Tickets, Shop etc..
For our full list of events view our Events Calendar or our Events List.
Summer Newsletter 2011
Our Summer Newsletter is now available!
Please click here!
HospiceCare Wristbands
The latest must have accessory. The Wristbands are available now at both the Alnwick and Berwick centre. Suggested donation £1.50.
If you'd like to order online visit our eService Shop .
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Click here to view all our news stories.
Fundraising Events
Peel2Save
A new fundraising initiative called Peel2Save is a scheme run by the Alnwick Cryer which gives you great discounts from local businesses while providing much-needing funding for community organisations like HospiceCare North Northumberland.
Each...
Pit your wits!
Any quiz addicts out there?
HospiceCare are having a quiz night at 40 Narrowgate , Alnwick on Friday 30th March, starting at 7.30pm. You can have a team of up to 6 people, a cold buffet supper will be provided. Tickets are £5 and can...
Volunteers Wanted
If you could spare some time on Saturday 7th April, we need two volunteers to collect for the Hospice at Asda in Berwick, in the foyer. If you can help, just give us a call on 01665 606515.
Thank you...
Druridge Bay 10k Run (or Walk)
The Druridge Bay 10K run is being held on the 3rd June. If you would like to take part in this run which is very popular and support the Hospice by raising funds for us,log onto the Druridge 10K run web page and download an application! if you need i...
News Archive
Merry Christmas from all at HospiceCare!
We would like to thank everyone who has continued to support us and we wish you all the best over the festive period and the New Year. The daycare patients have thoroughly enjoyed their Christmas parties, and Hospice at Home support will be continuing over the holidays where required.
A special thank you goes to everyone who helped us by donating to the Jam Jar Army campaign. An amazing £12,868.89 was raised through collect...
Light up a Life
Every year we remember someone special, or something special at our Light up a life service. This year we will be at Barter Books on December 4th were we will be lighting candles at our carol service.
The service will begin at 5pm with a choir and harpist setting the scene by a roaring open fire, candles will be available to light and our remembrance book will available to view. Coffee and mince pies will be served from the wonderful Statio...
The amazing 'Ambling Angela's'
The Ambling Angelas walked 105 miles around Northumberland this week to raise awareness and funds for the vital care they have received from HospiceCare, please go on their Just Giving page. site and show your admiration for their achievement....
HospiceCare Wristbands
The latest must have accessory. The Wristbands are available now at both the Alnwick and Berwick centre. Suggested donation £1.50.
If you'd like to order online visit our eService Shop ....
Give a Minute Campaign
Give a Minute Could you support HospiceCare for one minute of work?
This year HospiceCare must raise £300,000 to continue providing care and
support to patients and their families throughout North Northumberland
and into the Scottish Borders. That's £25,000 per month, £1,250 per day
or £3 each working minute.
Could you Give a Minute by sponsoring HospiceCare for just £3 a month,
a week or even a day to help fund the fantastic care we provide in your
local community?
For example every month you could donate:
- £3 to sponsor one minute each month
- £6 to sponsor two minutes each month
- £12 to sponsor one minute each week
- £24 to sponsor two minutes each week
- £26 to sponsor three minutes each week
- £90 to sponsor one minute each day
- £180 to sponsor two minutes each day
Every minute counts for our patients - please donate now.
Donate Online!
It costs around £300,000 each year to offer our current level of
service, less than 15% of this amount comes from the NHS or other
statutory sources. Financial contributions to the work of the hospice are vital.
To donate online, please click the Just Giving button on the right of the page.
What the Hospice means to me - Angela's Story
"Well, I don't want to bore you all, but last summer, at the age of 37, I was diagnosed with breast cancer which was then found to be secondary in my bones. But that's enough about me - what you really need to know about is HospiceCare North Northumberland.
A year ago I didn't know HospiceCare existed let alone what they did for our community. When you are first diagnosed, your world as you know it just stops - no matter who you are, or what you do, young or old, rich or poor - your days become far from the normal you have been used to.
That's where HospiceCare came to my rescue. As hospitals and medicine were doing what was required to my body, the team at HospiceCare looked after the rest of me - the whole Angela. The team and the services they provide are invaluable. The team hold your hand and are there to get you through each day, and along with the services available, they make each day a little less scary, and help turn the tears into smiles. And trust me - I smile every single day! But it's not just me they help. Through showing me how to cope, I can pass that on to my children, my family and my friends, all of whom are very important to me.
But HospiceCare is a charity, and needs our support to enable them to continue. My aim is to make as much money as I can by taking part in as many of their fundraising events as I can. I started with the Zip Wire event on 27th June 2010 at Chillingham Castle. I roped some of my family and friends to come along and 'zip' with me. For those less brave or for those who just want to show their support, I ask you to dig deep and donate as much as you can.
I know you have heard that phrase many times, but this really is for a charity that is on our doorstep.
I thank each and everyone of you for reading this, joining in with events, or making a donation.
Lets see how much we can raise!!!!! Angela x"
Patient's and families stories
“The speed to which you responded to our needs was tremendous. It was a lifeline to us both and I especially appreciate the support you gave me in allowing my weekend breaks. Thank you”.
“Thank you for all your help and support, especially to those who organised carers and those who came to care, either during the day or at night. It was wonderful to be able to relax (a little!) and get some much needed sleep.
We looked forward to the carers coming and felt they were our friends as well carers. I realize that it is not easy to go in to a home where there is illness and stress, but all of you carers achieved this with professionalism and patience. All of the carers were cheerful, gentle, caring, kind and considerate, and it was always a joy to have them.
God bless you all for the service you give to our local community”.
“In particular the fact that you were able to care for me in our home was great, as it is not easy walking in bandages! Many, many thanks.”
“I am writing to thank you and all your colleagues for their kindness and dedication in the care of my wife”.
‘Hospice at Home ‘is a wonderful organization we were so lucky to have your support.”
"Coming to the Hospice for day care has given me some friendship and my wife a day off, all of the staff are excellent and listen to my needs. I look forward to coming - it is the highlight of my week."
"Sometimes it's hard to get out of bed in the morning to come to the hospice but it's worth the effort. The compassion I get from coming here is what I look forward to. My family are OK but some don't want to know about my illness , or they don't want to believe that I'm ill. I've always talked about my cancer from when I first had it because I think it might help others. People get better when they come to the Hospice - we don't all pop our clogs! It's a place for hope and we encourage each other, you have to be positive. My cancer is behaving itself at the moment and with the help of the staff at HospiceCare I am controlling it, I'm going to die of old age, not my illness."
"I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate how much you did for me and Dad. Without you I would not have had anytime to do nice things.
You always had time for me and I looked forward to our chats, you may not realise but without you I would have found life very difficult. Thank you so much, I will never forget."
"I would like to thank all the staff at the Hospice for the time you spent with my husband. Ken was driven by a volunteer from our home to the Hospice every week, he was made to feel special and it was a day he looked forward to. It was something to make him feel as if he wasn’t on the scrap heap anymore. He would always talk about the great things that had happened whilst he was at day care and it helped me to have a day to myself. Thank you again for all the help and support you gave my family, it helped us to cope."
"Just a few words to say thank you to you and the team for all your kindness and support during Paul's last few months of his illness. Help was always available and various staff members came to our home bringing their own special abilities with them, therefore helping Paul and myself cope with the sadness of knowing he was going to die. It was wonderful to be able to look after him at home, but I could not have done that without all the support given. I will be forever grateful."
A Volunteers Story - Alison Colledge
My name is Alison Colledge and I have been volunteering with HospiceCare for two and a half years. I saw a notice in the local post office asking for volunteers to work at the hospice and as a former nurse, the day care side appealed to me so I gave it a go!
I really enjoyed day care but the work of HospiceCare is ever changing and the needs of the people who use the hospice is changing.
I was asked if I would like to help with the running of a clinic that has replaced day care on Wednesdays. It offers patients an opportunity to come in, perhaps have a complementary therapy, a chance to talk and of course a cup of tea!
The time I have been helping with the clinic has been very enjoyable.
A Volunteer's story - Judith Draper
My name is Judith Draper and I have been helping out at the Hospice in Alnwick for over 4 years. I do massage therapies and Reiki. The patients get so much out of these therapies and I am very glad to help, as I can fit my volunteering in easily with my private practice.
A Trustee's Story - Chris Foreman
It gives me a great feeling of pleasure to think how far we have come since 1994 when our hospice was just an idea. As a founder trustee it has been a real privilege to see the service develop over the years, not to mention a lot of hard work by a large number of people! But I would not have missed any of it.
I began work as a Macmillan nurse in 1992 and it was apparent there was a need for more local palliative care services to save patients travelling to and from Newcastle.
When a district nurse colleague and myself went to a lecture early in 1994 describing the benefits of Day Hospice care we knew that we needed something like that in our area. With support from health professionals and local people a group was formed and we took our ideas to the wider community in a series of meetings.
We also had the backing of our friend Hazel Marsden from the Marsden Charitable Trust. In recognition of her generous support our hospice property in Berwick is named after Hazel.
The strength of the community support carried us on to appoint staff and volunteers to set up a service offering day care one day a week in Alnwick and Berwick. Joan Robson and
her staff and volunteers welcomed patients for the first time in October 1995. It takes a substantial amount of money, and huge team effort from our staff, volunteers and trustees to provide services working closely with existing healthcare services.
I have seen how patients, their carers and family benefit from the numerous services we provide and how in many cases patients would struggle to be cared for at home without HospiceCare's valuable support. Our Hospice at Home service has demonstrated just how we can enable patients to remain at home, if existing services are unable to offer the level of support required.
Yet as many hospices around the country are well aware without the generous support from our local communities we would not be able to provide these important services.
So a big thank you once again for your continued support, we do appreciate it.
A Skydiver's Story
I was one of 5 people who volunteered to take part in a sponsored skydiving event in aid of Hospicecare, which was held at the Peterlee Skydive Academy.
On the day of the sky dive, the weather was perfect. We had been allocated the last 2 places of the day. So we had the chance to watch the guys ahead of us go up in the plane and complete their jump. Then suddenly we were whisked off, kitted up and walking across to the single prop plane that was taking us up with our instructors. Once in the plane and securely attached to our instructors, the 25 minute journey to take us up to altitude began.
No time to bottle out now! At 10,000 feet, the red light turned to green, the door slid open and out we went, free falling at 160mph for about 45-60 seconds, awesome!! Once the parachute was open and we were under canopy, the experience changed again, wonderful scenery, on a beautiful clear day you could see for miles. …the sheer joy and explosion of excitement was immense, truly a great experience of a lifetime. Not forgetting why we were “mad” enough to jump in the first place…..Hospicecare, a very worthy charity to support.
When can we do it again guys!? Hilary Renton
