Latest News from HospiceCare
HospiceCare Appoints a New CEO
8th April 2024
The Board of Trustees is delighted to announce Chris Orife's (above) appointment as the new full-time Chief Executive of HospiceCare North Northumberland.
Chris has been an integral part of HospiceCare for the past two years as the Care Manager and, more recently, as the Interim CEO. She has consistently showcased her exceptional leadership and strategic planning skills. Her extensive experience in Nursing, governance, and finance management has been instrumental in the growth and success of HospiceCare North Northumberland.
Chris's unwavering commitment to HospiceCare's values and proven leadership skills will ensure that she guides the Hospice toward successful strategic outcomes in the future. Chris will take up her new position at HospiceCare on 24th June 2024.
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13th February 2024
Summary of Rothbury WI's 2023 Fundraising Efforts
HospiceCare North Northumberland is delighted to announce that Rothbury WI has adopted us as their charity of the year for 2023. As part of their commitment to support the Hospice, the WI agreed to do a secret skinny dip to raise funds – which they hoped to raise at least £1,000.
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The dip was completed at Sugar Sands Beach on 5th September and has raised currently raised £4,440! Smashing the original target out of the park.
Julie Frost, HospiceCare’s Marketing & Communications Officer, said “We are delighted to have been chosen as Rothbury WI’s Charity of the Year 2023 because not only will it help generate vital funds, it will also help raise the profile of our Hospice at Home, Bereavement & Dementia Support Services to a much wider audience. Meeting Katy for the first time to discuss their latest fundraiser, I suggested they were all super-brave for signing up to complete a skinny dip. I asked if it had been a difficult task getting members to agree to take part?”
Katy Nickolls, Rothbury WI Secretary, added “I originally mentioned the idea of a skinny dip as a joke to members of the WI as our next fundraiser. To my surprise, several members said they thought it was a great idea and that they would do it – so the’ Secret Skinny Dip’ event was born. We are planning it very carefully with Health & Safety being a top priority but are keeping the exact date and beach location top secret, as we are a demure group of ladies after all! We will just promise to complete the challenge by the end of September this year and to post photographs as evidence (rear view only) on our website.”
Julie continues: “it doesn’t matter what size the donation, large of small, EVERY penny counts. This year HospiceCare’s running costs are expected to be around £1m. We will receive a 5% contribution from the NHS, the rest we have to find from fundraising events, donations, trusts and organisations, legacies and our charity shops. It would mean the world to us and the families we support, to help Rothbury WI achieve, or even exceed, their target of £1,000.”
Tully's and The Narrow Nick on Rothbury High Street have both agreed to take a collection tin so people who want to pay cash can drop money in there. Or you can contact the Rothbury WI directly via rothburywi@gmail.com.
The members of the Rothbury WI are no strangers to fundraising for local causes. Over the last six years, they have raised over £8,000 for a variety of charities that provide services that are active in their local community. This has included Carers Northumberland, Thropton Warm Hub Lunch Club, The Coquetdale Bereavement Support Group, St Oswald’s Hospice, Northumberland Park Mountain Rescue, and the Women’s Refuge. However, the jewel in their fundraising crown has been the circa £10,000 raised for The Stephen Carey Foundation in 2014 from a ‘Vintage Rothbury’ event.
8th February 2024
Julie & Tara complete one half marathon, two walks and a coffee morning in aid of HospiceCare raising £4384.24
Julie & Tara raised an impressive £4384.24 during 2023! They have been raising money in memory of their father Douglas, who was supported by our fabulous clinical team
The sisters took part in a few of our challenge events including The Holy Island Hospice Hike and the inaugural Light up the Glendale Night up Humbleton Hill.
They also hosted a coffee morning, which was a huge success with many local businesses donating raffle prizes. More than 100 guests attended the event at the Spittal Community Centre and it raised £1,910.69.
Having dedicated supporters is invaluable to HospiceCare North Northumberland, and we are so proud of their fundraising efforts throughout 2023. Thank you Julie & Tara!
7th November 2023
Great North Run - Totals 2023
HospiceCare North Northumberland saw 43 runners take part this year. Well done everyone we are so proud of the dedication to training and the fantastic effort. Well done to first finisher, Colin Eberhardt with a time of 01:35:52 with our second runner Patrick Drought completing the run in 01:41:40. Our first lady finisher was Jilly Bell with a time of 1:51:46. We would like to say a huge congratulations and thanks to all of our 2023 runners, many of whom were caught in the downpour for the final few miles.
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Emma Arthur, Fundraising Manager for the hospice said “The HospiceCare Great North Run team have raised over £11,794, this amount could support the delivery of 393 hours of Hospice at Home care and support. It’s such a tremendous feeling to have this support from our local community. I fully appreciate the months of training that goes into preparing for the GNR and the dedication needed to take part. Special thanks also to our massage therapist Jason who ensured that each runner had a bit of pampering at the end of the day, together with our HospiceCare volunteers who were on hand to provide a warm welcome and great hospitality.”
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Well done to our team of 6 runners from ‘Run for Fun, Alnwick’ who have raised an incredible £4926.33 between them, raising the money from coffee and quiz afternoons and donations.
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Quotes from our team “Brilliant day and delighted to be supporting HospiceCare, knowing that our sponsorship will support local people in our local communities”
20th September 2023
Tynedale and HospiceCare North Northumberland - New Collaborative Agreement
HospiceCare North Northumberland and Tynedale Hospice at Home – which covers Ponteland, Hexham and other towns and villages in the west of the county – will remain separate entities for the purpose of funding and delivery of services. However, the arrangement will help people in west Northumberland and north Northumberland to have access to the same type of care services and it will also enable both charities to make operational and procurement efficiencies.
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Tynedale Hospice at Home CEO Mike Thornicroft and head of care Chris Orife have been formally appointed to the same positions at both HospiceCare North Northumberland with immediate effect. They will split their time between both organisations.
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Mr Thornicroft said: “I firmly believe in local charities. Our ability to harness local knowledge and respond to specific needs within our community is a great strength. Occasionally, a joined-up view across the whole region is needed.
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18th April 2023
Local Business MSP, Alnwick Sponsors Hospice Event
Local business, MSP has kindly donated the £250 cash prize for the winner of our Northumberland Star competition being held on 4th May 2023. Asked why they have chosen to support the Hospice in this way, Tony Brown, MSP Commercial Director said “Many of the MSP team, friends, and families are connected to or have been touched in some way by the invaluable service North Northumberland Hospice Care provides. I’m delighted we were able to support this fantastic event - events like this are so important to help raise funds so the Hospice can carry on their critical work.”
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ABOUT MSP: For over 20 years, MSP has been contributing to the advancement of the global manufacturing industry from its base in Greensfield Court, Alnwick, just opposite North Northumberland Hospice Care. MSP’s Commercial Director, Tony Brown, explains how the company helps different industries: “Have you ever watched Formula 1 and wondered how they make the cars? Or flown abroad and wondered how they make the plane’s wings? Are you fascinated by rockets and spacecraft? At MSP, we work in industries like these to help manufacturers make their parts quicker and more accurately. These parts must be machined with the utmost precision and our products help achieve the high level of accuracy needed”.
Wednesday 15th March 2023
Local Author Supports HospiceCare
Local author, Tom Allen, has published a short book on Alnwick that will be of interest to residents and visitors alike. The book titled Alnwick, Pubs, Lanes and Alleyways takes the reader on a walking tour around the market town of Alnwick highlighting the pubs, alleyways, and lanes with historical facts and personal anecdotes.
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In 2016, Alnwick was judged by Country Life magazine to be the Best Place to Live in Britain. This may be attributed in part, to the unspoiled nature of the town and to the range of architecture from several periods from medieval through to the Georgian and Victorian. Whilst most visitors to Alnwick will be aware of the Castle and Gardens, many may miss out on the other treasures to be found in the old town. it is hoped that this book will awaken the curiosity of readers to the variety of pubs in the town and to the history behind the ancient lanes and alleyways that connect them. The3 book is priced at £5 with 100% of the purchase price being donated to HospiceCare.
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When asked why he has chosen to support HospiceCare in this way Tom said “My wife and I decided to move to England after having worked in Germany and Switzerland for nearly 30 years. During that time, we had spent many of our holidays visiting different parts of the UK and, for our retirement chose to be close to the coast in Northumberland. Having lived abroad for so many years, I was aware that, abroad, the pub is regarded as an integral part of British social life, but the value of pubs as part of the fabric of social life is often neglected at home and pub numbers have been in sharp decline for decades.
My interests include photography, history, architecture, and pubs and the idea for the book came out of the combination of these interests, in particular, because Alnwick has so much to offer in terms of interesting architecture, history and a wide selection of different pubs. I chose HospiceCare North Northumberland because it is a local charity providing a vital service throughout a large area of the county and the book is also based locally.”
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Tom’s book can be purchased at the reception desk of their Wellbeing Centre, Alnwick, NE66 2DG, or in-store at the charity shops in Amble and Wooler. The book is also on sale at various retail outlets in Alnwick. You can also request a copy from Tom directly on email: tom.alllen2020@btinternet.com. The cost of £5 does not include the post and package.
Thursday 2nd March 2023
New Defibrillator at Berwick
We want to extend a huge thanks to local Berwick business, Limitless, who donated the defibrillator following their recent closure and installed for free by local electrician, Ryan. The defibrillator is positioned on the side of our Wellbeing centre and charity shop at Hazel Marsden House, Violet Terrace, Berwick, TD15 6BU, so that it is accessible to all. Please share our news with your friends, family, and neighbours who live in the area to ensure that as many people as possible are aware of its location - thank you.
Friday 27th January 2023
Blackshaws Dealership, Alnwick
It was an exciting day today as we picked up our brand-new donated car from Blackshaws Alnwick, for our Hospice at Home team to use for the next six months. We are hugely grateful to the Blackshaws family for their ongoing support of the Hospice which spans well over 12 years. Pictured L-R Lindsay and Trish from HospiceCare North Northumberland Hospice at Home team.
Tuesday 10th January 2023
HOSPICE AT HOME SERVICES
We are delighted to announce that following a review of our services last year, together with the recent appointment of additional Bank Nurses and Support Workers to our care team, we now have the capacity to accept referrals again for our Hospice at Home nursing care across North Northumberland.
The review process has allowed us, post-pandemic, to have dedicated time to review our policies and business strategy to ensure that we can not only continue to meet the growing demand for our clinical services, but also have the capacity for future growth and development to meet the changing needs of our local communities.
During the review we continued to support our community by providing care to patients with palliative conditions who have been fast-track discharged from hospital. We also appointed additional members to our Board of Trustees. Each Trustee has been recruited from our beneficiary community and brings a range of skills and experience that will ensure effective governance of the Hospice. The CEO and Executive Team continue to lead the direction and strategy of the organisation.
We have also invested in our income generation teams to ensure that we have the capacity to develop additional long-term sustainable income streams, thus ensuring that the Hospice is not just here today, but for future generations. Our Hospice at Home services remain free at the point of need and will once again be available 365 days a year, day or night. We are asking that referrals into this service continue to be made via the GP, District Nurse, Macmillan Nurses, or another Healthcare professional.
Over the last 12 months, our Bereavement Support and Dementia Support services have also experienced a period of growth and development. We are now able to offer regular Bereavement Drop-in cafés and Dementia Drop-in cafes at our wellbeing centres in Alnwick and Berwick. In addition, we continue to deliver our one-to-one Bereavement Support service, Dementia Walking Football sessions and unlike our Hospice at Home, these can be accessed via self-referral.
We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and continued support. As a community-based charity, we simply wouldn’t exist without you – it’s a very special community partnership and one that is highly valued. We know from the regular feedback we receive from the families we have supported that together our partnership is making a real difference every day…
“I cannot begin to imagine what my life looking after my husband, would have been like without the care, support and love shown to us both by all the wonderful HospiceCare nurses who came into our home. I will be eternally grateful for each and every one of them. Please pass on my love and thanks to them all.”
“I found the care and support my father received outstanding. At a very difficult time, perhaps one of life’s most difficult, all the team at HospiceCare provided that vital reassurance that we were not alone. It made a huge difference.”
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