PICTURE

Newsletter February 2017#54

Celebrating 30 years

Hospice Neighbours - Four years onIt’s hard to believe our Hospice Neighbours service is nearly four years old. This scheme provides much needed volunteer support to people living at home with life-limiting illnesses. Our wonderful Hospice Neighbours help with anything from dropping in for a cup of tea and a chat, through to helping with shopping, light housework and gardening. They are also a terrific boon for carers, many of whom are fearful of leaving their loved one alone whilst they pop out.

So what do our Hospice Neighbours get up to? A lot of them visit and sit and chat. For many clients, the Hospice Neighbour is their only contact with the outside world and they love having someone there to exchange stories with.

We also have unusual requests; including from a man who lived on the fourth floor of a block of flats and needed his dog walking... but needed the dog de flea-ing first, through to someone who wanted to go to Bingo.

One Hospice Neighbour wrote about the time he was supporting someone who, like him, had a great interest in music...

“Jim was rapidly losing his power of speech as well as being completely confined to a chair and eventually had to use the Iris-dictation system. You can only imagine that our fireside chats were excruciatingly long-winded with both of us exploding in heaps of laughter at the mis-heard names of our favourite guitarists and albums. With help from the Hospice team we managed to get his car fitted with wheelchair restraints (provided free from a local garage) and were able to take him, memorably, to watch one last gig in the pub he had often played at with his band, only a year previously. A very moving day I will never forget”.

So many clients have told us what a difference having a Hospice Neighbour has made.

Who are the Hospice Neighbours? Well, they come from all walks of life. What they all have in common is the ability to get on with people and huge dollops of common sense. They also tell us how much they feel they get from providing support – they feel valued and that they are really making a difference to people’s lives.

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Continued from page one...And now we would like to do more. We would like to extend the service and increase the number of people we help. To do that we need more Hospice Neighbours.

It is a really great and flexible way of volunteering. You don’t have to be willing to do gardening or housework if it’s not your thing: just providing the comfort of company is wonderful. And the times are flexible too.

So, if you are interested, please do get in touch with the Voluntary Services team on 01424 445177 or email volunteering@stmichaelshospice.com. We’d love to hear from you.

THE HOSPICE TURNS 30

MAKE A REGULAR GIFTCELEBRATORY TEAS

SEE ENCLOSED FLYER

VIRTUAL BALLOON RACE

Hospice Neighbours - Four years onIt’s hard to believe our Hospice Neighbours service is nearly four years old. This scheme provides much needed volunteer support to people living at home with life-limiting illnesses. Our wonderful Hospice Neighbours help with anything from dropping in for a cup of tea and a chat, through to helping with shopping, light housework and gardening. They are also a terrific boon for carers, many of whom are fearful of leaving their loved one alone whilst they pop out.

So what do our Hospice Neighbours get up to? A lot of them visit and sit and chat. For many clients, the Hospice Neighbour is their only contact with the outside world and they love having someone there to exchange stories with.

We also have unusual requests; including from a man who lived on the fourth floor of a block of flats and needed his dog walking... but needed the dog de flea-ing first, through to someone who wanted to go to Bingo.

One Hospice Neighbour wrote about the time he was supporting someone who, like him, had a great interest in music...

“Jim was rapidly losing his power of speech as well as being completely confined to a chair and eventually had to use the Iris-dictation system. You can only imagine that our fireside chats were excruciatingly long-winded with both of us exploding in heaps of laughter at the mis-heard names of our favourite guitarists and albums. With help from the Hospice team we managed to get his car fitted with wheelchair restraints (provided free from a local garage) and were able to take him, memorably, to watch one last gig in the pub he had often played at with his band, only a year previously. A very moving day I will never forget”.

So many clients have told us what a difference having a Hospice Neighbour has made.

Who are the Hospice Neighbours? Well, they come from all walks of life. What they all have in common is the ability to get on with people and huge dollops of common sense. They also tell us how much they feel they get from providing support – they feel valued and that they are really making a difference to people’s lives.

Continues on page 2

Continued from page one...And now we would like to do more. We would like to extend the service and increase the number of people we help. To do that we need more Hospice Neighbours.

It is a really great and flexible way of volunteering. You don’t have to be willing to do gardening or housework if it’s not your thing: just providing the comfort of company is wonderful. And the times are flexible too.

So, if you are interested, please do get in touch with the Voluntary Services team on 01424 445177 or email volunteering@stmichaelshospice.com. We’d love to hear from you.

Hello, I am Peter Ellis the new Head of Clinical Services. I am very pleased to be joining St Michael’s Hospice at this exciting time as we move back into the building and take the opportunity to look at the ways in which the services we provide to patients, families and carers are delivered.

I have been a nurse for 30 years and have had a rich and varied career. I worked for many years in London as a kidney nurse (in various roles), spent ten years as a university lecturer and most recently as the Director of Nursing in a neighbouring Hospice. I am passionate about the experience of care and strongly believe Hospices are singularly well placed to provide high quality care.

Away from work, I am a parish councillor, I chair the local countryside and amenity society and I am a member of the village pantomime society – where I enjoy set design and painting as well as treading the boards. My wife and I have two daughters, one in her last year at university and one about to leave for university. I look forward to working with the staff and volunteers at the Hospice as we move forward together.

A letter from our ChairmanI have been thinking about what to write in this Newsletter as it is likely to be the last one featuring our Chief Executive Celia Pyke-Lees. I am not yet in a position as I write this to announce a replacement so it is only right that we focus on Celia.

So much has happened in her tenure here and she has faced some extraordinary challenges, through which she has led us inspiringly; the fire being one of the most dramatic. However, she has also steered us, with the support of Julian Avery and the Board, through a financially difficult era to a more stable situation. Finances are always problematic when two-thirds of your income has to be raised by supporters but we are now in a place which is much more comfortable than when she took over. It is positive enough for us to contemplate what else we can develop on our site to help us run more effectively. Then there is Celia’s connection to the community not only within the Hospice but in the whole of Hastings and Rother. She has always viewed the community as the anchor of our support and regularly brings the discussion back to community engagement whenever she feels we may stray. Community for Celia encompasses our colleagues in local organisation such as East Sussex Healthcare Trust, GPs, Clinical Commissioning Group and local care homes. They speak highly of the care that we give and also, through that, acknowledge the contribution she makes to harmonious joint working. There is a strong ethical content to her approach which is embedded in all proposals she makes and that influences us.

Many of you have known Celia for much longer than me but I can say that it is a pleasure to work with her. I meet Celia about once a week and we each have our list of Hospice business to talk about and agree a way forward. We discuss, probe, maybe have different views but all carried out in a harmonious way I am not afraid to ask her opinion of a situation and she asks mine. In this way she helps me and I hope that she feels supported also. I certainly have felt supported by her.Being Chief Executive is a demanding position and Celia commits herself to this 100%. We see her at so many events either meeting and greeting but also rolling up her sleeves in support of volunteers and helping to make events a success.

I hope that when she retires she will have more time for family, books or plays or shoes! I shall miss discussions about those as well as discussions about theHospice.

Irene

Alan's Grand Slam Marathon challengeSupporter, Alan Bennett took on all four Centurion Running 50 mile Grand Slam races in 2016, namely the South Downs Way, North Downs Way, Chiltern Wonderland and Wendover Woods. You can find his inspiring account of the final and most challenging race on our website: www.stmichaelshospice.com/about/news

Alan wanted to raise £10,000 to Pay for a Day, covering a full day’srunning cost at the Hospice. He dedicated the day to his good friend, Steve Williams. He has far exceeded his target and raised an awe inspiring£13,000, helped by a very generous donation of £6,500 from Bausch + Lomb.

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Excellent holistic care and support for all those throughout Hastings and Rother affected by a progressive life-limiting illness or bereavement.

St Michael’sHospice turns 30On Friday 24th April 1987, at approximately 3pm, St Michael’s Hospice was officially opened by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, marking a significant improvement in end of life care for people in Hastings and Rother. In recognition of this momentous occasion, we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary throughout 2017.

A letter from our Chief Executive This will be my last letter for the Hospice newsletter as I shall be retiring in a few months and I wanted to take time to reflect on all those things I love about the Hospice. Firstly, of course, it is the services we provide to our local communities, offering care and support at what is often a critical time in people’s lives. All of us are different and the range of service we provide allows us to offer choice. I am proud of the quality of the care we provide and the diversity of our services, from the very specialist care relating to symptom control and pain relief to the more general support we give in the community, for example through our Hospice Neighbours volunteer scheme. We can offer care in the Hospice or in the community and we also provide bereavement support to families, many of whom have never used Hospice services before, but can benefit from the skilled counselling and support we provide.   I am so grateful for the encouragement we receive from our local community, very strongly demonstrated in the aftermath of the fire when so many people came to offer help and to express their unhappiness about the arson attack. Just the hugs I received from (and gave to) total strangers were completely heart-warming!. Our volunteers (nearly 1,000 of them) are very much part of our communities. They not only save us money (the last estimate was around £2m in salary costs) and raise funds for us through their support of fundraising events, but they fundamentally enrich the atmosphere of the Hospice, bringing their warmth, knowledge and happiness which touches us all. Everyone who works at the Hospice – whatever their role –  is committed to our aim of providing high quality palliative care services. Whether they are raising funds in the fundraising, retail or lottery teams or ensuring we run effectively, we all have the same aim and same passion. For that reason, it is a great place to work.  Much has altered over the years, whether because we wanted to develop and improve our services or because we have had to respond to the transformations in the world around us. But I know that all of us – staff and volunteers – have shown a strong resilience, facing change head on and making the best of  it, ensuring the quality of our services to patients continues the same whatever the changing circumstances. There is also never a dull moment. The Hospice throbs with life and we appear to have an endless range of activities to choose from and enjoy. I have seen beautiful gardens, amazing operas, first class concerts, eaten innumerable cakes and scones, been up at midnight with the full moon gleaming on the sea to support the Moonlight Walk. Nor can I forget seeing my mother (aged 89) and many others abseil down a formidably high building. But above all, Hospice life is about individuals in all our rich diversity of needs, desires, ideas, kindness and enthusiasm. No wonder it is such a great place to be.

Celia

Since opening our doors, we have welcomed thousands of patients, providing excellent holistic care and support for all those throughout Hastings and Rother affected by a progressive life-limiting illness or bereavement. Over the past 30 years, our services have been developed to offer more choice and this includes Hospice at Home care, Bereavement Services and our award winning Hospice Neighbours scheme.

We are looking to celebrate with the residents of Hastings and Rother - who helped create and sustain these services by holding Celebratory Teas in six locations, please see the flyer enclosed.

We are also inviting supporters to create a personalised fabric bunting panel, which will be taken to celebratory events throughout 2017. If you would like to create a bunting panel, you can use the template sent with your last newsletter, this can be downloaded from www.stmichaelshospice.com/bunting

Additionally, we are appealing for recipes to include in a 30th anniversary recipe book, which will be available in the Autumn. If you would like to submit a recipe for consideration, please email marketing@stmichaelshospice.com

30 years

Ce

lebrating

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Hello. My name is Mike Charltonand I am the new Head of Voluntary Services. St Michael’s Hospice is extremely close to my heart and I am incredibly excited and humbled to be joining as it enters its 30th year.

A bit about myself:I was born in Hastings and have lived here most my life. I attended William Parker School and Sixth Form before moving to Wales to study History at Aberystwyth University. I subsequently went on to study Mental Health Nursing at the University of Brighton.

Before coming to St Michael’s Hospice, I worked for a large not-for-profit organisation specialising in providing care, support and housing services for vulnerable people in Sussex. I have volunteered at local schools and was previously a befriender supporting people with mental health difficulties.

Aside from work, I am a very proud father to my two year old son and live with my partner. I play guitar, enjoy reading history and have what some would consider quirky pastimes such as railway modelling and building Lego!

I greatly welcome any ideas or feedback you may have about the present and future direction of Voluntary Services. I look forward to meeting all of the amazing volunteers who are absolutely critical to the ongoing success of the Hospice.

For more information on Voluntary Services please visitwww.stmichaelshospice.com

We need youSt Michael’s Hospice Lottery is celebrating its 21st Birthday this year, and urgently needs to grow its team of Lottery Collectors, some of whom are pictured below celebrating Christmas. The Lottery has grown rapidly over the last year, and we are in desperate need of people with an hour or more to spare a week to work with us. Our team collect established rounds, calling on our Lottery subscribers at their homes or workplaces, to collect their Lottery money. A love of walking and the fresh air would help. Hours of work could be arranged to suit you, and expenses are paid.

If you think you could help and would like to join us, we would love to hear from you to give you further information. Please ring Paula on 01424 456384.

Rotary Club Raises ThousandsA big thank you to The RotaryClub of St Leonards on Sea which was committed to raising as muchmoney as possible for our PhoenixAppeal in 2016. They raised over £7,600 by hosting a number of events throughout the year which paid for a range of items including bathroom fittings for our new ensuite bedrooms.

Off to pastures newWhen I arrived at the Hospice overfive years ago, to start work as a temporary joint Head of Fundraising for a six month contract, little did I know where it would lead. I went on to establish the Hospice Neighbours scheme and then became the Head of Voluntary Services, a role I haverelished.

My time at St Michael’s Hospice has been quite a rollercoaster with differing roles and then the fire. Throughout my time here I have met some truly wonderful people, both volunteers and staff, who have been an inspiration to work with. My own team has beenterrific and we have supported each other through the tricky times and had some fun along the way.

And now, five years on, I am leaving St Michael’s Hospice with many treasured memories. I am sure the Hospice will go from strength to strength and I send good wishes to all of you who help to provide such a much needed service.Jane Cave, Former Head of Voluntary Services

OPENOur shop in Devonshire Road, Bexhill (no. 56) reopened on 21st January. We would like to thank all our wonderful volunteers who helped with the refurbishments, in particular the Records and Information Governance team at Ashdown House, Hastings.

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The Big Sing 2016 20 choirs took part in The Big Sing on 8th October and sang from 11am until 9pm, filling St John’s Church, in St Leonards on Sea, with a variety of musical styles, from Coldplay to The Sound of Music. A collective performance was held at the end, with members of all participating choirs returning for the mass Messiah. Laura Sully, Community Fundraiser, even had to go out to restock on cake and milk as the refreshments went down so well. Thank you to all the choirs and volunteers who helped to make the event such a success. Afantastic £4,706 has been raised. This wonderful event takes place every other year and we look forward to it again in 2018.

Big Get TogetherThis year Chris Dale celebrated her wedding anniversary to her late husband Kevin by inviting her familyand friends to her Big Get Together.“Rather than just staying at home on my own for our wedding anniversary  I thought I would hold a Big Get Together. It meant I was surrounded by my friends and family whilst raising money for the Hospice, who cared for Kevin so very brilliantly.” To hold your own Big Get Together this year please contact Jodie for an information pack on 01424 456380Christmas on the Coast

Now in its second year, Christmas on the Coast was a wonderfully festive, free, family fun day to celebrate the joy of Christmas with our local communities. Father Christmas joined us for the whole day, greeting all the younger visitors and giving them all a festive gift. In addition, there was tombola fun, creative craft making, gingerbread decoration, secret present wrapping with Santa’s elves and even letter writing to the big man himself.

A fabulous £1,467 was raised overall from the event. Thank you so much to those who attended and donated.

The 8th annual Horse and Dog Show on the 11th September, organisedby the St Michael’s HospiceRiding Club, was another roaring success. The event was opened by theMayor of Hastings, Councillor Judy Rogers, who took great pleasure meeting and greeting people and animals alike. The event is sponsored by many local businesses and individuals that all give generously to the Hospice Riding Club, which itself is run by a dedicated group of volunteers. The event raised over £5,000.

Catsfield Horse and Dog Show

Lighting up for the HospiceLocal Christmas light displays raised over £20,000 in just six weeks. This total comprises the annual amazing Westfield Lights, the fabulous Blacklands Winter Wonderland and David and Maureen Hodge’s spectacular Christmas lights – displays which have been appreciated by many thousands of local visitors, and indeed are becoming a tourist attraction.

We are very grateful to all those involved – from installing the lights and collecting each night in wintery weather, to taking down the lights again and storing them away until the following year.

What a wonderful2016

Great Gatsby Ball A huge thank you to Jenny Joy and Hannah Moon who organised a wonderful Great Gatsby Ball, at Bannatyne’s, in aid of the Phoenix Appeal.  With a roaring 20’s theme, there was a sensational dinner, live music from The Swing Thing and entertainment provided by magician, Michael Drinkwater, washed down with a silent auction and a raffle. Such was the success of the evening the event raised a huge total of £4,661, bringing the Phoenix Appeal total to an amazing £1.18million. Thank you to Jenny and Hannah for their huge creativity, enthusiasm, and meticulous planning that created a night that all of the guests will remember for years to come, and for so kindly supporting the Hospice. 

Alan's Grand Slam Marathon challengeSupporter, Alan Bennett took on all four Centurion Running 50 mile Grand Slam races in 2016, namely the South Downs Way, North Downs Way, Chiltern Wonderland and Wendover Woods. You can find his inspiring account of the final and most challenging race on our website: www.stmichaelshospice.com/about/news

Alan wanted to raise £10,000 to Pay for a Day, covering a full day’srunning cost at the Hospice. He dedicated the day to his good friend, Steve Williams. He has far exceeded his target and raised an awe inspiring£13,000, helped by a very generous donation of £6,500 from Bausch + Lomb.

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12 Hour Collection Tesco Extra in Hollington very kindly hosted our annual 12 Hour Collection in December. Christmas shoppers were entertained by talented local performers including Chris Metalle, the Tornado Twirlstars, Keren Keeler-Moore, Friends Unlimited, Yazmin Nanji , Glashin and Sax with a Twist.

Our lovely volunteers collected a brilliant £1,197. Thanks to all those shoppers donating their spare change after their Christmas shop.

Catsfield Boat RaceThe Catsfield Triangle Committeecreated quite a buzzwith their inaugural Catsfield Boat Racein 2016, a fun filled day with music, food and a boat race around the Catsfield Triangle.

Local teams created their own boats and raced them on foot around the village. The race was followed by a BBQ, live music and the opportunity for the children to decorate and race their own miniature boats around the cricket field. The Committee generously donated £1,000 to St Michael’s Hospice from the proceeds of the event.

It was a great day and hopefully will become an annual event.

The staff at Aquila House, Hastings Borough Council, raised £1,705 throughout 2016, taking their total raised for us to date to an incredible £11,446.40. They held various events throughout 2016, including a bake off, raffle and a pub crawl. Our thanks to everyone who helped to raise this amazing total.

Veg-tasticWe were delighted and grateful to receive a call from the St Leonards Grocery offering us three huge boxes of vegetables for our patients to enjoy with their Christmas lunch.

Of course, we were quick to accept their very generous offer and a delicious lunch was enjoyed by our patients on Christmas Day. Thank you to the St Leonards Grocery for making Christmas even more special.

Generous FreemasonsThank you once again to our local Freemasons who continued to support us throughout 2016. We were thrilledto accept £6,721 presented by the Masonic Province of Sussex and the Masonic Charitable Foundation. We lookforward to working together again this year.

Things just got muddyOn Saturday 17th September, the 'Hastings Speed Bumps' (aka Emily Wragg, Roxanne Falak Rafat, Natalie Whicker, Louise O'Rourke, Sarah Barry, Deej Trigg and Frankie Etherington) took on the Tough Mudder Half London South in aid of the Hospice, raising over £1,000. Emily said "Doing the Tough Mudder was hard, especially as none of us ever thought we would do something like this. However, it was made easier by doing it for such a good cause. The Hospice is a local charity we have all had connections with and, on the day of the event, we had already surpassed our fundraising target, which gave us a real boost and helped us to 'enjoy' the day even more".

We would like to thank the team for their support (and bravery) and we are very grateful to be their chosen charity.

Wedding Dress WalkOn a bright and breezy day on the 25th September, 15 beautiful brides and bridesmaids took part in our first ever sponsored Wedding Dress Walk, going from the Stade in Hastings to the Pier. It was a fantastic feel good event, and the Brides created a wonderful spectacle, singing love songs while they walked, accompanied by Pete Prescott on guitar. We raised over £1,000 and are already planning a bigger and better walk for 2017. The event was organised by Empirical Events, who put on Wedding Fairs throughout Sussex.

Thanks to Hastings Borough Council

Great Gatsby Ball A huge thank you to Jenny Joy and Hannah Moon who organised a wonderful Great Gatsby Ball, at Bannatyne’s, in aid of the Phoenix Appeal.  With a roaring 20’s theme, there was a sensational dinner, live music from The Swing Thing and entertainment provided by magician, Michael Drinkwater, washed down with a silent auction and a raffle. Such was the success of the evening the event raised a huge total of £4,661, bringing the Phoenix Appeal total to an amazing £1.18million. Thank you to Jenny and Hannah for their huge creativity, enthusiasm, and meticulous planning that created a night that all of the guests will remember for years to come, and for so kindly supporting the Hospice. 

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We need youSt Michael’s Hospice Lottery is celebrating its 21st Birthday this year, and urgently needs to grow its team of Lottery Collectors, some of whom are pictured below celebrating Christmas. The Lottery has grown rapidly over the last year, and we are in desperate need of people with an hour or more to spare a week to work with us. Our team collect established rounds, calling on our Lottery subscribers at their homes or workplaces, to collect their Lottery money. A love of walking and the fresh air would help. Hours of work could be arranged to suit you, and expenses are paid.

If you think you could help and would like to join us, we would love to hear from you to give you further information. Please ring Paula on 01424 456384.

Rotary Club Raises ThousandsA big thank you to The RotaryClub of St Leonards on Sea which was committed to raising as muchmoney as possible for our PhoenixAppeal in 2016. They raised over £7,600 by hosting a number of events throughout the year which paid for a range of items including bathroom fittings for our new ensuite bedrooms.

This year to help celebrate our 30th anniversary we will be opening more gardens than ever before. We are very grateful to all our garden owners new and old for allowing us into their gardens throughout the spring and summer. You will soon find the full details of our gardens in the Open Garden booklet which will be sold in a number of outlets within Hastings and Rother. For more details please contact Felicity on 01424 457959 or see our website: www.stmichaelshospice.com/opengardens

Our annual Big Tea event is a great excuse to get together over a cuppa with friends, family, neighbours or colleagues to raise funds for the Hospice. So, if you are looking for a fun way to support us in our 30th anniversary year, please consider hosting a Big Tea event on or around Monday 24th April 2017. As the host, you supply the tea and cake (although you could encourage others to bake some for you) and in return your guests can make an optional donation to the Hospice. We can help by providing you with a fundraising pack whichhas everything you need to plan and host your event.

Last year’s Big Tea hosts raised a fantastic £1,900. It would be wonderful if we could exceed this in 2017 – with more hosts we can.

For information and a Big Tea fundraising pack, please contact fundraising@stmichaelshospice.com or phone Claudia on 01424 456371.

Can you designa virtual balloon?For the very first time, we are inviting people to take part in a virtual balloon race. The race balloons will launch (virtually, of course) from St Michael’s Hospice, at 3pm on Monday 24th April 2017 – exactly 30 years to the minute that the Hospice opened its doors.

The participating balloons then race across the following seven days. Racers can track the progress of their balloons online, with their course and position in the race being calculated by a meteorological computer. Ahead of the race, you can design your own balloon, personalising them and making them highly visible and easily identifiable by using your own name, family member’s names, photographs of friends, relatives, pets etc. The possibilities are endless. You can also demonstrate your skill as a racer by adjusting balloon thickness and helium content to increase your chances of winning the race (or not).

Virtual balloon races have been launched from The Eiffel Tower, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and The London Eye, with the most successful balloons travelling a distance of up to 1,300 miles in 7 days.

The owner of the virtual balloon which travels the furthest will win a real life hot air balloon experience for four people, along with a host of other prizes for the runners up.

Those wanting to take part in the St Michaels Hospice virtual balloon race can buy a virtual balloon from www.stmichaelshospice.com/balloonrace

Open Gardens

Partnering up with

Chandlers Hailsham We were delighted to be chosen by the staff at Chandlers Hailsham as their Charity of the Year. We were invited to meet the team at their recent launch night and look forward to lots more fundraising opportunities with Chandlers Hailsham BMW and Mini for the rest of 2017.

Chandlers Hailsham have very generously pledged to donate £100 for each vehicle sold when the purchaser quotes ‘St Michael’s Hospice’. So, if you are in the market for a BMW or MINI, why not give Matt Dadswell a call on 01323 444090 to discuss their latest deals? For more information please see the leaflet inside this newsletter.

24th April 2017

Capture the MomentThis Christmas did you capture the beauty of the 'world around you' or did you take a photo that captures ‘love and care’? We are currently running our free childrens and adults, photography, poetry and short story competition. So start snapping, get writing and be creative for our 2017 Capture the Moment Competition. Judges include the world renowned photographer, Rankin, and one of Britain's favourite children's poets, Brian Moses. Visit our website for more information:www.stmichaelshospice.com/capturethemoment

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online

keepintouch

Big Easter Art Exhibition

Challenge yourself

The 8th annual Horse and Dog Show on the 11th September, organisedby the St Michael’s HospiceRiding Club, was another roaring success. The event was opened by theMayor of Hastings, Councillor Judy Rogers, who took great pleasure meeting and greeting people and animals alike. The event is sponsored by many local businesses and individuals that all give generously to the Hospice Riding Club, which itself is run by a dedicated group of volunteers. The event raised over £5,000.

Lighting up for the HospiceLocal Christmas light displays raised over £20,000 in just six weeks. This total comprises the annual amazing Westfield Lights, the fabulous Blacklands Winter Wonderland and David and Maureen Hodge’s spectacular Christmas lights – displays which have been appreciated by many thousands of local visitors, and indeed are becoming a tourist attraction.

We are very grateful to all those involved – from installing the lights and collecting each night in wintery weather, to taking down the lights again and storing them away until the following year.

Saturday 25th MarchIn celebration of our 30th anniversary we will be holding an 80’s themed club night at the Green Room in the Chatsworth Hotel, Hastings, on the 25th March, thanks to the Chatsworth Hotel, Karma Security and DJ Ricky Roberts who are all providing their services for free. Dig out your shoulder pads, fluorescent socks and ra-ra skirts and book your tickets, available at just £10 from Sarah on 01424 456381.

80's Night

DaTes for your diary

Saturday 8th AprilOnce again the wonderful Pauline Crouch will be organising a bunny take-over of the Hospice gardens, inviting children to come along and hop through our trail in search of an Easter egg, sponsored by Morrisons. There will be other Easter activities on the day as well as refreshments served in the Arthur Easton Centre. The Easter Bunny might even pop in to say Hello. Put Saturday 8th April in your diary for a celebration of Springtime.

Bunny Hop

Are you planning on taking on a new challenge in 2017?Why not sign up to one of the events taking place this year and help us celebrate our 30th anniversary? Challenge yourself and raise funds for the Hospice at the same time.Hastings Half Marathon – Sunday 19th MarchHastings Runners 5 Mile Road Race – Sunday 7th MayRide London – Guaranteed Places – Sunday 30th July

If you are interested in any of the events please contact Tracey on 01424 456985 or email fundraising@stmichaelshospice.com

Friday 14th - Monday 17th AprilOver the Easter weekend from 14th - 17th April, we will be proudly hosting our biennial Big Art Exhibition. This year we will be holding the event at Sedlescombe Village Hall, a lovely bright space that will lend itself well to the exhibition. Come along and buy some original, affordable art. For more information call Sarah on 01424 456381.

If you have any thoughts regarding our newsletter, would prefer not to receive future issues or require further information, please contact us: Fundraising Team, St Michael’s Hospice, Upper Maze Hill, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, TN38 0LB. Call 01424 456379 or email fundraising@stmichaelshospice.com

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Friday 9th JuneOur annual Golf Day at Cooden Beach last October raised over £4,000 with 92 golfers enjoying a brilliant day of golf and, for once, the weather was on our side.

If you fancy dusting off your golf clubs this year, our first Golf Day will be held at Dale Hill in Ticehurst. Golfers are invited to join us on Friday 9th June. If you would like to enter a team, or require further information, please email: fundraising@stmichaelshospice.com or call 01424 457959.

Fundraising to the Fore

Friday 12th MayCome and join us for an exciting day at the races. Now in its seventh year, Hospice supporter Tim Reeves organises a trip to Lingfield Races in memory of his late friend Barry Gurr. This year, the trip is planned for Friday 12th May. If you like studying the form, fancy a flutter or simply enjoy a day out raising money for St Michael’s Hospice come and join us and watch the Barry Gurr Memorial Handicap Race. For more information about a day at Lingfield Races on May 12th please contact Laura on 01424 457971.

Lingfield Raceday

Melodians Choir Saturday 24th June and Saturday 8th JulyThe Melodians Choir will be holding two Summer Concerts this year. The first will be at: Battle Methodist Church, The Emmanuel Centre, Harrier Lane, Battle TN33 0FL on Saturday 24th June at 7pm.

The second will be at St Peter and St Paul's Church, Parkstone Road, Hastings, TN34 2NT on Saturday 8th July at 7pm. We look forward to seeing you there.

Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th JuneThe Summer Art Exhibition will return to the Arthur Easton Centre for the weekend of the 24th and 25th June. This popular event has been running for 18 years and always offers an interesting variety of affordable art to buy. For more information please contact Sarah on 01424 456381.

Summer Art Exhibition

Celebrating 30 years

Great Gatsby Ball A huge thank you to Jenny Joy and Hannah Moon who organised a wonderful Great Gatsby Ball, at Bannatyne’s, in aid of the Phoenix Appeal.  With a roaring 20’s theme, there was a sensational dinner, live music from The Swing Thing and entertainment provided by magician, Michael Drinkwater, washed down with a silent auction and a raffle. Such was the success of the evening the event raised a huge total of £4,661, bringing the Phoenix Appeal total to an amazing £1.18million. Thank you to Jenny and Hannah for their huge creativity, enthusiasm, and meticulous planning that created a night that all of the guests will remember for years to come, and for so kindly supporting the Hospice. 

SAVE THE DATE: MOONLIGHT WALK Saturday 15th July. Our fantastic Moonlight Walk is back.This year’s optional fancy dress theme is 80's neon and glitter.

Registered charity number 288462

Please support the Hospice with a regular donationWe are enormously grateful to all those who support the Hospice and who, by making donations of time, money or items to sell in our shops, enable us to provide specialist palliative care to adults with a life-limiting illness, throughout Hastings and Rother.

Making a regular donationBy making a regular donation with a Standing Order, whether monthly, quarterly or annually, you can provide St Michael’s Hospice with financial stability which allows us to plan our services more effectively. If you are in a position to help us in this way, you can find a standing order form on the reverse of this page. Simply fill in the form and return it to the Hospice at the address provided.

Standing Order FormName and address of Bank or Building Society

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........................................ Postcode...................................

Please pay: St Michael’s Hospice (Hastings and Rother)Account No: 01446754 Sort Code: 30-97-66Lloyds Bank, 17 Wellington Place, Hastings, TN34 1NX

On the…………day of………….20…………….

And on the same day each: Month / quarter / year*

Until further notice/until*.....................................................

The sum of: £15 £30 £100 £125

Other amount: £...................................................................

From Account No: ...............................................................

Sort Code: ............................................................................

Account Name: ...................................................................

Name: .................................................................................

Address: ..............................................................................

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.....................................................Postcode: ........................

Email:...................................................................................Thank you for your continued support

Please return to: Perdita ChamberlainSt Michael’s Hospice, 25 Upper Maze HillSt Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, TN38 0LB

30 years

Celeb

rating

Standing Order FormName and address of Bank or Building Society

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

........................................ Postcode...................................

Please pay: St Michael’s Hospice (Hastings and Rother)Account No: 01446754 Sort Code: 30-97-66Lloyds Bank, 17 Wellington Place, Hastings, TN34 1NX

On the…………day of………….20…………….

And on the same day each: Month / quarter / year*

Until further notice/until*.....................................................

The sum of: £15 £30 £100 £125

Other amount: £...................................................................

From Account No: ...............................................................

Sort Code: ............................................................................

Account Name: ...................................................................

Name: .................................................................................

Address: ..............................................................................

.............................................................................................

.....................................................Postcode: ........................

Email:...................................................................................

Gift Aid declarationTo enable us to claim back tax already paid on your donations, and add 25p to every £1 you donate, please complete the Gift Aid declaration. The donation must be your own money and cannot be the proceeds of a collection.

I wish Gift Aid to apply to the enclosed donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the last 4 years. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

Signature: ................................................................................

Date: ........................................................................................

Please notify St Michael’s Hospice if you: want to cancel this declaration, change your name or home address, no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains. If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, youmust include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self Assessment tax returnor ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.

We value your support and promise to respect your privacy. The data we hold is managed in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). We will not disclose or share your details with any third party. We would like to keep you informed by post and email about the vital work we do. If you would prefer not to receive any further information from St Michael’s Hospice, please tick this box.

*Please delete as appropriate

Registered charity number 288462