The Bulletin

{For staff and volunteers at St Barnabas House and Chestnut Tree House} Oct - Nov 2015

China Trek for Chestnut Tree House

Chestnut’s very first bespoke, overseas challenge has been a big success. Kerry O’Neill, Events and Campaigns Fundraiser, launched the trek in May 2014 and was over-subscribed with a team of 48 walkers all successfully reaching their target of £2,800, with many raising significantly more than that.

The intrepid trekkers set off on Saturday October 10, on an adventure of a lifetime, to scale the Great Wall of China and in the process, have raised an incredible £93,000 after all trip costs. The target was to raise enough to cover the cost of Chestnut Tree House care, in the hospice and in the community in families’ homes for every day the team would be trekking the Great Wall - the actual target was £54,800 so they smashed that! Kerry says the success is due to the exceptional support of the community and corporate teams, who have done a marvellous job in supporting the trekkers.

On the back of this huge success, Kerry has now launched the next overseas trek for Chestnut Tree House, to Cambodia in November 2017. If an overseas challenge appeals to you, take a look at the website or contact events-cth@stbh.org.uk with your questions.

Jayne Todd, our new Digital Communications Officer was on the trip, and relayed details of their adventures via a blog which we received as often as the Chinese communications networks allowed.

A photo of the team at Taipingzhai, the start of an epic journey

Our first steps on the wall were as breathtaking as we all dreamed of, with the Great Wall snaking over the mountains far into the distance.

We celebrated two birthdays and an anniversary on the trip including a 50th for Julie Jillians.

Day Two was the longest trekking day, from Gubeikou to Jinshanling under beautiful, deep blue skies and a hot yellow sun. It was incredibly challenging terrain along an unrenovated section of the wall with broken, crumbling, narrow steps and the constant ascents and descents which were punishing on the knees. We passed 27 watchtowers all in varying states of repair but all equally magical and evocative of an era long gone by.

Our lunch on the second day was delicious, as they all were, and the views from the highest watchtower were spectacular. As the sun set behind the mountains that day, we sat in the misty dusk appreciating how magical it was.

Some sections of the wall on Day Three were so steep and undulating it required us to get on all fours to balance, which was hard work but made the ‘pot noodle’ stop very welcome!

A visit to a Cloisonne factory at the start of Day Four gave us a relaxed morning and a fascinating insight into the intricacy of these special pieces. In stark contrast, the trek that day began with a 1,000 step climb from the bus straight up to the wall. Beyond that was a mile and a half of undulating wall followed by a further 500 steep and often broken steps of the “Heavenly Ladder”.

It was a testament to the friendships and care among the group that everyone was helped through their vertigo, fear of heights and injury to reach the top, and emotions were high, as one by one we all emerged onto the viewing platform. We had the choice of descending from these dizzying heights on foot, by cable car or on a toboggan - so faced with this challenge, the ‘Chestnut Bobsleigh Team’ lined up and descended in convoy, in a very noisy fashion, down the mountain.

We spent the last night on the site of the ancient fortress with the wall surrounding us on all sides, and we set off at 7am the following morning for the final punishing climb from one of the oldest sections of the wall, built during the Ming Dynasty, in 1368. Everyone was determined to complete the last day which concluded with each one of us laying a brick, helping to rebuild the wall, and leaving behind something meaningful (messages and poems) in the cement. And every one of us included stars to represent children cared for by Chestnut Tree House.

Tears, laughter and a wonderful sense of togetherness signified the end of the challenge that day, but we still had an acrobatic show, massages and a final meal together in Beijing, to celebrate the end of a really successful trip, all richer in so many ways and with many special memories and new friends.

Here are some excerpts taken from various reports and diaries written along the route!

Stomping success for St Barnabas House South Downs Trek, on target to raise £40,000 for local hospice care!

South Downs Trek Success!

To mark the end of Hospice Care Week, on Saturday 10 October over 100 walkers gathered at Devil’s Dyke as dawn broke on a beautiful, autumnal morning to trek 20 miles along the South Downs Way to St Barnabas House in Goring, to raise funds for the hospice.

Many people had very personal reasons for participating in the South Downs Trek, across one of the most iconic walkway routes in the South of England. Walking teams included Chippy’s Gang and The Walking Ducs. Team Trifle raised an amazing £4,000 in memory of Mo Barling of Sompting, while STK Stompers were the final determined walkers to cross the finish line.

The first walker to cross the finish line, in 5 hours 20 minutes, was Andy Burt, our Director of Adult Nursing. He said: “This has been a fantastic event to take part in. The views from the top of the Downs were stunning.”

Nicky Ifould, Event Co-ordinator, said: “This was the first time we organised this event, and it exceeded all expectations. The camaraderie among the walkers was fantastic. There were a dozen volunteers on the day helping with all aspects of the event and we are very grateful to all of them for their support. Hope to see you next year!”

Pictured L - R: Some of the wonderful events volunteers Lorraine, Shirley, Sue, Teresa with staff member Bella, helping with set up

(and blowing up a lot of balloons!); Linda Upperton handing out much needed refreshments to our finishing walkers; our Gantry

Volunteers Neil and Eric.

Pictured centre: Andy Burt, our Director of Adult Nursing, was the first walker to cross the line in 5hrs 20mins. Pictured with Nicky Carsonsof Feel Fabulous Massage (L) who offered free massages to our walkers,

and Bella Cripps (R) one our fabulousEvents Team who helped to make theevent a great success.

Pictured with Event Co-ordinator

Nicky Ifould, Mark Ward is a stalwart

supporter of the hospice. He not

only completed the trek but was also

our official volunteer photographer

along the route. Along with the other

participants, he received a medal after

crossing the finish line. This is Mark’s

68th medal for events he has completed

in aid of our hospices!

A message from our CEODear everyone,

Since the Head of HR, David Gayler, left us at the end of 2014, I have been reviewing and considering how best to manage HR (Human Resources) going forward.

Our staff and volunteers are so important at both hospices - to write ‘our people are crucial’ seems like a huge under-statement. Our care, the quality and extent of services we are able to offer patients at both hospices, depends utterly on a marvellous and dedicated workforce of staff and volunteers.

I have therefore decided to appoint a new member of SMT, an HR Director. This role will lead on our ‘people strategy’ going forward including projects such as workforce planning, recruitment, staff satisfaction, the development of work with volunteers, education and day to day HR. When the role is appointed to, I intend to move both the Voluntary Services Team and Education Department into the HR Directorate because of the obvious natural synergies with HR, training and development. This reorganisation will cover both hospices.

Jeremy continues to manage Information Governance, ICT and the facilities functions and we are currently exploring opportunities to work with other hospices to identify areas where Jeremy’s unique experience and skills might be used in a shared or partnership role. I would like to thank Jeremy for his continued support to me in his role as Deputy Chief Executive.

If you have any questions about this matter, please do not hesitate to ask any member of the SMT.

I would like to conclude by thanking Max Caunhye (who has been Acting Head of HR) plus Linda Currie, Sue West and particularly Karen Guido for working so hard to provide an HR service during 2015.

Best wishes and thanks to all staff and volunteers for your continued commitment.

HughHugh Lowson, CEO Space

ReviewOver the next few months Tony Clarke from ECE Architecture will be helping us to undertake a review of work space across St Barnabas and Chestnut Tree House. Driven by the continuing success of both hospices and our expanding reach to people within our communities, work space is becoming a pressing issue. This is mainly down to the fact that we are having to employ a greater number of people in order to support the brilliant work that continues to be done by our care teams in the hospices and out in the community. Planning for the future continues apace and we envisage that the strategic direction of both hospices will mean that the number of people employed by St Barnabas and Chestnut Tree House will continue to grow. Developing a solution now will enable us to meet the current and future challenges posed by the expansion

of the workforce. If you have any questions, ideas or issues with regards to work space then please speak to your line manager.

It is now Chestnut Tree House’s turn for a full strategic review to reach our vision and mission for the future:

“Our vision is that no one should face death or bereavement without the care and support they deserve.”

“Our mission is to achieve dignity, comfort and choice for all children and adults facing the end of life.”

The review of our strategy has commenced with a number of Trustees and SMT team meeting regularly to review all things to do with Chestnut Tree House.

We have started by analysing the services we offer, our criteria for admission and how we allocate the services to children and families.

We also expect to look at a number of other

areas including workforce planning, transport for hard to reach families, space review and marketing of care services. We will look at the

possible options for the future and how we might implement anything new.

We are about to conduct a ‘stakeholder analysis’ getting views from parents, children, siblings, staff, commissioners and funders, as well as other people who work around complex children like GPs, paediatricians, teachers and

social workers. Some people will be asked to participate but

everyone can contribute – please contact Linda Perry directly.

The Trustees with SMT will consider and discuss the new strategy for Chestnut Tree House in Spring 2016.

Linda PerryDirector of Children’s Services

Chestnut Tree House has commenced its strategy review for 2016-2020

Chestnut Tree House Strategy Review

On Friday 16 October, children and Activity Leaders from Chestnut Tree House visited Slindon Pumpkin Farm.Activity Leader Karen Ezzard said: “We’ve had a great time looking at and feeling all the different pumpkins and gourds, and we brought some back with us to display

around the House.”

More News from St Barnabas House!

A huge thank you to everyone who supported Hospice Care Week 2015 and helped us spread the message about the wonderful work that hospices do up and down the country. The week started on Monday 5 October with a special Tea at 3 in the IPU reception. There was a fun game connecting different people from across the organisation, to tie in with this year’s theme of Connecting Care. Other special events that took place included a charity dog walk, the Serendipity Ball, quiz night, and a line dancing event. There was also an amazing 551 mile static cycle ride challenge hosted by local firm, Homewise, who have so far raised an astonishing £11,000 and counting. The week was rounded off by the brilliant South Downs Trek challenge.

As many of you will be aware, over the last four years we have organised a special Christmas campaign called Wear a Santa Suit Day. This year, however, we have decided to have a ‘Get Festive’ campaign.

All supporters need to do is hold a festive themed fundraising event or activity during December and donate the proceeds to St Barnabas House. This could include getting sponsored to wear a Christmas outfit for the day at work, or holding a festive party with friends.

Registration is free, after which we’ll send out a very special Get Festive fundraising pack with loads of ideas to help supporters hold a unique and exciting Christmas fundraiser in aid of St Barnabas House.

For more details about Get Festive, please visit www.stbh.org.uk/getfestive or call 01903 254777.

The Community Fundraising Team would like to thank all our Friends Groups for their continued support. On Wednesday 14 October we met all the groups for their bi-annual meeting here at the hospice. Over the last six months our Friends Groups have raised in excess of £18,000 for the hospice. Our newest groups include East Preston and Storrington, so a big welcome to all our new members from those areas.

Hospice Care Week success!

Get Festive!

Friends Groups’ continued commitment

Neil and Mary take part in the staticcycle challenge at Homewise!

Homewise static cycle challengers!

Sam Skilton (L) and Max Caunhye (R)

“connect” at the Tea @ 3

Above, special visitor 7 year old SummerWestley, from Rustington - featured as ourLottery Campaign cover story a few yearsback. Summer used Chestnut Tree House’sservices when she was poorly, but she is nowdoing really well! She is pictured with our Lottery ManagerAlan Maher, along with Mum and Dad,Nikki and William (Billy), grateful parents who run a removals and storage company called Smooth Moves. Wearing their branded t-shirts, they support Chestnut Tree Houseand other children’s charities through furniture donations, raising awareness and other fundraising activities. Summer is now doing wonderfully, and is a budding cheerleader andgymnast. Summer said: “I love Chestnut Tree, it is better than Disney!”

The Open Days event takes place every two years and is a great opportunity for the charity to show the local community the fantastic facilities available for the children and families who use the hospice, as well as to thank people for their generosity and support.

Over 1,200 visitors passed through the doors of the House during the Open Days event, with ages ranging from 6 months to 90 years old. For 70%, it was their first time at the House.Linda Perry, Director of Children’s Services at Chestnut Tree House, said, “I would like to thank everyone who came to visit the House in its beautiful setting near Arundel. This special event is a wonderful opportunity for the public to find out more about the important work we do, and a chance to break down the common misconception that children’s hospices are gloomy places. It was wonderful to see and hear the positive responses of those visiting. Our staff and team of volunteers did a fantastic job preparing the House and welcoming our visitors, and we were once again blessed with superb weather.”

Two of the many marvellous volunteers whomade the event a success, on shift with the refreshment trolley - a pivotal role to the

smooth running of the event!

2015

Friday 2 and

Saturday 3 October

10am to 4pm

Come and see us at

Chestnut Tree House

children’s hospice

to find out about

the care we provide

across Sussex.

Visit our new

Woodland Walk

Wheelchair

accessible

Tours – no need to book

Parking

Refreshments

01903 871820

www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

Like our Chestnut Tree House Facebook page

Follow us @ChestnutSussex

Dover Lane, Near Arundel,

West Sussex, BN18 9PX

Registered charity no 256789

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Chestnut Tree House

A wonderful success - THANK YOU !

Staff and Volunteer News...Hello and welcome...

Farewell and thankyou...

• Sam Skilton - Bank Website Data Assistant• Caroline Hall - Marketing Co-ordinator forEast Sussex (maternity cover)• Wendy Bardsley - Community Fundraising ManagerSt Barnabas House• Clare Hannington - Relief Retail Shop Manager

• Nike Lovell - Marketing Co-ordinator for Retail &Voluntary Services• Chris King – Community Fundraising Officer• Penny Kay - Retail Sales Assistant• Madeleine Green, Marketing Co-ordinator forEast Sussex (maternity leave)

Neil Francis moves onto new horizons...It is with much sadness that we bid farewell

to Neil Francis, who joined St BarnabasHouse over five years ago. Neil has done abrilliant job heading up and supporting ourCommunity Fundraising Team and volunteers.

Neil has been a caring, fun and hard-working

colleague whose passion and enthusiasm for

supporting the work we do has never faltered. Thanks to his hard work,

Neil will be passing on a great portfolio and network of fundraising

campaigns and activities, corporate supporters, Friends Groups, and volunteers to his replacement Wendy

Bardsley, with whom he has been working alongside to ensure a smooth handover. Neil’s last day is Thursday 5

November. We wish him every success in his new career with Hays Recruitment in Brighton.

Praise forSt Barnabas Staff

Nurses!Carina Jowett and Penny Kirton

are two of the Community Nurse

Specialists in CPCT. They have

recently passed an Advanced Physical

Assessment skills course at masters

level. This is no mean feat as it

involved not just a significant amount

of dedicated clinical time, but also

writing assignments and putting

together a portfolio of learning, all

whilst carrying out their normal

clinical caseloads.

Obtaining this competency now

means that they can carry out some

physical examinations on patients

that previously meant the patient

having to wait for a GP’s or other

doctor’s availability, potentially

delaying treatment. If the nurse

can carry out the examination/

assessment in greater detail whilst at

the patient’s home, then

this is better for patients.

Wendy Bardsley to take the helm!We offer a warm welcome to Wendy, who is replacing Neil to lead our fantastic CommunityFundraising Team here at St Barnabas House. Wendy shares a few words:“Hello, I am Wendy Bardsley and I have recently started my new role here at St Barnabas House as theCommunity Fundraising Manager and am very grateful for the warm welcome. I grew up in Worthingbut started my career in Brighton where I worked in the travel industry specialising in Portugal andFlorida where I enjoyed a fair amount of travel. Then to London where I workedon corporate training before I moved to Portugal in 2001 with my young familyto live “The Good Life”. However, it was not long before I found myself building abusiness in villa management and sales. Throughout, I always found time to help withvarious charities including the RSPCA, Marie Curie, as well as International Schoolin Portugal and SOSLynx. I returned to Worthing with my family in 2011 and havebeen working in property sales and lettings whilst also doing voluntary work inmy spare time ,as well as studying with the Open University. I feel privileged to bepart of the team at St Barnabas House, working to support the excellent servicewe provide.”

7.30am - The IPU day begins At this time the early shift comes on duty. The early team read the written handover provided by the night team whilst the night team remain on duty and available to fulfil the needs of patients.

We introduced the written handover system in order to help maximise the amount of time In-Patient Unit (IPU) nurses spend giving direct patient care and ensure that nurses are always available to patients rather than being involved in handover for long periods of time. Once the handover is complete the shift leader, in consultation with the team, completes the allocation for the shift.

We operate under a key worker system on the IPU. This means that each patient is allocated two trained nurses who co-ordinate their care for the length of their admission and plan their discharge as appropriate. All the nurses are allocated to a specific wing, in a bid to maximise continuity of care for the patient. On each early shift there is normally one trained nurse and one nursing assistant working in each wing and a shift co-ordinator overseeing the whole IPU.

8.15am – Breakfast The patients’ breakfasts are given

out. Many of the patients will need help with feeding or help to move into a suitable position to eat. Each trained nurse administers the medication which is due to each of their patients. Nurses often use this time to catch up with each patient, discussing current symptoms, any concerns, any planned treatment and particular requests with regards to timing of care. The trained nurse and nursing assistant for each wing then discuss and prioritise their planned care for the morning.

9am – Doctor’s handover beginsThe trained nurses take it in turns to review each patient with the ward-based doctors relaying the overnight update and information they have gleaned during their discussion with each patient. The doctors and nurses decide on priorities and discuss treatment plans at this point.

9.30am - The admissions meeting is heldThis meeting is attended by the shift co-ordinator, a representative from CPCT, usually the

triage nurse, and one of the IPU doctors. Each patient on the waiting list is reviewed and decisions made about who can be admitted. This decision is influenced by availability of beds, availability of staff (medical and nursing), previous bookings - such as nurse-led respite patients, and the urgency of each individual patient’s situation. Dependent on these issues up to three admissions would be agreed. This is to allow sufficient time for staff to spend with each of those patients assessing their current needs and planning appropriate nursing care, whilst continuing to fulfil the care needs of those

24 hours with the IPU Nursing Team

“Following discussions about the importance of staff across the organisation having an awareness of the roles and challenges of their colleagues, I agreed to arrange for a series of articles to be written that will feature in theBulletin describing how individual teams work. It is also hoped that this will help us celebrate what we do well across the organisation as a wider team. Thanks to Sam Bennett for writing this initial article about the IPU.”Andy Burt, Director of Adult Nursing

by Sam Bennett,

Ward Sister

patients already under our care.

Once this decision has been made, the shift co-ordinator allocates each patient to a wing and gives a handover to the nurses working in that wing. This decision is based on where they were allocated on previous admissions, which trained nurses are working the late shift, and the need for specialist equipment such as a bariatric bed. Any other equipment needed is moved into the room, such as a low bed or oxygen.

The rest of the morning sees the nursing team carrying out the planned care for all patients incorporating their requests such as Jacuzzi baths or talking through concerns regarding their symptoms or plans for future care.

This requires balancing each of the individual patient’s needs as well as those of the relatives who often seek out members of the team for updated information. All of the team carry a DECT phone. This allows any calls from relatives to be put through directly to the nurses caring for that patient.

These phones are also linked to the nurse call system so that each nurse is alerted when one of the patients they are caring for needs assistance.

During each shift, priorities often need to be revisited as individual patient situations change. Patients’

symptoms may change or get worse, requiring the nursing team to reassess and plan interventions such as medication to treat emerging symptoms. This requires two trained nurses to check the drug chart and decide on the appropriate drugs to be administered, taking into consideration current regular medication. The effectiveness of this intervention would then be monitored.

A patient’s condition may deteriorate, requiring the nurse to call in family members and update them on the changing situation and prepare them for further changes. Occasionally there are more urgent situations

when patients fall or develop more acute symptoms which may require more urgent medical review, or even a transfer to hospital. The latter requires the nursing team to co-ordinate the logistics of the transfer, while

ensuring patients and relatives are kept up to date.

A number of pre-emptive steps are taken to reduce the risk of a patient falling. Balancing an individual’s safety with their right to make their own informed decisions about how and when

they choose to stand up, walk or sit down is a critical part of their on-going care.

If a patient is being discharged they may need help to pack their belongings and two trained nurses will need to check-out their drugs to take home. If a patient dies a nurse will need to verify the death, carry out last offices and spend time supporting their family.

At the end of the morning the written handover is completed, ready for the arrival of the nurses

on a late shift and there are often pre-lunch medications to administer.

12.15pm – Lunches are servedLunches are given out. Again, many of the patients will need help with feeding or help to move into a suitable position to eat.

1pm – The late shift beginsLate shift staff come on duty and read the written handover provided by the early team. They then allocate patients’ nurses for the shift.

On a late shift there are four trained nurses and three nursing assistants. Again the trained nurses administer the medication which is due for each of their patients and use this as an opportunity to introduce themselves and discuss any symptoms or issues of concern.

IPU Nurses break for a Tea @ 3

gathering in the IPU Reception

Shirley Smith, IPU WardAdministrator

Beautiful IPU patient gardens

During the course of the late shift, the trained nurses undertake the nursing assessment of each of the new admissions and develop a plan of care for each of the symptoms/ issues identified. They also check-in the medication for those patients and assess their suitability to be used whilst an in-patient. All Controlled Drugs must be checked-in by two trained nurses, which is often time-consuming.

During the overlap of shifts, much of the discharge planning work is done. This involves liaising with community services, communicating with patients and visitors, ordering equipment, attending case conferences and writing transfer letters. The early shift also use this time to document the care they have given during the morning, update care plans and review risk assessments. During the afternoon, the Nursing Assistants sit down with each individual patient and plan their menu for the next 24 hours. All of this is balanced with ensuring that we continue to fulfil the care needs of all those patients under our care.

4pm – Room Allocation BoardA doctor and one nurse meet to review each patient. Team members update one another about priorities of care, decisions made and plans for the treatment and care of new admissions.

5.30pm – Patients’ supper-timeA twilight nursing assistant comes on duty at 5pm to help with supper. Many drugs are due at this time and each trained nurse administers them to the patients they are caring for, while using this as an opportunity to explore issues/symptoms with patients and carers.

Planned care for each patient continues throughout the late afternoon and evening with the team responding to any change in a patient’s condition as required. The late shift staff document their care towards the end of the shift and update the written handover prior to the arrival of the night team.

8pm – The Night Team come on dutyThe team read the written handover provided by the Day Team whilst the Night Team remain available to patients. At night there are three trained nurses and two nursing assistants on duty.

The team then settle the patients for the night. The trained nurses give out all night medication, including night sedation as required. They will discuss with each individual patient what their needs are and in particular talk to new patients about their normal night-time routine. Each patient is offered help with their night hygiene needs and help to move to a comfortable position for sleep.

If relatives are staying overnight, the night team discuss the options with them, such as staying at the bedside or using the visitor’s room, and provide them with linen etc. as required.

During the night, the team routinely check on each patient on a regular basis without disturbing them if they are asleep. They respond to individual patient’s needs and any changes in condition. The night team also take responsibility for a great deal of administrative tasks which they fit in around the needs of the patients.

There are no medical staff on duty overnight, so they manage emerging symptoms utilising drugs prescribed to be administered as required, calling in the on-call member of the medical team for acute situations. They also manage community calls overnight giving symptom control advice to patients and carers.

There are occasions when they accept emergency admissions at night in consultation with the medical team, particularly for patients identified by the community team as appropriate for “anytime admission”.

Planned nursing care for all patients continues throughout the night, including position changes and syringe driver checks whilst maintaining an atmosphere conducive to sleep. During the night, the care is documented, care plans are updated and the written handover completed prior to the arrival of the early shift at 7.30am Thanks for reading, Sam Bennett

Sharon Midwinter and Louise Cluff, Staff Nurses on the IPU

Carrier Bag ChargeFrom Monday 5th October 2015 a carrier bag will cost 5p.In accordance with the law, we will be charging 5p

for every carrier bag issued in this shop. For every bag sold, 4p will help towards providing high quality specialist palliative care both within the

hospice and in the comfort of patients’ homes,treating adults with advanced progressive life-limiting illnesses.

The remaining 1p from the charge covers VAT.

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News from Retail

Continued over...

Happy 10th Birthday Billingshurst!The team at Billingshurst welcomed our Chairman Guy Clinch and our CEO Hugh Lowson, to help them celebrate their 10th birthday on Friday 9 October.Here are Guy and Hugh with Jean, Carole and the volunteers, who all dressed up as characters from children’s books.

Long Service BadgesJust as the customers have been supporting the Billingshurst shop over the years, so have the staff and volunteers. Hugh was able to present long service awards to four of the team:-• Jean Lawrence, Shop Manager - 15 years• Carole Adcock, Sales Assistant - 5 years• Lesley, volunteer - 10 years• Sharon, volunteer - 10 years

5p Charge on Carrier Bags introduced...From Monday 5 October we introduced the 5p charge. The benefits to our business are:• Last year we used 200,000 carrier bags – all of which we have bought and paid for.• 1 in 4 transactions left the shops in a carrier bag.• Retailers who have introduced bag charges on average report a 70% decline in disposable carrier bag usage.• A 70% reduction in bags = 70% reduction in our costs.• ALL the net profit from the bag sales will help towards providing vital hospice care for children and adults in our area.In an ideal world everyone would use their own bags – this would mean zero cost to us. That is unlikely to ever happen, so for now our customers can be confident that their 5p will be going to the cause they are already supporting.

Wonderful children’s literature-inspired birthday cake made by Karen Bentley.

Chairman Guy Clinch tries not to look

nervous next to Cruella De Ville.

Our retail business is one of our most important income streams, selling quality second-hand goods from 22 shops across Sussex!

Carrier Bag

Charge

From Monday 5th October 2015 a carrier bag will cost 5p

In accordance with the law, we will be charging 5p

for every carrier bag issued in this shop.

For every bag sold, 4p will help towards providing

specialist palliative care services to children

and young people aged 0 - 19 with life-shortening

conditions in East Sussex, West Sussex and

South East Hampshire.

The remaining 1p from the charge covers VAT.

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News from Retail - continued...

Rowlands Road Shop is 21On Friday 25 September, Ronnie Ryan and Assistant Manager, Emma Whiston, with their team celebrated their shop’s 21st birthday.Hugh Lowson and the Mayor of Worthing cut the cake to get the festivities underway for this important landmark for our oldest St Barnabas House charity shop in Worthing. The celebrations included a visit from a handwriting analyst, and much fun was had by all. Pictured below centre, Hugh has his handwriting analysed; below right, the Mayor and Mayoress join Hugh and staff for the celebrations.

Chestnut Tree House Open Days Christmas Sales Success!

Retail was proud to be invited to sell Christmas cards at the Chestnut Tree House Open Day.Happily sited next to the refreshment tent, we sold over 350 packs of Christmas cards to the many supporters who visited our stand.Thanks to Carla Davidson and Karen Davis, Assistant Managers, pictured below, with Jan Harper, and Jean a volunteer (all from Havant), who came and helped out over the two days.

2015

Friday 2 and

Saturday 3 October

10am to 4pm

Come and see us at

Chestnut Tree House

children’s hospice

to find out about

the care we provide

across Sussex.

Visit our new

Woodland Walk

Wheelchair

accessible

Tours – no need to book

Parking

Refreshments

01903 871820

www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

Like our Chestnut Tree House Facebook page

Follow us @ChestnutSussex

Dover Lane, Near Arundel,

West Sussex, BN18 9PX

Registered charity no 256789

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Where to find us

Chestnut Tree House

Our ranges of Christmas Cards are still available to buy in all of the shops.

Running and volunteering opportunities for Chestnut Tree House AND St Barnabas HouseOur Events Team staff, Nicky, Jemma and Angie, would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who gets involved with our running events for both St Barnabas and

Chestnut Tree House, whether as a brave runner or a wonderful volunteer.

Thanks to your amazing support, we can continue to provide our wide range of care and support services across both of our hospices.

We need volunteers for our Cheer Teams!Our runners know how it feels to hear their name being called out from the crowd just as they think they can’t go any further. We are currently looking for volunteers to support our Chestnut Tree House runners at events across the South at the following events:

• Brighton Half Marathon - Sunday 28 February 2016 – Chestnut Tree House runners

• Brighton Marathon - Sunday 17 April 2016 – Chestnut Tree House and St Barnabas House runners

If you would like to get involved, please get in touch and we’ll ensure that volunteers are given a special t-shirt and banner so our runners can easily spot our Cheer Teams on the route.

If you would like to get involved please contact Angie Bacon at fundraising-volunteers@stbh.org.uk or call 01903 706326.

Run with us in 2016!For anyone interested in signing up as a runner, rest assured there is plenty of support from our team. We would like to invite all runners, both beginner and experienced, to take the challenge and run for our hospices!

Please visit our website for more information or contact the Events Team.

www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/run Telephone: 01903 706355 / Email: events@stbh.org.uk

Meet one our runners for Chestnut Tree House, Dave Chapman:Dave (pictured right at our Open Days event with his daughters, Phoebe, 2 and Megan, 5) took up running in the new year, and completed the Brighton Marathon for Chestnut Tree House in April 2015 after just four months training. He also ran in the Littlehampton 10K last month, cycled from London to Paris in 2013 and sky-dived for us in July 2012. He is currently training for the Brighton Full and Half Marathons for 2016.

He recently joined the firm BP, who will be match-funding his future fundraising efforts.

Dave said: “It is great to be supporting Chestnut Tree House. It has been a personal challenge for me to undertake all the training, and I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere and support at the events. I’m looking forward to running in Brighton next year and raising more funds for such an amazing cause.”

What our Cheer Team Volunteers Caroline and Mark said:“I really enjoyed the day and know, from my own running, that people cheering you on and shouting your name really helps you to carry on when it gets tough!” Caroline McCullough.

“Cheering on our runners is amazing! When you see that they are struggling and you shout their name and they smile at you, it gives you a real buzz.” Mark Ward.

Caroline (left) and Mark (right)

cheering our runners on

If you would like to feature on our Facebook ‘Photo-Friday’ please contact Jayne Todd - jayne.todd@stbh.org.uk / Tel: 01903 706310

Carole Wollen, is a Medical Secretary at St Barnabas House where she has worked for 5 years.“I like speaking to patients and their families and working with the Community Team who do a fantastic job.”

Teresa Hall, is the Warehouse Assistant at the Retail Distribution Centre where she has been for 10 years.“I joined as a volunteer 10 years ago while I was unemployed, and started to help at the Rustington shop. I then got a paid role at our Storrington shop and worked in various other shops before getting a job at the RDC.”

Elaine McMullin, has worked as a Catering Assistant at St Barnabas House for 4 years.“I think it is a real privilege to get the opportunity to meet patients and their families, and if I can brighten up their day just once that makes it all worthwhile.”

Syb Hickford, has been a flower volunteer at St Barnabas House for 4 years.“I used to work for a hospice, so when I retired I knew I wanted to keep in touch with hospices because they do such great work. Flowers bring such joy to patients, because it’s bringing something from the outside in for them to enjoy.”

Jacquie Laker, has been a Home Healthcare Assistant at St Barnabas for a year.“My job is just a privilege. You are being a part of a family at such a difficult time, it’s just an honour to be a part of it.”

Dawn Crowley, has worked at Chestnut Tree House as a Staff Nurse for 16 months.“There is so much I like about working here. It is lovely to work with the children while they are feeling well and give them a great experience.”

v

Photo Friday for non-FacebookersHere are some of the staff and volunteers who have featured on Facebook in the last few weeks

Light Up a Life is a celebration at Christmas time of everything that St Barnabas House stands for – living

life to the full and making the most of the time we have. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the lives of our

loved ones. Our Light Up a Life appeal enables the local community to come together and make dedications in

the Order of Service and through the lighting of special candles.

This year’s Light Up a Life events take place on Monday 14 December at the Assembly Hall, Worthing

at 4.30pm and 7pm. For more information, visit the website www.stbh.org.uk or contact James Millen on 01903 706329 or email james.millen@stbh.org.uk.

Kindly supported by

STB LUAL 2015 2pp A5 family services flyer.indd 1 09/09/2015 12:46

Light Up a Life Volunteers If you would like to light a candle or read a dedication at one of the services, please contact Bella Cripps, Events

Assistant, specifying what you would like to do and which service you are available for.

With thanks, BellaTelephone 01903 706346

St Barnabas House Current Volunteering

Opportunities

For more information or to request an application form, please contact Voluntary Services on 01903 706315 or email volunteers@stbh.org.uk

HOUSEKEEPING

Enthusiastic people needed to keep the hospice clean, tidy and hygienic at all

times.

GARDENERS

Keen gardeners needed to help with the upkeep of the beautiful hospice grounds

and gardens.

DRIVERS

Safe drivers needed to provide comfortable transport for patients and

families.

SHOP ASSISTANTS

Savvy sales people or those with a passion for fashion wanted to join the shop teams

across the area.

‘BANK’ RECEPTIONISTS

Welcoming, friendly people needed to be a first point of contact for those contacting

and visiting the hospice.

WEEKEND RECEPTIONISTS

Welcoming, friendly people needed to be a first point of contact for those contacting

and visiting the hospice.

EVENTS VOLUNTEERS

If you would like to volunteer on a more ad hoc basis, helping at our many fundraising and awareness

raising events and activities, please see the listing on the Fundraising Opportunities page for upcoming dates,

or contact Angie Bacon on 01903 706326.

For more information or to request an application form, please contact Voluntary Services on 01903 706315 or email volunteers@stbh.org.uk

Chestnut Tree House Current Volunteering

Opportunities

HOUSEKEEPING

Enthusiastic people needed to keep the hospice clean, tidy

and hygienic at all times.

CATERING

Reliable people needed to assist with the preparation and

delivery of meals.

‘BANK’ RECEPTIONISTS

Welcoming, friendly people needed to be a first point of contact for those contacting

and visiting the hospice. Helping to cover rota during

times of sickness and holiday.

SHOP ASSISTANTS

Savvy sales people or those with a passion for fashion

wanted to join the shop teams across the area.

EVENTS VOLUNTEERSIf you would like to volunteer on a

more ad hoc basis, helping at our many fundraising and awareness raising events and activities, please see the listing on the Fundraising Opportunities page for upcoming dates, or contact Angie Bacon

on 01903 706326.

Volunteers we need you...

There are plenty of volunteering positions out and about that we need your help with. Please contact Angie Bacon on 01903 706326.

Fundraising opportunities

Christmas activities - promotional stands

Friday 6 NovEngaging with the public promoting

all our Festive Fundraising initiatives. Shifts available 10am to 1pm or

1pm till 4pm Also:Meridian Shopping Centre, Havant

Sat 14 Nov and Sun 15 Nov 3 hour and 2 hour shifts

available on both days.County Mall, Crawley

Giving Tree LaunchSaturday 28 NovBucket collections.

Promoting the Giving Tree to the public.

Handing out flyers.11am to 2pm.

Churchill Square, Brighton.

Christmas Vintage FairSaturday 28 and Sunday 29 Nov

Fundraising / awareness stand.Shifts available:

9am to 1pm, 1pm to 5pm.Middle Farm Firle, Lewes, BN8 6LJ.

Christmas events – selling Santa Hats NEWSaturday 12 DecBucket collections.

Fundraising/Awareness stand,- and watch the football match too!

Between 1pm and 5pmCrawley Town Football Club

Win a Car, selling raffle ticketsSunday 13 Dec

Shifts available between9.30am and 4.30pm, times TBC.

Arndale Centre, Eastbourne.

Thank you!

Promotion of Mad March Quiz eventsVarious dates and venues,to be confirmed.Please contact Angie.

Get Festive! - Wear a Santa Suit Day Friday 11 DecStreet Collection Dressed as Santa. Shifts from 10am to 12pm, 12pm to 2pm, 2pm to 4pm. Worthing town centre.

2016 Night To Remember –Midnight WalkSaturday 25 June 2016 toSunday 26 June 2016Route marshalling, serving refreshments, handing out medals.Shifts available from Saturday 10pm to Sunday 8am. Starting at the Leisure Centre,Worthing.

This month we take a look at

CONTRACTORS St Barnabas Hospices has responsibility to ensure that the activities of all contractors on the premises do not present risks to the health and safety of themselves or to patients, staff, volunteers, visitors or other persons who may be on the premises. In order to do this there is a contractors procedure that must be followed whenever contractors are used.

What is a contractor?

Anyone who comes onto any St Barnabas Hospices sites to undertake a specific piece of work and who are not employed by St Barnabas Hospices in a paid or voluntary capacity i.e.

Large or small businesses contracted to carry out repairs, routine maintenance, building and ground works, etc

IT consultants External trainers delivering specific training courses It may also include other groups of people working on site such as photographers

and film crews

What needs to happen?

Whenever contractors as identified above are used, the Contractors Procedure found in The Policy and Procedures for Health and Safety must be followed.

The information required to be received from the contractor and information given to the contractor by St Barnabas Hospices will vary according to the work undertaken. However, as a minimum, a copy of their current insurance certificate must be received prior to any work commencing. In addition, information may need to be given to the contractor in advance of the work that they may need to consider within their risk assessment.

All contractors working on site will need to be issued with a Permit to Work prior to the work starting.

SPOT LIGHT ON

HEALTH & SAFETY

From our

Health and Safety Officer, Sheila Leach