The BBC crew spent a day with our nurses in the Inpatient Unit and received first hand experience of what our fantastic nurses do on a daily basis.
This extremely moving piece shows the effect COVID-19 has had day to day, but how the resilience of the team allows us to continue to provide priceless palliative care and support to those who need it.
East Cheshire Hospice has thanked design students and staff at Fallibroome Academy for a supply of visors.
More than 1,000 face shields produced by the school have been distributed to nurses and staff in the local health care community.
The Hospice was among recipients. Director Karyn Johnston said: “It was great to get this help from our community. The visors provide an extra layer of confidence for our front-line care workers by protecting them more.
“Normally we’d use goggles as eye protection but they’re uncomfortable to wear all day. This wonderful initiative shows the community spirit which has been brought about by this crisis and that all of us can play a part.”
The school joined the fight against coronavirus when Andy Jones, its Director of Teaching and Learning for Design and Technology, realised their laser cutter could make the polypropylene and acetate visors.
A prototype was developed and manufacturing began once the school quickly saw that there was big demand.
The Academy’s Business Manager Karen Sharrocks, until recently a senior NHS manager, provided crucial logistical advice to ensure the visors reached the front-line of health care.
The school stayed open over Easter for pupils whose parents are key workers and were joined on the assembly line by staff volunteers, including Karl Rackham who made his own mask using a 3D printer at home.
Pupils included Lily Vesty, Jasmine Edwards, Felicity Funnell, Kadyleigh Bailey and Catriona Beynon.
Head Teacher Francis Power said: “Andy and colleague Oliver Hardman have really driven this project and given up a huge amount of time in doing so. I want to thank everyone for supporting this initiative at such a critical time.”
Local suppliers provided more materials once initial stocks were used. The school covered costs from donations from Macclesfield and Poynton Round Tables while parents also offered support.
Pupil Catriona Beynon hard at work making visors.
Teacher Oliver Hardman who helped make visors.
Fallibroome teacher Andy Jones
Banana and blueberry Belgian waffles – just one of the tasty treats served up during an East Cheshire Hospice health drive.
Sharing recipes, weight loss tips and new walking routes were all part of Lbs 4 £s, the Hospice’s 12-week fitness programme.
The initiative has raised £2,055 so far with the waffles earning Emma Machin the award for the tastiest looking breakfast.
Natalie Catterall raised £570 and shed almost two and a half stones after giving up chocolate, crisps, biscuits and cakes.
Natalie, whose late mum Hilary Woolliscroft was a Hospice patient, was not even tempted by a tipple of her favourite G and T.
Natalie Catterall and her late mum Hilary.
Natalie, a school business manager, said: “Dieting wasn’t easy but I didn’t veer from it and the fact I was raising money for the Hospice kept me on the straight and narrow.
“I had made the commitment and didn’t cheat and our group really enjoyed sharing experiences and tips via Facebook.
“I would get out of breath going up the stairs, but feel so much better now. It’s given me confidence to go to the gym and I might run a half marathon next year. I’ve completed a garden project with a lot of manual labour and couldn’t have done that before.”
Karen Hodkinson won the award for the most social media posts about her journey.
Hospice Events Assistant Bethan Wade said: “The aim was to lose weight, eat more healthily, improve fitness and well-being, or simply support the Hospice and everyone supported each other.”
Leek United Building Society is coming to the rescue of East Cheshire Hospice by supporting its appeal for help.
The building society – a long-standing supporter of the Hospice – has launched a fundraising campaign among staff and members of the public.
It will match every pound donated up to a maximum donation of £30,000 and share proceeds among three charities, one of which is the Hospice.
Leek United, which has a branch on Chestergate, Macclesfield, is responding to the funding crisis caused by coronavirus.
Chief Executive Andrew Healy said: “As a mutual organisation, one of our core values is to give back to the communities we serve, especially during difficult times.
“These charities do an amazing job but they face a challenge at the present time because many of the fundraising events they rely on for income have been cancelled.
“We want to help and we hope members of the public will support our fundraising campaign so that these charities can continue to provide vital services.” Details from leekunited.co.uk.
Kate Bowmar, Corporate Fundraiser at East Cheshire Hospice, said: “We’re extremely grateful for the continued support of Leek United colleagues and members during these difficult financial times.
“Our amazing nurses are working tirelessly to ensure our In Patient Unit and Hospice @Home services remain fully operational, but due to the closure of our retail stores and cancelled fundraising events we’ve launched our Now More Than Ever Appeal to try and recover some of our lost income.”
For details visit eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/nowmorethanever.
Kate Bowmar (third right) from East Cheshire Hospice with staff from Leek United Building Society.
Donations to the Hospice since it was forced to cancel fundraising events have passed the £100,000 mark.
We would like to thank the public for their overwhelming response after revealing we would lose £1m in income due to the national emergency.
However we urge the public to ‘keep up the good work’ with its efforts.
Sports mad Finley Foote, aged 11, is one of many fundraisers showing great community spirit.
Finley Foote enjoying the sight of White Nancy.
Finley has been exercising during lockdown by running at least two and a half miles each day near his home in Bollington.
He has raised £1,185 for the Hospice in the first week of his challenge, his efforts earning an honourable mention in the weekly Headteacher’s Notes at Tytherington School where he is a pupil.
Finley acted after learning about the cancelled events, including Splash Out which his family were due to take part in again this year.
Mum Sarah said: “It’s such a shame the Hospice is losing this revenue. It’s a wonderful local charity and close to everyone’s hearts.
“Finley hasn’t been able to do many of the activities he enjoys since sports clubs and school closed and he decided to help the Hospice. The sponsorship from friends, teachers and even strangers has been overwhelming and he’ll carry on running until the end of lockdown.
“His stepdad and I have been going out with him and have enjoyed helping him to beat his personal bests on the different routes. He has run a total of 31 miles so far!”
Finley Foote and mum Sarah on one of their runs.
To sponsor Finley visit justgiving.com/fundraising/sarah-latham22
Meanwhile, Carl Lamptey, whose wife Sarah died in the Hospice in 2014, has so far raised £11,000 in his fundraising campaign.
Hospice Director Karyn Johnston said: “We’re amazed by the acts of generosity shown by the community during this difficult time. People of all ages are raising funds to help out and our message is to please keep up the good work. We need your support now more than ever.”
The Hospice has streamlined services to cope without the 650 volunteers who normally provide vital help.
It means staff are filling in essential roles while demand for Hospice @Home support has increased. Visits to the inpatients ward are also severely restricted.
If you want to start your own #ECHVirtualChallenge to support the Hospice, go to www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/campaign/virtual-challenge-2020.
Heather Broadbent has vowed to complete her round-the-world sailing adventure even though she is now back home on dry land.
The Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race was suspended last month after reaching the Philippines because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Heather’s log book showed she had travelled 27,800 nautical miles and was past the half-way point in her 11-month voyage before the race was halted.
Coincidentally, she has raised just under £28,000 for East Cheshire Hospice where her late husband Adam was a patient.
Heather, from Disley, said: “I’m devastated to have to give up but happy to be back with my family. The race will hopefully resume next February and I can continue to raise money for the Hospice.
“I’d love to reach my target of £40,000 which would be a pound for every mile eventually sailed and it’d be wonderful if people can still donate.
“The first we knew about the virus was when crew members received messages from home asking if we were still going to stop in China.
“We made a detour to the Philippines where we were held in quarantine on a pontoon for three days under armed guard before we were flown home.”
Heather has a host of memories. She said: “It’s been an incredible adventure and more intense and much harder than I anticipated.
“I’ve loved and hated it in equal measures. I was lonely and felt miserable at times and it was physically demanding with a relentless routine. You see people at their most raw and there’s no hiding from it in such a confined space on a 70-foot yacht.
“However, there were so many highlights and I’ve made friends for life, people I’d never have met otherwise.
“Who would have thought that a 51-year-old housewife from Cheshire would become friends with a 31-year-old Scottish rigger?
“As we all ate roast beef out of plastic tubs on deck on Christmas Day with our skipper dressed as Father Christmas some 500 dolphins jumped around the boat. It was absolutely jaw dropping.
“I loved Cape Town. It was vibrant and friendly and I’m looking forward to going back. The best thing about being home was seeing my family, climbing into my own bed and not using a toilet angled at 45 degrees.
* To sponsor Heather visit justgiving.com/fundraising/dreamitnowdoit. Funds will support our Hospice @Home service.
Heather Broadbent during her epic voyage.
Are you free this Friday night (April 17) to take part in a fun interactive quiz?
It costs just £5 per household to join a Virtual Quiz in aid of East Cheshire Hospice.
Multiple questions have been prepared by the group who usually host regular quizzes for the Hospice.
To play teams need to log in to the popular App called Zoom.
Answers will be submitted via the Kahoot platform which needs to be downloaded on a separate phone, tablet or laptop.
The quiz starts at 7.30 pm and ‘doors’ open at 7 pm. A leader board will be displayed with points also awarded based on the speed of answers.
To enter go eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/virtualquiz.
Hospice Community Fundraiser Carley Macey said: “There are step-by-step instructions on how to play on our website and the questions are designed to appeal to young and old. ”
Question masters Paul Morrissey and Mark Watson have trialled the format and each question has a choice of four possible answers.
Co-organiser Alison Brammer said: “This quiz is a great opportunity for the community to raise funds for the Hospice and feel connected at this difficult time.
“Our group’s March quiz was cancelled so we’re delighted to get involved. The questions aren’t going to be difficult and there’s no prize, apart from the honour of all doing our bit for the Hospice.”
Quiz masters Paul Morrissey (left) and Mark Watson.
Running, cycling, baking, dancing or singing…examples of activities that will help East Cheshire Hospice during the virus crisis.
The Hospice is urging the public to join its Virtual Challenge – which has the slogan ‘stay in and go all out’ – as it tries to raise £1m.
Individuals and groups are encouraged to visit its website eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/virtual-challenge to register their own fundraising challenges for his new initiative.
The appeal is being made amid the Covid-19 pandemic which will result in lost revenue of around £1m for the Hospice from cancelled events.
Action from last year’s Splash Out which is one of the fundraising events cancelled by East Cheshire Hospice.
Events Assistant Bethan Wade said: “We realise it’s a difficult time for everyone, but with time on their hands our Virtual Challenge is a simple and easy way to raise money for the Hospice.
“It could be a run round the garden, baking a cake, or even a London to Paris bike ride for anyone who might have an exercise bike and can perhaps build their daily outdoor exercise into the journey.
“There are many ways of raising money and it doesn’t have to be a sports activity. For instance, it could be a karaoke session, a danceathon or a quiz.”
Bethan Wade, Events Assistant at East Cheshire Hospice.
Community Fundraising Manager Carley Macey is organising the first Hospice Virtual Quiz on Friday, April 17, (7.30 pm) and has set up a Virtual Balloon Race this weekend.
Balloons, costing £3 each, are launched from Jerusalem on Easter Sunday and the one which travels the furthest in a straight line in a week wins £500. Second prize is an Apple iPad and 10 runners up each collect £10 book tokens.
Balloons will follow a simulated flight pattern based on the actual weather during the race. Supporters can buy as many balloons as they wish and the leading 100 balloons can be tracked via the race homepage. Enter at www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/events/easter-virtual-balloon-race
The Hospice had received more than £40,000 in donations in the first 10 days since it was forced to cancel its fundraising events.
Bethan said: “We’ve had an amazing response so far, but this total is just a fraction of the revenue we’ve lost. The virus has had a major impact on the Hospice but we know the community will get behind us.”
Patient care is unaltered thanks to dedicated nursing staff and healthcare assistants who are using tablets and phones to link up patients as family visits are now severely restricted.
Footballers and celebrities have received a plea for help from a prominent supporter of East Cheshire Hospice.
Carl Lamptey, from Macclesfield, wants wealthy residents to help solve a funding dilemma facing the Hospice.
Carl Lamptey and wife Sarah who was a patient at East Cheshire Hospice in 2014.
He has spoken from the heart after his Team Rainbow raised £54,000 for the Hospice where his wife Sarah died of breast cancer six years ago, aged 36.
Carl said: “I’m challenging footballers and celebrities and the super rich who live in East Cheshire to do an amazing act of kindness and club together to raise £1m.
“That’s how much income the Hospice will lose in the next few months because all its fundraising events are being cancelled.
“East Cheshire is an affluent part of the country and we need everybody to help. I’m not saying all footballers and celebrities have bucket loads of money but the majority have and I’m asking them to undertake this challenge.
“They’ve been doing things like the toilet roll challenge on social media and this is the perfect opportunity for them to help.”
“The Hospice were brilliant with Sarah. They got her involved as an ambassador and gave her an extra six months with us. I’ll do anything for the Hospice and the community are donating, even though we all have little money. ”
East Cheshire is the second lowest government funded hospice in the country and needs to raise 85 per cent of its income to provide free care for patients with life-limiting illnesses.
* To support Carl visit justgiving.com/fundraising/carl-lamptey6
East Cheshire Hospice is turning to virtual fundraising to try to plug a £1m hole in its finances caused by coronavirus.
We are quickly making plans for a new online fundraising campaign to make up for a severe drop in income.
The Hospice was forced to cancel a host of events because of Covid-19 and will lose around a third of the £3m income it generates annually from fundraising and donations.
Rachel Allcock, Income Generation Director, said: “This revenue loss is a huge blow but we’re determined to fight back and raise the funds needed to care for our patients.
“That’s why we’re working on an ambitious virtual fundraising campaign which people can undertake while they’re at home.” Visit eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/virtual-challenge for details.
Meanwhile, bedside visits to patients are limited to immediate family only, charity shops have closed and many staff are working from home.
Hospice staff checking in from home for their daily coronavirus conference call.
Edna Keefe (84), who has worked in the laundry room since the Hospice opened, reluctantly went into self-isolation.
Edna briefed HR colleague Sue Adams about her role as a contingency.
Sue said: “We’re one team and always help each other out. I’ve also learned about the reception duties and the most important thing is to give the best possible care to patients and their families.
“They’re at the heart of everything we do and we’re all pulling together, even though it’s going to be a bumpy ride for a while.”
Sue Adams helping out with laundry duties.
