Corporate Archives - East Cheshire Hospice

Will Week – Home Appointments

Posted on 16th September 201916th September 2019 by Amy Chatwood

Home visits by solicitors during Will Week are still available, even though office appointments are now fully booked up in Macclesfield.

Blunts Solicitors and SAS Daniels no longer have vacancies during Will Week which runs from October 7-11 and is in aid of East Cheshire Hospice.

The solicitors are among 15 firms offering to write a single, or mirror will, in return for a donation to the Hospice.

Among them is Estate Planning Solutions who will visit people in the comfort of their own homes and provide the same service.

Kate Bowmar, the Hospice’s Corporate Fundraiser, said: “We’re on course for another highly successful Will Week and want to thank those who’ve already booked an appointment.

“We’d also like to stress that these home appointments are available to anyone in the community, not just those who may struggle to travel to their local solicitor.”

Estates Planning Solutions (tel: 01625 540033) has been nominated for a prestigious award at next month’s British Wills and Probate Awards.

Director Paul Dodsworth said: “We are very pleased to support East Cheshire Hospice during Will Week and are happy to offer home visits in Macclesfield and the surrounding areas.”

A full list of participating solicitors is available at eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/willweek19.

Solicitors will outline their usual fees and encourage supporters to donate a similar amount to the Hospice via a donation envelope for cash or cheques.

* For more details contact the fundraising team on 01625 433477.

7i Group generous donations

Posted on 16th September 201916th September 2019 by Amy Chatwood

A flourishing new business is sharing its success with East Cheshire Hospice by making a £500 donation to the charity.

7i Group was set up 18 months ago by managing director Andrew Sellick who has many years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry.

The company is sharing at least one per cent of its first-year pre-tax profits with the Hospice and Rainbow Trust.

7i Group, which is about to move to larger offices at Alderley Park due to rapid expansion, provides advanced commercial and scientific insights research for pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare organisations.

The group’s insight and analysis, gained through its scientific and market expertise, is also of valuable assistance to health care providers such as the NHS.

Andrew, from Knutsford, said: “I’d always wanted to set up my own business but family and career took precedence until the opportunity presented itself a couple of years ago.

“It’s now all come together, and I wish I’d done it 20 years ago. It’s hard work but 7i Group is going really well and Alderley Park is a great place to work.

“When 7i Group started we wanted to give something back and are proud to be associated with East Cheshire Hospice, a charity where dedicated and caring people are delivering incredibly important services to patients and their families.”

7i Group is part of the Hospice 500 Club in which members raise £500 minimum each year over a three-year period.

Why we are updating our Will this year…

Posted on 21st August 2019 by Amy Chatwood

Daughter Gwen was not born the last time Rachel and Graham Allcock wrote a Will.

Now she is 10, the couple have decided it is about time they did something to reflect their change in circumstances.

They have booked an appointment with Blunts Solicitors as part of Will Week (Oct 7-11) in aid of East Cheshire Hospice.

Rachel, from Broken Cross, said: “Our Will is completely out of date so we’re going to start again with a new Will. We’ve both chosen a mirror Will where we leave our estate to each other.

“The main reason we’re doing the Will is to make sure we look after Gwen. It’s not so much what happens to our possessions, but to ensure her future is secure.”

Rachel will happily make a donation to the Hospice, where she is Income Generation Director, in exchange for Blunts waiving their usual fees during Will Week.

The Macclesfield solicitors are among 15 firms donating their time and expertise to support the Hospice during Will Week.

Rachel added: “Making a new Will is something we’ve been thinking about for a while and we kept putting it off, but it’ll provide us with peace of mind.

“We’ve also decided to leave a legacy to the Hospice in our Will. Legacies are such an important part of the Hospice’s income and I see on a daily basis the difference they make to the care of our patients.”

Will Week 2019

Posted on 21st August 201921st August 2019 by Amy Chatwood

Solicitors are offering to make home visits this year as part of Will Week in aid of East Cheshire Hospice.

Supporters of Will Week, which runs from Oct 7-11, can still also choose the option of making an appointment at the offices of their local solicitor as previously.

The new at-home service is offered by Estates Planning Solutions and Port Worth Law Ltd who are among 15 firms of solicitors taking part in the charity’s Will Week.

Blunts Solicitors and SAS Daniels, from Macclesfield, have again subscribed to the popular scheme in which solicitors waive their fees in return for a donation to the Hospice.

A full list of participating solicitors is available on the Hospice website eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/willweek19 and is shown on leaflets to promote Will Week.

The Hospice is urging people to book appointments as quickly as possible.

Kate Bowmar, the Hospice’s Corporate Fundraiser, said: “Will Week is still a few weeks away but places are usually booked up quickly and people run the risk of not getting an appointment if they

don’t contact their solicitors.

“Estates Planning Solutions and Port Worth Law Ltd have kindly agreed to visit people in the comfort of their own homes at a mutually agreed time and we’re keen to stress that people can also visit their local solicitors as in past years.”

Participating solicitors will be able to write a single or mirror will, or update an existing will, in return for a donation to the Hospice. Any services above and beyond this will be chargeable at the solicitor’s usual cost.

Kate added: “When booking an appointment, your solicitor will outline their usual fees and encourage you to donate a similar amount to the Hospice in return for the service.

“Please bring the amount you’d like to donate in cash, or cheque, to the appointment and the solicitor will give you a donation envelope which is then collected by the Hospice.”

Last year’s Will Week raised over £8,000 for the Hospice which also relies on legacy gifts in Wills as vital source of funding. Legacies provide care for one in three of its patients.

* For more details contact the fundraising team on 01625 433477. They will also provide help on alternatives if a solicitor is already fully booked.

Lifestyle Fitness Charity Spinathon

Posted on 8th August 2019 by Amy Chatwood

Cyclists were made to sweat during a Charity Spinathon which raised almost £1,300 for the Hospice.

Some 30 members of Lifestyle Fitness, based at Macclesfield College, took part in the three-hour marathon.

Over half the donation came from sponsorship raised by fitness enthusiasts through JustGiving pages.

Lifestyle Fitness has 1,000 members in Macclesfield where classes run from 6.30 am to 9.30 pm.

The company is part of the Hospice’s popular 500 Club in which members raise at least £500 each year over a three-year period.

Club Manager Jake McKie said: “East Cheshire Hospice was the charity chosen by our members to support last year. It’s a wonderful cause which we’re delighted to help and want to thank our members for their generous fundraising.”

The next challenge is to raise £1,000 from National Fitness Day on Wed, Sept 25, when the target is to get 100 members to join a one-hour circuit class.

If you would like to be part of our 500 Club, get in touch today kbowmar@echospice.org.uk or click here to find out more!

M-Fest made impact

Posted on 17th July 2019 by Amy Chatwood

A mortgage business brought the music festival scene to Pott Shrigley, raising £1,511.47 for East Cheshire Hospice.

Visitors to M-Fest, organised by Mortgage Advice Bureau, enjoyed a distinct local flavour at the one-day bash held in a field.

The BBQ food and drink was free, having been supplied by butcher Jeremy Heathcote and the mortgage company, in return for a donation to charity.

Singer songwriter Ellie Grice, soul and funk band Treme and Cheshire-based band Taylor and Co provided musical entertainment.

Carly Green, Senior Mortgage Adviser at Mortgage Advice Bureau in Bollington, had the idea of M-Fest and directors Tom Barrass and Ian Pollock quickly backed the project.

Carly said: “We couldn’t have hoped for a more successful event. Our aim was to bring the local community together and raise money for a brilliant cause and I think we achieved that.

“More than 300 people registered to attend and many more turned up on the day. We’d like to thank the local community for making the day special, but most of all our staff and business partners for getting behind the festival.

“We also made a small donation to St Christopher’s Church in Pott Shrigley for their support in helping organise it.”

Corporate Challenge 2019 was a brilliant success!

Posted on 17th July 2019 by Amy Chatwood

East Cheshire businesses have gone head to head in a corporate challenge which tested their money-making abilities.

The challenge was to turn £100 into as much profit as possible over a month by devising and taking part in fundraising activities to raise funds for East Cheshire Hospice.

The winning company, McCann Health Medical, rose to the challenge with a flurry of fundraising activity with employees throughout the company supporting their King Edward Street colleagues to raise £3,240.

Their Global President, Charlie Buckwell, said the company was delighted to win the challenge.

“We are very proud to support such an important cause as East Cheshire Hospice, and the incredible work they do,” he said.

Amongst the employees who took part were Account Co-Ordinator, Lucy Hall and Senior Medical Writer, Chris Whittle.

Lucy said: “It was a really fun way to ignite some friendly competition and be creative, all in honour of raising money for an amazing cause.”

And Chris, who took part in a 10K run to raise money said: “Winning the corporate challenge collectively as a company seems to have been a win-win for everyone, as we raised money for an incredibly crucial and worthwhile cause.”

And Melanie Garfitt from the company’s social events team echoed the sentiments. “From start to finish, we found the challenge very rewarding as a company. We tried to make sure the real winners were East Cheshire Hospice.”

The team award for the most creative ideas went to Pan European Networks, a digital publishing company from Congleton where all 26 members of staff took part in a host of fundraising events from cycling the equivalent of Land’s End to John O’Groats at a gym, to dressing up in Game of Thrones outfits for the day.

Their general manager, Stephanie Davies, helped organise the company challenge which raised almost £1500 for the Hospice.

“By far, I think our most popular fundraiser was the raffle for three-days holiday!”, she said. “As a cancer survivor, I was lucky enough to access the facilities at the Hospice 13 years ago, and many of us in the company were keen to support their work.”

Other businesses that took part in the challenge were Context Public Relations; Bioscript; Chess ICT and Ashfield Healthcare Communications and together all the businesses raised almost £8500.

Be part of our 500 Club!

Posted on 17th July 201917th July 2019 by Amy Chatwood

East Cheshire Hospice have paid tribute to local businesses who collectively have raised £35,000 over the past year.

The businesses are all members of The 500 Club – a network of companies who have pledged to raise at least £500 per annum for three years.

They include Leek United Building Society whose branch manager, Veronica McNeil, says Club membership provides a win-win opportunity for both the Hospice and her colleagues.

“Staff and customers engage by getting involved in helping a local charity and of course every penny raised helps the Hospice with their great work,” she says.

“This year we raised more than £2000 by taking part in the Hospice events give a donation for every special East Cheshire Hospice that is opened.”

Another Club member, Blunts Solicitors from King Edward Street, raised most of their £4200 total by taking part in Will Week when legal advice is given for free in exchange for a donation to the Hospice.

Paralegal, Tina Phipps, says their company support continues throughout the year.

“I do legal clinics at the Sunflower Centre and the collecting box in our office is topped up when we ask clients for donations instead of charging for minor legal tasks,” she says.

Corporate Fundraiser at the Hospice, Kate Bowmar, says the Club now has 37 members who all benefit from regular networking events.

“Our 500 Club members are part of an engaged and socially responsible group of businesses who bring real benefit to our work,” says Kate.

Co-Op Local Community Fund

Posted on 17th July 2019 by Amy Chatwood

Your weekly shopping trip could be helping to support a unique service for young people in East Cheshire.

The Childhood Bereavement Service, run by East Cheshire Hospice, supports young people coping with loss and now it’s been chosen to benefit from the Co-Op Local Community Fund with 1% of every Co-Op own brand product bought by shoppers potentially going to support the service.

Shoppers will need to be Co-Op members and should sign up to support the Hospice here www.coop.co.uk/membership. Once the card is scanned after a shop, 1% will be donated to the Hospice.

The Bereavement Service delivers counselling, peer support groups and awareness raising activity such as training courses for teachers, youth workers and relatives. During 2017/18 it supported 226 children and young people and over 1000 family members.

Initially developed with funding from the Big Lottery Fund in 2013, the service now has no external funding so support from Co-Op shoppers will be hugely beneficial.

Corporate Fundraiser for the Hospice, Kate Bowmar, says research shows that support through bereavement is important for children and young people.

“The best way to safeguard a bereaved child’s emotional and physical well-being is to involve and inform them in an age appropriate way throughout the dying process and beyond,” she says.

“We’ve already received a mid-year payment of £830 donated by the local community and would love to continue this for the rest of the year,” adds Kate.

Shoppers have until the end of October to donate to the Hospice.

£1million donation from Proseal

Posted on 30th May 2019 by Amy Chatwood

One of the region’s best-performing companies is taking the opportunity to share its success with worthy local causes.

As part of its local community support programme, Adlington-based Proseal has donated £1 million, to East Cheshire Hospice for the care of people with life-limiting illnesses.

The donation to East Cheshire Hospice will help it to further extend its outreach projects and palliative care service, providing specialist medical treatment and holistic care for local people coping with life limiting illnesses, while continuing to deliver compassionate support and counselling for carers and relatives.

Karyn Johnston, East Cheshire Hospice Director, said on receipt of the gift “I am humbled to accept this generous donation from Proseal. As a small local charity, we rely on our community and corporate partners for more than 85% of our funding, so this represents a massive boost to our future plans. The team at Proseal have been generous supporters of the Hospice for a number of years, working alongside our amazing What Women Want supporter group.”

“On behalf of all the patients and families whose end of life experience will be improved by this gift, I say thank you.”

The Christie Cancer Centre Macclesfield is also receiving the same amount. This will undoubtedly make East Cheshire, and Macclesfield in particular, the centre of excellence in palliative and end of life care.

Proseal directors and co-founders Steve Malone and Robbie Hargreaves, who set up the company in 1998, say the donation is on behalf of all its employees, whose hard work and dedication have enabled it to make this important contribution.

“We have enjoyed immense success and growth in the 20 years since Proseal was established, and none of this could have been achieved without the fantastic support and commitment of everyone within the business.”

“Proseal therefore wanted to give something back to the local community. We chose the Christie Cancer Centre and East Cheshire Hospice as the recipients because of the vital work they do, which any of us at Proseal, as well as our families and friends, may have to call on at some point.”

“The Christie Cancer Centre and East Cheshire Hospice play vital roles in the local community,” says Steve and Robbie. “We hope our contributions will help both organisations continue their great work.”

Proseal designs and manufactures high quality food packaging machinery for the food industry. Since its inception in 1998, the company has grown into a global market leader in its sector, currently employing over 350 people in the UK and nearly 500 worldwide. Last year, Proseal won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.