NewsletterJuly 2020 #64

In this Newsletter, we bring you a flavour of life at the Hospice during COVID-19. It has been difficult and worrying at times but what has been overwhelming is the thoughtful and positive support we have received from the local community. Thegifts of hot cross buns at Easter, flowers to celebrate VE Day and scrubs made by local dressmakers have not only brought asmile to our faces, but also warmth in our hearts, knowing how much we are valuedand supported. We shall be forever grateful.

Throughout the pandemic our priority has been caring for patients and their relatives and friends, with the dedication and passion that runs through the Hospice. At the same time, we have focused on keeping the individuals we support, our employees, volunteers and the wider community safe. In the following pages you will read about how we have changedthe ways we work and the creative ways we have enabled people to feel connectedduring such troubling times.

These have been and continue to be unprecedented times that have demandedtireless devotion, resilience and courage. I am immensely proud of the St Michael’s Hospice team who continue to go above and beyond to keep supporting patients and families. I was delighted to see the return of some of our volunteers when our shops began to re-open at the end of June.The Retail team have done a fantastic jobin making our shops safe whilst giving a warm and friendly welcome to all our

customers. It’s also a great relief to know that a vital source of income is starting to gain traction again.

Our income has been, and will be, severelyaffected by this pandemic but we know that many families across Hastings and Rother are struggling to make ends meet. Please keep the Hospice in your thoughts and if, and when, you are able to make a financial contribution to ensure our ongoing resilience, it would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advance for your continued kindness and generosity.

Like you, we are unsure of what lies ahead,but be reassured that if you need us, we will do everything we can to support you.Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

K����Dr Karen Clarke, Chief Executive

Shop online from our list of items selected for Hospice patients and the In-Patient Unit. Take a lookwww.stmichaelshospice.com/wishlist

Bereavement support Bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic, islikely to be the hardest thing possible. Inresponse we have expanded our services to provide a fast response call back telephone service.

The service is available to adults throughout Hastings and Rother and can be accessed directly via a simple form on our website or by phoning 01424 456361 and leaving a message (no previous contact with the Hospice is necessary).

A bereavement counsellor will then phone back the same or next working day to provide emotional support and give practical advice where appropriate.

The service is managed Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. www.stmichaelshospice.com/bereavement

"I knew I wanted to talk to someone and get some support so I looked on your website and saw that you had a call back service. It was so very easy to access. I was surprised how fast and how easy it all was. I was so pleased to talkto someone about how I was feeling, thank you so much.” commented a service user.

Wobble RoomThroughout the Hospice we have created some quiet spaces for employees to use when neededand recently a Wobble Room has been designedfor clinical employees, to be a comforting spaceaway from the hustle and bustle of the wards.

In-Patient Unit Nursing Manager Jo Pinder, with support from the Wellbeing Team and Rebekah a Spiritual Care volunteer from the Darvell Bruderhof community, have created a tranquil space with a Positivi-Tree for the team to share their positive thoughts. Hospice CEO Karen Clarke, gifted a Himalayan rock salt lamp, known to release negative ions creating a soothing environment, and a beautiful woodenbowl, made by her dad. We all have wobblesand caring for ourselves is key if we are to care for patients, their loved ones and each other. Always remembering, it's okay not to be okay."

WellbeingWhile the Hospice has adjusted to changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wellbeing Services have been actively supporting people in new ways. The Wellbeing Programme team are working with a number of volunteers to assistus with regular telephone support to patients and families, many of whom who have been shielding throughout the lockdown, to check on their wellbeing and provide support to cope withchallenges and remain as well and active as possible. Our physiotherapists, social worker, spiritual support lead and wellbeing assistants continue to provide input to patients and families on our In-Patient Unit to support their holistic needs, personal priorities and goals.

As time has progressed, we are evolving our useof technology to connect with people using videocalls which enables people to see a familiar face and improves communication and connection. We are now progressing how we can enable groups of people to come together to support each other using these online approaches.

Our support has been greatly appreciated by those in the community, one patient recently commented “The Hospice is the only agency that has made contact and I would have felt extremely isolated without their support.”

Moving forwards, we are now looking to howwe can widen our services and support in a safe way. This will encompass developing a new virtual Wellbeing Programme, with groups and resources people can access remotely, collaborating with services users and communitypartners around new innovative ideas and planning for opening up to face to face support. We are optimistic we will come through COVID-19 with a new range of Wellbeing Services to support the Hospice vision and our communities through the pandemic and into thefuture.

The Wobble Room

busy making PPE for local healthcare providers. The team very generously donated scrubs to theHospice, thank you.

The support provided by Hastings Direct over the past few months has been truly fantastic. The donations, totalling £2,000, have enabledus to purchase a number of electronic tablets enabling patients to remain in close contact with loved ones at a time when visiting theHospice has been restricted. We’ve also beenable to purchase additional recreational items, such as jigsaw puzzles and colouring books, to help keep patients busy.

Health and WellbeingWe have been heartened by the level of generosity from the community of Hastings and Rother over recent month, with donations seeking to keep our staff fit and well, especiallywith the initial supermarket restrictions.

Eggs to Apples Farm Shop and Browns Farm Shop have both been delivering weekly delicious fruit and vegetable boxes to the Hospice. These donations have made such a difference to our teams.

On a similar note, Drink Warehouse UK made a very generous donation of soft drinks and snacks for patients and staff to enjoy.

And the Hospice team were overjoyed to receive a very generous donation of free Domino's Pizza’s. We were also delighted to accept a gift of scrumptious chocolate cupcakes from Dom's FOOD mission, delicious hotcrossbuns from The Little Mill Bakery, and Eastereggs from Stevie and Seph. All wonderful treats for the team and patients.

John Hornblow, Sussex Freemans

Karen Clarke, CEO, said; "Our team continues toprovide palliative and end of life care and support to the Hastings and Rother communityand is working in partnership with the NHS to support patients with COVID-19. The Hospice needs its community more than ever and theseare fantastic examples of how our communityhas come to our assistance. We could not be more grateful to them for their incredible support.”

We are very grateful for the extremely generous donation of personal protective equipment (PPE)from the University of Brighton which helps us safely care for patients. A wonderful example of partnership, collaborative working and generosity of spirit.

Additional PPE was received from the Sussex Freemasons (Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex) and more recently, an incredible donation of mobile tablets for the use of Hospice patients, for which we areextremely grateful.

Chris Moore from Sussex Freemasons, said; "Thank you to the Hospice employees for the untiring devotion given to all their patients. We are fully aware that this devotion is not without personal bravery for which the whole masonic community is very grateful indeed."

The Design Technology department at St Richard's Catholic College, came up trumps with a very generous donation of PPE visors, which they created using 3D printers on site.

We are so lucky our local community is full of people who are part of the creative industriesand were thrilled to see David from the local group RX Scrubs, feature on ITV's This Morning.The team from RX Scrubs are designers, costumemakers and pattern cutters, and have been

Thank you for keeping us safe

Sharing the loadAs it became clear that all care establishments needed to prepare for a predicted influx of patients with COVID-19, the Hospice team rallied round to ensure all areas of the business could continue in such new working conditions.Many employees working in non-clinical areas offered to re-train into support roles such as housekeeping and receptionists.

Laura Sully, Community Fundraiser, retrained to support the Reception desk. “Working on reception has highlighted how diverse the role is. The knowledge of the volunteers is amazingand their adaptability is incredible, from being the face of the Hospice to taking complex telephone calls” said Laura.

We have celebrated and supported the weeklyClap for Carers to acknowledge the extraordinary work of all key workers. Thank you to everyone who has taken part and applauded the work of our wonderful employees.

Clap for Carers

Celebrating VE Day The Catering team made a delicious VE Day afternoon tea, while the clinical team decorated the wards. There was a brilliant atmosphere and it was great to celebrate this momentous occasion with Hospice patients, including Alan(pictured).

Hospice Neighbours keep in touchThe Hospice Neighbours have been providing invaluable support and companionship to their clients during this period of lockdown. At a time when social isolation has been a very real concern for so many, the volunteers have made certain to keep in touch. Marian, Phil and Lesley, three volunteers, continued to support their Hospice Neighbour clients, but in a very different way. They have been busy phoning their clients, while they are unable to visit them, to check in and make sure they have everything they need.

Lorraine, another volunteer Hospice Neighbours, has been reading to her client, Lorraine had already read the book and knew her client loved reading, particularly a good mystery/thriller, however finds it hard to concentrate on reading due to her treatment. She was absolutely delighted when Lorraine suggested reading the book to her once a week over the phone.

Love is not broken by physical separationDuring lockdown all Hospice in-patients are given a beautifully crafted wooden heart or flower and a matching heart or flower is sent toa family member/friend, with their loved onesname on it. These have been have been crafted and donated by the Darvell Bruderhof Community. Whilst people are in our care we remind them they are loved, important and that we value them. These wooden hearts andflowers are to remind them their love with theirfamily is not broken by physical separation.

Pauline walks 100 milesWith the encouragement of family and friends, Hospice supporter Pauline took on an amazing challenge in her back garden by walking 3 miles a day around her patio for six weeks, clocking up an outstanding 100 miles.

Pauline said “I have loved ones who were caredfor at the Hospice and although lots of people have quite rightly been supporting the NHS, I know how much the money I raised would be appreciated by the Hospice, especially with so many of their fundraising events having been cancelled over the past 12 weeks.”

Ashdown Hurrey’s 5 marathons in 5 daysBen and Holly from Ashdown Hurrey and their friends, walked 5 marathons in 5 days in aid of the Hospice. Their challenge took them all over Hastings and Rother raising over £2,500, which is incredible. Please join us in congratulating them.

Heringtons SolicitorsWe are incredibly grateful for Heringtons Solicitorsdonation of £1,000, kindly received by Hospice Ambassador, Mark Benton. Richard Fisher, Solicitor and Managing Partner, said: "It has never been more necessary to support the Hospice in these difficult times. We are delighted to do our part."

Join us online for vital services,events and news updates.

Virtual eventsAt a time when the majority of our usual calendar of events has been cancelled or postponed it has been truly heartwarming to hear of the creative ways in which supporters are striving to raise much needed funds for us.

The cancellation of events between April and August, the shop closures and the restrictions on our Lottery means we will lose expected income totalling over £730,000. A few of our events have been converted into virtual events, such as the Moonlight and MemoriesWalk. This year, instead of a 250 strong groupwalking from Hastings to Bexhill on Sea and back, 40 participants covered the 10km, or 2,500 steps individually, in their local areas.

Tia Austin, from the Hospice Lottery team, followed the Moonlight Walk route in themorning, and Wendy Maylam, in the HR team, walked her 10km in the afternoon. Together, the Moonlight Walkers will have raised over £6,000 this year. Laura Sully, Jo Lyons and Perdita Chamberlain, all from theFundraising team, also put on their walkingboots and completed the virtual Moonlightand Memories 10k Walk.

Employees at the Hospice have also been busy fundraising for the Hospice. Rebecca,Fundraising Team Manager, completed the2.6 Challenge whilst Jo Pinder, IPU Nursing Manager, has been hosting virtual quiz nights. In total they have raised over £2,700 since March. Rebecca, Fundraising Team Manager,said “I am incredibly proud of the whole Fundraising team. I am in awe of how hard they are working to support each other and other teams at this time whilst being ambitiousin thinking about how to try and bridge the gaps which have been left from all the cancelled events.”

A doubly close shaveThe decision to shave off all your hair is a very brave one to make, yet two Hospice supporters have taken the plunge and lost their locks to raise money for the Hospice.

Andy allowed his son Brandon, and daughter, Amy to undertake the shave, saying ‘I needed a haircut, so now seemed like the perfect time to have my head shaved. I am very grateful for my family, friends and work colleagues at Avanti ABI, for helping me raise £250." Andy continued; "I live quite close to the Hospice and and have supported them by attending monthly coffee mornings and visiting their local shops. I also have a connection with a friend from church, who has been working as a Health CareAssistant at the Hospice for many years. My church also supports the Hospice through their Community Group, so I know the work the Hospice does is so vital for those needing care and support. At this difficult time, I just wanted to show love and support for the Hospice”.

A second Hospice supporter, Phoebe also braved the shave, raising an amazing £1,500 inmemory of her Uncle Paul. What a great beforeand after photo. Phoebe's dad also shaved hishead in support of his daughter and in memory of his brother, "My family and I are forevergrateful to be able to support those who supported our Paul. It has been greatly humbling to receive everyone's kind donations, so thank you from all of us. Here's to Paul!” said Phoebe.

30 in 30 – A virtualchallengeOur 30 in 30 Challenge has been popular this year – an opportunity for a personal challenge to undertake a task or activity for 30 consecutive days.

The challenge has seen people taking on a different set of exercises every day for 30 days to trying out a new craft for 30 days, or, as inLynn’s case, focus on a much loved hobby with a daily target.

“I am scrap-booking 30 unfinished layouts for my 30 in 30 challenge, whichis going to be particularly challenging, due to having severe carpal tunnel syndrome. I wanted to support mylocal Hospice by taking on this challenge from home, because they have had to cancel many large fundraising events this year” said Lynn. Who raised over £500. Find out more: www.stmichaelshospice.com/events/30-in-30

Virtual Open GardensDespite not being able to welcome visitors to our planned Open Gardens this year wewanted to share all the hard work which the garden owners have put in to make their gardens such an annual attraction. Virtual tours of most gardens have been shared on the HospiceFacebook page – if you would like to take a look you can find all the links on our website atwww.stmichaelshospice.com/VirtualOG. If you enjoy looking at the photos please consider making a donation to the Hospice at: www.stmichaelshospice.com/donate

busy making PPE for local healthcare providers. The team very generously donated scrubs to theHospice, thank you.

The support provided by Hastings Direct over the past few months has been truly fantastic. The donations, totalling £2,000, have enabledus to purchase a number of electronic tablets enabling patients to remain in close contact with loved ones at a time when visiting theHospice has been restricted. We’ve also beenable to purchase additional recreational items, such as jigsaw puzzles and colouring books, to help keep patients busy.

Health and WellbeingWe have been heartened by the level of generosity from the community of Hastings and Rother over recent month, with donations seeking to keep our staff fit and well, especiallywith the initial supermarket restrictions.

Eggs to Apples Farm Shop and Browns Farm Shop have both been delivering weekly delicious fruit and vegetable boxes to the Hospice. These donations have made such a difference to our teams.

On a similar note, Drink Warehouse UK made a very generous donation of soft drinks and snacks for patients and staff to enjoy.

And the Hospice team were overjoyed to receive a very generous donation of free Domino's Pizza’s. We were also delighted to accept a gift of scrumptious chocolate cupcakes from Dom's FOOD mission, delicious hotcrossbuns from The Little Mill Bakery, and Eastereggs from Stevie and Seph. All wonderful treats for the team and patients.

Sussex Futsal ClubA very big thank you to Graham and the Sussex Futsal Club for fundraising for the Hospice, by taking on the 2.6 Challenge. Each member completed 26 kick-ups which is a lot of kick-ups between them - well done to all.

Running for the HospiceWhen the Hastings Half Marathon fell casualty to Covid-19, severalrunners chose to run the distance as part of their permitted daily exercise, determined to raise funds for the Hospice. Huge thanks and congratulations to Rob, Verity, Penny and Darren, who took onthe challenge in their own way, raising vital funds for the Hospice.What superstars!

One such runner, Catherine kindly shared her Hastings HalfMarathon story with us, "The Hastings Half Marathon is really important to me as my Dad has been involved in the event sinceits creation. Over the years my siblings have run it, but I never had the inkling. However, my life has changed recently, so I decided to take up running and if you don’t try the Hastings Half at least once, then I think you’re missing out because despite it being a tough course, and a real challenge, it is full of community spirit.

My good friend Annie who passed away at the Hospice, used to laugh at me when I’d say one day I would give the Hastings Half a go for my Dad. She knew I would never do it, but this year I did sign up – this one is for you Annie!

On Saturday 28th March, taking into consideration the social distancing rules, I took out my Billy for a very long walk to complete the challenge. We used overgrown footpaths and back streets around our beautiful town, close to the Hastings Half route and I am pleased to say we completed just over the 13.1 miles. Thank you to everyone who sponsored me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart to the soles of my feet!"

Our brilliant team of half marathon runners have so far raised over £6,000

Welcoming Customers back

Since March 2020 all of our eight charity shopshave been closed leaving a huge hole in the lives of our retail staff, volunteers and customers alike. In early July we were delighted to start the gradual re-opening of ourbusy high street shops – following a great deal of precautionary work to ensure that we canmeet the required social distancing regulations. First to open were 66 Queens Road, Hastings and 56 Devonshire Road, Bexhill – both metwith a very warm welcome. We plan to gradually re-open our remaining shops in the coming weeks.

Shop Manager Sharon, reopening 56 Devonshire Road, Bexhill on Sea

Contact usTo complete a full opt-in form visit www.stmichaelshospice.com/keepintouch All personal information is processed in line with the Data Protection Act 2018. For further details on how we use your information please visit our website www.stmichaelshospice.com/privacynotices or contact the Fundraising team on 01424 456379, or email fundraising@stmichaelshospice.com Registered charity number 288462

St Michael’s Hospice Lottery members – thank you for beingpart of something HUGE!

The Hospice Lottery has continued to grow. Forthe second year running we have seen over £1million played, resulting in a profit of over £700,000 donated to the Hospice last year.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to make many operational changes but, in compliance with our Gambling Commissionlicence, we have managed to run a weekly draw every Friday, making lots of lucky winners a little happier over this difficult period.

Over 4,000 of our players usually pay one of our Lottery Collectors, who, due to COVID-19, are not able to visit players. The team have made sure all our players have been offered alternative ways to pay each week, we don'twant anyone missing out on their chance to win. Thank you to those Lottery members who have changed their payment method during this period. We aim to get the collectors back out as soon as possible, but only when it is safe for everyone.

Lastly, thank you to every Lottery player for being part of our huge success – your supportis so appreciated. Your loyalty and generosity directly benefit our patients and their families.If you don’t already play, we would love to welcome you, for just £1 per week – you could be our next weekly £2,000 winner! Join today at www.stmichaelshospice.com/lottery or call the lottery team on 01424 456384.

A fun and easy way to help your Hospice!

Can you help the Hospice by selling scratch cards to your friends and family?

Hopefully by the time you receive this newsletter, you will be able to see more of your friends and family – would you be able to help us by selling our scratch cards? They add a bit of fun to family BBQs or get togethers.

Please call the Lottery Team on 01424 456384 for details. Players must be 16+

Just £1

each

Prizes

up to

£1,000

September2020

Invite your friends and family to enjoy tea, cake and a catch up this September.

In return your guests make a donation to St Michael’s Hospice

For a Big Tea information pack contact us on 01424 445177 or email fundraising@stmichaelshospice.com

Host a virtual Big Tea event online orsocially distanced event in your garden

Donating pre-loved goodsOur Donation Centre has re-opened to receive donations of pre-loved clothes, books and household items. We are operating a new donation drop off timetable and ask that you book a drop off appointment to enable us to keep our team and yourselves safe. Please call us on 01424 728728 (Monday to Friday 10am - 1pm) to arrange a drop off time.

Due to the new quarantine rules we are unable to accept donations directly into our shops. We would politely ask that donations are not left outside our shops. Thank you so much for all theincredible support we have been given to keep our shops well stocked and bringing in vital funds for the Hospice.

For all retail updates please follow us on Facebook @SMHRetailHastingsandRother

Registered charity number 288462

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.

Yes, I would like tomake a donation of:£15 £25 £50 £100 Other £............

All cheques made payable to St Michael’s Hospice, please quote ‘Summer Newsletter’

Donate online: www.stmichaelshospice.com/donate

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

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

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

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

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

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

All personal information is processed in line with the Data Protection Act 2018. For further details on how we use your information please visit our website www.stmichaelshospice.com or contact the Fundraising team by calling 01424 456379 or by emailing fundraising@stmichaelshospice.com

Please return to:Perdita Chamberlain, Head of Income GenerationSt Michael’s Hospice25 Upper Maze HillSt Leonards on SeaEast SussexTN38 0LB

Can you help us please?

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected St Michael’sHospice in many ways, a whole new way of working across the organisation, our volunteers unable to offer their help and many support staff adapting to working from home. Since lockdown the majority of fundraising events and activities have been cancelled, this alongside the closure of all our shops means that the Hospice is managing an expected loss in income of £730,000 between April and August.

Obviously, this is an enormous loss to the Hospice, especially at a time when we are quickly evolving the delivery of some of our services to ensure those in the community remain fully supported by our team, even when they are unable to access our physical buildings in the usual way. This loss will limit our ability to develop and grow in the coming months, our plans for extending Hospice support further are on hold for the moment.

However, we can get through this – with your help.If you are in a position to make a donation towardsthe work of St Michael’s Hospice at this time it would make a real difference at this time of financial challenge.

Donations can be made online at www.stmichaelshospice.com/donate(please use the reference Summer Newsletter) or by cheque using the formoverleaf.