How you can support St Catherine’s Hospice
Having lived in Lancashire my whole life, I have been familiar with St Catherine’s Hospice since a very young age. Growing up in primary school we would fundraise every year, through high school we would buy their Christmas cards and run laps of the fields to raise money, and through my adult life I would support them in countless ways, both through financial donations and attending their local events. Almost every single person in our local area will tell you their own personal connection to St Catherine’s, be that the care of a loved one in their final days, the bereavement support they personally received, or the fundraising they take part in every single year to keep St Catherine’s going.
Until I experienced St Catherine’s personally with a family bereavement, I used to think of it as a very sad place and somewhere, in all honesty, to be feared. It was only when I stepped foot in there, met the staff, saw the care and the support they gave both to their patients and their families, that I realised it was actually a very special, and actually a very peaceful, place to be. For those who aren’t familiar with St Catherine’s, it’s a hospice here to help those in Chorley, Preston and South Ribble who are affected by life-shortening conditions to have quality of life, to end of life.
Quality of life is everything, as I’m sure we have all learned over the last 18 months, and St Catherine’s prioritises the individual needs of patients and their loved ones in ways which are meaningful to them. It’s not just about managing their physical symptoms but about making sure their life is as fulfilled as possible in the time they have left be that sitting and feeling the sun on their face again, enjoying time with their family and friends in a comfortable environment, relaxing in a bubble bath or providing support to allow many their final wish to die at home. Although those final moments are heartbreaking, and I’m sure we have all experienced the saddest of Goodbyes, knowing our loved ones have died surrounded with love, and with dignity, is such a comfort in the days that follow.
And as much as St Catherine’s provides support with the emotional and practical issues that come with a life-shortening diagnosis, they offer ongoing bereavement support afterwards which is paramount, especially in recent times when many have been unable to say the goodbyes they desperately needed to say. Having been through bereavement counselling myself I genuinely can’t imagine getting through the loss of my son without that support and I am so grateful that St Catherine’s can help others in the same way.
The problem St Catherine’s faces is that none of this would be possible without the financial support they receive and, as an independent charity, this can be particularly difficult, especially when navigating a pandemic. It costs £5.8m to run St Catherine’s each year with just £1.8 million coming from the NHS. This means that £4 million needs to be raised from charitable support each year which is done in a number of ways – donations, fundraising events and challenges, charity shops, their lottery, gifts in wills and their café The Mill. Having taken part in many of these fundraisers I know how hard local communities work to raise as much money as possible but sometimes, in this unpredictable world of fundraising, they need more.
St Catherine’s are looking for regular donations where supporters pledge a gift each month, providing sustainability and survival for the charity and allowing them to budget and plan for the future. Anyone can set up a regular donation, you don’t have to be local. Perhaps you can relate having experienced the loss of a love one in a similar setting, perhaps you too have have been supported by community nurses or undergone bereavement counselling; perhaps you simply want to help a wonderful charity to continue to thrive and although they cannot promise to save lives, they can promise to change lives, to enhance lives, to make the time you or your loved ones have left as meaningful as possible.
To give you an idea of how your donations can help St Catherine’s over the course of a year, a donation of £3 would a month would cover the transport cost of two volunteer befrienders for a month, as they visit those with life-shortening conditions to give carers a well earned break or provide company for those who live alone. £5 a month would pay for a counselling session for a bereaved family member, providing on-going support following the loss of a loved one. £10 a month would cover the cost of a year’s supply of ice lollies for their in-patient unit to keep patients hydrated whilst relieving a sore or dry mouth, and £20 a month would cover the cost of three visits from one of our Community Clinical Nurse Specialists, who provide specialist care in symptom control and psychological support for people at home.
If you can make a regular donation to St Catherine’s hospice visit www.stcatherines.co.uk and sign up. Every single penny will be so greatly appreciated.
