Issue 30 October 2021
www.ayrshirehospice.org
Keeping our community informed
Building the future
By Hazel McIlwraith, Capital Campaign Director
space. A reconfigured Day Services will offer a wider range of therapeutic activities and will allow the Hospice to increase its range of day service provision. The public campaign will launch in February 2022. To build our new hospice and reach more people in our local community, we need to raise £13m. There are many ways you can support us and make this happen: from making a one-off gift or setting up regular donations, to hosting an event for us or taking part in one of our fundraising challenges. No matter how you choose to
35 Racecourse Road has been the home of Ayrshire Hospice for 32 years; however, the Regency Villa first appears as Sheriff William Eaton’s villa in map information from 1822. It sat in glorious isolation in the countryside set aback from the road running from Ayr town centre to the Racecourse. This means that the villa is one of the first of a handful of villas, constructed along Racecourse Road, early in the 19th century. And now in 2022 Eaton Villa will be radically but lovingly transformed into a leading palliative care hub for generations to come.
This £13m project will enable us to revolutionise our built environment, improve our level of care for both patients and families, reinvigorating
across landscaped gardens, the new Hospice will have 18 inpatient beds in individual en-suite rooms with access to their own private outdoor
our educational and community access facilities and provide a hub of expertise which equally importantly allow us to expand our reach to all Ayrshire and Arran residents who wish to remain in their own homes to receive palliative care. Set in a conservation area, with stunning views
support us, you’ll be making a huge difference to local people living with a life-limiting illness, and those dealing with death and loss. For further information please contact Hazel McIlwraith, Capital Campaign Director hazel.mcilwraith@ ayrshirehospice. org or visit www. helpthehospice.org .
Our current home
How the hospice will look
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Welcome...
Billy was one in a million
By Heather Hardie, Senior Physiotherapist and Lynsey Cameron, Occupational Therapist
By Carla MacEwan, Chief Executive Officer Welcome to our revamped and renamed Hospice Newsletter. With all the new developments and changes afoot at the Hospice we decided it was also time to give the Article a new look, name and shape.
Billy Herd was one in a million and we don’t say that flippantly. Billy volunteered with Ayrshire Hospice after his wife Anne was cared for in the day services and the in- patient unit. If you were lucky enough to have met Billy his warmth, fun and mischief immediately improved your day. He started as a driver
Billy Herd
shortly before he passed to celebrate his local hero award. True to style, he retold his stories to our CEO and Chair of the Board including waiting patiently for a patient to apply her make-up before getting her picture taken with Santa! Billy was selfless, generous with his time and he never sought praise or recognition for what he did. We will miss his banter, his laugh and the difference he made to us all. Billy Herd really was one in a million.
Special Agent M. There are lots of amazing stories about our wonderful fundraisers and supporters, as well as information about our clinical teams and also one of our wonderful retail managers. The Hospice is a unique place to work and we hope therefore it is a unique place and service in the way it connects with our patients and their families. We strive in everything we do to offer our patients exceptional person centred care that truly reflects their hopes, needs and wants. Whether it is a prosecco afternoon tea or date night in the Wee House, supported
We have made it slightly smaller so it matches the size of an A5 notebook and it is now named after the original owner and name of 35 Racecourse Road, which has been home to the Hospice since 1989. It’s been a rollercoaster year for all our staff and of course for our patients too. COVID19 has enabled the Hospice to look at how it delivers care and support in new and innovative ways. In this edition you will be able to read about our Scottish first, Namaste Care, and you will also hear a wee bit about our search for Happiness with
access to the bowling or curbing that incessant pain, our teams work tirelessly to offer the support each and every patient deserves. We hope you enjoy reading this edition of the Eaton News and that you will join us at one of our amazing events or sign up to the Lottery, participate in your own fundraising activities or simply share the message of how special the Hospice is in making today matter for our patients and families. Thank you for taking the time to read our news update.
Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Billy would dress up as Santa or a Superhero when required and he’ll be the shortest Captain America we ever met! The reaction of the staff and patients when Billy and our previous chaplain,
before volunteering with the Occupational Therapy department and his role was to use activities to manage the symptoms and emotional consequences of patient illnesses. Billy was a mean domino player and loved lawn bowls, encouraging some healthy competition on our bowling green. His adventures to China and baton carrying for the Commonwealth Games made for entertaining stories.
Ian Stirling, recreated Britain’s Got Talent’s
Stavros Flatley dance in ‘See You Jimmy’ hats will always be remembered. We were lucky enough to have Billy visit the hospice
By Mary Drummond, Senior Fundraiser Our annual Memory Walk returned on 4th September and was our first mass event back since the pandemic! We were delighted to have over 350 walkers taking part, lighting up the streets of Ayr and Alloway and had a fabulous evening supporting the hospice! Welcome Back Walkers!
Taking time to take care of one another
By Fiona McManus, Complementary Therapy Co-ordinator Ensuring staff wellbeing has been a priority whilst they carry out their roles under difficult circumstances. Ayrshire Hospice's
Staff were asked to provide feedback of their experience of the programme and the results were very positive. The report captured staff wellbeing improved by 74% by rating how they felt before and after the programme. There was evidence of improved sleep, reduced pain and lessened stress. Encouragingly, all members of staff who participated in the programme said they would recommend the service to a colleague.
Go Purple! Memory Walk
aromatherapy products to support wellbeing were delivered to in house staff and to patients and carers’ homes. Relaxation and self-management advice was offered for staff, patients and carers too. Wellbeing group sessions for staff delivered online weekly consisted of massage self-treatment, Reiki, and guided relaxation.
Complementary Therapy team have created a new programme of support for staff, patients and carers, working remotely and socially distanced on site. The Complementary Therapists provided 1 to 1 consultation remotely via video call or telephone or, where safe to do so, socially distanced face to face sessions. Bespoke
they hit the road at 8pm! Along the route we had more surprise entertainment from Maybole Pipe Band, True Colours, Mary the Faerie, David Burns and Chick Douglas and the walkers were ably supported by a fantastic team of wonderful volunteers keeping them well-watered and motivated along their way! Special thanks to all our
They selected the 13, 9 or 4 mile routes and took special steps in memory of loved ones touched by hospice care. Clyde 1’s Michael Smith kicked off the walk build-up alongside top Ayrshire duo, Ebb & Flow belting out some fantastic tunes to entertain the pavement pounding entourage! Claire Houston got the walkers warmed up and ready to go before
sponsors - Ayr Audi, Tesco, The Chestnuts Hotel, AG Barr, Healthy Working Lives, The Ayrshire Post, South Ayrshire Council, McKissock Electrical, Burnside Event First Aid & Air Image Photography and to everyone who donated towards the event - your support is greatly appreciated!
To us…you’re all stars! Thank you!
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A Day in the Life!
Record Breaking Spring Appeal
“I was inspired by the care, knowledge and compassion…”
By Kathryn Howell & Elaine Thomson, Senior Fundraisers
walking from Ardrossan to Largs to raise an amazing £1,071.88! Paula and the family continue to raise awareness and funds for the hospice and we can't say a big enough thank you to them. Next on the list is the Manchester Marathon for son Paul - good luck!
We were overwhelmed by the response to our Spring Appeal this year which raised just over £45,000 . This has been our best direct mail campaign ever and thank you to everyone who supported it.
By Patricia Mahood, Specialist Palliative Care Nurse
I aim to have the patient as symptom free as they can be and to build up trust with them to be able to openly talk and confide if they have any concerns and, where necessary, I’ll make external referrals to many different services. This could be to social work for the patient’s care needs or for their family to have a carers’ assessment to identify how we can support them. I feel very privileged to be supporting patients and their families and building a relationship with them. To make a difference to people at a time when they are at their most vulnerable is what drives me to deliver a high standard of care.
My name is Patricia and I am one of the Specialist Palliative Care Nurses that works within the Community team across Ayrshire and Arran. I qualified as a General Nurse
Paula along with friends and family have continued to fundraise for us, recently
The appeal highlighted the amazing work of our Community Nursing Team who travel across the whole of Ayrshire & Arran caring for patients in their own home. We’d like to say a massive thank you to Paula Fisher and her family for sharing their story in this year’s Spring Appeal. Paula’s partner, Dave, received hospice care from our Community Team and sadly died in November 2020. Our appeals wouldn’t be as successful without the support of our families who kindly share their stories and experience of hospice care. It makes a huge difference and inspires people to support, fundraise and volunteer for us.
listen to what is important to them, supporting them in their care plan. A typical working day involves phoning patients and their family members to assess any concerns and symptoms they may have, if a visit is needed this is planned into the working week. Palliative care requires a multi-disciplinary approach with professionals all working together to achieve what the patient’s wishes are and I work very closely with the primary care, secondary care and social services teams.
in 2001 and spent seven enjoyable years working in Crosshouse Hospital prior to joining Ayrshire Hospice in 2008 as a Staff Nurse. My mother was a cared for by Ayrshire Hospice's Community team and she, and all the family, benefited from the support given to us by the specialist nursing team. What struck me was the care, knowledge and compassion that this nurse had shown to us so I went and started a Palliative Care degree and applied for a post within the hospice. After working as a staff nurse supporting the specialist nursing team for two years’ I then moved on to become a Specialist Palliative Care Nurse in 2010. As a Specialist Nurse in the community, I cover the Isle of Cumbrae, Largs, Fairlie, West Kilbride, Beith, Kilbirnie and Dalry. I offer advice and support to patients who have a life limiting illness and this support extends to their family/friends. We carry out assessments of the patient’s symptoms, social and psychological needs and
Paula Fisher with family & friends walking from Ardrossan to Largs
SAHARA DESERT TREK TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE !
FOR AN INFORMATION PACK PLEASE CONTACT US Deposit : £195 + Minimum Sponsorship : £2,305 Trek over giant dunes, past towering mountains to oasis’ shimmering in the distance. Enjoy Moroccan feasts, camp fires, shooting stars and a glimpse into nomadic desert life! Tel: 01292 288488 Email: events@ayrshirehospice.org
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Ladies Who Lunch
Dare to Dream - Summer Celebrations
We are very fortunate to have great charity partners working with us. Charity Partners!
By Elaine Thomson, Senior Fundraiser
By Graeme Strawhorn, Assistant Fundraising Manager
Our fantastic Ladies Lunch clubs are finally returning! Ladies Lunch Club (South Group) held an afternoon tea on 25th August at
months raising £30k for 30 years in business.
We had a fabulous day with Begg & Co! The team invited us along to their first ever "Wet Sponges" event at their Leadership Team fundraiser. It was a great event to get everyone involved and their leadership team were well and truly soaked! O’Neil Gas have been busy fundraising throughout the year for us and most recently took part in our annual golf day finishing in 3rd place. Well done! Stairhill Architecture Ltd have also been very busy over the last few
The Riverside Hotel. We would like to say a huge thank you to all the ladies in both groups who continued to pay their registration fees throughout the pandemic in support of the hospice. Both committees are excited to welcome all members and guests back and look forward to seeing you all there! For more information on the Ladies Groups, please contact community@ ayrshirehospice.org or call 01292 288 488 .
They completed a 24hour tandem
The Carlton Hotel, where they welcomed back the ladies for an afternoon of entertainment and cakes with a wonderful time had by all. The Ladies Lunches at Western House Hotel are due to start back on Wednesday 20th October. Our Ladies Who Lunch Group North, held the first of their Coffee Mornings at The Riverside Hotel on 9th September, for a morning of hospice updates, raffles and fabulous scones! The next coffee morning will be Thursday 14th October at
cycle ride covering a massive 453.98km. In September, they held a charity golf day at Ballochmyle Golf Club. They’ve raised a fantastic £27,000 so far which will be split between the hospice, MS Society and Cancer Research UK. Absolutely Amazing! If you’d like to enquire about being a charity partner, email fundraising@ ayrshirehospice.org or call 01292 288 488 .
Ladies Lunch Club South enjoying their afternoon tea
Chris McMail, centre, of Microtech Group.
Our exciting ‘Dare to Dream’ summer community campaign
running alongside Euro 2020 kicked off in June.
Thank you everyone for your support and we’re delighted to have raised over £14,500!! This was to celebrate the first time the Scottish Men’s National Team qualified for a major tournament in 23 years! We were delighted to have fantastic support from fundraisers hosting their own Euro 2020 parties, sweepstakes, video challenges and bucket collections! We also held a fabulous sports auction and prize draw to win 2 tickets to the Scottish Cup Final in 2022! Despite Scotland not making it out of the group stages, it was still an exciting, enjoyable and, at times, nail-biting campaign! Well done to winners Italy! Huge thanks go to Chris McMail and the team at Microtech for their amazing support as the campaign sponsor. Also, thank you to the SFA, Cook School Scotland, Ayr United FC, Kilmarnock F.C, all our prize donors and our video celebrities who helped promote the campaign.
Ladies Lunch Club North back together for their coffee morning
Make a Will, Make a Difference
By Kathryn Howell, Senior Fundraiser
see a list of participating solicitors, visit www. ayrshirehospice.org or call us on 01292 288 488 .
Our popular Make a Will Fortnight will be held from 18th - 29th October 2021. Since the very first
update a will, then why not take part in this year’s campaign!? All you need to do is call a local solicitor from our list of those participating and book an appointment between 18th and 29th October. The solicitors will guide you through the process including collecting your donation. For more details and to
campaign 10 years ago, over £200,000 has been raised in aid of the hospice. This is an amazing amount and has only been possible due to the ongoing support of the participating solicitors across Ayrshire & Arran who give their service for free in return for a donation to the hospice. If you need to make or
Begg & Co
O'Neil Gas
Stairhill Architecture Ltd
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Ayrshire Hospice lead outreach education in Ayrshire and Arran
Play our Lottery
By Caroline Lyon, Senior Fundraiser
chances to win £10! Joining is easy and your support goes a long way to ensuring the continuation of the exceptional care we provide to our patients
By Kirsty Cornwall, Quality Improvement Facilitator
session giving a practical, hands on demonstration of how they would provide personal care for someone nearing the end of their life using a training mannequin. They shared their practical skills and how they used this as an opportunity to simultaneously assess the person's condition; looking for any signs of distress, pain, issues regarding skin integrity and oral health. This pilot has been a success and well received by the personal carers in North Ayrshire with all attendees finding the course extremely helpful and will now be rolled out to more care providers across Ayrshire to improve end-of-life care.
With more winners than ever before, there’s never been a better time to join the Ayrshire Hospice Lottery. For a £1 weekly subscription, each and every Friday you have the opportunity to win our top prize of £1,000 , our 2nd prize of £100 or there are also 70
Over the last 12 months, Ayrshire Hospice's Clinical Governance and Practice Development team has continued to connect with care providers across Ayrshire by piloting a training course for personal carers focusing on palliative and end of life care.
and their families. To join, visit www.
Ayrshire Hospice has worked with North Ayrshire personal carers for a number of years
delivering face-to-face training but due to the pandemic restrictions, the opportunity arose to
ayrshirehospice.org/ join-the-lottery or call 01292 288 488 . Players must be 16+.
deliver online palliative care training. Maria Wan and Mary McKinney, Respite and Response Senior Care assistants, hosted the virtual
Forget-Me-Not Appeal
By Kathryn Howell, Senior Fundraiser
Thank you to everyone who donated towards a steel Forget-Me-Not, lovingly hand crafted by Morrell’s-Forge Blacksmiths, as part of our first ever Forget-Me-Not appeal. We were delighted to host our beautiful
Sharing is Caring
Catching up with old faces
memory meadow during June at The Dick Institute in Kilmarnock after it had initially been postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions in 2020. We are very appreciative of the wonderful team at East Ayrshire Leisure for their outstanding support and the appeal has now raised just over £15,000 . We still have Forget-Me-Nots available if you’d like one. You can donate £25 to receive a steel ornament which can be collected from the fundraising office in Ayr or can be posted out to you which would incur a small postage charge. Please contact our team on 01292 288 488 or email donate@ayrshirehospice.org
By Miriam Godfrey, Charge Nurse
ensure we remain in contact with those who need us.
For Ayrshire Hospice's Day Services team it was fantastic to be able to welcome patients for a number of Afternoon Teas during the lovely warm summer weather.
Along with monthly activity packs, telephone and video calling, the Day
Spending some time with patients and their families in this setting has been thoroughly beneficial for them and staff, allowing both to reconnect with therapists and meet new people in similar positions as themselves.
Services team have adapted over the last 18 months to
Forget Me Not Display
Afternoon Tea
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“It’s a privilege to work with people who have taught me so much about strength…” A Day in the Life!
Light up a Life
By Steve Brown, Patient & Family Support Services
The virtual concert is ticket only. You also have the option, if you wish, to receive an amazing Light Up a Lift gift box for the evening. Details on how you can donate can be found on the back page of this newsletter.
Please take time to read Jema & Adam Easdon’s story. Jema bravely opens up as to why Ayrshire Hospice care is so special and important to both of them. Their mum, Liz, died in February 2018. Firstly, please consider
By George Mitchell, Day Services volunteer
increases our moment- to-moment awareness and allows us to control potentially harmful emotional reactions. Training in meditation and mindfulness has shown to bring many health benefits including lowered blood pressure, positive effects on immunity, better sleep, resilience to stress and enhanced wellbeing. The Wednesday Afternoon Mindfulness sessions I run with patients and staff introduce practices that we can use to help us take control and deal with the stress and challenges of our daily lives more calmly and patiently. I enjoy being part of an organisation that is dedicated to helping people in the last stages of their lives. I have met so many wonderful people, both staff and patients, and I consider it a privilege to be able to offer my services and offer some comfort and relief to them. If I could offer a word of advice to anyone considering volunteering in the hospice I would say go for it. It is so worthwhile, although it can be difficult at times, but ultimately it is a humbling and uplifting way to donate your time to such a wonderful organisation.
I am a retired veterinary surgeon who has conducted mindfulness classes for Ayrshire Hospice outpatients for the last eight years. The classes allow patients to use their inner resources to help them deal with their illness.
I would also be delighted if you would join us at our Virtual Light Up a Life Christmas Concert on Sunday 28th November at 7.15pm. We’ll be joined by a variety of musical treats featuring choirs, group and vocalists who together, offer an uplifting celebration of local voices and music.
making a donation to pay for just a little of the nursing care that our team will be providing to patients and their families during the Christmas holidays. We know that, for many families, this will be their last Christmas together - but with your help we can try to make it an extra special Christmas to remember.
spirit, determination and often humour. A question I am asked quite often is how did you go from working as a veterinary surgeon to teaching mindfulness and meditation? Well, I was introduced to it while as I was working and went from there. I studied meditation and mindfulness in 2005 and then began to host classes throughout
These classes would take place in person normally but over the last period of time I have been hosting them virtually to support the hospice and its patients. Over the years’ it has been a privilege to work with so many wonderful people who have taught me about the strength and resilience of the human spirit as they cope every day with indefatigable
Ayrshire in 2009, witnessing first- hand the benefits it brings to people of all ages
and situations. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s
awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting, all feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations as they arise and pass away. Regular practice of meditation and mindfulness
Light up a Life Christmas Concert (Online Event)
Streamed Live via Sunday 28th November 2021 7.15pm Tickets: £10.00 / £20.00* *(includes Light up a Life Celebration Gift Box) Enquire at events@ayrshirehospice.org or call 01292 288488
Join us for a very special online Christmas Concert celebration to light a light in memory of someone special...
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Why we’re supporting Light up a Life 2021
By Jema Easdon
way for Mum’s family and friends to get together, have fun and share memories. If it wasn’t for the hospice, Mum’s journey would have been a lot harder for us all. It made things more peaceful and everything about it was dignified. I think the hospice as a whole helped us come to terms with things and cope better. It played a really important part in our lives at that time. We hope you’ll join us and support this year’s Light up a Life appeal so other people can experience the same exceptional care we did. You don’t realise how important the hospice is until you experience it. We never thought we would have to and everyone hopes they won’t. But if they do, you’re helping people who need it and by donating, you’re making other people’s lives easier.
promises were kept. Adam did the Edinburgh Marathon the year Mum passed away to challenge himself and give back to the hospice. At first, I really struggled when she passed away. Although I went back to work, I needed something else to focus on so I decided to do the Edinburgh half-marathon in 2019. It was a big challenge and everyone got behind me and supported.
and became very popular within the ward. We always did a lot together as a family so were still able to do that. All of the staff went over and above not only for Mum, but for our whole family and even Mum’s friends when they visited. They were like our extended family. When Dad and Adam were at work, the volunteers would take Mum and I out on day trips to places like Dobbies. We loved this as we always spent our days off doing something together. Back at home we had amazing support from Helen, Mum’s nurse and she put us in touch with the Respite & Response team. Carole, Maria and Deirdre were fantastic! We were always having a laugh. Carole would take us trips in the ‘Venga bus’. Although communicating became troublesome for Mum, she always managed to still have us in stitches. Many of Mum’s friends will always remember the funny stories. Mum went into the hospice for a second time, three days before my thirtieth birthday. The hospice staff were amazing and let us have a party where family and friends were allowed in. We had a lovely afternoon tea and everyone was made to feel so welcome. Mum was able to go back to bed and still enjoy the
Jema and Adam’s story Our Mum, Liz Easdon, worked in care, she was a nursing assistant in the NHS. She loved her work and caring for others. She was always game for a laugh, her family, friends & colleagues always said she was the life & soul of the party. She’d do anything for anyone, helping folk in their hour of need. She was always laughing, joking and blethering to everyone.
The hospice were with us every step of the way. Mum went in for respite to the hospice for two weeks in 2017 on the terms, “Jema can stay” so I was Mum’s plus one. With Mum and I both working in the NHS we knew a bit about it. After our short stay, I gave up work to look after her. At the hospice, it was like a home from home and I had a wee camp bed in her room. Dad and Adam were allowed in any time. Even our wee dog, Kanye, visited
Mum loved holidays and we were always away on big family holidays. Mum and Dad had a passion for cruising. Mum hated flying but saw lots of lovely places in the world. She had more air miles than anyone we know. A lovely memory for us as kids was Christmas time. It was always a really special time for us as a family. Adam and I used to wake up really early with excitement, Mum and Dad would say it was far too early to get up! Then Mum would be the first down the stairs to see if Santa had been. It’s a lovely honour that people still talk about Mum and shows what a wonderful person she was. Our Mum was sadly diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in February 2016. Mum was always on the go so MND had a massive impact on her life. Throughout her illness, Mum never let it get her down, although times were hard, she still managed to laugh.
Liz was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2016
Adam ran the marathon again at the same time so we made it a family event. We also had a fundraising night for Mum at Parks Bowling Club in Irvine exactly a year after she passed away as a way of celebrating her life. Local businesses donated and we had a raffle to raise a bit more money for the hospice. We thought it was a good
party. She loved the day. The hospice were always so accommodating to us and the staff were all just angels – they did things for us we never thought were possible.
We were looked after as a whole family with exceptional care. The
hospice made life so much easier for us by taking the stress out of everything. We put up photos in her room and Adam and Dad stayed in the ‘Wee House’ in the hospice gardens. It was a home away from home for us. Sadly on 20th February 2018, Mum passed away peacefully and dignified at rest. We were surrounded by angels…simply the best! All staff were there to support us and they made an awful situation the best it could be and all
Jema & Adam’s loving mum, Liz
“At the hospice, it was like a home from home.” Jema Easdon
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Hole in One!
Showcasing the work of the hospice across national platforms
By Mary Drummond, Senior Fundraising Officer
Healthcare peers from across the UK have been recognising the industry-leading work of Ayrshire Hospice staff on how to adapt and improve hospice services. Specialist Palliative Care
saw us present two submissions at the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (SPPC) conference, before presenting five projects at the Hospice UK Conference in November. The posters highlight work in a variety of areas, ranging from complementary therapies to how we have responded to and adapted during the pandemic.
A huge thank you to all our teams who joined us at The West Kilbride Golf Club for our annual Golf Day on 9th August. We had 32 teams taking part and it was a wonderful day in the glorious sunshine overlooking the Firth of Clyde & Arran, raising £17,500 to support us delivering care and services in the community. Well done to our prize-winning teams: 1st Prize Digby Brown 54.7 2nd Prize Confida FM 54.9 3rd Prize O'Neil Gas Services 55.35 Nearest the Pin on the 4th: Neil Slooves Nearest the Pin in 2 on the 18th: Allan Hogarth Longest Drive on the 8th: Euan Brown
presented the findings and feedback from this successful course. A further six project
Pharmacist, Karen Menzies, captured her involvement to improve palliative care services and capacity within community pharmacies with a submission to a NHS Scotland event. Karen, who led the project, stressed the importance of including pharmacists at GP Practice Multi-Disciplinary Team palliative care meetings. Ayrshire Hospice also delivered palliative care training to Ayrshire’s Allied Health Professionals. Heather Hardie, Senior Physiotherapist, at the Nursing Midwife Allied
summaries were accepted by NHS Ayrshire and Arran to be submitted for display on the Scottish Government Realistic Medicine website and presented one of these projects in
And huge congratulations to Ian McLarty who shot a hole in one on the 12th - what an achievement to celebrate during lunch! Finally, many thanks to all our sponsors and prize donors for their generous support it’s greatly appreciated. We raised a fabulous total of £17,500 from our day. If you’d like to join us next year, keep Monday 8th August 2022 free! Contact our events team on 01292 288 488 or email events@ ayrshirehospice.org to book your team.
October at a NHS Ayrshire and Arran event. October also
Health Professionals conference in May,
Karen Menzies
Ian McLarty, our hole in one winner!
Can you help us to save money? We are working hard to update and streamline our newsletter distribution list, to ensure that only one is sent per household. We are also trying to increase the number of central distribution points where you can pick up a copy, but we do need to reduce our costs still further. Our newsletter is also now available online and by email. If you would be happy to receive our newsletter electronically, please email newsletter@ayrshirehospice. org with your full name, address, postcode and email so we can update our records accordingly. Or you can visit www.ayrshirehospice.org .
Toast the bard... Join us in the heart of Burns country!
Friday 28th January 2022 Brig o’ Doon House Hotel, Alloway Enquire at events@ayrshirehospice.org or call 01292 288488
Ayrshire Hospice 35 Racecourse Road, AYR KA7 2TG. Tel: 01292 269200 Fax: 01292 294401 donate@ayrshirehospice.org www.ayrshirehospice.org Registered Charity No. SC011390
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Play our Christmas Super Draw
Remember Someone Special
By Caroline Lyon, Senior Fundraiser
By Ron Swanson, Assistant Fundraising Manager
it home to keep forever. This cost can be paid in full or simple direct debit payments can be set up. For more information and to order, visit our website www.ayrshirehospice.org or call 01292 288 488 . From January 2022, the tree will be temporarily relocated to Irvine Townhouse due to our capital rebuild. You will still be able to visit it there in its new bright and contemplative space. Or why not tune into our next Celebration Tree Live event on our Facebook page on 23rd December, 6-7pm to see it one last time in the hospice.
Ann Brown from Galston was delighted to win our Summer Super Draw top prize of £3,000 - this time we’re taking it up a notch... Our Christmas Super Draw is back and you could win our top prize of £5,000!!! We’ll also be giving away £1,000 for second prize and £250 for third as well as 70 prizes of £10 . There have never been more chances to win before! A book contains 12 tickets and each one only costs £1 - that’s £12 per book and 12 wonderful chances to win. Tickets will be on sale from 9th November by calling 01292 288 488 or online at www. ayrshirehospice.org . Players must be 16+ . The closing date for returning tickets is 10th December and the draw will take place on 17th December…just in time for Christmas! Lottery Christmas Gifts
Thank you to all our wonderful supporters who have kindly dedicated a leaf on our beautiful Celebration Tree in memory of a loved one. Also thank you to everyone who tuned into our live event on our Facebook page - it was an incredible evening full of amazing stories.
Dedicating a leaf in memory offers a personal way to pay
tribute to your loved one. We have
bronze, silver and gold leaves at £100, £200 and £300 respectively for 1 year on our tree. After that, you can choose to renew for another year or take
Ann Brown, our Summer Super Draw Winner
Celebration Tree
By Ron Swanson, Assistant Fundraising Manager Christmas Gift Cards
Winter Fair
By Rebekah McGinn, Senior Fundraiser
Our elves have been working hard to bring some much-needed Christmas cheer this winter with the return of our Winter Fair on Saturday 13th November 2021 at Ayr Racecourse, 10am-4pm.
By Caroline Lyon, Senior Fundraiser
Why not think about giving friends and family an Ayrshire Hospice Lottery gift voucher this Christmas? You can enter your loved ones into a fixed number of hospice lottery draws from 31st
Can you give the gift of caring this Christmas?
you’ll not be short of gift ideas for family and friends! We’ll unveil our brand-new Santa’s Grotto, so get the kids ready to tell Santa what’s on their wish list and answer the most important question of all - have they been naughty or nice? Outside, visit Santa’s reindeer and enjoy a Gourmet Burger from the BBQ. Come along and get into
Enjoy a magical day browsing festive stalls, listening to live entertainment, visiting Santa and taking part in all our fundraising activities including
the Christmas spirit! Admission: £3.00 (under 5's go free)
win our top prize of £1,000!!! It only costs £1 per week to take part and your money really makes a difference to us. To order, get in touch on 01292 288 488 or email lottery@ ayrshirehospice.org Players must be 16+ .
Help make a real difference to our patients by donating in place of giving your friend or loved one a present. You’ll receive the card ready to personalise within a festive silver envelope.
We’ve started our bottle collection for our bottle stall, if you’d like to donate, please hand into 29 Miller Road, Ayr, KA7 2AX.
the bottle stall, tombola and fantastic raffle with
December onwards. Vouchers are available at a value of your choice upwards of £10 and can be delivered direct to the recipient if you wish! Each week, they could have the chance to
incredible prizes up for grabs! For the first time ever, Winter Fair will take place over two floors with over 150 stalls, so bring your friends and browse a fantastic range of gift ideas, festive cards and sweet treats;
Choose from £10, £25, £50 or £100.
For more information, contact us on 01292 288 488 or events@ ayrshirehospice.org
To order, visit our website www.ayrshirehospice.org or call 01292 288 488 .
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Supporter Spotlight • Supporter Spotlight • Supporter Spotlight • Supporter Spotlight • Supporter Spotlight
Hair Today…
Music, Games & Fun in Irvine!
Go Team Savills!
Walking the River Ayr
By Stephanie McLaughlin, Fundraiser
By Elaine Thomson, Senior Fundraiser After postponing his event twice, Community Fundraiser Graeme Ferguson held not one but two hugely successful events in one day!
By Elaine Thomson, Senior Fundraiser On Wednesday 4th August 2021, London became a sea of purple as the Savills Retail Team walked an amazing 26 miles across the city in memory of their colleague Estelle Forrester. They chose to walk to remember the charismatic, inspiring and truly The team have raised an incredible £7,042.89 as a
By Stephanie McLaughlin, Fundraiser Amanda Gemmell and family have been fundraising since September 2020, their first challenge was the River Ayr Walk, walking a gigantic 44 miles over 2 days. Amanda’s sister Nicola was receiving hospice care at the time in our in-patient unit when they completed this incredible challenge, along with Nalla the dog. Sadly, Nicola passed away in May this year, to say thank you for the outstanding care Nicola received and the support the hospice gave to the whole family, they are determined to continue their fundraising efforts in Nicola’s memory. They recently organised an online tombola & raffle and took part in our Go Purple! Memory Walk and have now raised over £5,000 . Thank you so much we really appreciate all your support!
A huge thank you to 8-year old Edi
Howat, who’s raised a magnificent £1,655 by cutting her waist-length hair! She was inspired by wanting to help her next-door neighbour Fiona, who has been cared for by the hospice. Edi had the big chop at Cameron Hair in Kilmaurs and her hair was donated to The Little Princess Trust who provide real hair wigs - free of charge - to children & young people undergoing cancer treatment or treatment for illnesses causing hair loss. Agent H visited Kilmaurs Primary School to say an extra special thank you to Edi. Her mum and gran also joined us to celebrate her achievement and told us Edi has loved proudly showing off her new short hair. Thank you so much, Edi, and everyone who generously sponsored her - what a remarkable amount raised!
Graeme, Jean and the team raising an amazing £1,700! They’ve already got their next event planned on the 19th December so watch out for further details. Irvine Sports Bar also held a race night on the same weekend, raising £556! Thank you to them for this and also for hosting the music day. An amazing £2,256 in total was raised!
On the weekend that Marymass should have
thank you for the wonderful care Estelle and her family received from the hospice. This is such a fantastic amount and a huge thank you to each and every one of you!
been held, Irvine Sports Bar hosted Blackpool legends The Aim along with Ayrshire’s own Johnny Bee. To keep with Marymass tradition the event was opened by North Ayrshire Provost, Ian Clarkson, led in by the piper. The afternoon event was treated to a fantastic performance of Scottish Highland dancing. Both afternoon and evening heard the amazing band The Aim and joined in raffles and fundraising games. A huge thank you to
formidable lady she was. Her family joined them on the route to walk and remember her together.
81,000 Steps for Grandpa Jim!
By Stephanie McLaughlin, Fundraiser 9-year-old, Charlie Scott-Martin set himself a target to walk 81,000 steps in March to raise money for the hospice. His great-grandad, Jim received hospice care and would’ve been 81 on 31st March this year. In 2017, his other great- grandad, David also passed away in the hospice, so
100 Miles in 27 Hours!
By Elaine Thomson, Senior Fundraiser Graeme Carenduff recently took to the West Highland Way, staying active for 27 hours running an incredible 100 miles to reach the end at Fort William!
Charlie, and his mum Karen, are active fundraisers for us. They recently joined us as volunteers at our Go Purple! Memory Walk, helping to steward the route - cheering on all the walkers. They had a
His team behind the scenes provided him with vital
He took on this personal challenge as he wanted to
Charlie wanted to take on this challenge to thank the staff who helped his family so much. By the end of March, Charlie smashed his total steps reaching an impressive 226,875
supplies and checked-in
give back for the care provided by the hospice to his aunt Linda. “They always made the whole family feel welcome and went above and beyond, making her feel at ease and comfortable.”
with him as he completed this mammoth run. Thank you to Graeme and his team, for raising a fantastic £715 so far with donations still coming in!!
great time and really enjoyed helping out. Thank you so much Charlie - you really are a fundraising superstar!!
and raised a phenomenal £1,735.38!!
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“There is nothing more unique and rewarding...” A Day in the Life!
Abbie Rafferty £110.00 Edi Howat £1,655 Graeme Ferguson £1,700.00 Irvine Sports Bar £556.00 Carly Yoga £705.00 Savills £7,042.89 Paula Fisher £1,071.88 Muir Nisbet £330.00 Ria Haddow £926.46 Rutherglen & Cambuslang Housing Association £1,000.00 Ardrossan Bowling Club - David Morrison (President) £1,600.00 Frank McKee £3,000.00 Emma Wyper £815.00 Kirsten Anderson & family £342.00
Claire Scobie £525.00 Charlie Scott- Martin (8yrs old) & Karen Scott Martin (mum) £1,735.38 Theresa & Dave Ross £653.60 Gemma Hope £630.00 Carolyn Smith £325.00 Victoria Sandilands £805.00 Amy Garrett £210.00
Thank You
By Laura McPherson, Merchandising and Training Manager
window displays that look great and really catch your eye. When this is done well we see new customers visit our shops to buy or donate. Another part of my role is to ensure our shops have consistent branding and identities whilst
I’m Laura, Merchandising and Training Manager, and I have the wonderful job of turning your bags of donations into stunning visual displays in our stores. I mainly work across the
given within the hospice itself. I make sure our shops are delivering for our supporters with appealing shop layouts, seasonal mannequins and creative displays and giving a wonderful shopping experience for our customers. Not only are we retaining customers but we are also encouraging those who may not have shopped with us before to come through our doors. I love creating seasonal, fashionable and commercially successful
new stores we are opening or recently refitted stores and my goal is to make every Ayrshire Hospice store individual and relevant on each high street. To explain why I’ve worked in charity retail for so long is probably due to a range of reasons however one that rises above all others has to be the people. There is nothing more special or rewarding as working as part of a charity shop team. It’s where people from all areas
maintaining their own identity. We recently
opened up in Mauchline and we felt it important to recognise a famous former resident, Robert Burns. We incorporated extracts from his work in the décor and it looks great. Already we have seen the positive impact this has had on sales and raising money for the hospice. I thrive on the responsibility of showcasing donations from supporters as attractively as possible
Erin Hunter £6,631.00 Jamie Crombie
£1,020.00 Fraser Gall £1,685.00
Stephanie Symington £2,500.00 Sandy Legget £1,805.00 Kevin Hunter £2,141.00
of the community come together to support the hospice. Moving from Shop Manger to Merchandising and Training Manager has been something I have thoroughly enjoyed. Whether it be working with staff or supporting them with relevant training and guidance, I really do love my job. A major part of my role is to ensure all shops provide the high standards of presentation complimentary to the high standards of care
and within its own correct habitat to maximise revenue for the charity. Successful merchandising is for me one of the most important principles for any retailer no matter what you are selling and making this a priority will inevitably depend on the success of our shops. Please come visit one of our fantastic shops across Ayrshire and say hello, we’d love to see you!
If you'd like to fundraise for
Ayrshire Hospice and receive your free fundraising pack and purple t-shirt, we'd love to hear from you! Call us on 01292 288 488 or email community@ ayrshirehospice.org
Lesley Anne Duffy (McKenna) £168.00 Jacqui Neil £800.00 Graeme Carenduff £715.00 Alan Hetherington £698.00
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| October 2021
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In Loving Memory
So happy to welcome back Day Services patients
By Stephanie McLaughlin, Fundraiser
The pandemic has sadly meant many people have been unable to attend funerals which has added to the heartache for many bereaved families. As restrictions are easing and limited numbers are now allowed to attend, we can offer personalised funeral collection boxes if you wish to ask for donations to the hospice. Many beautiful tribute pages have been set-up on our website by bereaved families set-up a tribute page in memory of their wonderful wife,
By Miriam Godfrey, Charge Nurse
In July, the Day Services team were able to welcome back a small number of our patients back to the hospice to help top up the world’s happiness supplies!
create some special memories in the garden, it’s been a long time since we were able to do this. Thanks to The Audio Story Company and Special Agent M for visiting! We think your latest recruits certainly helped refill the world's happiness supply!
Special Agent M, a happiness collector instructor, took our own superhero Agent H, some patients, and their families on a special happiness collecting mission. It was great to be able to have patients and their families spend some together and
mum, grandparent, great-grandparent, sister, aunt and friend who passed away in July this year. If you would like to set one up on our website
in memory of their loved ones. Online tribute pages are a very personal and positive way to celebrate the life of your loved one. You can add photos, messages and the opportunity to make a donation. The family of the late Sylvia Webster
team on 01292 288 488 and we’ll support you.
visit www.ayrshirehospice. org , or call our fundraising
Agent H with Happiness collector SAM
Collecting Can Volunteers are Back!
Ayrshire Hospice training is a Scottish first
By Stephanie McLaughlin, Fundraiser
Ayrshire Hospice, along with partners Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice have worked to develop an online Namaste Care™ course.
Good news! Our Collection Can volunteers are now back out to help. If your collection can is full, please get in touch and one of our fantastic volunteers will be happy to collect it.
Originally, designed and delivered in person, staff from Ayrshire Hospice have played a leading role in creating a two-day online version of the course. This is the first and only Namaste Care™ course to be run in Scotland and has received excellent feedback with delegates noting, “I have more tools to help me deal with aggressive behaviour when there is stress and pain” and “I know how to make people comfortable and make care very person centred.”
us, you'll find him on the bowling green. Thank you so much to Mike and our team of Collection Can volunteers, for giving your time to support us!
Meet Mike from Fairlie, he's been volunteering for 4 years picking-up cans when they're full around the Largs area and even across on the ferry to the shops on the Isle of Cumbrae in Millport. When he’s not helping
Could you take a collecting can in your shop, pub or business to help raise funds? Call us on 01292 288 488 or email community@ayrshirehospice.org
Lorna Reid, The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice and Fiona Irvine, Ayrshire Hospice
Mike Penfold, one of our can volunteers
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