A Toast to the Bard
Ayrshire Hospice has a new Children and Young Person’s Service
By Laura Somerville, Lead Practitioner Patient and Family Care team
Over 150 guests joined us at our Burns Supper in January and enjoyed a top-class evening of food and entertainment at the Brig o’ Doon House Hotel, raising an incredible £15,000. Celebrating Scotland’s National Bard, we welcomed Peter Brown to provide the ‘Toast to the Lassies’, and Deborah Leslie provided an able reply. Young pupils from Alloway Primary; Nicole Steel
and Zahra Taylor, together with Aaron Ritchie and Frazer Snedden from Doonfoot Primary, were a highlight of the evening as they performed poems and addressed the haggis.
The service offers those aged from 5 to 18 and living in Ayrshire and Arran access to qualified counsellor, Cheryl Gallagher. Counselling can help children be more aware of their emotions around illness and loss, recognise and manage strong feelings and develop coping skills, while talking about and understanding grief. This can lead to reduced distress and improved ability to cope, skills that children and young
Last Autumn, the Ayrshire Hospice introduced a new service to support children and young people who currently have a relative or friend with a life-limiting illness or who have lost a friend or relative due to life-limiting illness.
people can take forward into other situations in life. Using a variety of skills and resources, such as talking therapy, drawing and working through issues via play, there are a number of resources available to help children make sense of loss and death. As the Children & Young Persons Practitioner, Cheryl supports children where they have lost a grandparent, friend or where a parent has a diagnosis. She can also work alongside parents and caregivers to offer resources to help explain to children about a diagnosis or prognosis. Cheryl is able to see children at home, or in school, both individually and in small groups. If a child wishes for a family member or trusted adult to be present during the first introductory session, this can be arranged. If you know a child or young person who may benefit from this service, please contact our Hospice Triage Team on 01292 269200
SAVE THE DATE or reserve your table now for next year’s Burns Supper which will take place on Friday 26th January at Brig o’ Doon House Hotel with Ayrshire’s own Robbie Duncan hosting. Call 01292 288488 to reserve your table.
Mother’s Day c elebrated in In-Patient Unit Patients, their families, and staff enjoyed a lovely buffet lunch to celebrate Mother’s Day in March. The Catering team produced a sumptuous selection of sandwiches, sausage rolls and other tasty goodies to tuck into while celebrating cherished mothers, grans and aunts.
The Ayrshire Hospice makes today matter for patients and their families and providing these moments creates special memories for families and their loved ones.
June 2023 | EDITION 33
10
11
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software