In Touch magazine - Autumn / Winter 2017

in touch
Autumn 2017
Expansion plans a reality
Page 4
Sponsor a Nurse
Page 10
www.thameshospice.org.uk

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Visit us www.thameshospice.org.uk or call us 01753 842121 3
Inside
Latest news 4-5
Christine and Sue’s story 6-7
Welcome to the
30-year edition of
In Touch magazine
The gift of giving
This year we marked the incredible loyalty of
volunteers who have been with us since the beginning.
Joy Collinson, Adele Silvey, Sheila Whiteman and Prue
Marsh were awarded 30-year service badges at a special
tea at Dorney Lake. Read more on the next pages.
Stellar service
We’d like to take this opportunity to honour our
longest-serving staff members. Jeanette Woodley,
our Lymphoedema Therapist, Sarah Dodd, a Senior
Staff Nurse, and Mandy Cutler, Head of Therapy
and Patient Support Services, are celebrating
30 years at Thames Hospice. Thank you for the
difference you’ve made to thousands of local people.
On the sofa with
Simon Smith 8
Retail S.O.S 9
Sponsor a Nurse 10
China Trek tales 11
About Thames Hospice
It’s my pleasure to introduce you to this very special edition of our
supporter magazine, and to some very special news. We had our planning
committee date in July and, if you’ve not heard the good news, I am
delighted to tell you that planning permission has been agreed, in principle,
to build a new, state-of-the-art hospice by Bray Lake, in the Royal Borough
of Windsor and Maidenhead. Please turn the page to read more about
this and, between editions of In Touch, you can visit our website or social
media pages to keep updated on our plans.
We’ve had an incredibly busy start to the
year across all departments. I’m delighted
to report that we’ve launched some
new services; a 24-hour Advice Line for
patients, their loved ones and healthcare
professionals, as well as a Rapid Response
Service for people requiring urgent
home visits.
One story that stays with me is of a lady
who called the 24-hour Advice Line in
the middle of the night to ask us to help
her mum, who was in pain and very
agitated. The Rapid Response Team
visited Liz and settled her mum by
increasing her pain control, before
spending time with her discussing her
fears and anxieties. Liz was very tearful
and, in her words, ‘so relieved to know
there was someone to help her at the
end of the phone’; she couldn’t believe
such a service was available. When I
hear stories like this, it really drives
home the importance of the work we
do. I’m so proud of all of our teams who
provide amazing services every single
day, made possible by your generous
support – thank you. You can read more
about our new services on pages 4-5.
Our shops have had a fantastic start
to the year too, with our Maidenhead
Thames Hospice is the local charity for people living with life-limiting illnesses in
East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. A vital part of our work is also supporting
their loved ones.
We care for the physical, social and psychological needs of our patients, not just the
condition. Our highly skilled medical team works with the patient and their family and
carers to develop a complete support programme tailored to their individual needs.
It costs more than £7million every year to keep our Hospice running. We rely on 80%
of our income from charitable donations, which enables us to provide our services
free of charge, 365 days a year, to the people who need us.
Charity no 1108298
store moving to a new prime spot on the
high street, opposite Marks & Spencer.
I hope many of you have had the chance
to visit Maidenhead and all our shops
across East Berkshire and South
Buckinghamshire. Our shops are critical
to fundraising and deliver around £500k
per year towards funding the services we
provide. We are very fortunate to receive
such wonderful donations from so many
of you – please keep them coming!
I’m also really excited about taking part
in our new event, the Bubble Rush. It will
be the only event of its kind in Berkshire
and looks like great fun; please do sign
up. I look forward to seeing many of you
at Windsor Racecourse on 10 September!
Turn to the news page for full details.
Finally, I’d like to thank you so much for
all your support. Quite simply, without
you we couldn’t provide the care and
services our community so desperately
needs.
Best Wishes
Debbie Raven
Chief Executive
Thames Hospice, Pine Lodge, Hatch Lane,
Windsor, Berkshire SL4 3RW
Call us 01753 842121
Visit us www.thameshospice.org.uk
Follow us
Star support
Stars of stage and screen have
been moved by the work of
Thames Hospice. We count
ourselves lucky to have had
the backing of so many famous
faces over the years and
want to thank those including
Anita Dobson, Sue Holderness,
Tim Brooke-Taylor OBE, Debbie
McGee and the late, great, Paul
Daniels, Jonathan Dimbleby,
Chris Dugdale, Rosemarie Ford
and Robert Lindsey, Bernard
Gallacher, Kenneth Branagh
and so many more.
A career milestone
This year marks 30 years
since our Chief Executive,
Debbie Raven, graduated from
University and became a nurse
– here’s a snap of her on the
big day!
30 YEARS
of Thames Hospice
In the early 80s, two very special people planted the seeds
for what is Thames Hospice. Together, they realised the need
for skilled hospice care, freely available to local families
living with life-limiting illnesses, in East Berkshire and
South Buckinghamshire.
To meet those needs, Dr Douglas Denny founded Thames Valley
Hospice, in Windsor, and Mrs Penny Bevan Rahming founded the
Paul Bevan Cancer Foundation, in Ascot. These two successful
organisations decided they could better serve the needs of local
people by working together and, in April 2005, they merged to
become Thames Hospicecare (THc). Many of the families and
volunteers who were there at the very beginning remained loyal
and generous supporters of THc, and took forward those same
values as we became Thames Hospice in 2013.
Still the same organisation, our new look was created to ensure we
remain sustainable in a tougher external environment. Milestone
developments have taken place in recent years, including building
The Sanctuary – a dedicated indoor and outdoor area in the grounds
of the Windsor Hospice. Debbie Raven took over as Chief Executive
in February 2015 and appointed a new Management Team to drive
our ambitious strategy and expansion plans.
We are proud of our achievements and the expert care we provide,
but we face some fundamental challenges. With more than 5,000
deaths per year in our community, and this figure set to rise by 20%
over the next 10 years, it has become more and more evident
that we need to expand.
Following months of consultation, in 2016 we secured the
option to purchase land to build a new, purpose-built, hospice
in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead – and on 18 July
2017, planning permission, in principle, was granted. We are grateful
to our founders for their vision and to all of our supporters,
volunteers and staff who continue to make us proud.
From everybody here, we thank you for keeping Thames Hospice
running and hope we can look forward to your continued support
as we strive to make our vision a reality on our beautiful
new eight-acre site, by Bray Lake. Here’s to the next 30 years
and beyond!
Thanks – Fundraising Groups
Many of our Fundraising Groups
have been with us for 30 years
and every year they raise
around £100k – this really is
something to shout about!.
Our Groups have run antique
fairs and quiz nights, served tea
and cake to over 500 people
at Eton College, fundraised
at Cookham’s Rock the Moor,
not to mention cycling the
London to Brighton Bike Ride.
The big 3-0
Our Head of Volunteering, Jenn
Bird, turns 30 this year. She
says: ”It makes me feel a little
bit special that the Hospice and
I share a ‘birth-year’. It is truly
an incredible place and the
Volunteers who support the
Hospice astound me every
day with their dedication.”
Royal seal of approval
We are honoured to have the
support of some very special
residents, The Royal Family.
HM The Queen opened Thames
Hospice and has returned
twice more. In our time, we’ve
welcomed Prince Philip, the
Duke of Edinburgh, Diana,
Princess of Wales, and Sophie,
the Countess of Wessex, as well
as receiving floral donations
and well wishes.
A trip down memory lane
Vintage and Retro, in Windsor,
has been trading for 30 years.
It started life as a newsagent
and has seen many evolutions
before becoming the treasure
trove of one-of-a-kind items
it is today. We celebrated
with a party, attended by Royal Borough of Windsor and
Maidenhead Mayor, Councillor John Lenton, and we are
delighted to be one of his chosen charities for 2017/18.

4 Visit us www.thameshospice.org.uk or call us 01753 842121 5
Latest news
Expansion plans
Planning permission has been agreed, in principle, to build our new, state-of-the-art
Hospice by Bray Lake, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
This news follows months of planning and consultation before the planning application
was submitted. We will now finalise the details, secure the option to purchase the land
from local business, Summerleaze, and start the process of building the new hospice.
Debbie Raven, Chief Executive at Thames Hospice, said: “This decision represents a huge
step forward in the provision of specialist palliative and end-of-life care for our local
community. Pine Lodge – our much-loved existing building – has been added to, altered and
expanded many times and we cannot adapt it any further. Patient numbers are increasing
dramatically and we are caring for more patients with increasingly complex illnesses and
symptoms. Put simply, the care we provide is outstanding – but the building is holding
us back. The new hospice will allow nursing and medical teams to continue to deliver
exceptional care, without hindrance.”
Set in more than eight acres, with stunning views across landscaped gardens and Bray
Lake, the new hospice will have 28 inpatient beds in individual en-suite rooms. The Paul
Bevan Centre, will offer a wider range of daily therapeutic and social activities for day
patients and inpatients, and will allow us to double our day service provision. A new
Education Centre will be dedicated to promoting palliative care excellence – ensuring
staff receive ongoing training so patients get the best care. We will also be able to offer
education to others in our community.
FAMCARE Audit
We are once again rating well above hospices
of a similar size in a national survey measuring
satisfaction with end-of-life care amongst
bereaved relatives.
The FAMCARE Audit 2017, conducted by The
Association for Palliative Medicine of Great
Britain and Ireland (APM), comes from a survey
sent to families whose loved ones died at 52
specialist palliative care services in England,
between June and August 2016.
To give you a couple of our results, 95.24% of families asked were very satisfied with
the way our Palliative Care Team respected patient dignity, against the hospice average
of 87.19%. And for the way families were included in the treatment and care of their
loved ones, we rated 80.95% very satisfied, compared to the hospice average of 65.89%.
Jacquie Batchford, Thames Hospice Director of Patient and Family Services, said:
“We take part in the FAMCARE Audit as one of many ways to gain feedback from the
people we serve, to ensure we are best meeting their needs. All of the staff at Thames
Hospice are committed to providing the best quality of care and we are constantly
looking at ways to improve even further.”
We’re on
Instagram!
If you’re new to Instagram, it’s a social
networking app for sharing photos and
videos. The app’s main feature is filters –
allowing you to create really stylised and
bold images from a simple photograph.
We’ve been having lots of fun sharing some
beautiful snaps of Hospice life, so if you’re on
Instagram, follow us on our official channel
www.instagram.com/thameshospice
Terrific turnout for
Sunflower Walk
Nearly 500 of you brightened the grey
skies over Virginia Water Lake at our
Sunflower Walk in May. Sponsored by
plumbing systems company, John Guest,
for the fourth year running, we were
able to create a wonderful event, raising
more than £30,000 for us. To put that
into perspective, that’s enough money
to fund a Hospice Nurse for a year.
The annual event gives you the chance
to walk a choice of 13k, 6.5k or 4k routes
in beautiful surroundings, to remember a
loved one. A big thanks goes to Windsorbased
airline food solutions company,
En Route International, who entered
an 80-strong team in memory of their
colleague, Gavin, and raised more than
£6,000 in sponsorship. Alison Lessmann,
Managing Director at En Route, said:
“We took part in The Sunflower Walk
as a chance to come together and give
something back to Thames Hospice, who
did such a wonderful job of caring for
Gavin and his family in their time of need.”
If you loved the Sunflower Walk and
want to try another event, why not
join our festive favourite, the Santa
Dash. Registration is open now at
www.thameshospice.org.uk/santadash
Now we’ve mentioned Christmas, we’re
delighted to tell you Tim Brooke-Taylor
OBE will return to host our Wellington
Christmas Concert. To get your tickets,
email events@thameshospice.org.uk
Maidenhead shop opening
Crowds flocked to the opening of our newly located store in Maidenhead in April.
The shop’s staff and army of volunteers
welcomed shoppers and special guests,
including the Royal Borough Mayor, Councillor
John Lenton, and his wife, Mayoress Mrs
Margaret Lenton, and Clare Cross, one of
our nurses. We were also delighted to share
the special day with Sue Crossland, who is
currently accessing Day Therapy Services.
You can read her story on pages 6-7.
The Maidenhead shop, in its new prime
spot opposite Marks & Spencer, offers
HELLO! Magazine
We were lucky enough to receive a surprise
floral donation from what we believe to be
Pippa Middleton’s wedding. Shortly after
sharing photos of the beautiful blooms on
social media, we had a call from HELLO!
Magazine, who featured news of the
donation the very next week! Pictured above.
Expanding our services
We have been supporting our community
partners to help reach more people
needing vital care. Commissioned by
Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Groups
(CCGs), who are responsible for managing
local healthcare services, we now offer
a 24-hour Advice Line for patients, their
loved ones and healthcare professionals,
as well as a Rapid Response Service for
people on the End-of-Life Care Register
who need urgent home visits. Also
commissioned by Berkshire CCGs, we have
expanded our excellent Lymphoedema
Service, to care for anyone in East Berkshire
with a non-cancer-related lymphoedema
diagnosis. Lymphoedema is swelling to
the body from failure of or damage to the
lymphatic system. Working very closely
with GPs and District Nurses, we are
seeing some amazing support delivered
across our community and more help
given where it is so desperately needed.
womenswear and accessories, alongside
customised departments – including a
vibrant children’s area and unique retro and
urban men’s section, featuring vinyl, novelty
gifts, books, and games. The shop also
stocks a concession of new accessories and
gifts. Open 9am-5pm, Monday to Saturday
and 11am-5pm on Sunday, why not pop
in and see what bargains you can find. For
more on our growing number of shops, visit
www.thameshospice.org.uk/shopwithus
Vintage and Retro award
We’re stepping back in time to June, when
we received amazing news – our Vintage
and Retro store, in Windsor, was crowned
Shop Team of the Year at the Charity Retail
Association’s (CRA) awards ceremony,
held at the University of Nottingham.
This is a national award ceremony,
highlighting the work done by the charity
retail sector in raising funds, providing
volunteering opportunities, and raising
awareness of good causes on the high
street. The Shop Team of the Year Award
recognises the staff and volunteers involved
in the exceptional performance of a charity
shop, and the tight-knit team at our unique
store fought off stiff competition from
national charities and other hospice shops
to take the top spot.
The Vintage and Retro store is filled with
one-of-a-kind items from yesteryear. A
hotspot for fashionistas, TV stars and media
stylists, the team works hard to ensure there
is an abundance of good quality and rare
memorabilia, clothes, accessories, household
items and everything in between at amazing
prices. Find them on 44 Peascod Street.
Volunteers’ Tea
The hard work and generosity of more
than 40 long-serving volunteers was
recognised at an Afternoon Tea at
Dorney Lake Rowing Centre in June.
Over 200 Thames Hospice volunteers
enjoyed music, food and drink to mark
National Volunteers’ Week – a celebration
of the contribution of volunteers, run
by the National Council for Voluntary
Organisations.
Thames Hospice Ambassador, actress
Anita Dobson, was the special guest –
awarding long-service badges to
people from across Berkshire and
Buckinghamshire who have volunteered
for the organisation for 10, 20 or 30 years.
Jennifer Bird, Thames Hospice Head
of Volunteering, said: “We hope the
event went some way to expressing how
thankful we are that volunteers donate
their time to Thames Hospice – without
them we wouldn’t be able to reach and
support as many local people as we do.”
Find out more about volunteering at
www.thameshospice.org.uk/volunteer
Thanks – Thomas Cook Children’s Charity
We were delighted to receive the wonderful sum of £2,308 from Thomas Cook Children’s
Charity, which aims to better children’s lives by improving education, wellbeing and
healthcare facilities. This money will be used by the Specialist Palliative Care Social
Worker, who helps Thames Hospice support bereaved children. The funding will be
used to provide books and publications that will directly comfort, guide and support
young people who so desperately need it.

6 Visit us www.thameshospice.org.uk or call us 01753 842121 7
Christine and Sue’s Story
“The staff have changed my
life and given me freedom”
Diagnosed with breast cancer 13 years ago, Sue Crossland, who lives in Windsor,
has been referred to our Day Therapy Unit for support and complementary therapy.
Here she met Christine Gregory, from Iver Heath, who was diagnosed with cancer
in December 2014. Forming a friendship at their weekly sessions, since 2016
these lively ladies have now been enjoying the benefits that come with
our expert care, which is free to those who need it
Struggling at home, Christine looked for comfort from her
local church. She said: “It’s funny really, I heard about the
Hospice when I met a community nurse at the church. I had
been finding it very difficult walking and getting out and she
said: “I have noticed that you are having difficulty – are you
getting any help from anybody?’ I said I hadn’t really and
then she told me there was a lot of help out there for me
and started talking to me about Thames Hospice.”
With Sue’s cancer diagnosis changing, she needed extra
support and was referred to our services by her Breast Care
Nurse. She said: “I’ve had breast cancer on and off for 13 years
and I’ve had all sorts of treatment, including chemotherapy.
But last September, I had to go to weekly treatment and I was
awaiting some results. It was quite funny actually because
I took my cousin with me to my appointment; it was the
first time I had taken anyone with me. I knew this time that
if the Breast Care Nurse came into the room I was in trouble,
and the Breast Care Nurse came in.
“I was a bit worried about coming
to the Hospice at first; I think it’s the
word Hospice. But luckily, I knew from
a friend who had used hospice services
that hospices are supportive and offer
complementary therapy, so I knew
Thames Hospice would be a good
support system for me.”
She added: “Now my life is all about spending time with
people. People won’t remember how clean your house
is, they will remember the time they have spent with you.”
At Thames Hospice we hope the holistic care we provide,
including our Day Therapy Services – which involve arts and
crafts and gentle exercise – will give people the chance to
meet others in a similar situation and maintain a good quality
of life despite their condition. Sue said: “Coming here for my
first session was a bit daunting; I had forgotten how to meet
new people and, as ex-cabin crew, this was weird. The first
week was worrying but I soon felt relaxed.”
Christine and Sue have appreciated the support our staff and
volunteers have given them, and the social aspect of the
sessions has helped them find their confidence again and friends
in each other. Christine explained: “Coming here has made me
feel alive again. I really got in a rut before coming here. I was
stuck in the house in a small village on my own a lot and it’s
hard to adjust. It’s tricky to get out and about, and I couldn’t
see my friends.” Christine continued: “The Hospice arranges
for a Volunteer Driver to pick me up and take me to the weekly
sessions; I think it’s wonderful they offer this service. All the
staff and volunteers are so supportive; they have really changed
my life and given me freedom. The physio has also helped so
much and I can definitely walk a bit better now and for longer;
I never had that support before coming to the Hospice.”
Sue continued: “I love the arts and crafts that we do and
normally I wouldn’t do those kinds of things, so it’s got me
out of my comfort zone. I didn’t think I was arty but I’ve found
it rewarding here. Making a dream catcher was great, I had
glue everywhere and feathers stuck to me and I loved it. I call
the Hospice my ‘arts and crafts morning’, as that’s how I like
to think about it. It’s been good for me to meet new people;
I was out of practice with not being at work, but coming here
has helped with that social side.”
Christine added: “I am so thankful that I could come here;
I can’t thank everyone enough. It’s really brought me back
again and we all get on well and have a laugh and a joke.
The rest of the group are so lovely and genuine. We talk about
anything and you don’t feel like a patient here; we don’t really
talk about our illnesses, we just have a chat and a joke.”
As a charity, we rely on voluntary donations to raise 80% of
the £7 million needed to run the Hospice each year and our
Day Therapy Unit is funded by these donations. Sue finished
by urging the community to get behind the Hospice, whether
that is by donating their time, money or unwanted items
to our shops. She said:
“The Hospice is there for support while
you are living. It is unfortunate that more
people don’t know about the great work
you do and ongoing support you offer.
The Hospice is one of the charities I give
to; I have also just given my local Thames
Hospice shop loads of my donations; it’s
so important. Whenever someone wants
to give money on my behalf I encourage
them to give to the Hospice.”
If you would like to make a one-off or regular donation to Thames Hospice, visit www.thameshospice.org.uk/donate

8 Visit us www.thameshospice.org.uk or call us 01753 842121 9
On the sofa with Simon Smith
‘S.O.S’ – Stock our Stores
At Thames Hospice, we have a team dedicated to providing emotional, psychological
and spiritual support for patients and families. Headed up by Simon Smith, the
expert team sees local people facing an end-of-life or palliative care diagnosis and
helps them and their loved ones with counselling and spiritual support needs. Having
provided pastoral care and counselling as a Baptist Minister for 23 years, Simon has
also been a police and hospital chaplain. He has been involved with the Hospice
for around four-and–a-half years, and started in his current role in October 2016.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
“The most important thing about me is that I have two daughters
who mean the world to me. They both live in different parts of
London with their partners, but we meet up regularly. I also enjoy
music, comedy and relaxing with friends; in particular, I meet up
with my two best mates who I have known since I was 14. I also love
football; Crystal Palace is my team and I see them whenever I can.
“After school, I was in insurance for five years – that was enough for
me! I sought a different path and wanted to help people, so I studied
for six years to become a Baptist Minister. I was based in my home
town in South London, and then in Essex in very diverse community
settings. For me, it was always about being there for people in
particular times of need.
“I came to a point in my life when I wanted a change from a
Church-based context and a hospital chaplaincy position at Wexham
Park Hospital, in Slough, became available. My role at the hospital
included working with their Palliative Care Team, and this is where
the connection with the Hospice started. I still have really good links
with the hospital and we work in conjunction with the team there.”
“There is no other place locally that
provides the specialist quality palliative
and end-of-life care that makes the
world of difference to people.
What does your role at Thames Hospice involve?
“My team provides that extra support for our patients and their
families – emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. As I am a Team
Leader, there is a certain amount of administration in my role. There
are new initiatives to lead, policies to write, line management duties
and making sure the team is motivated and encouraged in the great
work they do in counselling and pastoral care.
“But at the heart of my role, and the part I really love, is being among
patients and families in our Inpatient and Day Therapy Units. We
see each patient within 48 hours of their admission, get to know
them, and do an assessment of their needs so that we can support
them in the best way.”
Simon meets Sophie (left)
Simon is pictured with his daughters (right)
What makes Thames Hospice special?
“The wider teams all work together here; I see it very much that we
all have a piece of the jigsaw, and when we put the pieces together
we can provide the best care for each patient. The special thing is that
we treat everyone as an individual; no two situations are the same
and no two families have the same dynamics. We tailor our approach
to the individual needs and I think this is the really outstanding part
of our care.”
What’s a typical day like in your role?
“I don’t know if there really is one! Sometimes, my interaction
with patients and families is brief; sometimes it can be an hour.
Some people need to talk things through, and sometimes things
are different because of the person’s condition, their ability to
communicate or their fatigue. For me, that day-to-day reassurance
and support we offer is what counts.”
What’s been your best memory of your time with Thames Hospice?
“I have great moments every day; the camaraderie with the staff
and volunteers is so special. There is laughter here, there is support,
and there is an understanding of what we do. It can be a challenging
role but we can laugh and we can cry together. Whether it’s nurses,
doctors, counsellors, therapists, I’ve had some of the best times
working with all the staff. That goes right across the board, not
just the frontline staff; it’s brilliant working with colleagues across
the organisation.”
Why should people support the Hospice?
“There is no other place locally that provides the specialist quality
palliative and end-of-life care that makes the world of difference
to people. Some patients need our specialist skills – whether that is
end-of-life or respite care, or symptom control and pain relief. The
all-round support available here is a wonderful thing and we need
help from the local community to fund it.”
How will our expansion plans enable us to help our community?
“This is a great place but you can see that it’s been added to over
the years and can be added to no more. It will be great to start again,
and to think about what we need now and in the future and carefully
plan it. Having the right spaces, the right number of rooms and all
the beautiful views will be amazing. We will have more patients
and family members to support, and we need to make sure we are
resourcing all this effectively so that we can continue to be the best.”
Tell us something people might not know about you?
“I am a big fan of Adele; I was actually due to go to a recent show at
Wembley with my daughters before she cancelled the last two nights
of her tour. I was gutted and moped around the office for days!”
We can vouch for the last one! If you want to know more about
our Patient and Family Support, or any of the services we offer,
visit www.thameshospice.org,uk/whoweare or watch A Short
Film About Us at www.thameshospice.org.uk/ashortfilmaboutus
We need your help to Stock our Stores!
Following the successful launch of our new shops in Gerrards Cross,
Farnham Common and Old Amersham, we plan to open two new
stores every year for the next three years… a huge target that
we need your help to meet!
With your generosity, we’ve set an amazing standard in the stock
we sell in our stores, including the rare and sought-after items
we auction on our eBay site. Last year, your donations were worth
£1,797,696, enough to fund our Patient and Family Support Services
for a year – an incredible feat.
Thames Hospice Celebrity Ambassador, Anita Dobson, has leant
her support to the campaign, giving her treasured toys to our
Maidenhead shop’s specialist Children’s section. She said: “It was
wonderful to visit Thames Hospice’s new store in Maidenhead and
donate some of my possessions to such a worthy cause. I would
like to encourage everyone to get behind the charity’s new S.O.S.
campaign and donate their pre-loved items; it makes all the difference
to the funds that can be raised to keep the Hospice running.”
Now more than ever before, we hope we can request your help
to Stock our Stores. Whether you are buying a new wardrobe,
redecorating your home or having a sort-out, please think of us.
We particularly need your donations of menswear, women’s
fashion, small electricals, homeware and gift items.
Donating to us is simple – just drop your unwanted items into your
nearest store. You can find our shop locations and opening times
at www.thameshospice.org.uk/shoplocations If you have large
furniture to donate, we offer a free collection service within a
15-mile radius of the Hospice in Windsor. Call 01753 866303 or visit
www.thameshospice.org.uk/furniturecollection to arrange a collection.
If you’re on social media, help us spread the word! Share a status
or picture of your donations and tag Thames Hospice, including
the hashtag #HospiceSOS. We’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
and LinkedIn – just search Thames Hospice.
Plus, if you are a UK taxpayer, you can help us raise even more by
signing up to our Gift Aid scheme! For every £1 raised from the sale
of your donations, the Government gives us an extra 25p and it’s free
to you and us. If you are already a Gift Aid member, just tell a Hospice
representative when donating your goods. If you would like to sign
up for Gift Aid, just ask in store. Last year alone, this helped raise
an additional £118,000!
Calling all Corporates!
Following the successful launch of our ‘Donation Station
Campaign’ last year we currently have eight corporate
partners hosting Donation Stations.
We are extremely grateful for the support of companies including
Martin-Baker, F.Hinds and Adelie Foods, who have been helping
us Stock our Stores. We recently added Paradigm Housing to
our corporate supporters, with Hovis due to receive a Donation
Station in support of the campaign very soon.
If you know of any companies, clubs, or community organisations
who would be happy to host a Donation Station, please contact
Annie on 07811 115568 or Kym on 01753 847405. We will arrange
a personal visit to anyone interested in the scheme and we tailor
our terms and conditions to suit you.
Thanks – M&S Spark
Something Good
Marks and Spencer, Windsor, have been
supporting the Hospice as their Charity of the
Year during 2016 and 2017 and have so far
raised over £2,000. In June they participated
in the M&S Spark Something Good initiative by volunteering at
The Home Studio, inside our Home store in Dedworth. Along with
a £500 donation for materials, 10 staff spent two days upcycling
and painting flower pots and furniture in Frenchic paint to be
sold in store. Thank you to those who volunteered and for the
ongoing support from everyone at M&S Windsor.

10 Visit us www.thameshospice.org.uk or call us 01753 842121 11
Sponsor a Nurse – your kindness, our care
I am very proud of the Nursing Team
here at the Hospice, and those who
donate, volunteer or fundraise to
make their work possible should
be too.
As the Director of Patient and Family
Services, I know the Nursing Team strive
to do the best they can for our patients and
their families, whether in our Inpatient or
Day Therapy Units, or working with people
in their own homes. Having been a Nurse
at Thames Hospice for nearly 18 years, I
also know their work is very rewarding, but
also physically and emotionally exhausting.
Did you know?
Our expert training
We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality end-of-life and
palliative care. This is only possible by investing in specialists in the
sector and ensuring we offer our staff the very best in professional
development. This year, we will be extending our training
programme; not just for staff, but for our community partners.
Health Care Assistants (HCAs) work under the direction of our
Registered Staff Nurses, assisting with complex clinical procedures
and providing personal, practical and emotional care for patients
and their families. This year, three of our HCAs are furthering their
development by doing Level 3 apprenticeships in Clinical Healthcare
Support, and once they have completed their qualifications,
they will become Senior Health Care Assistants. Later this year,
in conjunction with Reading College, we will be launching the Level
5 Diploma for Assistant Practitioners. HCAs who have completed
their Level 3 apprenticeships can then embark on the Level 5,
which would pave the way for further nursing training. We would
like to take this opportunity to say good luck to all our HCAs taking
on training courses and give a special shout out to Sam Galvin, a
Senior HCA, who has decided to become a nurse and will begin
training later this year.
We work closely with our community partners, including hospitals,
colleges and care homes, to support them and share best practice.
Many things contribute to giving our
patients the best possible care, such as
the best equipment, good food and a lovely
environment. But the most important gift
we give patients is our Nursing Team’s time.
It is the time to listen to a patient and their
family, the time they take to get to know
them, to understand their needs and care
for them, whilst knowing expert medical
care is on hand whenever they need it. To our
nurses, it is more than a job, it is a vocation.
I really cannot understate the value that
time with our Nursing Team brings to our
patients. And this is why we have launched
our Sponsor a Nurse programme, to ensure
we can fund our nursing care now, and in the
future. On a weekly basis, I receive letters,
cards and phone calls from families who feel
our nurses have made all the difference –
they tell me the care here is second to none;
they call my colleagues angels.
To ensure this care is available to as many
people as possible in our community, we
need to fund those nursing hours. It costs
£6.49 for half-an-hour of nursing care. So
we are asking our supporters to give £6.49
a month, to ensure nurses like Niina, who
you can read about in the enclosed leaflet,
can be there for patients who need them.
Half-an-hour may not sound like much, but
it is the time it takes to hold the hand of a
patient who is frightened, give much-needed
pain relief medication, or be there to comfort
A recent gift of £5,000 received in a supporter’s Will was enough to fund
a month’s worth of patient medication needed on the Inpatient Unit.
a family when their loved one has passed
away. At these times your £6.49 means
more than anything money could buy.
If you are able and would like to
Sponsor a Nurse, just fill in the enclosed
leaflet and send it back to us or visit
www.thameshospice.org.uk/sponsoranurse
As a thank you for your support, we will send
you twice-yearly updates from the Nursing
Team and, after a year of donations, a special
Sponsor a Nurse pin badge as a thank you.
If you choose to join, you will be giving an
amazing gift to people facing some of life’s
most challenging times.
Many thanks for your support
Jacquie Batchford
Director of Patient and Family Services
We have an in-house training programme and we plan to build a
training centre in our new Hospice, which we hope will become a
hub for local healthcare professionals, to share expert knowledge
and learn from each other. Until then, we endeavour to take every
opportunity to share our skills and earlier this year we received
funding from Health Education England Thames Valley, so our
specialists can deliver an intermediate level communications course,
explaining the importance of good communication with people
approaching the end of their lives and those close to them. We’re
pleased to say it’s been fully booked, with upcoming dates across
Berkshire. If you are a healthcare professional and would like more
details or to sign up, email toni.forbes@thameshospice.org.uk
or visit www.thameshospice.org.uk/educationandtraining. Our
Practice Educator has also been busy working with the Community
Palliative Care Team, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
nurses and Thames Hospice Community nurses, delivering syringe
driver and drug care training to nursing and care homes, as well
end-of-life care teaching at Bracknell & Wokingham College.
We strive to invest in and recognise the academic and practical
achievements of our incredible workforce and it is only because
of people like you, our generous supporters, that we can continue
to be the best – thank you.
China Trek
14 intrepid Thames Hospice supporters are taking on the challenge
of trekking the Great Wall of China on 28 October 2017, led by
Alison, Head of Events and Community Fundraising.
For Elaine, our Fundraising Administrator, it’s
an opportunity to go back to a country she
once called home, and take on a challenge
that’s long been on her bucket-list. She
said: “I used to work in Beijing in the early
90s, as PR Manager for a luxury hotel. Part
of my job was to take visiting press up to the
Great Wall. I remember struggling up the
steep steps at Simatai with a group of French
journalists, complete with a back-pack full
of wine, cheese and plastic glasses, so we
could celebrate in style at the top”.
For fellow trekker, Sue (below), this is also
a return trip, though her reasons are more
poignant. Five years ago she and her husband
John went to The Great Wall on a memorable
holiday. Sadly, John passed away at Thames
Hospice last year. When Sue saw the China
Can you help?
Do you, or does someone you know work for a local or national
corporation that would like to get involved with us?
If so, please consider getting in touch with our Corporate and
Major Gifts Team – they would be delighted to hear from you.
As the charity enters what will be a busy and ambitious period
of growth, we are looking for more businesses to support the
Hospice and there are so many ways to get involved. Securing
business support is crucial to ensuring our long-term vision for
local hospice care is achieved – businesses and business
connections, we need you!
Please contact Mary-Ann Leader, Corporate Fundraiser, at
mary-ann.leader@thameshospice.org.uk or on 01753 848923.
Trek advertised, she decided that taking
part in the trek would be a lovely way to
celebrate his memory and raise money for
us. Sue says: “I am doing this trek to try and
give something back to the Hospice, which
has given us such amazing support since
John was diagnosed with cancer two years
ago, and continues to do so since he sadly
passed away last year. It’s just a wonderful
team who are there, caring for patients
and families through such difficult times.”
Keen trekker and Hospice Trustee, Jonathan,
is spurred on by the challenge of exploring
The Great Wall and the opportunity to raise
funds for the Hospice. “I see it as part of my
role as a Trustee to get involved, and not just
sit on committees,” he explains. Alison, our
tour leader, is excited by the prospect of
exploring a different culture – “It’s going to
be amazing. We’re going to be staying in local
hostels, so we’ll get a real feel for the country.”
Diverse as our personal reasons may be,
we all share the desire to raise as much
money as possible for Thames Hospice. The
fundraising has been every bit as challenging
as the trek is likely to be. Susan, Thames
Hospice Fundraising Administrator, and
Elaine have joined forces to spur each other
on. They started their campaign with ‘Name
the Panda’, which proved really popular, but
also involved manhandling a six-foot panda
Thanks – Marathon Men
around the Hospice for a week. They’ve since
gone on to hold clothes-swaps, run a raffle
and sell as much as possible at a car-boot sale.
Matthew held a really successful Charity Fun
Day at the New Windsor Community Centre,
raising a whopping £970; Jamie has been busy
selling all and sundry on eBay and at car-boot
sales, as well as holding a fabulous Fun Day
at the Admiral Pub in Bracknell; and Sue has
held a Quiz Night and Fish & Chip Supper.
They’ve all been busy training – some, have
been more dedicated than others! Elaine in
a fit of enthusiasm, headed off to Morocco
to trek the High Atlas mountain range,
Elaine and Susan walked the flatter coastal
footpaths of Suffolk for a weekend; Lyndsey
walked Hadrian’s Wall; while Richard and Jim
have been trekking all over the UK and Alison
has kept up a steady pace on lunchtime walks
and longer strolls in Windsor Great Park.
We want to say a big good luck and thank
you to Team China Trek. If you would like
to donate, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/
team/thamestrekkers2017 or for more
information on the Trek, or any of our events,
email events@thameshospice.org.uk
‘An absolute treasure’
Phyllis, pictured left, who won Retail
Volunteer of the Year at the national
Hospice UK Retail Conference. For the past
year, she has been volunteering at our
Binfield shop and her team has described
her as a ‘pillar of the community’, an
‘absolute treasure’ and ‘a diamond’. Phyllis
represents the fantastic work every one
of our 385 volunteer Retail Assistants do.
Thank you and congratulations Phyllis.
Tariq and his pal Mark, from Slough, took
on the Southend Half Marathon in July.
This was a Herculean task for Tariq, who
lost a leg in an accident. Thank you both
for the gruelling training, fundraising
efforts and dedication to our cause. We
also salute Mark Cooke, from Mark Cooke
Hair, in Ascot. We crowned you ‘King of the Castles’ on social
media and are still in awe of your 53-mile walk from Windsor Castle
to Arundel Castle, in West Sussex. You definitely made it look like
a walk in the park, but we appreciate all the hard work you put in.

Sign up for our
Sunday 26 November 2017, 10am
Swinley Forest, Bracknell
Walk/run the 5k or run the 10k
Call 01753 842121
Visit www.thameshospice.org.uk/santadash
Charity No 1108298
Generously
supported by