Viva Lewes Issue #161 February 2020

BITS AND BOX
CHARITY BOX:
ST PETER & ST JAMES HOSPICE
What is St Peter &
St James Hospice?
We provide care and
support for people
towards and at the end
of life, and also help and
support their carers and
families. We have 14
beds in the Hospice, and
also support over 200
people in the community
every month. We cover Lewes, Uckfield,
Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Hurstpierpoint,
Hassocks and the surrounding villages.
How did the Hospice start? We always say
it started with a donkey, as we were a donkey
sanctuary first, and still have two donkeys
today. In 1951, Jim Dinnage, whose wife Susan
founded St Peter & St James, came home with
a donkey he’d bought. They then rescued a
further 13.
A year later, their son, Peter, was diagnosed
with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and they started
to run donkey derbies to help fund his care.
Unfortunately, Peter died in 1954, but Jim and
Susan decided to set up a holiday home for ill
and disabled children. That moved to the site
here in Wivelsfield in 1975, and later became St
Peter & St James Hospice. It has nothing to do
with any saints – it’s named after Jim and Peter!
What do you do? We help people have the
best possible experience at the end of life, and
to live well until they die. We try to provide
whatever each individual needs, at home or in
our hospice – so we might have the whole family
staying here, sometimes including pets.
We also help to unpick all the various issues
involved when someone is ill or dying, from
a carer taking time
off work, through
to available benefits
and allowances. We
offer counselling and
befriending services,
drop-in activities and
respite care. We also
provide expert advice
to GPs, nurses and
others involved in
caring for people who are dying.
While the NHS provides palliative care, people
say hospice care offers a qualitative difference, as
we have more time to spend with each person.
We have a holistic focus, and we find the individual
underneath all the anxiety and illness. Our
beautiful grounds are full of wildlife, and our
two cats, Willow and Jasper, provide comfort to
visitors. We even bring our donkeys, Dylan and
Dudley, in to visit – there’s something special
about a nuzzle from a soft nose!
How can people help? We encourage people
to donate items to our shops, volunteer with us,
or leave a gift in their wills. Less than 20% of
our income comes from the NHS or statutory
sources; the rest is fundraised through events
such as our Virtual Triathlon, which takes place
throughout February.
This year it’s our 45th birthday, and we want to
launch Hospice in the Home, so we can offer
people more choice at the end of life. Then, if
someone says they’d rather go home to die, we
can say, ‘Okay, we’ll come with you and support
you.’
Anita Hall spoke to Chief Executive Barbara Williams
and Data & Insight Officer Steve Clements
stpjhospice.org
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