Life Magazine Autumn/Winter 2024

Autumn → Winter
2024
Light up a Life 2024
Dedicate a light on our Trees of Remembrance
Two Weeks to say Goodbye
A couple's journey through terminal illness
Style with Purpose
The social enterprise salon supporting hospice care
stcolumbashospice.org.uk
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 1

In this is
3 Welcome!
5 Hospice News
11 Two weeks
to say goodbye
13 Light Up a Life
7 Community
corner
9 Our Year
in Numbers
1 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

sue...
Keep in touch:
e info@stcolumbashospice.org.uk
→ 15 Boswall Road
Edinburgh, EH5 3RW
t 0131 551 1381
19 Corporate corner
21 Compassionate
gardeners
15 Upcoming events
17 Introducing
Studio15
23 Charity shops
Volunteer news
25 Planning ahead:
Why future care
matters
Top 5 gifts for
Christmas!
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 2

Welcome!
to the Autumn/Winter
2024 edition of Life
magazine.
Finance
Inpatient
Care
Education
and Research
Doctors
Chaplains
Volunteers
HR
Therapists
Governance
Family
Support
Hospitality
Domestics
Clinical
Support
Hospice
at Home
Wellbeing
Access
Facilities
Arts
Services
Nurses
Fundraising
and Shops
Compassionate
Neighbours
The strength
behind our stories
STRATEGIC PLAN 2024 – 2027
P.5
Our new three year
strategy document
s we approach the
Afestive season,
we want to extend our
heartfelt gratitude for
your unwavering support
throughout the year. Your
generosity and dedication
have made a profound
difference in the lives
of those we support
across Edinburgh and
the Lothians.
This Christmas, we reflect
on the moments of joy,
comfort, and hope that
your contributions have
brought to our patients
and their families.
Through your kindness,
we have been able to
make great strides
in developing the
services we provide in
the community, from
our virtual ward which
is giving people with
complex palliative care
needs access to the best
possible hospice care in
their own homes, to
expanding our wellbeing
offering so that people
have access to not just
medical, but holistic and
therapeutic care too.
To say it’s been a busy year
is an understatement.
We’ve spent many months
shaping our new strategic
plan to guide us through
the next three years
and in September,
we opened the doors
to Studio15, a brand-new
hair and nail salon based
in the historic gatehouse
within the hospice
grounds. A major focus
of our new strategy lies
in diversifying our income
streams and Studio15 is
the first of many exciting
ventures towards the
development of a more
sustainable business
model.
3 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

P.13
Our 2024 Light Up a Life campaign
P.17
Studio15 opens its doors
In this edition, we share
stories from the Hospice
community, updates on
our recent activities, and
ways you can continue
to make an impact
including the launch
of our annual Light up a
Life appeal. On page 11
we bring you a deeply
moving story that
reminds us of the fragility
and unpredictability of
life. When Jose’ spouse
Robert was given just
two weeks to live, the
couple were faced with
the difficult decisions,
and the deep reflections
that come with such
a life-altering diagnosis.
It offers a powerful
perspective on what
truly matters when time
is running out.
The continued growth in
our services wouldn’t be
possible without you.
Thank you for being
a cherished part of our
hospice family. Wishing
you and your loved ones
a joyous and peaceful
Christmas.
Warmest wishes,
Jackie Stone
CEO
—
P.s. When it comes to delivering world class palliative care, your feedback
is invaluable to us. We want to know what’s important to you. So, if you have
comments or concerns about any aspect of our service please get in touch
by emailing info@stcolumbashospice.org.uk.
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 4

Docy Streaming
Success
iam ‘Docy’ Docherty
L recently held his
biggest, best, and most
successful live-stream
fundraiser to date!
Streaming for 3 days
straight, he endured pies
to the face, chilli eating
challenges, getting waxed,
as well as countless other
activities and forfeits! His
amazing efforts raised an
incredible £5555 for the
Hospice, bringing his
cumulative fundraising
total to over £18,000!
Studio15
is now open!
ecent visitors to
Rthe Hospice will
have noticed our newest
venture, Studio15. Situated
in the gatehouse building,
the new salon is open to
the public and offers
luxury hair and nail
services with all profits
raised going to hospice
care. Book an
appointment now at
studio15.org.uk
Hospice news
The strength behind our stories
he opening
T of Studio15 comes
ahead of the launch of our
ambitious new three-year
strategic plan, ‘The
Strength Behind our
Stories’ which focuses on
sustainable long-term
impact, with a focus on
innovation and delivering
quality through everything
we do. Studio15 is the
first of many ways we aim
to diversify our income
streams to support the
creation and development
of a more sustainable
business model over the
coming three years. The
full strategy can be found
under ‘key documents’ on
our website.
'Exceptional'
Results!
n our most recent
Iinspection from
Healthcare Improvement
Scotland, we were thrilled
to be awarded ‘Exceptional’
status. The unannounced
inspection focussed on
both patient and staff
areas, as well as the
experiences of staff
working here, and the
patients in our care, who
all gave honest, but
glowing reviews!
5 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 6

Community
corner
A swimming
success!
Dunedin Swim Team
took to the waters for
a nine-hour swimathon
in memory of their
dear friend, Trevor. 24
swimmers of all ages
swam an impressive
168km between them
and raised an equally
impressive £1,476 for
the Hospice. A big thanks
to all involved!
Birthday bash
Supporter Ian
celebrated his 90th
birthday by hosting
a lunch at Craiglaw
Golf Club for friends
and family. Following
the death of his wife
Kathleen in 2016, Ian
attended a coffee
morning support
group at the Hospice.
Eight years on, the
group continues to
meet regularly and
has formed great
friendships, with some
of them attending his
birthday lunch. Ian
asked for donations
instead of presents and
raised a brilliant
£1,050. Many thanks to
Ian and all who donated
in celebration of his
birthday.
Street party!
Our neighbours went
all out at their annual
Denham Green Street
party getting the whole
community together
for a sunny afternoon
of activities, games,
face-painting, food
and drink. The event
was a huge success
and raised £486 for
the hospice. Thanks
to all involved,
we really appreciate
your support.
Printed dreams
Artist and friend of the
Hospice, Lary Borkin,
hosted another
successful Printed
Dreams show at
Summerhall in June,
this time featuring his
miniature 3D printed
multi-coloured vases.
Lary is one of our loyal
supporters and all
proceeds from sales at
the event were donated
to the Hospice, raising
over £400, thank you
as always!
7 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

Our team is supporting schools
across Edinburgh and the Lothians
Maryam, Will and Arran in the YPI
programme at Balerno High School
School Partnerships
At St Columba’s Hospice
Care we love partnering
up with schools across
Edinburgh and the Lothians
to make a difference in our
community! To ensure we
can support pupils and staff
we have introduced a group
of Schools Fundraising
Volunteers. Whether
you need support with
fundraising, our ambassador
scheme, Youth and
Philanthropy Initiative (YPI)
or other activities, our team
is here to help. YPI is a
powerful active citizenship
programme run in schools,
empowering young people
to make a difference in their
communities while
developing skills. Lucia
and Laura from the Wood
Foundation (who run YPI)
joined us to share their
expertise. We loved hearing
all about the initiative and
how it builds pupils skills
and educates them about
social issues while
supporting charities.
Get Involved!
Inspired to get involved with your school, community
group or as an individual? Why not contact our team
for further details and inspiration?
fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk or call 0131 551 1381.
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 8

The care we provide depends on the
support of people like you. We were
there for more people in more ways
than ever before in 2023-24.
Thank you for making it possible.
Our income
for the year
was £13.5m
(including £3.8m
investment gains)
Our outgoings
for the year
were £12.9m
Our year in n
83p of every £1 is
spent on charitable
activities (care,
advice, support,
education and
research), with
the other 17p going
towards raising the
next £1.
20 %
of our funds
came from
the NHS
4,316
players in the
Hospice lottery
160
people supported
by our virtual ward
870
people
supported by
our community
palliative care team
9 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

280
people
supported
by care at
home
283
admissions to
our inpatient
unit
1,238
counselling &
bereavement
support
sessions
309
new referrals
to our wellbeing
service
65
people joined
our team of
Compassionate
Neighbours
575
generous
volunteers gave
us their time
1 couple were
supported by
the Hospice to
get married
umbers...
1,220
triaged referrals
by our access
team (and 1,164
advice calls)
1,024
chaplaincy
interactions
841
complementary
therapy sessions
delivered
7,600
Facebook
followers
Our
website
had 29,000
unique
visitors
We reduced
our carbon
footprint
by 14%
Our Hospice
now has 11
therapets
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 10

This Christmas, dedicate a
light to help people like José
make every moment count...
In March, Robert Livingstone (46) was diagnosed with stage
4 cancer and given just two-weeks to live. José Perez (37), his
partner of over 15 years, was suddenly faced with an emotional
balancing act, where the weight of being a supportive partner
meets the urgency of practical responsibilities. Their story,
filled with unexpected strength and raw emotions, is testament
to the resilience of the human spirit and the clarity that comes
when every moment counts.
José said: ““It started with
a persistent pain in Rob’s
back and shoulders that he
couldn’t quite shake, he was
feeling more tired and had
less energy than usual, but
he kept brushing it off, even
though I could tell it was
really bothering him.
I convinced him to see a
doctor out of caution, and
although he was prescribed
medicine for the pain, it
didn’t seem to be helping.
After a lot of persistence,
we ended up at the hospital
for further scans. The test
results came back quickly,
and the news was
devastating: an advanced,
aggressive form of cancer.
The doctor’s voice was calm
but firm - Rob had, at most,
a couple of weeks to live.
“They left us to let it sink
in and that’s when Rob said
we needed to get married.
We just couldn’t process
how we got there. How he
went from back pain to
stage 4 cancer. From that
point, I knew I had to be
the strong one because Rob
couldn’t, I tried to wrap my
mind around the reality of
it, but it felt like it wasn’t
real, like it was happening to
someone else. It’s like, you
have your person, that one
person that knows what
you’re thinking with just one
look, and you have all these
plans together, and it all
vanishes in an instant.
“Suddenly, there is so much
to do, all these practical
things to handle, making
sure everything is in order,
calling our family and
friends to break the news.
But then there were the
quieter moments where we
just sat together,
sometimes in silence,
sometimes sharing
memories, but all with a
deep sadness of knowing
Rob didn’t have long. Part
of me kept saying he’ll pull
through and get better, but
this quickly became a sense
of acceptance for us both.
There was no point fussing
over small things, we knew
we had to make every
moment count.
“When we were transferred
to the Hospice, it felt like
everything was going at
super speed. The team
helped our family to sort
out everything from his
will, to arranging our
wedding and that meant I
could spend the little time
we had left, by his side. We
would just put our house
music on in the room and I
would help him shower and
shave and all that. He’s my
boy, I wasn't going to let
anyone else do it if I could
11 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

Rob (left) and José enjoyed travelling together
regularly, they were due to leave for a trip around
Scotland when Rob was diagnosed.
do it myself because he
was vulnerable enough,
I didn’t want him to be
uncomfortable. ‘I’m your
partner and that’s what
I’m here for’ I would tell him.
I wouldn’t have had it any
other way.
“Our wedding was so
special because it was
casual just how we’d
always imagined. We wore
Hawaiian shirts, and it was
just close family, the
Hospice chaplain was
fantastic and did a
shortened service so
that Rob didn’t get too tired.
It was just a lovely day, one
of the best of my life, and
our family and the care
team around him made it
perfect for us.
“Rob began to deteriorate
quickly after that, and he
didn’t have energy from
being surrounded by so
many people. Everyone
wanted to be part of his
last days, but it was a lot
for him. We were allowed
to bring our cats in to visit
and that made him so
happy, there were ups and
downs, but I could see him
fading away. The doctors
prepared me that he would
become less responsive
and may become agitated
or confused not knowing
where he was. Rob died in
the Hospice, exactly two
weeks after his diagnosis.
“Following Rob’s death, I
joined a support group at
the Hospice and that’s
when the grieving process
really began. I lost the love
of my life; everything I
knew, and all my comforts
changed overnight. I’m still
adapting to the changes
and emotionally, it’s been
devastating trying to
accept that I’ll never see
him again. I can’t put into
words what having the
support of St Columba’s
has done for me, being able
to talk to others with similar
experiences is helping me
pick up the pieces, day by
day.”
—
To dedicate a light to
a loved one, return the
appeal leaflet enclosed
with your magazine, call
0131 551 1381 or visit
stcolumbashospice.
org.uk/LightupaLife.
stcolumbashospice.org.uk/donate
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 12

very year, we join with
E hundreds of people in our
Hospice community to remember
and celebrate the lives of our loved
ones. This is an opportunity for
everyone to remember someone
they love, whether you have any
prior connection with the Hospice
or not.
During our services, the
lights on our Christmas Tree
of Remembrance will be lit,
symbolising the lives of those
we are remembering.
Your gift will not only Light up the
Life of your loved one, but it will also
help care for our patients and their
loved ones this Christmas.
We hope you can join us at one
of our Light up a Life ceremonies.
£10
£30
£50
£10 could provide a delicious
Christmas dinner freshly
prepared by our chefs,
bringing a moment of joy
over the festive season.
£30 could pay for a session
with a chaplain or counsellor
for patients and their families
offering comfort, guidance or
simply someone to listen.
£50 could provide an hour of
nursing care at home or in the
community to offer pain and
symptom relief.
13 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

Our Tree of Remembrance
in Charlotte Square Gardens
Dedications can be made throughout the festive period and our
Trees of Remembrance will remain lit in Charlotte Square (from
Monday 2 nd December) and St Mary’s Pleasance Gardens, Haddington
(from Thursday 5 th December) until Wednesday 2 nd January.
£100
For more information,
please see the enclosed
leaflet, call 0131 551 1381
or email fund@
stcolumbashospice.org.uk
£100 could provide a patient
and their loved ones with a
meaningful wellbeing session
to create precious memories
this Christmas.
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 14

Upcoming
events
Christmas
Pop-Up Shops
Friday 8-10 November,
10am-4.30pm @ No17,
17 Boswall Road, EH5 3RW
Wednesday 13 November
10am-3pm @ Bruntsfield
Links Golf Club
Edinburgh
Marathon Festival
Our annual Christmas
Pop-Up shop returns in
November. Drop in and
browse a range festive
goodies including,
Christmas cards, calendars,
gifts, decorations, toys,
games and a tombola!
Saturday and Sunday
24 & 25 May 2025
If you are looking for a
running challenge, entries
are open for the Edinburgh
Marathon Festival 2025.
Charity places are available
for all distances.
Christmas Charity
Festival Runs –
Inverleith Park
Sunday 01 December 2024
Bring your family & friends and
enjoy Edinburgh's Premier
Christmas running event. With
a 5k, 10k and Junior Christmas
1.5k Fun Run on offer, there's
something for all to enjoy. Don't
delay, enter today! Discounted
charity places available.
Tandem Skydive –
Strathallan
Year Round Dates Available
Get ready to experience a
rush like no other as you take
a leap into the extraordinary
with a tandem skydive,
provided by Skydive
Strathallan. We're looking for
extreme adventurers to take
on a skydive and raise vital
funds for St Columba’s
Hospice Care.
Keep an eye on our website
for the latest on our exciting
events for 2025!
Book your
place today!
15 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

Making Community
Connections with Music
An update from Dr Bruce Armstrong, our Music Therapist
ur Arts team is
O committed to working
with the local community,
contributing to Leith Festival,
visual art events, workshops
led by Isla Macleod, and
musical performances at
Iona Cafe. Recently, I’ve been
working with Tinderbox
Collective, a charity offering
music-based activities for
young people at Muirhouse
Millennium Centre. The
weekly Tinderbox Tuesday
Hub attracts local youth,
aged 10-18, who receive
guidance in various
instruments and musical
genres. As a Music Therapist,
I’m exploring ways the
Hospice can collaborate. In
meetings with Assistant
Director Jed Milroy and Eve
Simpson, we’ve discussed
loss and grief issues for
young people at the Hub.
We’re planning workshops to
support staff in developing
strategies, boundaries, and
using music to help young
people process emotions.
This work should strengthen
the Arts Team’s community
connection.
You can find out
more about Tinderbox
music projects at
tinderboxcollective.org
Palliative Arts
No.17 Talks
n January 2024 we
I launched our Palliative
Arts No.17 Talks! These talks
take place quarterly at our
beautiful No.17 conference
venue and online via Zoom.
Hosted by our Arts team, the
sessions offer a welcoming,
critical and creative space for
sharing practice, research and
innovation nationally and
internationally. To date, the
talks have brought together
practitioners, scholars,
students as well as service
users.
Topics covered
include...
Thinking sociologically
about the arts in palliative
care (by Tia DeNora)
—
Musical Synergy: An
exploration of collaborative
approaches with orchestras
in children’s hospices (by
Victoria Kammin)
Arrivals + Departures
(by Yara El-Sherbini)
—
“Once upon a time…”
The power of story
when facing death
(by Peter Darby-Knight)
If you’d like to participate in any of our upcoming talks,
visit the hospice website for more details and book your
place now! stcolumbashospice.org.uk/events
16 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 16

Introducing...
We recently opened the doors to, Studio15, our first social enterprise
salon. Located in the gatehouse of the Hospice grounds in Trinity, our
innovative venture aims to deliver top-tier beauty treatments while
directly contributing to the well-being of the community and supporting
the Hospice’s vital care services across Edinburgh and the Lothians...
Led by Salon
Manager Louise
Gray, Studio15 offers
a range of treatments
from cut, colour, and
blow drys, for women,
men and children, to
nail services such as gel,
nail art and manicures.
Louise, who has over
20 years of experience
in the industry, said: “As
a hairdresser, I take so
much pride in what I do,
my priority is delivering
exactly what my clients
want and ensuring they
leave happy and
confident. The new
studio is wonderful, and
I’m delighted to be able
to do what I love for such
an important cause.
Knowing that every
penny raised through
Studio15 will go back into
helping people with
life-limiting conditions
and their families, makes
it even more rewarding.”
17 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

Jackie Stone,
CEO at St Columba’s
Hospice Care, said:
“By choosing Studio15,
customers are directly
contributing to a cause
that matters – providing
compassionate
end-of-life care to
patients and support for
their families. It’s a
beautiful and calming
space and the team has
a wealth of experience;
we can’t wait to welcome
everyone.”
As a social enterprise,
we’re committed to
putting our community
at the heart of all that we
do. We’re proud to be a
member of the Green
Salon Collective,
recycling our metal and
hair waste and doing our
bit to reduce waste sent
to landfill. We’re also
proud to be a Redken Pro
Expert salon, offering our
clients the best option
for colour that’s kind
to hair, as well as using
their fantastic range of
haircare products. A
limited range of Redken
products are available
to purchase in salon.
Our team is also
planning to host special
events, workshops and
community gatherings,
all designed to promote
wellness, self-care and
community solidarity.
Clients can look forward
to themed beauty
nights, educational
seminars and the
chance to meet the
Hospice care team
and learn more about
the impact of their
work.
Opening Hours:
Weds – Fri: 9.30-6pm
Saturday: 8.00-4pm
To find out more, visit www.studio15.org.uk
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 18

There are countless benefits of corporate fundraising for charities and businesses alike.
By supporting hospice care, your business demonstrates a commitment to enhancing
the quality of life for individuals across Edinburgh and the Lothians facing life-limiting
illness and their families. If you’re interested in making a lasting impact on the worldclass
care that St Columba’s Hospice Care provides, we’d love to hear from you.
Delivering vital care wouldn’t be possible
without the support of our corporate partners.
Why partner with us?
- Employee engagement:
We can help you motivate
staff and encourage
team building
- Social responsibility:
We help companies
deliver their social
responsibility goals
- Media and reach:
We create positive
PR opportunities and
can help you connect
with new audiences
- Brand and social media:
We can help you build
positive brand awareness
and help you create
engaging content for your
social platforms
Ways to get involved:
- Nominate us as
your charity partner
of the year
- Sponsor
one of our events
- Commercial
partnership: donate
a percentage of profits
from a specific product
or product line
- Promote payroll
giving so staff can
donate from their pretaxed
income
19 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

What have our Corporate
Supporters been doing?
Once again, our corporate
supporters and volunteers
have gone above and
beyond with their amazing
fundraising efforts,
donations and support,
every pound raised will
help provide care and
support for families in
our community.
We’re excited to announce
a new charity partnership
with Veranova and look
forward to working with
them on some great
fundraising ideas over
the next year.
Community Pharmacy
Scotland held their 10th
Annual Charity Golf Day in
honour of a much-loved
colleague raising £7,210
on the day!
We’re delighted to
continue as NVT’s charity
partner for another year,
this has been a wonderful
partnership that has to
date raised over £8000
for the Hospice.
Diligenta Edinburgh
raised over £1,000 in
memory of a colleague
with a team taking part in
a sponsored walk along
the Water of Leith.
Stuart McLaren, a
professional golfer who
represents Bruntsfield
Links Golfing Society
has partnered with the
Hospice for the next two
years. Stuart aims to raise
as much money as
possible for the Hospice
throughout his 2024
season on The Tartan Pro
Tour and will donate £2 for
every birdie he makes and
a £5 for every eagle he
makes, through his
JustGiving page.
Save the date!
With Stuart’s support,
we’re excited to be
holding our first Golf Day
Fundraiser on 20 June
2025 at Bruntsfield Links
Golfing Society. More info
coming soon…
We're looking forward to
hosting a Golf Day with support
from Stuart McLaren
Get involved!
To find out more about how your business can get involved
with St Columba’s Hospice Care, contact Amanda Southey
asouthey@stcolumbashospice.org.uk
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 20

The Germans have a wonderful word, ‘Vorfreude’,
which means ‘the anticipation of joy’ and this
encapsulates how many feel as part of St
Columba’s Hospice Compassionate Gardeners...
Compassionate
Gardeners
Gardens can be magical
places, rich with happy
memories of times past
and hope for times to
come.
Gardens can nourish us
by connecting the soul
with the soil, provide solace
during times of sadness
and an oasis of calm in the
most challenging of times.
The healing power of
nature has a profound
effect on our sense of
wellbeing. Many speak
of feeling renewed and
rejuvenated sitting in
their much-loved garden
surrounded by a myriad
of colours, scents and
wildlife and it's even better
when you can share this
with a friend.
Compassionate Gardener
Elaine and Ann come
together once a week and
have become firm friends,
sharing a love of gardening
and good company. Ann,
said: ‘I love my garden,
especially the summer
flowers and the Autumn
trees. It’s like an art project
and it’s great to share it
with Elaine. I can’t care for
my garden as I once did, so
Elaine has been a great help
to me. We plan and potter
together and have a lovely
time. I love colour and have
lots of hues of blue this
year from a stunning
sea holly, to a beautiful
hydrangea.
Elaine, said: “Volunteering
as a Compassionate
Gardener is the best thing
I’ve done since I retired
and the friendship we have
grown is as important as
the gardening. I’ve learnt
a lot about gardening from
Ann, we also share plants
and seedlings, the most
recent being some
snapdragons which are
coming on beautifully.”
21 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

Compassionate Gardener volunteers
change lives and so often, their own.
The joy of helping restore a garden
to its former glory is doubled by the
genuine long-lasting friendships that
often blossom over a cup of tea and
chats about the seasons to come.
To find out more, email
myoung@stcolumbashospice.org.uk
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 22

ur shop in Ocean
OTerminal, managed by
dynamic-duo Hazel & Jules,
is a wonderful showcase for
wedding dresses, evening
wear, bridesmaid gowns,
hats, bags and accessories!
Hazel worked for 11 years
in the wedding industry
and has curated an amazing
collection of stunning new,
ex-model and pre-loved
gowns. She can “pin you in”
before Christine, our
dressmaker with a unit in the
centre, executes alterations.
It’s a one stop shop!
Often our brides return
to bring us photos of their
big day, like Bernadette,
who looked stunning in
an off the shoulder gown.
Bernadette writes “It was
a truly great dress to have for
the day, for the ceremony and
dancing all night. I couldn’t
stop telling everyone that I'd
found the perfect dress and it
inspired my mum to find her
outfit pre-loved too”.
Bernadette kindly donated
her much-loved dress back to
our charity shop for someone
else to enjoy. Shortly after we
put it out on display, another
bride-to-be fell in love with it,
so it's on its way to another
couple's big day as we speak!
The shop also has at least 60
wedding hats and fascinators
in stock at any time in all
colours and styles – so if you
need the perfect hat for that
big occasion, look no further!
Charity
Shops
Jules will be hosting crafting sessions in the Ocean Terminal shop (where she
sells her beautiful Jules Jewels earrings!) on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
There will be everything from jewellery making to Christmas decorations.
Keep an eye on the Ocean Terminal Facebook page for dates and times...
23 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

Volunteer
News
S t Columba's
Hospice Care has
over 600 amazing
volunteers. It’s humbling
to reflect on this number
and know that these are
all people who have
decided to donate their
time, skills and experience
to support the Hospice
in one of our 45 volunteer
roles. Our volunteers come
from all walks of life and
across a wide age range,
currently 14 - 102!
The benefits of
volunteering are now well
documented and include
improved physical, mental
and emotional health,
reduction in feelings of
isolation and improved
self-confidence through
gaining new skills and
building new relationships.
In 2023/2024, our
volunteers donated 41,733
hours of volunteering to
the Hospice; a phenomenal
gift that equates to nearly
£780,000. Recognising
the contribution of our
volunteers is very important
to the Hospice and we have
a series of volunteer events
throughout the year,
including a strawberry
tea, mulled wine and
mince pies and our
long service awards!
This year we said
goodbye to our longest
serving volunteer, Christine
Graham, who has been with
us since the Hospice opened
in 1977, a total of 47 years!
Laura Munro receiving her
Inspiring Volunteer Award from
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge
However, no matter how
long our volunteers stay
with us, they all make a
valuable contribution to
the Hospice. This year,
two of our volunteers,
Ann Wood and Laura
Munroe, received Inspiring
Volunteer of the Year
Awards from the City of
Edinburgh for their
services to the Hospice
and our Compassionate
Gardener project is the
subject of a poster at the
Hospice UK Conference.
Interested? Join us!
We are always looking for people to join our
volunteer community, so if you would like to chat
with Julie or Oscar about volunteering, please
contact Volunteer Services on 0131 551 7711
or email volunteer@stcolumbashospice.org.uk,
we would love to hear from you!
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 24

Planning ahead:
Why future care matters
Increasing numbers of us are living longer with some form of illness that
limits our life. Planning for future care ensures that your health, financial,
and personal wishes are honoured as you age or face unexpected health
challenges. Discussing wishes with loved ones also makes it easier for
them to make decisions on your behalf if they have to.
Key Points:
• Proactive planning:
Early conversations ensure
your wishes are clear and
respected, easing decisionmaking
for others.
• Facing fears: Planning
alleviates the fear of
illness and death by
focusing on what you
can control
• Peace of mind:
It gives you and your
loved ones clarity,
reducing uncertainty
in future care.
Planning for the future comes
down to answering four key questions:
What do you want?
Define your care
preferences.
Action: Create
a Statement of
Future Wishes.
Who do you want to
represent you? Choose
someone who knows your
wishes.
Action: Assign Power
of Attorney.
What don’t you want?
Treatments or situations
you wish to avoid.
Action: Write an
Advance Directive.
What about
emergencies? Plan for
predictable events like
medical or childcare
needs.
Action: Draft an
Emergency Care Plan.
Having a conversation
about each of these
means we will know what
actions we need to take
to remain in control of
what is important to us.
No one has to have
these conversations or
take action—we have an
NHS and social care
system that will do their
best. But it is your life,
and you can choose to
talk and take action to
make plans for your
future.
For more information,
visit stcolumbashospice.
org.uk
25 www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk

ooking for the perfect
Lgift for your loved ones?
This year, why not choose
presents that not only bring joy
to recipients, but also help raise
money for your local hospice!
Shop the full collection at
stcolumbashospice.org.uk/shop
1
Cute tree
shelf sitter
£5.50
Add a playful touch to
your xmas décor with our
super soft Christmas tree
shelf sitter, cute as a
button with a sparkly
silver star on top.
2
Xmas scented candles
£5.85
Let the warmth and scents
of Christmas fill your home
- these charming paint pot
candles come in a range of
fragrances with a burn time
of up to 14 hours.
3
Body Care set
£9.99
Indulge in the holiday
spirit with this Mr. Festive
gift set, including a
luxurious soap bar and an
invigorating hair and body
wash.
Top 5 gifts for
Christmas!
4
Heart-print
beanie hat
£11.99
Add some fun to your
winter wardrobe with
this bright beanie hat.
A neutral grey knit is
elevated with a cheerful
rainbow pattern made up
of little hearts (Matching
scarf and wrist warmers
available).
5
Dipsticks
Crazy Charades
£13.50
Round up the family and
friends and let the fun
begin! Brush up on your
acting skills as you mime
your way through one of
the two included
fast-paced acting games;
charades and act it.
We rely on our local community to help raise around 75% of our funding. Your support has
never been needed more. You can do all of your Christmas shopping with the Hospice this
year, knowing that the money from your purchases will help care for adults with life-limiting
conditions across Edinburgh and Lothians.
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk 26

Keep in touch with us online
for our latest news:
www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk
facebook.com/stcolumbas
@StColumbas
@st.columbas.hospice
st-columba's-hospice
→ St Columba’s Hospice Care
15 Boswall Road
Edinburgh
EH5 3RW
T: 0131 551 1381
E: fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk
—
Copyright © 2024 St Columba’s Hospice Care.
All rights reserved. Registered in Scotland
N° 48700. Charity N° SC003634
On the cover: José Perez
Design: monumentum.co.uk
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