OCTOBER 2021 - The Prince of Wales Hospice
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OCTOBER 2021 We were finally able to hold our staff social event in September! After what has seemed like forever, it was amazing to see so many of us together again. It was lovely to see our retail staff and volunteers for a good catch up, hopefully it won’t be too long until we see each other again. The sun kept shining for us until the very end, and the garden looked beautiful! Jo Lister did an incredible job with the festival themed decorations - who needs Creamfields?! And what better way to enjoy the sunshine than with music, a brew and some delicious cake, courtesy of Ann from our fabulous Hospice kitchen. We’d like to say a massive thank you to Jo and everyone who made the staff social happen - everyone had a great time chatting, eating and meeting some of our new staff members and volunteers. Our next social event will be a fantastic Christmas party at Lock Lane, so make sure you find out how to RSVP and buy your tickets on the next page.
Go Yellow for Hospice Care Week
It’s that time of the year again - Hospice Care Week starts on 4th October!
Hospice Care Week celebrates hospice care nationwide, recognising the importance of the
specialist care they provide to the people who need it most.
On Wednesday 6th it’s time to ‘go yellow’ for hospice care. Get your outfits ready!
There will be an award for the best yellow outfit,
so start thinking of some crazy costumes to wear.
We’re also holding a ‘best dressed shop window’
competition again this year, so make sure all your
yellow items are ready to go. You’ll need to have
your Hospice Care Week window display out for the
entire week.
Keep your eye on the Hospice Facebook page for
Jo Lister’s craft session, exclusive stories, videos
and photos to raise awareness of the Hospice. Make
sure you send in any yellow photos you have, and
share the Hospice’s Facebook activity with your
friends.
Christmas Party It’s your birthday!
Our Wellbeing staff are kindly organsing a This month, our amazing chef turned 50!
Christmas get togther for all staff and volunteers We gathered in the staff dining room to
this year. celebrate Greg’s birthday with lots of treats.
If all goes to plan, the party should take place Jo Lister went the extra mile and baked a
on 3rd December at Lock Lane Rugby Club in delicious Guiness cake, and the catering
Castleford, starting at 7:30pm and ending at staff provided their lovely scones.
midnight.
Greg was presented with a huge hamper
There will be a buffet and music, so make sure full of beer and bar snacks, and only looked
you come in your dancing shoes! slighty embarrassed when we all sung
Happy Birthday.
Dancing will be mandatory, so if you need some
liquid courage the bar will be open! We hope you had a fabulous birthday, Greg,
and a great time in York. We also hope
This will be a ticketed event at £10pp, which will someone cooked for you for a change!
be available to purcahse at a later date once we
know how many people plan to attend.
To let us know if you’re coming, either let
reception or Tracy Carr know, or write your name
on the list in the dining room/above the sign-in
sheet.
Don’t be a grinch - make sure you save the date!
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Unsung Heroes Record
Natasha Morosini nominated Sarah
Lowden...
‘Sarah has worked really hard on making a
Sale!
lovely staff break room for her team.
Our furniture store in Castleford is holding
‘By creating this space I feel Sarah has its amazing record sale on 9th October!
demonstrated our loving care value as well
as quality and excellence, she cares about Make sure you drop in from 9am to see
her staff and has definitely taken ownership what incredible bargains you can get your
creating it. hands on.
‘What a great place for volunteers to have Make sure you tell your family and friends,
breaks - much better than the old fridge room and share anything you see on Facebook!
they had downstairs.’
Lindsay Hamer nominated Jodie Bowden...
‘There have been a number of times over the
last couple of weeks where Jodie has really
Great North Run 2021
helped out and it’s really been appreciated. This month, runners took to the streets for
the Great North Run 2021, marking the 40th
‘It’s often the offer to help with little things that year of the half marathon.
can really help save so much time. Thank you
Jodie.’ Ten supporters for the Hospice attended the
event, including our very own Dr. Bethan,
Sarah Lowden nominated Angie Short... and have together raised £5,835.49 so far!
Angie created a fabulous window display
to promote the upcoming record sale at the During the event, the fundraising team set up
Castleford furniture store. a private Strava group for our runners to join.
This helped the group stay motivated, and
The eye catching display is sure to bring the push each other to the limits!
customers in, thank you Angie!
As if that weren’t enough, two of our runners
are already in training to run again for the
Hospice in next year’s event.
Festival of the Earth
Keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook
page for the final amount of money raised!
Last month, guests were invited to the Hospice
garden to celebrate ‘Festival of the Earth’.
Everyone was able to sit in the sun, and enjoy
some lovely vegetable-themed cakes. The
garden was buzzing with conversation!
Sam Johnson hosted a crafts table, while
Martina gave complimentary hand massages to
our guests. Very relaxing!
Everyone had a lovely time chatting, and some
great feedback was given on Facebook. Well
done to everyone involved!
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Garden Volunteers
All summer, through the heatwaves and storms, our incredible volunteers have managed to keep the
Hospice gardens looking as beautiful as ever.
Thanks to them, patients, families, staff and volunteers have had the opportunity to relax in a serene
space– but maintaining the garden has been no easy feat!
Every week, our committed volunteers dedicate some time to keeping the grounds looking gorgeous.
Christine, Laura, Roy and Ann weed, plant, trim and grow to give our patients the peaceful space
they need.
The Hospice catering staff have even been able to use the freshly grown herbs and rhubarb that
these amazing volunteers have grown.
Two more volunteers, Philip and Sue, give their time to look after our charming little pond. During
one of the unbearable heatwaves, Philip spend a whole day weeding and sweeping the courtyard so
that staff members could enjoy the space during their lunch breaks.
Wendy, one of our fabulous housekeeping staff members, never fails to make sure the display of
tubs and hanging baskets at the front of the Hospice are watered and healthy. What a fantastic
welcome to any visitors!
Susanne Young, the Hospice’s Physiotherapist
and avid gardener, praised all of these committed
volunteers;
‘Between them, they have tamed the garden, and
it is a delight for patients and their families who
frequently tell the nurses how much they are
enjoying the peace, the space, and the wildlife.’
Even though summer is coming to a close, our
gardeners’ hard work doesn’t end here! As
autumn draws near, our volunteers will work to
prune, sweep and tidy the garden in preparation
for winter.
We want to say a massive thank you to our gardening volunteers for putting so much time and effort
in to the Hospice grounds, and for giving everyone in the Hospice their own slice of paradise.
Breaking Language Barriers
Following the referral of a Polish lady we were advised she had very little knowledge of the English
language. We therefore put together a folder containing some pictures, some English words alongside
the Polish equivalent and some standalone sentences. This enabled the staff to liaise with the patient
and ensure we were meeting her needs correctly.
Initially the patient was upset as in Poland a Hospice is where people go when they have no money
and the poor lady must have thought she was just going to be left uncared for and alone in her room.
The lady quickly became settled and comfortable. Her interpreter has visited to allow staff to have
important End of Life conversations with her and her family.
It must be quite frightening to be admitted to a place where no one speaks your language but to be able
to converse using the folder must have gone some way to helping her settle in while maintaining her
dignity and expressing her wishes.
- Jo Benson, Nurse Manager
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Cat and Luna
During lockdown, dogs across the country enjoyed more walks with their stir-crazy owners than
ever before – but none more than Luna, with owner, Cat Brooke.
Starting in April 2021, Cat and Luna vowed to walk 600 miles over five months, to raise money for
the Hospice. Exceeding their planned miles, walking 606 miles in total, the two raised an incredible
£2047 in total!
The pair tackled this challenge in memory of Cat’s close friend, Karen, who sadly passed away in
the Hospice in October 2020.
Cat described Karen as a ‘loyal, fun, fierce friend’, who would always speak her mind. She said
Karen was a ‘gentle, sensitive soul’, who cherished her family and friends above all else.
The duo completed their first walk on April 1st, joined by Karen’s daughter, Nicola. The three
ended the walk at Karen’s resting place, where they shared a drink to celebrate the start of the
five-month challenge.
Along the way, Cat and Luna had lots of laughs! Cat shared one of the funniest memories from
their adventures;
‘I slipped down a mud slide and landed on my bottom with little dignity! Luna didn’t leave me
though, whilst I cried with laughter trying to hoist myself back up again.’
From enjoying a few drinks in local pubs to meeting new canine friends, the pair have created
priceless new memories.
After completing their miles, the pair are already thinking about what they might do next to raise
money. Cat told us a bit about her experience with the Hospice;
‘The Prince of Wales Hospice cared for and supported
not only my darling friend Karen but also her family at
the end of her life, and gave her the much needed
dignity she deserved and wanted.’
‘I respect and admire the skill, commitment, dedication
and bravery of the Hospice staff; to be in such a
position of trust that requires the utmost professionalism
and compassion for those and their families in their
care.’
We want to say the biggest thank you to Cat and Luna
for raising such an amazing amount for the Hospice.
SMT Update
This month we discussed recruitment drives with a nurse recruitment day taking place at the end of
Hospice Care Week. A wider event across both employee and volunteer roles will be developed as
part of the action plan for the strategic ambition “Ensuring a sustainable organisation”.
The August Management Accounts show a slightly worse deficit than budget, this is unsurprising
given the additional Incare staffing cover that was needed during the month and vacancies in
fundraising and retail. The year to date figures are still showing a better than budgeted position.
The Catering Team are currently being consulted on new ways of working to maximise commercial
catering opportunities, which is part of our “Grow and diversify income generation streams” strategic
ambition.
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Black History Month
Our Hospice values place an emphasis on celebrating the diversity of our staff, volunteers, patients and
visitors. We strive to create a diverse Hospice and recognise all of the benefits that diversity brings.
October marks Black History Month and we think it is a fantastic opportunity to acknowledge African
and Caribbean British History.
Black History Month was originally founded to recognise the contributions that people of African and
Caribbean backgrounds have made to the UK over many generations. Over years, this has been
expanded to include the history of black people in general.
Significant achievements made by black people have often been disregarded and it is necessary to
acknowledge the accomplishments of the black community and their importance in our modern world.
For example, the black inventor who created modern light bulbs. Latimer was an inventor known for
working closely with Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone.
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Latimer improved on Edison’s original
design. Latimer created a light bulb with a more durable carbon filament. He sold the patent to US
Electric Co. in 1881 and a year later patented a process to efficiently manufacture the carbon filament.
He even wrote a book on electric lighting. Because of Latimer’s contributions, incandescent light bulbs
became more affordable and practical, transforming American culture.
Over the course of this month, perhaps you could take same time to access some free, inspirational
training workshops on racial inequalities. The theme of the year, Black History Month is proud to be.
Let’s be proud of our inclusivity and help build allyship at the Hospice.
At the Hospice we believe that hospice care is for everyone. We want to reach people in every part
of the community and we are committed to breaking down barriers so that race is not an obstacle to
accessing the best end of life and palliative care.
You can recap the Hospice’s Mission, Vision and Values by visiting pwh.org.uk/vision
Find out about the training modules at:
wyhpartnership.co.uk/our-priorities/workforce/racial-inequalities-training
Stock Photos
We want to say a huge thank you to
everyone who took part in our two
photography days!
As most of you know, we were well
overdue some new images to promote
the Hospice and all our services.
Since restrictions limited the nature of
the photos we could take, lots of you
stepped up to help out!
After a lot of laughs, and even more
worrying about hair and makeup, we
have replenished our stock images.
These photos are vital to our marketing
and fundraising team, so thank you for
being our models.
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Lemon drizzle loaf Recipe
cake
of the
For the cake:
- 250g unsalted butter
- 250g caster sugar
month
- 250g self raising flour
- 5 meduim eggs
- Zest of 2 lemons
Drizzle
- 75ml lemon juice
- 75g caster sugar
Decoration
- 50g icing sugar
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- Lemon zest
1. Preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan, and grease and line a loaf tin.
2. Beat together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in your flour, eggs and zest until combined into smooth batter.
4. Pour mix into the tin, and bake. This can take up to one hour.
5. When the cake is almost done, mix together the lemon juice and caster sugar for the drizzle.
6. Pour the drizzle over the cake while it’s still in the tin, and leave to cool.
7. Once cooled, turn the cake out and combine the icing sugar and lemon juice to your prefered consistency
and drizzle over.
Make a Will Week
For one week between 25th-29th October, Carters
Solicitors in Pontefract will be offering a free,
professional will writing service, in partnership with
the Hospice.
This is a chance for anyone to either create or amend
a will, with the option of leaving a gift of any size to the
Hospice, so that we can continue to provide the
amazing care that we do.
Anne Caswell, Solicitor and Director at Carters,
told us about the purpose and importance of making
a will;
‘If you die without a will, your estate may not go to
the people you want it to go to. A will allows you to
decide what happens to your estate, or choose who
is going to sort out your estate when you die.”
We want this Make a Will Week to be better than ever -
but we need your help spreading the word.
Tell your family and friends about this incredible
opportunity, and click ‘share’ when you see our Make a
Will Week posts on Facebook.
If you want to book an appointment to make your free
will, call Anne Caswell on 01977 703224.
David Hartley Photography
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Appraisals and Mandatory Training It’s once again that time of year when mid-year review are due to take place. The deadline for all mid-year reviews to be completed is 30 November 2021 so please book your meetings as soon as possible. Your mid-year review is a great opportunity to discuss how your objectives align to the Hospice’s strategic ambitions and to think about how you are demonstrating the Hospice’s values in the way you work. It is also a good opportunity to work towards completing your mandatory training for the year. Please go onto your Blue Stream Academy account to check that you are making good progress with your mandatory training. Once you have had your mid-year review meeting you should save a record of your conversation on SMI. To do this you should log into SMI and: • Click on ‘Staff Maintenance’ to open up your personal record • Click on the ‘Events’ tab • Click on ‘New’ • On the ‘Event’ drop down field select ‘Appraisal’ • In the ‘Narrative’ field type in mid-year review • The start and finish dates will automatically populate for the date you enter your information • Click on the ‘Soft Form’ field • Select the relevant meeting and type in the actual date the meeting was held • Complete all elements of the form • Click save before leaving the page. It is recommended that click save regularly and particularly if you leave your desk and the system automatically logs you out after a period of time. If you have any questions or need any help please just ask. Lindsay Hamer Head of HR
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