Newsletter

Connections
Staying
connected
with
supporters
Staying
connected
with
ourour
supporters
Autumn
Winter
2014 2015
Summer fundraising update 3
Young people at St Christopher’s 4
Volunteer your skills 5
Our Midnight Walk returns on
10 October 9
Tripes Farm hosts our Classic Car
Show on 20 September 12
From our Joint
Chief Executives
We invite you to enjoy
this issue of Connections,
our dedicated supporter
newsletter
We hope you will take inspiration from
and pleasure in reading about the
many imaginative ways in which our
local community supports us in order
to make a difference to the lives of
the individuals and families in our care.
Looking back at a season of recordbreaking fundraising events including
our Fun Walk, Open Gardens Festival,
Family Fun Day and summer fairs we
are highly conscious of how much you
do for us. Not only do you turn out in
exceedingly large numbers to support
our events, whatever the weather, you
sponsor us, raise funds and give your
time and talents as volunteers. We
hope that this season’s programme of
events and activities will persuade you
to continue to support us and remain
involved with the life of the hospice.
Connections regularly focuses on a
particular strand of our work and in this
issue we look at some of the ways in
which St Christopher’s connects with
young people – see page 4. Our Young
Adults Group supports young people
with life limiting illnesses as they make
the move from children’s to adult’s
services and our Summer School for 16
to 18 year olds provides students with
an opportunity to explore a career in
care and gain an understanding of end
of life care. These are some aspects of
our work that don’t necessarily have a
high profile but are none the less a vital
part of what we do.
As we reflect on our first year in
this extraordinary organisation that
is St Christopher’s, we are mindful of
the privilege of being in a position to
make a difference to the lives of people
facing the most challenging of times,
of the talents and commitment of our
staff and volunteers and the generosity
of our supporters and partners, without
whom none of our achievements would
be possible.
We thank you for your
continuing commitment and
wish you and your family all
the best for the season
ahead.
Heather
and Shaun
2
“Cicely’s vision included the heart
and the mind, the evidence
alongside exemplary skilled care.
We should look forward to Cicely’s
inspiration for the future”
Prof Irene Higginson, Director, Cicely Saunders Institute
Our founder Dame Cicely Saunders
Damian Falkowski playing ‘The Lark Ascending’
Over 100 people gathered at the Anniversary Centre for the celebration of Dame Cicely’s work
Celebrating Dame Cicely’s vision
and her incredible determination
A milestone in the life of St Christopher’s was reached in June
when over 100 people from as far afield as the Shetland Isles
and Uganda gathered to mark the 10 year anniversary of the
death of our founder Dame Cicely Saunders
Ten speakers shared fascinating recollections
and our Joint Chief Executives gave
an update on St Christopher’s current
direction and how our work continues
to build on Dame Cicely’s vision and
legacy.
The event included a thanksgiving
service presided over by our Spiritual Care
Lead Dr Andrew Goodhead and
St Christopher’s former Chaplain, Rev Len
Lunn and, in recognition of Dame Cicely’s
love of music, a performance of Vaughan
Williams’ ‘The Lark Ascending’ by the
violinist Damian Falkowski.
If you’d like to know more about how
people paid tribute to Dame Cicely’s
extraordinary life achievements, you
can read summaries of the speeches and
audience reflections on our website at
www.stchristophers.org.uk/tenyears
“We were so heartened by the support we received and the number of
visitors to our Family Fun Day. We thank our wonderful community and
all the stall holders and volunteers who come to enjoy our events and
turn out rain or shine to raise the money we need to continue providing
skilled and compassionate end of life care in our local areas”
Heather Richardson, Joint Chief Executive
Fundraising update: what a great summer it’s been!
Our warmest thanks to everyone who helped to make the summer of 2015 such a fantastic
fundraising success – here are just a few of the most enjoyable highlights
for initiating the Fun Walk back in 1990
Family Fun Day
Our best ever Fun Walk
We would like to say a huge thank you
to all our walkers and everyone who
supported us in so many varied ways for
making the 2015 Fun Walk such an amazing
success. We saw our highest ever turnout
of around 3,000 walkers accompanied by a
great many waggy tailed dogs!
The weather was fantastic and we were
delighted that so many people turned out
at Keston Common to support their local
hospice. Many people used the occasion to
walk in memory of someone special.
Large scale, high profile community events
like the Fun Walk are extremely important
for us. They raise much-needed funds and
also awareness of the services we provide
to help patients at the end of life, and their
families. One walker said: “St Christopher’s
staff are special people. As a nurse myself
for 37 years, I felt humbled by the care and
support you gave to me and my husband.”
We are thrilled to tell you that, as we go
to press, you have raised over £166,000 in
sponsorship. That’s quite a result!
Special mentions are due to David
Stoneham and the Langley Park Rotary Club
and Alan Blanchette and Henry Phillips, in
particular, for supporting David in getting
this biannual event off the ground. Without
this kind of ongoing dedicated support we
would be unable to stage an event on this
scale.
We are also very grateful to David Arnold
and family for helping us to promote the
event by sharing their story and also for
taking part. David’s appeal letter generated
an amazing £10,262 in donations (thank you
to all who responded) and the family raised
an additional £933 in personal sponsorship.
Summer Fair and Food Festival
We were delighted to welcome more
than 4,000 visitors to Green Street Green
in June for our first Wild West themed
Summer Fair and Food Festival.
A record number of visitors enjoyed
a wide array of stalls, refreshments and
entertainment including a bucking bronco,
line dancing and a delicious selection of
foods, from fudge to pizza. A big thank you
to sponsors Riverford Veg Boxes, JDM Estate
Agents and Ashmore Veterinary Centre.
Also in June, our community flocked to
St Christopher’s gardens in Sydenham for
our much loved Family Fun Day.
Our Summer Fair and Food Festival, and
the Family Fun Day, were an outstanding
success and together raised over £24,000.
Golf Day and Father’s Day
Garden Party
On the greens and fairways of High Elms
Golf Course, 120 players enjoyed our
Golf Day.
And, new for this year, our Father’s Day
Garden Party held at Sydenham went down
a treat, especially the beer tasting!
Open Gardens Festival 2015
We’re indebted to all our dedicated garden
supporters for bringing so much joy to
visitors and raising so much cash through
entrance fees and sales of all kinds of
enticing objects from plants to bunting!
If you’re interested in opening your
garden in 2016 to support St Christopher’s
please contact Anna on 020 8768 4573 or
email a.somerset@stchristophers.org.uk
Painted faces at the Family Fun Day
David Arnold and his family on the Fun Walk
Relaxing in our Open Gardens
Tucking in at the Food Festival
3
Summer School provides
insight into a career in care
The Young Adults Group on Saturdays is a social occasion for young people as well as offering support and therapy
In July St Christopher’s third annual
Summer School welcomed 16 students,
aged 16-18, from two local schools and
gave them the opportunity to explore
the care environment and consider
whether this might be a career pathway
for them.
During the five day course the students
worked to achieve a Qualifications and Credit
Framework (QCF) Award in Understanding
How to Work in End of Life Care.
A ‘speed-dating’ exercise enabled
students to meet members of our multidisciplinary team and discover how
each profession is involved in patient
care. Role play exercises gave students
the chance to experience care from the
patient’s perspective and further insights
were gained by observing a facilitated
discussion with patients, an art therapy
session and visiting our rehabilitation
gym. They also took part in activities
demonstrating the value of team
working to achieve best results.
We look forward to the students
returning to St Christopher’s with their
friends and families on 22 September
for a graduation evening when we will
present them with their QCF awards.
BRIT School live
There’s even time to relax outdoors with friends
The service has creative therapy that includes art and music
We’re helping young people as
they grow into adulthood
St Christopher’s supports young people to help make the
move from children’s to adult services a little easier
The last decade has seen a large increase in
the numbers of young people surviving into
adulthood but transition planning is often
poor at what is a critical time when those
with progressive illnesses may deteriorate.
Thanks to a grant from the Daisy
Foundation, St Christopher’s has so far
identified around 40 young people in our
communities who could benefit from our
services and many are now attending our
regular social and therapeutic Young Adults
Group on Saturdays in the Anniversary
Centre in Sydenham.
One of our Community
Nurse Specialists, Phillipa
The Young
Adults Group
designed one
of our beautiful
Christmas cards
this year (left) –
find out how you
can order this
design and others
on page 12
4
Sellar, working with the group says: “I have
a real interest in making sure these young
people have access to good care whenever
they need it. We aim to make sure they
know where to go when they need help.
We have had very exciting days where up
to 20 young people come together with
their brothers, sisters and friends. They let
us know what is important to them and
how St Christopher’s can be helpful in the
future.”
If you would like to know more about
our Young Adults Group, please call Phillipa
on 020 8768 4500 or email p.sellar@
stchristophers.org.uk
“The support is amazing – getting
young people out more and
showing them there is more to life
than we think, interacting with
others and engaging in activities”
Young Adults Group member
St Christopher’s and the BRIT School’s
longstanding partnership brings
students and patients together to work
and learn from each other through a
variety of arts projects.
In June and July we were delighted
to welcome BRIT School students
to the Anniversary Centre every
Tuesday for performances of their
own compositions, chart hits and
songs with special significance to
individual patients. Each session ended
with a lively sing along from a packed
Anniversary Centre of patients, carers,
families, visitors, volunteers and staff.
This summer patients also visited the
BRIT School and worked with students to
produce two radio shows which included
patients’ personal choice of music and
features on the school’s community
work. These were later broadcast live
by patient and student presenters from
St Christopher’s in Sydenham.
Broadcasting live from the Anniversary Centre in Sydenham
“It was an absolute pleasure to take my
cello along on my home visits so that we
could play together. It was lovely for
me, but it also seemed to make a real
difference to the lady’s wellbeing too”
Hannah, a St Christopher’s Community Service Volunteer
GoVolunteer! and put
your skills to good use in
your local hospice
Hannah brings her musical talents to her role
as a community service volunteer in people’s
own homes
Hannah, 24, divides her time between teaching the cello and
working as a professional musician. When she graduated from the
Royal College of Music two years ago she decided to make time
for volunteering.
Living in Shortlands, she had heard about St Christopher’s good
work through family and friends and felt that we could put her
time to good use.
She found our volunteer training course to be of great practical
value in helping her to prepare for roles in which she would
support patients directly. Hannah’s first role was on the wards
where she spent three or four hours most weeks with patients. She
says: “The first time I visited the Inpatient Unit I was very impressed
by the homely feel. The quiet calm made it a much more pleasant
place to be than a hospital.
“I really enjoyed spending time on the wards chatting to patients
and helping them with practical tasks like choosing and ordering
food. Sometimes patients would be concerned that I needed to get
on with something else and that I shouldn’t waste my time chatting
to them. I’d have to explain that’s exactly what I was there for, and
that I enjoyed talking and listening to them!”
During the last year Hannah has been a community service
volunteer helping our patients in their own homes, which she feels
offers even greater rewards by allowing her to develop longer
term relationships. One patient in particular presented her with a
serendipitous opportunity.
“It emerged that a patient I was supporting used to be a
professional pianist. She said how much she’d love the chance to
play some music with someone again, and it chimed perfectly with
my musical background.
“Of course, it was an absolute pleasure to take my cello along on
my home visits so that we could play together. It was lovely for me,
but more importantly it also seemed to make a real difference to
the lady’s wellbeing too.”
Hannah uses her musical skills whilst volunteering
Are you interested in volunteering for
St Christopher’s and want to find out more?
St Christopher’s could not achieve what it does without the
support of our dedicated volunteers.
They donate their time and talents to support us in all areas
of activity including fundraising events, our high street shops,
patient facing roles and tending to our gardens.
To find out more about volunteering please contact Tina in
our Personnel Department by calling 020 8768 4566 or email
t.byott@stchristophers.org.uk
Are you a keen photographer who could
help focus on our fundraising events?
Do you have photography skills and some
spare time to join us at our fundraising
events and help capture the spirit of
an occasion with some great shots
for us?
If so please call Georgie on
020 8768 4684 or email your
details to g.grant@stchristophers.
org.uk – she’d love to hear from you!
Volunteers support makes a huge difference in our shops
5
St Christopher’s Will Week
7-11 September 2015
A gift in your Will is an invaluable way
to support St Christopher’s and help to
secure expert end of life care for future
generations. Around 22 per cent of our
income currently comes from legacies
making this a vitally important source
of funding.
Our Will Weeks offer you the
chance to gain peace of mind by
sorting out your Will while also helping
St Christopher’s. Participating solicitors
kindly donate their services and request
that instead of paying them a fee you
support St Christopher’s with a gift of
£150 for a simple Will and £200 for a
pair of simple, mirror Wills. Of course
any additional legacy you might choose
to give will be a wonderful bonus!
Our Will Week solicitors are:
Bromley
Batchelors Solicitors, Charles House,
35 Widmore Road, Kent BR1 1RW
Tel 020 8768 7093
Ewings and Co Solicitors, 148 High
Street, Penge SE20 7EU
Tel 020 8778 1126
Judge & Priestley LLP, Justin House,
6 West Street, Bromley, Kent BR1 1JN
Tel 020 8290 7354
Pishon Gold Solicitors, 1 Bromley Lane,
Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6LH
Tel 020 8468 1032
Thomas Dunton Solicitors, 217/219 High
Street, Orpington, Kent BR6 0NZ
Tel 01689 822554
Wellers Law Group LLP, Tension House,
45 Tweedy Road, Bromley BR1 3NF
Tel 020 8464 4242
Southwark
Amphlett Lissimore, Greystoke House,
80-86 Westow Street, Crystal Palace
SE19 3AF
Tel 020 8768 6465
For further information and updates on
future Will Weeks please visit
www.stchristophers.org.uk/willweek
Or if you would like a confidential
chat about leaving a gift in your Will
to St Christopher’s, please call Anna on
020 8768 4573 or email a.somerset@
stchristophers.org.uk
6
“I love working in St Christopher’s Inpatient Unit and
with the Saturday Young Adults Group. I found the
experience incredibly valuable and I couldn’t think of
a more rewarding job”
Sarah Mann
Sid, Jane and Sarah Mann pictured together in the hospice
Meet the Manns – they’re keeping
it in the family at St Christopher’s
We’re a family friendly organisation and consider support for
families and close friends to be an essential aspect of our work
It is not unusual for whole families to
have a relationship with us by joining our
workforce, volunteering and fundraising on
our behalf.
Three members of the Manns family have
been working at St Christopher’s together
for a year now. First came Jane in 2009 as
a member of our Advancing Practice Team.
She has been a palliative care nurse since
1996, starting as a staff nurse at the Marie
Curie Hospice in Caterham and working
her way to a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
post in the community.
Jane then became a CNS at Mayday,
now Croydon University Hospital, in the
Palliative Care Team. She has always had an
Sid working for our Personal Care Service in 2013
interest in education and made the move
to St Christopher’s to develop her career in
this direction.
Sid came to us in 2012 during the
placement year of his psychology degree,
wanting to use his degree therapeutically
and gain experience working with patients.
He was among the first group of care
workers for St Christopher’s Personal Care
Service and can still be seen in many of our
recruitment posters! Sid now works regularly
as a health care assistant on our wards,
in the Anniversary Centre and with the
Saturday Young Adults Group. He started his
Post Graduate Diploma in Nursing at King’s
College in September and we’re pleased that
he plans to continue to work for us.
Sarah joined our Personal Care Service in
June 2014, when she finished her studies at
Reigate College. Having gained experience,
she now also works in the Inpatient Unit
and with our Saturday Young Adults Group.
Sarah loves working here, has found the
experience incredibly valuable and says that
she couldn’t think of a more rewarding job.
She is starting a BSc Paramedic Course in
September 2015 at Brighton University and
will continue to work for us part time on
the bank.
How about a corporate
take over for charity?
Get competitive and take over one of our shops for a day! We are looking for teams of
five or six volunteers to run one of our high street shops for a day on 24 September and
compete against other teams in different shops to raise the most money and win the
St Christopher’s Shop Wars award. As well as helping St Christopher’s, you’ll be developing
leadership and entrepreneurial skills too. Sound like fun? Visit corporate.stchristophers.
org.uk/shopwars for more information. Register for Shop Wars 2015 by 17 September
and/or express interest in taking part in 2016 by calling Fran on 020 8768 4572 or email f.ward@christophers.org.uk
Improvement programme
for our high street shops
Some stylish and practical improvements to
our shops are helping to upgrade our trading
and retail operations
We know this programme of improvements is working because
with new layouts in our Croydon and Hayes shops turnover has
risen by more than £1,000 per week.
Support from local companies of all sizes has been invaluable in
giving our shops a face lift and getting many other jobs ticked off
our to do lists. We are particularly grateful to Marks and Spencer in
Bromley, The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) team from Canary
Wharf, Nielson (global market information and measurement) and
Nationwide.
Customer feedback has been terrific and our Downham shop was
commended as the best in town by expert charity shopper Mary Cava!
Our Bromley shop after merchandising by
Marks & Spencer
Nationwide refitted and cleaned our
Petts Wood shop
Corporate support
Integra fundraises in memory of a colleague
Beckenham construction
company Integra Contracts
raised a magnificent £37,000
in memory of Yvonne
Deaville who died in our
care.
Managing Director Warren
McCarthy said: “The care and
St Christopher’s Trustee, Morgan Jones,
attention given to both her
accepts a cheque from Warren McCarthy
and her family by your staff
was first class and as a thank you we arranged a dinner dance
at the New Inn in Hayes in her memory… This was supported
by our staff, clients and suppliers within our industry. We only
hope that our donation will go a little way to making the lives
of others a little more comfortable.”
Branching Out’s bloomin’ brilliant support
Owners Emma and Louise
met while volunteering at
our Hayes shop after each
losing a parent.
Their lovely flower shop
and café in Elmers End
supports St Christopher’s
with events, sponsorship and
All kinds of treats as well as flowers at
even sponsored postcards
Branching Out in Elmers End
to encourage the giving of
donations in lieu of flowers. So pop in and see them and stay
for coffee and cake or even lunch! They will give a donation
when you order floral tributes in memory of anyone cared for
by St Christopher’s. They will also be holding coffee mornings,
floral workshops and other events with profits going towards
our work. Visit www.branchingoutshop.com to find out more.
Thanks Lewisham Homes employees
Eleven dedicated Lewisham Homes employees ran 13.1 miles
in the Hackney Half Marathon and exceeded their targets by
raising a whopping £3,075. What an achievement!
The FCA team getting ready to paint our Sydenham shop
“I just wanted to praise your shop
workers, especially the staff in Downham.
The manager there is always so positive…
I wanted to say a big thank you to him
and all his staff for the presentation of a
great shop with great attitude!”
Shop donor
Lewisham Homes employees proudly displaying their medals
To find out more about how your company could support
St Christopher’s visit corporate.stchristophers.org.uk
7
Hats for Hospice in November
During November we are asking you to put your hat on for your
local hospice. Get involved by hosting a hat-themed event,
sponsoring someone to wear a hideous hat or simply put on that
trusted old beanie for the day and donate to St Christopher’s. Need
some help? Visit our website for inspiration or call Remi on 020
8768 4577 or email r.knight@stchristophers.org.uk
Some crafty and creative ideas for
ways to support St Christopher’s
Get creative with your homemade goodies – traditional iced gingerbread is great for adding a special personalised touch
Make, bake and create your
own Christmas craft sale
During the winter season we are asking our
supporters to put their making, baking and
creative skills into a Christmas craft sale.
This is a great way to raise funds in your
local community club, school or workplace.
You can sell homemade Christmas puds,
baubles, wreaths, chutneys, jams and just
about anything else you can turn your hand
to! You can even donate any leftover items
for us to sell at our Christmas fairs and in
the hospice – turn to the back page for
details of our Christmas events. To find out
more please call Remi on 020 8768 4577 or
email r.knight@stchristophers.org.uk
Knit for our high street shops
Don’t forget our Christmas
Knitting campaign – you
can knit Santas, snowmen,
Christmas puddings and
even beautiful baubles for
the tree.
If you would like our
Christmas knitting patterns
please contact Nicola on
01689 892988 or email
n.howard@stchristophers.
org.uk
Why not get your own school
involved in St Christopher’s
Flourishing 5ivers School
Challenge?
Entrepreneurship, creativity, teamwork
and initiative – St Christopher’s Flourishing
5ivers School Challenge encourages
primary and secondary school pupils to
develop these skills and more.
From cake stalls to sponsored swims,
with £5 each to invest, pupils plan and organise
fundraising events and schemes in aid of the vital
services St Christopher’s provides. Come on – let’s get
going with the money-growing!
If your school would like to be involved in this great
challenge, please call Leo on 020 8768 4570 or email him
at l.thon@stchristophers.org.uk
8
To inspire you
All the generations came
to class at PopGems
PopGems Academy in Beckenham is
a performing arts school for students
aged 2-16. They recently came up with
a highly imaginative idea and raised an
amazing £1,540 for St Christopher’s.
This is PopGems’ Founder and Director
Gem Allen’s story.
“At PopGems Academy we decided
to do something rather exciting at
the end of term to raise money for
St Christopher’s. Students raised
sponsorship to bring a relative of their
choice (from any generation) to join
them in classes on the last week of
term. We had lots of mums, dads, aunts,
uncles and grandparents... and three
year old Ruby-May McGinty brought
her Great Nan Rosemary Page.
“All the adults who took part dressed
up for the occasion and were such great
sports! As an extra incentive for the
students we also had a prize on offer of
a free half term, and a trophy! Freddie
James was delighted to win this after
raising over £200 for his Mum Melissa
Lailey to join him in class.
“St Christopher’s is a very special
place to me and my family as they
looked after my Nanny Jean Roberts
over Christmas 2008. They had us all
in there all over Christmas and she
passed away on 30 December. The staff
remained in good spirits at all times,
despite missing Christmas time with
their own families. They were all so hard
working and lovely, and made this very
hard time the best they could for us.
Ever since we have sponsored a light on
the Remembrance Tree and attend the
service every year.
“As well as looking after my precious
Nanny, St Christopher’s has looked after
my best friend’s mum Lesley Prosser, and
many of the relatives of our PopGems
Academy students. It is a truly treasured
place between us, so we are so happy
that we have been able to work together
to give something back.”
PopGems also performed at our Family Fun Day this year
Midnight Walk early bird fee ends Friday 11 September – register
at www.stchristophers.org.uk/midnightwalk or call 020 8768 4575
“Gives me the confidence to be able to face things
at school every day and learn new ways to cope
with my anger and sadness about the death”
Sponsored by
Bereaved brother supported by the Candle Project
Come to party in your
PJs on the Midnight Walk!
Join us for our five mile sponsored
walk on Saturday 10 October starting
11pm at St Christopher’s in Sydenham
Walkers sparkling on last year’s Midnight Walk
As well as your special t-shirt, this year we’re encouraging onesies and pyjamas
The Midnight Walk raises money for St Christopher’s Candle
Project for bereaved children and young people.
This moonlit stroll around the five boroughs St Christopher’s
serves is a fabulous night out that starts and finishes at the hospice
– and this year we are encouraging our walkers to have a bit of
extra fun by walking in their pyjamas or onesies.
Some people like to walk to remember a loved one, others walk
for fun, but everyone who takes part is walking for St Christopher’s.
Last year 400 walkers raised £34,000 for the Candle Project to help
bereaved young people come to terms with the loss of someone
important in their lives.
If you sign up before Friday 11 September you can take advantage
of our online early-bird fee of just £15 (£20 after). We also have a
special reduced rate of £10 for those aged 11-17 so there’s no excuse
not to bring the family along! This registration fee includes a t-shirt
and medal.
Every mile you walk will make a difference to the Candle Project
which helps around 300 bereaved children and young people each
year to come to terms with the loss of someone important and
begin to live their lives again.
We are also looking for volunteers and marshals to join the team
on the night. Please email midnightwalk@stchristophers.org.uk or
call 020 8768 4575 if you can help out. Thanks!
GoActive! today and sweat your
support for St Christopher’s
From runs, walks, cycling events and swims through to more
extreme activities such as abseiling, white water rafting or
overseas challenges… there are plenty of ways you can give
your active support to St Christopher’s
Dare to jump from 10,000 feet? gain your own place, we would love you
Here is your chance to experience the
incredible thrill of skydiving for yourself.
We are looking for adventure seekers to
make a fundraising parachute jump. Call
Remi on 020 8768 4577 or email r.knight@
stchristophers.org.uk
2016 Virgin London Marathon
Join our London Marathon Team today and
we will support you every step of the way
during your training and on Sunday 24 April
– the day of the marathon itself. Please
contact us by 12 October if you would like
to apply for a Golden Bond Place. If you
to choose to run for St Christopher’s. Call
Leo on 020 8768 4570 or email l.thon@
stchristophers.org.uk
Ben Hur’s chariot rides out!
Phil Letts of Forestdale donned a Ben Hur
outfit and, with the help of his friend Dean
Gillam, rode a custom-made chariot along
the 54 miles of the London to Brighton
bike ride to raise funds for St Christopher’s.
He spent two months building his
extraordinary chariot from a rickshaw and
raised £2,374 in memory of his dad, Jack,
who was cared for by St Christopher’s.
Phil and Dean horsing about on their custom-made chariot
9
“The entire St Christopher’s
team made sure our Grandad
kept his dignity and never
made him or our family feel like
anything was too much to ask”
Team Bapou
Team Bapou’s incredible
trek tops up Tribute Fund
in memory of Grandad
Tribute Fund holders Team Bapou took on the
Trek Fest challenge, a 54 mile walk across the
Brecon Beacons in South Wales, in memory of
their grandfather Bapou Antonis
Team Bapou at the top of 886m high Pen y Fan
Conquering the Brecon Beacons
Thumbs up for a taxing challenge
Team Bapou walked to remember their grandad with a Tribute Fund
Bapou means Grandad in Greek in case you were wondering! This
is their story about how and why they tackled this most arduous
of challenges and raised an incredible £7,000 for their Tribute
Fund.
“In November 2014 our Grandad was admitted to St Christopher’s
Hospice where he spent four weeks before sadly passing away.
During this time he was provided with amazing support and care by
the hospice, and so was the family. Whilst we sat by his side every
day, we never felt rushed to leave but always welcomed with a
smile and unlimited support.
“The entire St Christopher’s team made sure our Grandad kept
his dignity and never made him or our family feel like anything
was too much to ask. He spent his last birthday in the hospice and
they made sure it was a special one with a cake, birthday cards and
family around him. The hospice made our final goodbyes to a great
man with a huge heart as peaceful as possible.
“Five of us joined together as Team Bapou to raise as much
money as we could for St Christopher’s.
“We signed up with Trek Fest to trek 54 miles across the Brecon
Beacons in South Wales, which later we discovered is the training
ground of the SAS! As you can imagine, this was an extreme
physical workout and a psychologically taxing challenge, crossing
the highest peaks in South Wales including Pen y Fan which is 886m
high! A little crazy some would say, but nevertheless this was an
amazing experience we’ll never forget!
“We were completely overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity
and support and together we raised over £7,000 for St Christopher’s
– completely smashing our target of £2,200. We couldn’t be
happier!”
Remember a loved one by setting up a personal Tribute Fund with St Christopher’s
Setting up a named Tribute Fund in memory of a loved one is
a valuable and positive way for family and friends to donate or
raise money for St Christopher’s.
It is very easy to set up a dedicated Tribute Fund and anyone
can start one in memory of a family member or friend.
Every gift we receive is a tribute to the special person in whose
name the Tribute Fund has been created. Whether you want
to ask for donations in lieu of flowers at a funeral or memorial,
contribute on birthdays, fundraise or make regular donations, the
amount soon adds up to a considerable contribution towards the
specialist care services St Christopher’s provides.
As a Tribute Fund holder you will receive a personal twice
yearly update on your fundraising achievement in your loved
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one’s honour and information about how your Tribute Fund is
making a difference to St Christopher’s work. We will also send
you invitations to special events.
To set up your Tribute Fund all you need to do is visit www.
stchristophers.org.uk/tributefund and complete an online form.
Alternatively you can call Georgie on 020 8768 4684 or email
tribute@stchristophers.org.uk Your Tribute Fund will soon be
up and running and we will be able to allocate any gifts and
donations made in memory of your loved one to it.
Remember that all the ways in which you choose to support
St Christopher’s, including sponsored events, buying raffle tickets,
attending events and tour bookings, can contribute to your
Tribute Fund.
“Singing in the choir at St Christopher’s
has been a joyful experience; to share
the making of music and singing with
others of all ages and backgrounds… it
engenders a sense of wellbeing”
Community choir member
We thank our generous community
Our Community Choir giving a performance during Sunday lunch at the Anniversary Centre
There’s something to do
at St Christopher’s every
single week
Join us and you will receive a warm welcome
at our weekly social events
Based at St Christopher’s Anniversary Centre in Sydenham,
our regular weekly social events enable us to get closer to our
community and provide a chance to experience more of the
hospice by sharing good times together. Everyone is welcome.
Community Choir and Pizza Night
Sing out with your local choir every Monday 7-9pm
With no auditions, anyone of any age is welcome to sing with our
100 strong choir in a relaxed and informal way. Switch off from the
stresses of life and have some fun.
Curry and Art Night
Explore your creativity and enjoy a good curry every Tuesday 7-9pm
Take part in a range of activities including pottery, photography
and storytelling and enjoy good company as well as a great home
cooked curry for a reasonable price.
Quilting Project
Learn to sew with a relaxing, friendly group every Wednesday 7-9pm
Learn the craft of sewing and quilting while having fun,
remembering and creating a legacy.
Death Chat
Break down taboos about death and dying every Thursday 7-9pm
Talking about death and dying in the company of others can help
to alleviate fears and concerns and enhance our quality of daily
life.
St Christopher’s must raise over £13 million each year to fund
our services which cost £19 million to deliver. We are grateful
to our local communities as well as trusts, foundations and
companies for their generous support which enables us to
continue to provide our palliative and family care services free
of charge. Some special mentions are listed below.
Local people and organisations •Macmillan Cancer Support
•Alix Branch and Sylvia Bradey •NatWest
•Ann and Andrew Rutherford •Santander
•SGN.
•Anne and Jason Workman
•Barry White
Companies
•Bexleyheath Golf Club –
(fundraising and giving)
Ladies Section
•A Crafty Needle
•Bickley Park School
•Acorn Ltd
•Brian and Sheila Sells
•Ashmore Veterinary Centre
•Bridge House Theatre
•Branching Out
•Caroline and Noel Annesley
•Co-Op Green Street Green
•Colin Wright & Son
•Hepburn Solicitors
•Daniel Pippard
•Higgs Butchers
•The Dulwich Friends of
•JDM
St Christopher’s
•Lewisham Homes
•Lizzie Spencer
•M&G Group
•Lucy Griffiths Dance School
•Marks & Spencer’s
•Marc Cook
Beckenham & Bromley
•Orpington Methodist Church •Met Police (Hayes) Bowls
•Orpington Road Runners
Club
•Province of West Kent
•NewsCorp
•Rotary Club of Catford
•Riverford
•Sevenoaks & District Motor
•Rosebury’s Auction House
Club (Motorsport at the
•Sainsbury’s Locksbottom
Palace)
•The Albert Tavern
•South Thames College
•The Lord Holmesdale Pub
•St Christopher’s School
•The Maple Tree
•Sydenham Catholic Club
•Waitrose
•Sydenham Croquet Club
•Ye Old Clock Tower.
•Trinity School
Trusts and foundations
•Wives Fellowship
•The Ernest Hecht Charitable
•Vanessa and Ian Allen
Foundation funded the
•Vivian Bazalgette and
salary of one of our music
Katharine St John-Brooks.
therapists for a year
Companies (volunteering)
•The Axis Foundation and the
•DWP
Hospital Saturday Fund each
•FCA
helped fund the purchase of
•Lloyds Bank
a new therapeutic bath.
Dame Cicely Saunders Concert Series
Outstanding performances first Thursday of every month 7.30pm
A range of highly-skilled professional musicians from around the
world play a variety of exciting programmes. Tickets £10.
Traditional Sunday Lunch
A delicious roast and a vegetarian option every Sunday 12-2.30pm
Relax and enjoy a reasonably priced traditional Sunday lunch in the
Anniversary Centre café with your family and friends.
For special social events and further information about the Social
Programme visit www.stchristophers.org.uk/socialprogramme
We use a wide variety of musical instruments in arts therapy
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Every year it costs £19 million to deliver all our services, of which approximately £13m
must be fundraised. We are very grateful to our local communities and the trusts,
foundations and companies that support us that enable us to deliver our specialist
palliative care and family care services free of charge.
Sydenham site
51-59 Lawrie Park Road, London SE26 6DZ
Switchboard 020 8768 4500
Bromley site
Caritas House, Tregony Road, Orpington BR6 9XA
Switchboard 01689 825755
www.www.stchristophers.org.uk/socialmedia
info@stchristophers.org.uk
www.stchristophers.org.uk
St Christopher’s
is registered
charity 210667
© St Christopher’s
August 2015
Diary dates
For further details, updates and more
events, visit www.stchristophers.org.uk/
events and if you have any questions not
answered on our website please email
fundraising@stchristophers.org.uk or call
Fundraising on 020 8768 4575.
Monday 7 to Friday 11 September
Will Week
Participating solicitors will write your
simple Will in return for a suggested
donation to St Christopher’s. See page 6 for
more info.
Sunday 20 September · 11am-4pm
St Christopher’s Classic Car Show
Tripes Farm, Chelsfield Lane, Orpington BR6
7RS. See box right.
Monday 5 to Sunday 11 October
Hospice Care Week
Hospice Care Week aims to raise
the profile of and change people’s
perceptions of hospice care
through celebration and action. The 2015
theme is Connecting Care with a focus on
the special role hospices play in
connecting with individuals, families and
communities and also connecting people
with each other. St Christopher’s Midnight
Walk (see page 9) is our key Hospice Care
Week activity. The week coincides with
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
(10 October 2015). Find out more about
Hospice Care Week on the Hospice UK
website at www.hospiceuk.org
Saturday 10 October · 11pm
Midnight Walk
Get cosy in your PJs or onesies
and join us for a moonlit five mile
walk for St Christopher’s Candle
Project, starting and finishing at the
hospice in Sydenham. See page 9 for
more info.
Sunday 11 October
Petts Wood 10k
Join Woody the Gorilla and other runners
for this annual event. More information at
www.pettswoodrunners.org
Sunday 6 March 2016
The Nuts Challenge
Crazy, muddy and absolutely nutty. Take
the challenge and tackle 100 obstacles
over 7km. For more information call Remi
on 020 8768 4577 or email r.knight@
stchristophers.org.uk
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Come along to enjoy a fantastic fundraising family day
out at our third Classic Car Show on
Sunday 20 September from 11am to 4pm
at Tripes Farm, Orpington BR6 7RS.
This great event has over 400
classic, interesting and modified
vehicles as well as arena shows,
kids’ activities, stalls, bar, BBQ and
entertainment for all ages.
Tickets are just £5 including
programme, families £15 and under
12s free and there’s plenty of free
public car parking. No need to book
tickets in advance, just come along
on the day.
For more information about the
event please call Fundraising on
01689 825755 or email carshow@
stchristophers.org.uk
Christmas dates
Remembrance events
Saturday 28 November · 10am-2pm
Christmas Market
St Christopher’s Bromley, Caritas House
in Orpington
Saturday 5 December · 11am-3pm
Christmas Festival
St Christopher’s in Sydenham
Come along to our Christmas fairs and
get into the festive mood with a glass of
mulled wine and a mince pie or two. We
will have lots of great stalls to help you
get some items ticked off your Christmas
shopping list, plus fun activities for all
the family. If you have items you could
donate for either event then please let
us know. For more information call Leo
at Sydenham on 020 8768 4570 or email
l.thon@stchristophers.org.uk or call Andra
at Caritas House on 01689 892 981 or email
a.grecu@stchristophers.org.uk
Monday 7 December · 6.30pm
Carols at St George’s Church
High Street, Beckenham BR3 1AX
Monday 14 December · 6.30pm
Carols at St Barnabus Church
Calton Avenue, Dulwich SE21 7DG
Sunday 29 November · 4pm
St Christopher’s Bromley, Caritas House
Sunday, 6 December · 4pm
St Christopher’s Hospice, Sydenham
These are inclusive ceremonies in which
we invite people of all faiths or none to
join us as we gather in the hospice grounds
to remember those we have loved who
are no longer with us. After a service of
remembrance we light up our beautiful trees
so they shine out with your dedications. To
dedicate a light look out for the leaflet and
form which will be mailed mid-October. You
will also be able make dedications online.
Christmas cards on sale now
If you receive Connections by mail, you
will find our Christmas card catalogue
enclosed.
You can also buy cards from any of
our 18 high street shops or online at
www.stchristophers.org.uk/christmas
Call Fundraising on 020 8768 4575 or
email fundraising@stchristophers.org.uk
to request a catalogue.