St Luke's Hospice Plymouth

“I lost sight of myself due to terminal cancer and it means everything to get that back.” A special visit to Britain’s most famous prehistoric standing stones had a profound effect on patient Mark Glover and his wife, Jane, who are being supported at home in Plymouth by St Luke’s. The couple talked frankly and honestly about their Stonehenge experience and how fulfilling his bucket list ambition has renewed Mark’s passion to make the most of the limited time he has left. You can read their inspirational story on our blog https://lnkd.in/etEQb2QY Mark says: “People think St Luke’s is just a place where you go to die but it’s so much more than that. I’d like to take every opportunity to help St Luke’s provide other people with the support they have given me and my family. “If anyone who reads our story wishes to donate to St Luke’s, please click here." https://lnkd.in/dxPmFXT English Heritage

Are you looking to make a difference and give something back? Could you help out in our friendly café at our specialist unit at Turnchapel? We are looking for volunteers to help us out in our Driftwood cafe at the heart of our Turnchapel building. We need regular weekend volunteers and occasional weekdays (bank) to cover absences. The hours would be 10.30am to 2pm and you would be the friendly face serving staff and visitors to the building. If you are reliable, committed and enjoy working as part of a dedicated team then we would love to have you on board. Email us at volunteer@stlukes-hospice.org.uk or call 01752 401172 to find out more. To find out more about volunteering for St Luke's visit: https://bit.ly/2I9Orom

Share your time...make a difference. If you could share your precious time with us, it would make the world of difference. Our volunteers are the backbone of our charity, whether in our shops, at our events or at our specialist unit, they are vital cogs in our organisation. They come from all walks of life and we appreciate any time they can give us. While we are always on the look out for volunteers across the organisation, we are currently looking for someone to help in our Modbury shop. If you would like to represent St Luke's as part of our fabulous retail team, then we would love to hear from you. Find out more and get in touch https://bit.ly/3HZwpQL

Bereavement can be scary to face alone. We’ll listen if you need to talk, however you are feeling, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly, highly experienced team. Reach out to our patient and family support service https://bit.ly/2GbTkv5

Paul Mills is no stranger to the beautiful coastal paths surrounding us. Over the last five years he has been lacing up his walking boots and hiking the coast in aid of St Luke’s, raising over £4,000 in the process. This year is no exception. The 67-year-old has decided to walk a mile for every year of his age across 3 days. Day 1 will consist of walking 22 miles in the South Hams. Day 2 will feature 22 miles walking on Dartmoor and on the third and final day he will be walking 23 miles in a circular route in Cornwall, starting and finishing at Mount Edgcumbe. Paul first heard of the work St Luke’s does at a business networking event and decided to start fundraising for us. It was later in 2022 that his mother was looked after by St Luke’s at home before her death, further cementing the importance of Paul’s incredible fundraising efforts. This year he has already raised over £700 ahead of his walk next week. Follow his fundraising here https://bit.ly/4dpTITN Thank you Paul for all your amazing support!

From decisions about their future care and support to planning how they want their funeral to be, encouraging patients to make their wishes known is an important part of our work at St Luke’s. Recently, we had the privilege of going behind the scenes at Plymouth’s new crematorium, The Park, which is set to open this summer. Seeing this state-of-the-art facility for ourselves will help us talk to patients and their families about this calm, comforting space – a blank canvas that can be adapted and personalised just as they wish. There’s even the option to choose lighting the colour of the football team you support! Watch our video to find out more, read our blog post https://lnkd.in/erCzsU9Q or check out - https://lnkd.in/e-Z28KNP

Have your kids been pushing the pedals this summer, constantly out on their bikes? Why not set the whole family a challenge this October and take part in our Tour de Moor? Join us on Sunday 13 October for the ultimate inclusive family friendly cycling adventure across Dartmoor. With 3 routes to choose from, there is something for everyone. Starting with our 11km Mini-Moor along Drake's Trail for all ages, then there's our Adventurer Style route, offering 28km of tough riding (9 years old and above) and finally our Beast Mode - 53km of cycling at its fiercest (12 years old and above). Sponsored by Print Copy Scan Limited, part of the Anglotech Group, our Tour de Moor is so much more than just a cycle ride. The money you can raise in sponsorship goes straight to our patient care, enabling us to continue to provide our hospice care in your community. Sign up today https://bit.ly/2S2pm0W

Our catering team at our specialist unit are a fabulous bunch. Staff, volunteers, patients and family members were treated to a delicious barbecue lunch in the sunny garden at Turnchapel this week, courtesy of Catering Manager Lesley Henderson and her hard-working team. “I thought it would be a nice idea and it was great because it brought everybody together”, said Lesley. “The sun was shining, and we couldn’t have picked a better day!” The BBQ lunch was the perfect opportunity for patients and their families to enjoy the sunny weather, while offering St Luke’s staff and volunteers the chance to join together for a mid-week treat. A big thank you to Lesley and the team for putting on such a delicious lunch. If you would be interested in joining the catering team, we are currently looking for a Catering Assistant, to help work at the heart of our hospice. To learn more and apply visit: https://bit.ly/3HZwpQL

“St Luke’s, took the reins we didn’t know how to steer and guided us with gentle hands right through to the very end.” St Luke’s nurses are a special breed; they choose to use their skills in an environment and situation that many would find difficult. But that’s why they do it – they know they have something very precious to offer; advice, support and compassionate care to patients and their families at the end of their own lives, or someone they are close to. You can make a real difference to a patient’s life by sponsoring our nurses working at our specialist unit and visiting you at home. Your generous gift will help us to continue to provide much needed care to the people in your community. Find out more about sponsoring a nurse https://bit.ly/2WAdkgD

“If we’d had talked before I died, you’d of known to get that right. “An experience like this goes to show how important it is to talk about your funeral before you die, because we just don’t do that anymore.” A new digital mini-series is set to take a closer look at how we plan for death. Celebrity Send Off comes from a partnership between Channel 4 and Co-op Funeralcare and is a three-part digital mini series that gives a well-known famous face a unique opportunity: the chance to watch their own funeral. Each week one half of a celebrity pairing will be tasked with arranging a funeral fit for their loved one. In Co-op Funeralcare's ‘Planning for Death’ report, 55% of people surveyed said they had never broached the subject of their funeral with their loved ones. Talking about your funeral wishes now means your friends and family will know what you want when the time comes. Starting this conversation ensures we’re all remembered the way we want to be. Find out more about how you can plan for your future with Advance Care Planning with St Luke’s. https://bit.ly/2XjBOPG https://bit.ly/3M2sjv5