Penelope shines bright for Granddad Mick and Pilgrims
3-year-old Penelope Kerr from Ashford will shine bright on Friday 20 September when she takes part in a sponsored night-time walk for Pilgrims Hospices. She will walk for her granddad, Mick Lodge (61), who is receiving care from the local hospice charity.
Penelope has already raised £980 for Pilgrims via her JustGiving page. She was inspired to fundraise after her mum Joanne completed a Firewalk for the charity at the Ashford hospice in March 2019, raising £335 along the way. Joanne said: “Penelope and her “DamDam” came to watch and she really enjoyed it, she loved the atmosphere. So when I saw theA Night to Shine walk I asked her if she would like to do it, and she said yes and that she would walk for her DamDam.
“Penny’s daddy and I will be walking alongside her but this is her challenge and we couldn’t be prouder. At 3 years old she is the most caring, loving and hilarious little girl who loves her DamDam to the moon and back. She’s raised so much already and the sponsors keep on coming in. We are so proud of our daughter and cannot wait to see her shine on the night.”
Mick was diagnosed with lung and oesophageal cancer in November 2017; chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment has given him a good quality of life and enabled him to enjoy holidays, days out and spending time with Penelope, but recently he has needed support from the hospice. The family are so grateful for the care they are receiving and are keen to give back.
Joanne added: “Dad is receiving regular check-ins from Pilgrims, usually advice and support over the phone. His nurse Rhiannon has been absolutely amazing and we are so thankful for her. She came round recently for a little catch up and a chat.
“We were informed that Dad is looking at six months or less now, so we know we will be needing the hospice a lot more in the future as that is where he wishes to spend his last days. We know how important the hospice is for patients and families, so we just want to give back whatever we can as we know we are going to be using their services a lot. By getting Penelope involved too it will show her that the hospice really is a wonderful place.”
If you’re feeling inspired and would like to follow in Penelope’s footsteps, sign up now for A Night to Shine in Ashford, Broadstairs or Canterbury. Entry is £15 for adults and £12 for under 18s until 15 September 2019. Under 3s go free. Entry includes a t-shirt and finisher’s medal.
If you or someone you know is coping with a life limiting illness and you think you may benefit from Pilgrims free services, talk to your GP or Healthcare Professional about your options or click here to read about our Wellbeing Programme.
15th August 2019
A big thank you to Pilgrims Hospices Lottery supporters
Pilgrims Hospices Lottery Manager Shiralee celebrates summer with a look at what makes our Lottery members special.
Pilgrims Hospices Lottery members are very special. In fact, many of you have been a part of our super Lottery for the whole of its 26 years!
We really are the local lottery that makes a difference. With the help of our communities in Ashford, Canterbury and Thanet, Pilgrims Hospices Lottery has donated more than £13 million towards the cost of providing care to patients and families across east Kent.
One of my favourite parts of the job is meeting and talking to our members, of which there are more than 22,000 and counting.
We really are the local lottery that makes a difference. With the help of our communities in Ashford, Canterbury and Thanet, Pilgrims Hospices Lottery has donated more than £13 million towards the cost of providing care to patients and families across east Kent.
Shiralee, Pilgrims Hospices Lottery Manager
We also have a huge network of lottery collectors who help us in the community. They go out collecting subscriptions when people have asked for collections from their homes. It’s quite a unique service we offer because a lot of our members really value that personal connection. Having our collectors out in the community also means we get to stay in touch with more of our supporters.
I enjoy going out myself to present as many of the winner’s cheques as I can. Our local community has supported the lottery so loyally for many years; offering them a personal touch is the least we can do. It’s so rewarding to see the difference a win from our lottery – which could be as much as £20,000 – can make to a family. Our delighted winners often send us lovely messages of support:
“I am one proud and happy collector. Thank you to Shiralee for meeting me to deliver a lovely cheque to supporters on my Thanet round – a proud and happy Lottery member and his wife. They truly deserved the win.”
– Sonia Dunbar on Facebook
“I’m just about to sign up to Pilgrims Lottery and thought I’d share. They looked after my dad so well. If you play the National Lottery you might have more of a chance with this!”
– Claire Benwell
“Having had close family members looked after at our wonderful hospices, I know and appreciate the love and care given by the charity. Long may the good work last!”
– Mrs T, Deal
“I’m a true believer in supporting local and as a local charity, Pilgrims is close to my heart. They really are brilliant. I know the money I raise will help to keep hospice services running.” – Lynette Young, Lottery member
“Pilgrims is such a great place, and you never know who might need it. Two very close friends have had loved ones pass away at the Ashford hospice… I know everyone there is fabulous, warm and caring, and I truly believe you never know what is around the corner. It is a great local charity here in east Kent.
– Lottery winner, 2022
Good luck to everyone who plays our lottery and thank you all for your kind support. Together, we really make a difference for the people who rely on our care.
Last year alone, nearly £1.2 million was raised by Pilgrims Hospices Lottery for our three hospices in east Kent and 5,500 winners’ cheques were sent out by our loyal and committed supporters. More than 50 of those were for £2,000 or more. The odds of winning Pilgrims Hospices Lottery are higher than winning the National Lottery, and it’s still only £1 per week.
Pilgrims Hospices cares for thousands of local people each year, free of charge, during the most challenging time in their lives. They offer care and support in people’s own homes, in the community and in their inpatient units as well as running a 24-hour advice line.
14th August 2019
The Life of Death: A beautiful meditation on living and dying
The Life of Death is a short animation that follows Life, personified as a doe, as it encounters Death, a ghostly character who nevertheless turns out to be kind, caring and compassionate. Initially fearful, the doe tries to avoid death, but finally comes to accept its essential relationship to life and recognises that this is natural, not scary.
Here, animator Marsha Onderstijn explains how she came to make the film and why she chose to focus on the universal themes of life and death.
Why did you want to make an animation about life and death?
The Life of Death was my graduation film at the AKV St. Joost Art Academy in the Netherlands. I decided on the theme of life and death, because it is such a universal topic. Even without any dialogue in the animation, it would be recognisable to anyone in the world. I wanted to express my own views on life and death by packing it up in a small and, hopefully, endearing story.
Death is a theme that has been endlessly explored in art, religion and philosophy. Very often, death is portrayed as something scary and evil, but even as a child I could never understand why people were so afraid of death.
To me, death is simply part of life.
That is why I decided to make Death the protagonist of my animation, which gave me the ability to show him in a different light. I wanted the audience to relate to Death, to feel for him and wonder if maybe he isn’t all that bad.
Do you think nature and the natural world can help us to process and understand death?
I think so!
Death happens all around us in nature, all the time. To me personally, there is a lot of acceptance of death in nature, because it seems it is simply part of life.
How has The Life of Death been received since its release?
I’m amazed at the incredible response The Life of Death has gotten. To this day, I still get messages from people all over the world, writing about how my animation has changed their view on death, or how it helped them grieve, or how it made them be less scared of death. Some people have played it at their funeral. Some people use it in class to help discuss death with children.
Marsha Onderstijn
It is humbling and amazing, because I would never have thought my animation could have such an impact.
What is your best life advice, given that death is inevitable?
I think one can only talk in clichés when it comes to life advice, but that doesn’t mean they’re not true: Be kind to yourself and others. Do what you love. Be yourself. And enjoy the NOW!
Marsha Onderstijn is an animator from the Netherlands. She studied Animation at the St. Joost Kunstacademie in Breda, specialising in 2D animation. Since graduating in 2012, she has worked as a freelance animator and storyboard artist on both commercial and independent projects.
There’s much more to death than we think; what if it isn’t just an ending, but an event we can plan for? Thinking beyond the four walls of hospices and hospitals, we have the chance to approach it with confidence and plan a good death. After Wards is a collection of insights and ideas from people who can help us all to re-imagine this essential part of life, and to live well until we die.
Hospice recognise staff and volunteer excellence
Due to a generous gift from the Patricia Morley Foundation and support from Ashford International Hotel; Pilgrims Hospices was able to put on an award ceremony to recognise the efforts of staff and volunteers who have gone the extra mile.
Pilgrims is a much-loved local charity that cares for families who are facing the challenges of a terminal or life-limiting illness. The staff and volunteers give so much to all the families they care for and make such a difference when it matters most, it is wonderful to be able to recognise and celebrate this effort.
The ceremony, sponsored by the Patricia Morley Foundation, saw staff and volunteers who were nominated by their colleagues in recognition of their contribution to the hospice attend the event where winners received awards from Ann Robertson OBE founder and now president of the organisation.
I am really proud to work for an organisation like Pilgrims, and it’s lovely to receive an award to celebrate the creative ways in which we have reached out to our community this year to get people having open conversations about death and dying.
Abi Oborne, Education & Training Senior Administrator
Abi Oborne from Pilgrims Hospices Education department won her award for Creativity, Innovation and Dynamic Improvement. She said: “I am really proud to work for an organisation like Pilgrims, and it’s lovely to receive an award to celebrate the creative ways in which we have reached out to our community this year to get people having open conversations about death and dying. In the Education department, we are always thinking about new ways to engage the general public in these discussions and I’ve always been encouraged to think creatively about how we can achieve this.”
Abi Oborne with Ann Robertson, founder of Pilgrims Hospices
Launched in November 2018, the aim of the staff recognition awards, known as the CODE Awards, is to recognise the outstanding contribution of Pilgrims staff and volunteers who strive to deliver and continually improve on the excellent services.
Our values and behaviours underpin the work we do and ensure our continued success in providing specialist palliative care to the people of east Kent.
Cate Russell, Pilgrims Hospices Chief Executive
Cate Russell, Chief Executive, said: “Our values and behaviours underpin the work we do and ensure our continued success in providing specialist palliative care to the people of east Kent. We want all our staff and volunteers to be compassionate, open, dynamic and empowering. These behaviours form our CODE, which guides all of us at Pilgrims in our daily working and decision making. We are proud of all our staff and volunteers and these CODE Awards allow us to recognise teams and individuals who are shining examples of our CODE in action. We would like to thank our sponsors who have made the funds and facilities available to us so we can say a big well done to some really great people”.
If you or someone you know is coping with a life-limiting illness and you think you may benefit from Pilgrims support, talk to your GP or Healthcare Professional about the options or click here to read about our Wellbeing programme.
13th August 2019
Cyclists had wind beneath their wheels
A particularly blustery day swept over 120 cyclists along the Divas on Wheels cycle challenge on Sunday 11 August. Pilgrims Hospices anticipate the event will raise over £9,000, which will provide 450 hours of specialist end-of-life care to people who need their care in east Kent. Although the riders experienced a lot of wind out on the route, it didn’t hold them back and the enjoyment of the day overrode the wind that they were fighting.
This popular event has raised thousands of pounds for important hospice care over the years. This year a range of riders took part, from seasoned cyclists who are regular faces at Divas to brand-new participants who were taking part as their first challenge ride!
The energy and enthusiasm of the riders was quite exciting as they prepared to set off from The Independent Pedaler on Highland Court Farm in Bridge near Canterbury. Cyclists were undertaking either a 25-mile or 50-mile route through the beautiful Kent countryside to raise valuable funds for hospice care.
Riders were welcomed at rest and refreshment stops at Lord Whisky, Shepherdswell Village Hall and Wingham, where Pilgrims volunteers were ready with a well-deserved cake, nibbles, sweets, and all-important water. Those taking part were returning from 12:30pm with overwhelmingly positive feedback for the organisers about the route and the event.
Richard Davis, Pilgrims Hospices Chair of Trustees, attended to support the event and cheer on the riders at the start line and to learn about why they were taking part. The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress also attended to say thank you to the cyclists and to give them their medals.
The day was an absolute success and it’s always lovely to speak to cyclists and hear why they’ve chosen to take part in our event.
Lydia Todd, Pilgrims Hospices
Lydia Todd, Pilgrims Challenge Events Fundraiser, said: “The day was an absolute success and it’s always lovely to speak to cyclists and hear why they’ve chosen to take part in our event and what’s inspired them to get involved in such a challenge.
“Although the day was windy this didn’t stop our riders enjoying a day, exploring the beautiful east Kent countryside on their bikes!
“Thank you to all of our cyclists who took part, our fantastic volunteers for generously donating their time to support the event and of course to our sponsors E-Flow Cycles who allow more of the money raised to go directly into hospice care, and thanks also to The Independent Pedaler for kindly donating us the space for our event HQ.”
Each year, Pilgrims offers care and comfort to more than 2,500 people who are coping with an illness that cannot be cured.
6th August 2019
A perfectly pawesome Pilgrims party
The sun shone, people came, Snowdogs played and a staggering £20,491 was raised at the Pilgrims Hospices Summer Garden Party on Saturday 3 August.
Cream teas were a delight, coconuts, bottles of wine and toys created smiles for the winners. There were magicians, entertainers and all sorts of games and activities to take part in. Families sat on picnic blankets in the sun and soaked up the fun atmosphere.
Wendy Bishop with her granddaughter Livvie
The successful winner of the dolls house auction, Wendy Bishop, said: “The day was a wonderful occasion and lovely to support. Everyone was smiling, especially my granddaughter Livvie when we won the dolls house.
“My husband died at the hospice last year. The care they offered was everything I hoped it would be both for my husband, my family and friends.”
The day was a huge success thanks to more than 1,200 visitors and 100 volunteers who worked tirelessly for weeks if not months preparing things to sell, donating goods or giving their time for free. A special thanks go to:
Stagecoach, Coty, Aldi, magician Geoff Partner, Once Upon a Dream Princess Party, Lloyds Bank, Metro Bank, Southern Gas Network, Brett, Denne’s Marquees, Mersham-Le-Hatch Business Village, Alan Maker Electrical Services, Crosskeys, Ashford Picturehouse, Romney Marsh Brewery, Lions Club of Ashford, Wyvern School, HGV Relief Driver Services, Faversham Ices and Vinci. We would also like to say thank you to Geoffrey Osborne Ltd, A-one+ and Highways England for adjusting their programme so the M20 was kept open during our event. And finally thanks to absolutely everyone who came and gave so generously.
Each year Pilgrims supports hundreds of local people coping with a life limiting illness and their families. The charity offers a range of services: from end-of-life care given on its wards, to its Wellbeing Programme supporting people after they are diagnosed to live well and stay independent.
