Bernie’s bald move for Pilgrims Hospices raises more than £1,000
Stay Home Hospice Hero Bernie Brisco, Health Care Assistant at Pilgrims Hospice Ashford, turned 50 on Tuesday 19 May and in doing so raised over £1,000 for the charity.
To celebrate, Bernie had planned a fabulous party and overnight camp out with many of her friends and hospice colleagues. However due to COVID-19 these plans, as for so many others, had to be cancelled.
Bernie on her birthday pre-shave
Bernie still wanted to mark the occasion in a way that she would remember so that she would have something to look back on; so, she decided instead to shave her head. Bernie explained: “As well as being a nurse I am also my brother Matty’s carer and have continued to be so during this lockdown. I have for many years shaved his head and thought, ‘Why not do mine?’ and immediately decided to see if I could raise funds for Pilgrims Hospices at the same time.
“I love working for Pilgrims, it is such a fantastic charity caring for those who need our specialist support. With people unable to do so many of our normal events to support Pilgrims, this was something I could do.”
Bernie decided that when she shaved her hair, she wasn’t going to just have a Grade 1 all over, she was going to go totally bald and be proud of it. On Tuesday 19 May, Bernie braved the clippers.
Katie Brisco, her daughter, said: “My mum has always been a person who puts other people first. She is definitely my role model for life; I am very proud of her. She never expected to raise such a huge sum. She is a superstar.”
Deirdre Mewse, Community Fundraising Officer, added:
“A huge thank you to Bernie for going above and beyond to fundraise for Pilgrims, especially during these challenging times. The kindness and generosity she has shown is so appreciated. Alongside our whole Pilgrims team, Bernie is still here, still caring for patients and families across east Kent who are living with incurable illness. We can’t thank our care teams enough for the frontline support they are providing throughout COVID-19.”
There are so many ways you can continue to support Pilgrims, even from your homes. Visit the Pilgrims website for some virtual challenges and become a #StayHomeHospiceHero and help to make a difference from your home.
We need you more than ever; our local community means everything to us.
Thank you.
Each year Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to over 2,400 people in east Kent coming to terms with an illness that sadly cannot be cured. The charity supports patients to live life as well as possible until the very end, free from pain and distress. To offer these services the charity must raise £11 million each year from the generous local community.
6th February 2020
Pilgrims volunteer Lin will take on the hottest shortest sponsored walk in the world
Lin Parsons from Kennington, Ashford has been a valued member of the volunteer team at Pilgrims Hospices for eight years. Lin’s mum was cared for at the Ashford hospice in 2009, before then, she had little idea of what the hospice was or what services it provided.
Lin told us: “My mum received such wonderful care at the hospice, I was very keen to offer my services as a volunteer to help in any way I could.”
Although she felt the need to be involved as soon as possible after the loss of her mum, the support services around Pilgrims care insists families and friends who’ve suffered a loss, take sufficient time to grieve and re-adjust to their loss before taking up a commitment as a Pilgrims volunteer.
Lin added: “In the meantime, I gave my support to Pilgrims in other ways by getting involved with fundraising activities such as Pilgrims night-time walks and I play Pilgrims Lottery. When I was ready, I joined the regular volunteers as part of the hospice reception team.”
My mum received such wonderful care at the hospice.
Lin
Pensioner Lin, was employed for 28 years as a barmaid in the Ashford Golf Club: “I loved working with people, I’m a very social person, my job at the golf club allowed me to be flexible as my family grew up.
“I still love to be around people so, my role with Pilgrims, greeting visitors and helping with the refreshment trollies and chatting with patients is so rewarding.” Lin added.
Lin keeps busy with some shifts at the golf club, looking after her grandchildren and walking her dog, but she has still found time to take part in Pilgrims Firewalk on Saturday 14 March.
“I’m really looking forward to taking on this challenge, I’ve never done anything quite like this before. I was encouraged to join the team of nurses and Pilgrims staff who have already signed up to take part. I thought, here goes!
“I’m encouraging my friends and family to sponsor me to brave the daring dash across the red-hot wood embers. I know the money I raise will truly help to make a difference to people who need hospice care the most.
“My role as a volunteer allows me to see first-hand some of the amazing work carried out by the nursing staff.
“It really is the perfect place for end of life care and I am so pleased to support such a worthwhile charity.”
You can support Lin’s Firewalk for Pilgrims by sponsoring her JustGiving page.
Robert Grew, Pilgrims Challenge Events Manager said: “We applaude Lin for everything she does and for hot-footing it across the fire for Pilgrims Hospices. We are pleased to bring the event back for the 5th year. It’s the ultimate test of courage and perfect challenge for any fitness level. Our supporters tell us time and time again just how much they love it.”
If you would like to take part in the Firewalk, please click here and register for the shortest hottest, shortest, sponsored walk in the world.
Each year Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to over 2,400 people in east Kent who are coming to terms with an illness that sadly cannot be cured. The charity support patients to live life as well as possible until the very end, free from pain and distress.
20th January 2020
Christmas tree recycling campaign is a record breaker
Pilgrims Hospices Christmas Tree Recycling campaign has broken records this year with a staggering 1,350 trees being collected over Ashford and Tenterden on 11 January 2020.
For the eighth year running, the generous residents of the Ashford Borough from Wye to Wittersham, Willesborough to Woodchurch, donated money in return for their Christmas trees to be collected and recycled by Pilgrims Hospices.
A team of over 90 dedicated volunteers and colleagues from local businesses collected the trees on Saturday 11 January. The campaign will raise more than£21,000 for hospice care in east Kent.
The scheme received tremendous amounts of community support with several local businesses gifting their time and vans to help collect the trees. Local businesses lending a hand included vans and crews from Givaudan, Menzies, Medash Signs Ltd, Practical Van Hire Ashford, Waitrose, Countrystyle Recycling Ltd, Earles Landscapes, Select Plant Hire, Ace Transport, Dave Lowe, Bilsington Priory, Bill Cordes and Pilgrims Hospices retail team.
We simply could not run the campaign without the many volunteers lending their time.
Louise Newman, Pilgrims Hospices
A total of 29 vans were out in force around the area collecting the trees of all shapes and sizes, which were taken to Ashford Household Waste Recycling Centre in Cobbs Wood for recycling.
Louise Newman, Pilgrims Hospices Community Fundraising Manager said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to everybody who registered their tree for collection, each and every donation makes a difference to the £11 million we have to fundraise every year in order to keep our services running.
“We simply could not run the campaign without the many volunteers lending their time, vans, or facilities, including the staff at the Ashford Recycling Centre and Ashford Vineyard who help us with this campaign. We thank each and every one of those involved. Our headline sponsor, Ashford Borough Council, has also gone above and beyond to help support the campaign, for which we are very grateful.
We are all absolutely thrilled to have broken previous records again this year.
Louise Newman, Pilgrims Hospices
“We are all absolutely thrilled to have broken previous records again this year, but as the numbers continue to grow we will need even more crews to help. If you can help in 2021 or know someone who would like to get involved in the scheme, we would love to hear from you in the coming few weeks. Or, if you are a business and would like to sponsor the event, we’d also love to hear from you. Simply email [email protected].”
This year alone, Pilgrims Hospices has to raise £11 million through voluntary donations in order to run our full range of services. Sponsorship raised through events like these helps us to continue caring for local people at the end of their lives.
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.
25th February 2019
Snowpup on show!
On Saturday 23 February Snowy, formerly the Pilgrims Hospices Snowpup, was unveiled at his new permanent kennel at Singleton Environment Centre (SEC).
After the successful Snowdog trail, which brought civic pride and fun to the streets and community of Ashford during autumn 2018, many residents were delighted that several of the pieces of art bought at the Gala Auction were to remain as part of the community and can be visited within the town at Elwick Place, Gateway Library and, as of two weeks ago, at Pilgrims Hospices where Parklife was unveiled.
Now joining these is Snowy, who was bought by Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council at the Gala Auction.
We really appreciated the opportunity to interpret and paint Snowy. We’ve really enjoyed being involved with the Snowdogs trail and we hope that everybody loves seeing Snowy at Singleton Environment Centre.
Kaya Cook and Robyn Bailey, Ashford College students
Singleton Environment Centre invited those involved in the project to an unveiling at the Centre on Saturday. These included council guests, representatives from Pilgrims and the two student artists who painted Snowy.
Snowy was a sculpture that was a fundamental part of the pack, being the first pup in Ashford. But he wasn’t placed on the trail; instead, he took on his own pawesome adventure across east Kent. This included stays at Pilgrims’ hospices in Canterbury and Thanet, as well as popping up at fundraising events and in the Pilgrims shops in Ashford and Tenterden.
Kaya Cook and Robyn Bailey with Snowy at the Ashford Snowdogs Gala Auction
Snowy was designed and decorated by Kaya Cook and Robyn Bailey, Year 2 students from Ashford College.
Kaya and Robyn said: “We were so excited to have been a part of the Snowdogs project! We really appreciated the opportunity to interpret and paint Snowy. He has been decorated in lots of key symbols that connect to the hospice and its work; these include the Memory Tree on one side of him, stars and the blue Pilgrims logo. We’ve really enjoyed being involved with the Snowdogs trail and we hope that everybody loves seeing Snowy at Singleton Environment Centre.”
Ian McClintock, Pilgrims’ Fundraising Manager Kate Duddell and Mayor of Ashford Cllr Jessamy Blanford with Kaya Cook, Robyn Bailey and Snowy
Ian McClintock, Chair of Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council, said: “It is really brilliant to have Snowy at the Singleton Environment Centre, but he will continue his pawesome adventure by visiting the two local schools in our parish and both village halls where many organisations will enjoy Snowy. We have created a ‘Friends of Snowy’ fundraising page so the whole community can support Snowy on his travels. I am sure he will be visited by many people at the SEC and he will be made very welcome back at the Pilgrims Hospice Ashford, too. Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council and Singleton Spaces are very pleased to be able to be part of the continuation of the first art trail instigated by the council and I hope everyone will enjoy Snowy wherever they see him.”
Snowy is the only Snowpup on public display, all the others have been returned to the schools that painted them as a treasured keepsake of this community project.
Cliff Gerlach (67) from Capel-le-Ferne will take on a Firewalk for Pilgrims Hospices on Saturday 2 March. He is choosing to brave the ‘hottest, shortest sponsored walk in the world’ in memory of his wife, Linda, who received care from the charity last year. The event will be held in the grounds of the Ashford hospice, where Linda and her family were supported during her illness.
Cliff and Linda were together for more than 20 years and married in the chapel at Pilgrims Hospice Ashford on 28 September 2018, just a few days before Linda passed away aged 67. Reflecting on the care Linda received while at Pilgrims, Cliff said: “It was just brilliant. Pilgrims’ support was invaluable to Linda and our family. The nurses told Linda that anything she wanted, she could have – she even enjoyed a glass of wine one night.”
Linda’s daughter, Angela Carolan (47) from Folkestone, added: “Nothing was too much trouble. Our family were free to come and go with no restrictions; we stayed over at the hospice some nights. On the day of the wedding they even helped us with little things like parking.”
I’m doing it for Linda, but I hope that my fundraising will help other families who are experiencing Pilgrims’ care to keep going. I want everyone who needs it to be able to experience the hospice’s kind and compassionate service.
Cliff
Cliff has already raised more than £1,000 for his Firewalk, with 82 people sponsoring him so far and one donation arriving from as far afield as the United States, where his niece lives. On the night, family and friends will cheer Cliff on as he prepares for his dash across the flames. He said: “I wanted to do something to say thank you and the Firewalk was the first thing I saw; it came up on Facebook and I thought, yeah, I could do that.
“As a family we just want to do our best to support Pilgrims. I’m doing it for Linda, but I hope that my fundraising will help other families who are experiencing Pilgrims’ care to keep going. I want everyone who needs it to be able to experience the hospice’s kind and compassionate service.
Supporting Pilgrims has given me meaning and purpose. Asking people to put their name on my sponsorship form, knowing that this will help others who have life limiting illnesses, helps me get up in the morning and go on with life no matter how hard it seems.
Cliff
“When you lose somebody close you feel despair and grief, like you just want to give up, but supporting Pilgrims has given me meaning and purpose. Asking people to put their name on my sponsorship form, knowing that this will help others who have life limiting illnesses, helps me get up in the morning and go on with life no matter how hard it seems.”
Cliff is keen to keep giving back to Pilgrims and hopes to become a volunteer for the charity in the future. He’s also downloaded Pilgrims’ new event app and plans to sign himself and his dog up for Paws 4 Pilgrims, a fun 5k dog walk along the Deal coastline taking place on Sunday 24 March. He added: “The Pilgrims’ staff aren’t just there for end-of-life care but also to help people through all the difficult times when losing a loved one. I personally thank them for what they do, and I’ll be doing all I can to support Pilgrims in the future.”
Events Fundraiser Robert Grew with Cliff Gerlach
Robert Grew, Events Fundraiser at Pilgrims Hospices, said: “It’s great watching people like Cliff conquer their fear and brave the barefoot walk across the coals. I’m always astonished by the lengths people in our community will go to raise money for our end-of-life care services, and crossing red-hot wood embers that measure 800 degrees is no exception! I’d like to wish Cliff and all our firewalkers the best of luck for their challenge and thank them for putting their best foot forward for hospice care. I’ll be cheering you all the way.”
Feeling inspired to follow in Cliff’s footsteps and face the flames?
There is still time to enter the Firewalk in Canterbury on Friday 1 March 2019 or Ashford on Saturday 2 March 2019.
Visit pilgrimshospices.org/firewalk or call 01227 812 609 to sign up now, but hurry, advance entry closes this Sunday 24 February 2019. Entry includes training seminar, firewalking experience and certificate.
