Sunflower Memories appeal to bloom again in hospice gardens
Pilgrims Hospices launch Sunflower Memories Appeal 2023, supporters are welcome to attend the remembrance events on 22 July, to celebrate the lives of loved ones and relive memories, with music and refreshments in the hospice gardens at Canterbury, Ashford and Thanet.
The leading provider of end-of-life care services in east Kent, is delighted to announce the appeal has now reached its 10th year of raising funds and awareness; it serves as a poignant tribute to cherished memories, while celebrating the spirit of compassion and care.
Pilgrims Hospices Nurse, Simone with Sunflower art
Each year the hospices offer individuals and communities an opportunity to visit the hospice gardens; to come together, and remember their loved ones, while making a positive difference in the lives of others. This year’s appeal is set to be even more remarkable, as the appeal donations over the past 10 years will reach in excess of £380,000, providing exceptional end-of-life care for thousands of people in the local community. All are welcome to donate to dedicate a sunflower in memory of a cherished person. Each sunflower represents a heartfelt tribute to those who are no longer with us, but whose memories continue to shine brightly. Each participant will have a sunflower marker dedicated and personalised, symbolising their support for Pilgrims Hospices and the meaningful impact they are making.
The hospices’ Supporter Relations team will transcribe the names of those to be remembered, on to each sunflower, thereafter they will be prominently displayed in the hospice garden of choice, creating a vibrant display for people to visit on the Sunflower days. The Sunflowers will remain in the gardens through to the end of August, or can be collected on the days as a keepsake.
To take part in Sunflower Memories this year, simply call Pilgrims Supporter Relations team on 01227 782066 and let them know you would like to remember with a sunflower. By making a donation for your sunflower you will be helping others who need our care and their families.
Ellie Cane, Pilgrims Individual Giving Manager said: “This appeal provides a special opportunity for people to honour and remember their loved ones, while helping Pilgrims continue to deliver outstanding care for patients and their families.
This beautiful event allows us to spend time with supporters, old and new, sharing news on Pilgrims Hospices care and services, as we move forward, continue to expand, and improve our facilities to help even more people.”
This year these very special days will take place on Saturday 22 July from 10am – 2pm; Pilgrims staff and volunteers will welcome visitors to share memories, and celebrate in the sunshine. To help celebrate this special 10 years of Sunflower Memoires, the Wellbeing Team will be attending, displaying some of the beautiful sunflower themed artwork created by patients in the Therapy Centres.
Billy Williams, Wellbeing Lead, said: “When patients attend groups such as ‘Time to Create’, they can relax in a friendly supportive environment, talk to like-mined people openly, and discuss the concerns freely. Trying something new or rekindling some skills that have been forgotten can be excellent therapy, we know this, the chatter and laughter that can be heard at the groups is fantastic, and we encourage staff from all areas of the charity to come and get involved, chat with our patients, and enjoy doing something creative.
Wellbeing Sunflowers 7
Wellbeing Sunflowers 6
Wellbeing Sunflowers 4
Wellbeing Sunflower 12
“Some of our ‘Time to Create’ patients have also been growing Sunflowers from seed, that will form part of the displays for everyone to enjoy on the day.
Pilgrims rely heavily on the generosity of their supporters to continue delivering exceptional care to patients, and their families. Your donations will directly impact lives, ensuring they can provide comfort, dignity, and support when it is needed most.
To find out more or get involved, visit pilgrimshospices.org/sunflowers, e-mail: sunflowermemories@pilgrimshospices.org, or call our friendly Supporter Relations team on 01227 782 062
Pilgrims Hospices is a leading charity dedicated to providing outstanding end-of-life care, and support to individuals with life-limiting illnesses. With a team of compassionate professionals, Pilgrims ensures that patients and their families receive exceptional physical, emotional, and spiritual care, throughout their journey. Funds raised through the Sunflower Memories Appeal will directly support the wide range of services offered by the charity, including specialised nursing care, emotional support, and practical assistance. These vital resources enable patients to live their lives to the fullest, surrounded by love, dignity, and compassion, until the end.
With your support, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of those facing life-limiting illnesses and their families.
30th March 2023
Kent Police visit Pilgrims Hospices to empower patients to stay safe
Emma Swietochowski-Hay, Kent Police’s Fraud Prevention Co-ordinator, was invited to talk at the Living Well Group in the Therapy Centre at Pilgrims Hospice Canterbury, by Kim and Kelly, Wellbeing Practitioners.
The talk was to highlight how criminal activity faces us all, and how we can make simple changes to our reactions, and practices to help to keep safe and secure when it comes to fraudulent activities.
Emma has hands-on experience, working as a uniformed Police Community Support Officer in Ashford. She is passionate about passing on her experience of local crime, and how to take steps to prevent this, by empowering vulnerable people within our community, to keep them safe and keep criminals at bay.
Emma said: “This role is so important within our community, helping people to keep safe from scams and fraudsters is vital in today’s world of the internet, and telephone criminals. My work helps people to understand how to make sensible choices and decisions when being approached by potential criminals, and how to report those trying to scam them via the internet and email.”
The talk was well received and created a lot of discussion within the group. Emma covered scam calls, text message scams, investment and romance fraud to name but a few. Most importantly, she reassured the group that no one person should ever feel embarrassed or unable to call the Fraud Police for help and advice, as this is an all too common practice, and gave the group useful numbers to contact.
Advice was given regarding banking, internet, remote access and courier fraud. She explained how to take appropriate measures to ensure people are speaking to the ‘right’ contact, and not unscrupulous scammers.
The Therapy Centre is a safe space, where patients and carers have mentioned how comfortable and at ease they feel when they arrive. This makes us really proud to be a part of Pilgrims and being able to make a difference to peoples’ wellbeing.
Kim and Kelly, Wellbeing Practitioners
The group commented how informative the session was, and that they realised the need to keep extra safe when storing information, and passwords online, and that they would be passing on the information they gained to their friends and family. They said that they had really enjoyed the session.
Kim and Kelly, Wellbeing Practitioners, said:
“Our groups are great fun, including creative and educational activities, enabling our patients and their carers to regain their identities and not feel overshadowed by their illness. The Therapy Centre is a safe space, where patients and carers have mentioned how comfortable and at ease they feel when they arrive. This makes us really proud to be a part of Pilgrims and being able to make a difference to peoples’ wellbeing. We enjoy helping people to ‘Live Well’, and the smiles and laughter we see during our groups.”
Pilgrims Wellbeing team run a wide variety of activities to support patients living with life-limiting conditions. Patients can join Pilgrims groups to improve their mobility, mental wellbeing, creativity and general interest.
Our Wellbeing Programme is free if you live in east Kent, and you have been diagnosed with a palliative illness. It aims to enhance your wellbeing, in mind and body.
Each year, Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to thousands of 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. Care is provided from three hospice sites in Ashford, Canterbury and Thanet, as well as in patients’ own homes. To offer these services to patients and their families, the charity must raise £11 million each year from the generous local community.
3rd March 2023
Take a virtual tour of Pilgrims Hospices
What do you think a hospice looks like?
Many people imagine a ward and beds, a space where people spend their last days, but that is just a small part of what they offer.
Our hospices feature beautiful, tranquil landscaped gardens, professional kitchens where fresh meals are prepared daily, family lounges where patients can spend precious moments with their loved ones, Therapy Centres where we run our popular wellbeing groups, areas for spiritual reflection, and so much more.
Kate White, Head of Nursing, explains how our new virtual tours can be a helpful first step for someone considering coming into one of our hospices, and also for healthcare professionals when referring patients to Pilgrims’ services:
“The prospect of coming to a hospice can be daunting, so being able to see what it looks like can help to alleviate that. The virtual tours give people an idea of what to expect when they come to the building, and hopefully to see how the hospice is a home from home with plenty of creature comforts. To be able to view the hospice this way can also save patients and families valuable time when this is most precious.
“The tours can also enable healthcare professionals in hospitals and other settings to show patients at the bedside what the hospice looks like, to explain facilities and view the environment before physically entering the hospice. This brings the conversation to life, aids the discussion and may help to lessen the fear of the unknown. They help to show that the hospice is a calm and homely environment with a range of facilities, allowing patients and families to make the best of one of the most difficult times in their lives.”
Each year, Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to thousands of 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. Care is provided from three hospice sites in Ashford, Canterbury and Thanet, as well as in patients’ own homes. To offer these services to patients and their families the charity must raise £11 million each year from the generous local community.
17th February 2023
A cut above the rest! Local salon raises thousands for Pilgrims Hospices
Steven James Hairdressing has been perfecting the styles of local residents for no less than five generations of hairdressers!
Starting in 1908 in Palace Street, Canterbury this family-run business was first opened by Henry Flower and his wife, Charity. Fast forward to today, Steven and James Flower now own three premises in Canterbury and Faversham, both barbers and ladies’ salons.
Steven and James Flower along with their dad, Jim are firmly part of the Canterbury and Faversham communities through their salons, but also ensuring they support local charitable causes too.
Pilgrims Hospices has long been supported by the salons’ Christmas raffle, and with the support of their clients getting in the festive spirit, thousands of pounds and vital funds are raised each year.
Community Fundraising Manager, Leila Ilkhan visited the team at the barber shop on Castle Street, Canterbury to accept a cheque for £4,703, the result of their support for Christmas 2022.
Leila said, “Steven James Hairdressing have been supporting Pilgrims Hospices since the late 1990s and have raised nearly £90,000 in vital funds to support local hospice care in that time.”
Steven Flower added: “Once again, our wonderful clients have been extremely generous, helping Steven James Hairdressing to raise such a fantastic amount.”
Their continued support is part of the reason we are able to deliver specialist end-of-life care to thousands of people living with a terminal illness each year and their loved ones in east Kent, helping families to make the most of their time together.
From everyone at Pilgrims Hospices, thank you!
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.
23rd December 2022
Team Chocolate Orange share the love with Pilgrims Hospices
A Chocolate Orange treat for staff on all three Pilgrims Hospices sites was delivered by Allan Pippard from Faversham Town Walking Football in December 2022.
Allan and his wife Joanne arrived with 300 donated oranges to bring festive cheer to staff throughout the charity on behalf of Team Chocolate Orange. It’s their way of sending a much-deserved thank you for providing essential services 365 days a year, caring for those in need and their loved ones, and for always being there when they are needed.
The Team Chocolate Orange campaign was started by Chris Lamb, whose son, Elliott, spent a lot of time in hospital and very sadly passed away just before Christmas 2010, aged just four years old. The following year, Chris decided he wanted to do something positive to cherish Elliott’s memory and Team Chocolate Orange was born. Seeing the campaign as a way to turn a negative into a positive, Chris embarked on a mission to thank NHS staff for all they did and decided to give a Chocolate Orange to as many of them as he could.
Having started in St. Helens, Merseyside in 2011 with 145 Chocolate Oranges, the campaign, now running in areas from Newcastle to London, has resulted in over 100,000 donated Chocolate Oranges being gifted to deserving recipients.
Allan and Jo have a personal connection to Pilgrims Hospices; Jo’s Mum, Diane Mewett was cared for by the Canterbury care team in the Spring of 2017. Diane expressed a special wish to be part of her daughter’s wedding and celebrate alongside her family. Allan and Jo brought their wedding plans forward, and the team at the hospice did everything they could to help the family make a truly memorable day. A fabulous white wedding and blessing took place within the gardens and family room, where Diane was able to share the couple’s special day.
Jo and Allan with Jo’s mum, Diane, on their wedding day at the hospice
While delivering the chocolatey treats, they were reunited with some of the care team who looked after Jo’s Mum.
Allan said: “We are delighted to be the bearers of these treats for the hospices, we are regular supporters of Team Chocolate Orange at Faversham Walking Football and are delighted to be here to deliver some good cheer to Pilgrims.
“The care that the whole family received while Diane was at the hospice was very special, and the wedding gave us a life-long special memory to keep.”
Leila Ilkhan, Pilgrims community fundraising manager said: “On behalf of everyone at Pilgrims Hospices I would like to say a very big thank you to you for thinking of our charity and delivering Chocolate Oranges for our staff to enjoy.
“It is heart-warming to see people in our community wanting to spread some joy and I look forward to sharing your token of gratitude with our nurses, doctors and wider clinical teams over the next couple of days.
“Team Chocolate Orange has started something truly fantastic, and it is wonderful that you are bringing this to Kent to continue this generous act of giving.”
Pilgrims support thousands of patients and their families in east Kent each year. The gift of a Chocolate Orange to each of the team will no doubt be enjoyed with a cup of tea on tea breaks and lunch times. Pilgrims wish to thank Allan and Joanne Pippard and Faversham Walking Football for such a kind gesture and would like to wish them a very merry Christmas.
You can keep up to date with Team Chocolate Orange on Facebook and Twitter.
Each year Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to thousands of 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.
Tree-mendous news!
Tree-mendous news, Pilgrims Hospices Christmas Tree Recycling is returning to Canterbury, Ashford and Thanet this festive season.
The environmentally-friendly fundraising initiative makes saying farewell to your festive fir as easy as possible, so that you can enjoy a hassle-free end of the festive period, in the knowledge that you are supporting a much-loved local charity.
Help Pilgrims to take care of the planet and hospice patients one tree at a time!
All you have to do is register on Pilgrims’ website and make a donation of your choice. Pilgrims’ volunteer elves will collect your real tree from your doorstep, where it will continue on a journey to be recycled.
There’s no need to mess up your car with pine needles, Pilgrims volunteers will do all the hard work for you and, in return, you will be helping to support the vital end-of-life care of local people through your donation.
Kate Duddell, Pilgrims Hospices Fundraising Manager said: “It’s really important to dispose of your real tree in a sustainable way. We are grateful for the support of Canterbury City Council, the incredible ongoing support of Ashford Borough Council, who have now supported the campaign for 11 years, Thanet District Council, and the huge number of volunteers, and local businesses who give up their time to help us raise vital funds in early January. Our last, and first, Christmas Tree Recycling campaign raised in excess of an amazing £42,000 and more than 2,250 real trees were collected by Pilgrims Hospices across east Kent. We hope the lovely and supportive local community will do the same again this year.”
Canterbury area
The doorstep collections will take place between 6 – 9 January 2023, but you need to register by midnight on Monday 2 January to book your collection. If you live in Canterbury, Sturry, Chartham, Bridge, Herne Bay, Chestfield, Whitstable, Seasalter or surrounding villages within the Canterbury City Council area, Pilgrims’ elves will come and collect your real Christmas tree!
Ashford area
The doorstep collections will take place between 14 – 16 January 2023, but you need to register by midnight on Monday 9 January to book your collection. If you live in Ashford, Tenterden, Charing, Wye. Appledore, Chilham or surrounding villages within the Ashford Borough Council area, Pilgrims elves’ will come and collect your real Christmas tree!
Thanet area
The doorstep collections will take place between 6 – 9 January 2023, but you need to get registered by midnight on Monday 2 January to book your collection. If you live in Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Margate, Westgate-on-Sea, Birchington, St Nicholas-at-Wade, Minster or all the surrounding villages Pilgrims elves will come and collect your real Christmas tree!
Faversham drop-off recycling station
If you live outside of the Canterbury City Council area, you can still support Pilgrims Hospices and recycle your real Christmas tree. You can bring your tree to Pilgrims designated drop-station at Macknade, Faversham, ME13 8XF on Saturday 7 (9:00 – 16:00) and Sunday 8 (10:00 – 16:00) January 2023. Please book online in advance here for the drop-off station at Macknade.
The scheme is delivered with the fir-tastic support of Kent County Council (KCC) and Kent’s Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC), FCC Environment, together with the local councils, all the parties are helping Pilgrims to recycle the trees; all for a good claus.
For more information about KCC, please visitkccmediahub.net.
Each year, Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to thousands of 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.
