Penny praises Pilgrims Hospices as “a place to live, a caring community”
Penny Murphy from Tenterden was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer in 2020 and given 18 months to live; she began treatment and surpassed her initial prognosis.
In January 2023, Penny decided to stop treatment to focus on her quality of life and make the most of the time she has.
Pilgrims Hospices is now supporting Penny to live well in each moment and plan for her future, enabling her to spend more time making precious memories with loved ones.
A former nanny, Penny is described by friends as “beautiful, incredibly funny, silly, adorable, and an absolute ‘one-in-a-million’ lady”. They are currently running a GoFundMe campaign to help Penny tick important goals off her bucket list, including a trip to Italy with her husband, John.
Penny said: “I’d been living with cancer for two and half years before I was referred to Pilgrims. I was so isolated at home. I dreaded the idea of hospice care, but when I arrived for my first holistic assessment, it didn’t feel like a place to die – it is a place to live, a caring community. I was greeted so warmly. The reception staff knew who I was and who I was there to see.
“Pilgrims sorted everything for me, they are so helpful and compassionate. I was able to speak with someone immediately; the whole team is efficient. I met Alison Wiltshire, Community Nursing Team Leader and Palliative Specialist Nurse (PSN), and we discussed my history and sorted out my disability badge, benefits, pain medication and future wishes. It’s the first time since being diagnosed that I’ve felt in control and empowered to make decisions about my care, which is phenomenal.”
Alison Wiltshire, Community Nursing Team Leader and PSN, with Penny
A common perception of palliative care is that it takes place only on hospice wards, but the majority of Pilgrims patients are cared for within the east Kent community. In 2022-23, 2,426 patients have had input from the clinical team – PSNs, doctors and Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) – in the community, including in patients’ own homes.
Penny
Alison added: “Bringing patients into clinic allows them to discover what a hospice feels like, and can allay fears and anxiety about what hospices are. Having someone like Penny experience our community services and be willing to spread the word to encourage others is just what we need. It helps to dispel myths about hospice care.”
Penny is currently accessing Pilgrims’ spiritual care and complementary therapy services. Her dogs, Ruger and Elsa, can also come to the hospice with her.
She continued: “I’m dying – I’m under no illusion about that – but Pilgrims gives me peace of mind; it’s so reassuring knowing that my future care will be on my terms. I think this is really important.
“To anyone being offered hospice care, I would say: “Go for a visit, talk to team, try it out”. You’ll be surprised how positive it is; it’s nothing at all to be scared of.”
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.
6th October 2022
Pride of Pilgrims is nominated for Pride of Britain award
Pilgrims Maintenance Engineer Gary Kirton, feels honoured to be named in the top four nominees for Fundraiser of the Year in the ITV Meridian, Pride of Britain Awards.
Gary from Kingsnorth, Ashford has been fundraising ever since the late 1980s when he started a sweepstake on the Grand National horse race, which grew into a club that started supporting lots of charities. Over the years, Gary has raised almost £300,000 for charitable causes including Pilgrims Hospices where he has worked as an integral part of their maintenance team for 12 years, and has raised between £70,000 and £80,000 for the charity that’s so close to his heart.
Gary said: “I was completely surprised and very honoured when I heard I’d been nominated for a Pride of Britain Award. I must say a massive thank you to those who nominated me!
“I’ve been fundraising for so long, it’s a very important part of my life, and I know my efforts are helping to make a difference to people who really need support. My wife Marilyn (Maz) is my rock; she also works as a domestic team leader for Pilgrims Hospices. I couldn’t have done most of the fundraising events without her, she’s always supportive and on hand and has joined me on many challenges including the London Marathon in 2018.
“I have some amazing memories, and incredible experiences from running 12k dressed as Penguins with Maz, to sportsmen’s dinners with celebrity guests, Peter Shilton and Frank Bruno.
“I’m currently undertaking a UK racecourse tour, visiting 41 different courses and planning to finish at Aintree in December; to date this has raised nearly £20,000.”
One particularly special memory would be Pilgrims bingo evenings when friends, supporters and colleagues came to the Ashford hospice community rooms to be part of the fun. On some occasions, patients and their families joined us to enjoy the entertainment. Over the six years of hospice bingo, it raised £35,000 for hospice care.
Gary
Gary fell very ill in 2007 and had major heart surgery at the William Harvey Hospital.
He said: “I owe them my life, and will always be grateful for their care, and for Maz and her quick reactions when contacting the doctors. Without her, the outcome could have been very different. After recovering, I was even more determined to continue to raise funds for important causes, and I’m inspired by so many people who achieve such great things. More recently I’ve become great friends with Bob Champion MBE/OBE who is so inspirational to cancer sufferers. Bob fought against cancer in 1979 and came back to win the greatest horse race in the world, the Grand National on Aldaniti in 1981, showing cancer can be beaten.
“One particularly special memory would be Pilgrims bingo evenings when friends, supporters and colleagues came to the Ashford hospice community rooms to be part of the fun. On some occasions, patients and their families joined us to enjoy the entertainment. Over the six years of hospice bingo, it raised £35,000 for hospice care.”
He added: “I’ve always worked in hands-on professions, my work at the hospice is full of problem-solving and I’m very proud to be part of such a great team.”
When Gary has time to relax, he enjoys spending time with his step daughters Charlotte and Kirsty and the grandchildren, some well-deserved nights out with his wife Maz and watching sport on TV.
Congratulations on your nomination Gary, you are truly an amazing fundraiser, we are all very proud of you here at Pilgrims Hospices.
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 Thanet, Canterbury and Ashford, 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.
11th May 2022
Nurse Shayla shares what she loves about working for Pilgrims Hospices
Helping to improve someone’s quality of life, at a point when it’s most precious, can lead to great job satisfaction.
Shayla Raine, from Margate is a Pilgrims’ Palliative Specialist Nurse (PSN) at the Thanet hospice in Margate. She joined the team recently from a district nurse background. Shayla shares how she became interested in end-of-life care and what she loves about her role.
Shayla said: “I thought I knew end-of-life care well, it’s only being here at Pilgrims Hospices, that I realised that there is so much more to know and learn, so much more that families need support-wise and so much more time that is needed with the patient and relatives to enable a peaceful end.”
Palliative care nurses provide care that helps patients maintain physical, mental, and emotional health. They take the time to understand the needs of each patient in order to provide a customised treatment plan that provides lasting relief.
Shayla, who is originally from Suffolk, moved to Kent as a young girl and told us:
“Nursing was never something I thought of doing as I grew up, I sort of, fell into the job. I was a cleaner at QEQM hospital for about two years; loved what I was seeing and wanted to be a healthcare assistant. Whilst cleaning the ward one day, a visitor said ‘come and work for me’. When I asked what she meant, she informed me she was a nursing home manager. I said I wanted to be a carer not a cleaner anymore and I was offered an interview there and then.
“I worked for the nursing home for about two years, made my way to a senior position and often helped the trained nurses with their duties. One day, one of the nurses asked why I hadn’t done my nursing training? I never thought I would be able to, the manager arranged for me to complete my access level three course and helped me apply for nursing. I managed the course over four months and started my nurse training very quickly. Thirteen years on, I have never looked back.”
Shayla on her motorbike
Kate White, Head of Nursing, says: “It is a pleasure to welcome Shayla to our community nursing team in Thanet. She joins a team of experts providing high quality service to the people of east Kent and I am sure will be a great asset with her wealth of experience.”
Shayla added: “I have always been a community nurse since qualifying in 2010, became team lead in 2015 and completed my District Nurse degree in 2018-2019.
“I became an end-of-life champion for the community nurses and really loved the EOL/palliative side of my role. When I decided it was time to change my pathway, I saw the job advertised for the palliative specialist role and jumped at the chance.
“The team at Thanet are amazing, I have never felt so supported.”
Shayla explained: “It’s really important to look after your own wellbeing, and when I’m not working, I enjoy riding my motorbike, reading, and watch a lot of comedy to relax. I have lots of reptiles too, so I am always pre-occupied looking after someone or something!”
If you’re interested in a nursing or care career at Pilgrims, we’d love to hear from you.
Check out our current vacancies for more information and apply today:
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.
11th April 2022
Pilgrims Garden Festival: A summer date for your diaries!
The Pilgrims Garden Festival is back for a second year and Pilgrims Hospices can’t wait to welcome visitors back for a fun family day out.
Set to be hosted at Mount Ephraim Gardens on Sunday 24 July, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm, visitors will enjoy a vibrant market area filled with local food and drink producers, plant sellers and makers all from around Kent.
Once the shopping has been done, you will be able to head over for some lunch at the traditional tea party or BBQ before pitching up a blanket in the family-friendly picnic area.
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And new for 2022 is the bar area, which will be stocked by local drink producers which you will be able to discover and enjoy with a bit of live music.
Bob encourages everyone to embrace Pilgrims Hospices care
When Bob Jager from Greenhill, Herne Bay was offered Pilgrims Hospices care, he didn’t think it was for him. That changed when he visited the Canterbury hospice; now, he wants to spread the word and encourage others to make the most of Pilgrims’ vital services.
Bob, a retired painter and decorator, recently spent time in the Canterbury hospice before returning home to his wife and family. Like so many people, he had heard about hospice care but never experienced it himself.
He said: “My wife, Dot, and our daughter, Lorraine, convinced me to give it a go. When I came to Pilgrims for the first time, I saw how beautiful it is.
“I thought it would be a horrible place. I’d only heard others talk about hospices and the things they said scared me, but I shouldn’t have listened to them. This is why we need to talk about it, because it’s been such a wonderful experience for me.”
Bob’s friend of 60 years, Denis Berwick, added: “Everybody fears it, especially as you get older. I always thought the same as Bob, but coming to see him at Pilgrims was the first time I’d been inside a hospice and I realise now how nice it is.”
Denis and Bob at the Canterbury hospice
Bob and Denis are keen fishermen and members of the Canterbury and District Angling Association (CDAA). Inspired by the care his friend is receiving, Denis plans to organise CDAA fundraisers for Pilgrims in the future to help ensure that others can benefit from Pilgrims’ compassionate care across east Kent.
Bob continued: “The care I’ve received has been wonderful, absolutely marvellous; I’ve been overwhelmed by the kindness, the politeness, the attitude and the friendliness of everybody here. I’m sleeping at night, I’ve got peace and quiet, contentment, and I’m happy. The Pilgrims staff are truly wonderful. The food is really cracking, too, you just can’t knock it.”
“My advice to anyone who is unsure whether hospice care is for them is: Go for it, most definitely. You’re silly if you don’t.”
Each year, Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to over 2,500 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.
