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.
15th March 2023
Fantastic fundraiser Eleanor raises over £5,000 for Pilgrims Hospices
Eleanor Davies from Ashford hopes to inspire other children to fundraise for charity. Aged just 7-years-old, Eleanor recently raised an incredible £5,401.01 for local hospice care.
Eleanor raised funds over the festive period in 2022 and also took part in Santas on the Harbour! in December 2022 with her mum, Charlotte, who is a Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner at Pilgrims Hospices.
Eleanor and Charlotte at Santas on the Harbour! 2022 in Folkestone
Young fundraiser Eleanor said: “I wanted to fundraise for Pilgrims because it’s kind and thoughtful to raise money for people who help others who are poorly. It means they can buy some new equipment for people to use. My mummy works at the Ashford hospice and she tries to help people feel a little bit better. I think everyone who works at Pilgrims is fantastic!”
Eleanor continued: “I was so proud that I wore my medal to school! I have just joined Brownies, and the fundraising goes towards my Charities badge, which is very exciting.”
“I want to say an enormous thank you to all my family and friends who donated and sponsored me and came to Folkestone on the day of the run, to cheer me on! It was really tiring, but so much fun and I would love to do a Pilgrims run again. I would also like to say thank you to Pilgrims for all the amazing work they do and for letting me run for them. I am very proud of my mummy for what she does.”
Charlotte added: “I’m so proud of Eleanor; I see first-hand how the money can help people. At 7-years-old, to have raised £5,401.01 is absolutely fantastic and for Eleanor to want to fundraise again is just amazing. She is already asking about her next challenge! Thank you to her sponsors for their generosity. We hope that her story inspires others to fundraise for charity.”
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.
9th March 2023
UNFRAMED, Ashford’s first mural festival is coming to the town centre and a Pilgrims Hospices shop near you!
Pilgrims Hospices are proud to be one of 14 special locations taking part in Ashford’s first mural festival, UNFRAMED!
Ashford will be turned into a vibrant masterpiece as a number of national and local artists take to its streets to transform blank walls into a sea of colour and creativity. All of the murals are in close proximity of each other around the town centre and will be part of the UNFRAMED art trail for local residents and visitors to enjoy.
Curated by street art and mural experts Accent London and The London Mural Company, artists include Mr Doodle, Alex Chinneck, Charley Peters, Will Redgrove, Curtis Hylton, Andy Welland, and many more.
Pilgrims Hospices’ location will be at one of its charity retail stores and its well-loved Castle Street shop will be the canvas. Here, a spectacular and themed artwork will be revealed and has been curated by Will Redgrove in association with the hospice team.
The painting will be one of the last to be curated, just before the art trail formerly opens to the public.
The charity have worked closely with the artist, Will Redgrove, to ensure that the design has hospice meaning and resonates with trail viewers, whilst also showing nature in a vibrant and bold setting.
Pilgrims Hospices representative, Kate Duddell, said: “At its heart, Pilgrims Hospices is dedicated to ensuring people living with an incurable illness can access the quality care and comfort they deserve. Our environment is so important and we wanted to work closely with Will to ensure that this masterpiece has meaning and the elements represent what the hospice is all about, yet in an abstract way.”
Nature is the focus of the Pilgrims mural and it’s nothing new that spending time in the great outdoors and within a natural setting does wonders for our physical health and mental wellbeing. With all these benefits, it’s little wonder why nature is the focus of the Pilgrims artwork. It is a meaningful representation of everlasting love, gratitude, respect, memory and care, which the natural symbols within the artwork represent; all of which are important in Pilgrims’ daily work in caring for the east Kent community at the end of life.
Kate added: “People think that hospices are sad places, but really they are places to help our patients live fully and well in the time that they have. Our welcoming facilities and gardens enable families, carers and patients to have a brighter and inspiring setting for their care. Hospices aren’t places to be fearful of – they’re places that remove fears within natural and safe surroundings.”
Visitors to the festival will be able to download a map, scan a QR code at each site, or pick up a physical map from Coachworks, Low Key Tap Room, Picturehouse or Made in Ashford and wander around the town centre immersing themselves in the street art and learning more about each piece.
The mural festival will run from Saturday 1 April to Sunday 16 April 2023, with arts workshops, street dance and film screenings available to all visitors.
Keep up with all the latest updates as they happen and watch the progress of the artwork being created by following @ashfordunframedon Instagram.
Pilgrims Hospices care 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 February 2023
Peter: “The word ‘hospice’ now fills me with joy”
When Peter Clampitt from Ashford was diagnosed with lung cancer, he was referred to Pilgrims Hospices. After a short stay in the hospice, Peter was able to return home, where he is now being helped to live well with the assistance of carers, home aids, and Pilgrims’ continued support.
He wanted to share his story so that others can learn about the benefits of hospice care.
Peter, a former engineer who worked across the UK and Europe, is originally from Folkestone. He has four children – Nick, Lisa, Emma and Laura – and lives in Ashford with Laura and her two daughters, Lily and Sophia.
Peter was initially admitted to William Harvey Hospital, Ashford. He said:
“I was in a very dark place, the darkest point in my life. Thankfully, the hospital team got me referred to Pilgrims. Death doesn’t frighten me, I’m not worried about it, but I did think that a hospice was a place to spend your last days – so when I first went in, I thought I wouldn’t be coming out.
All the staff have care in their eyes, they just want to look after you. The food is excellent and I had some great conversations with the hospice team; they made me feel really good. Never in all my life have I known people be so kind and caring, they always have smiles on their faces.
Peter
“But when I went through the doors, I thought: “My god, I’m in a palace”. It had an immediate positive effect on me. All the staff have care in their eyes, they just want to look after you. The food is excellent and I had some great conversations with the hospice team; they made me feel really good. Never in all my life have I known people be so kind and caring, they always have smiles on their faces. It’s unbelievable.”
“It was an exuberant experience; when I left, I felt so bubbly, I was bouncing around like an idiot. All the nurses lined up to give me kisses! It was a pleasure to go into the hospice and have my expectations completely changed. The word ‘hospice’ now fills me with joy.”
Pilgrims helped to get Peter’s pain under control and manage his symptoms, and ultimately supported him to return to the comfort of his own home with his family.
He continued: “Each day I spent in the hospice, I felt better and better. Pilgrims arranged care packages for me at home, and also helped to get accessibility aids in place, making it easier for me to do day-to-day things like using the toilet.”
Peter is also enjoying monthly reflexology treatments and would like to try out some of Pilgrims’ wellbeing groups in the future.
Hospices aren’t just somewhere you go at the very end of your life – they can also be a place you go to heal.
Peter
Due to the care Peter is receiving, he and his family are keen to support the charity. His eldest daughter, Lisa, completed the Pilgrims Way Challenge and plans to take part again in 2023. As Peter says: “If everyone helps and does a little bit, it really does make a difference.”
He added: “Hospices aren’t just somewhere you go at the very end of your life – they can also be a place you go to heal. People need to know that. Sometimes, they can heal you more than a hospital.
“My advice to anyone considering a referral to hospice care is: Take it, it’s wonderful. I kept looking at the backs of the Pilgrims nurses to see if they had wings.”
Pilgrims Hospices care 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.
30th January 2023
Cate’s first year as a Palliative Specialist Nurse
Cate Gibson, from Ashford shares an insight into her first year as a Palliative Specialist Nurse (PSN) in Pilgrims’ community nursing team.
Having recently completed my first full year as a PSN, I must say it was a hugely daunting responsibility, but over the year, I’ve managed to take that responsibility and embrace it.
The community nursing team is quite different from the ward nursing team. We spend time assessing and looking after people in their own homes, within the hospice clinics and also supporting through telephone assessments. I liaise with GPs, consultants, district and community nurses, give palliative symptom support and end of life support. Whether the need is for signposting, equipment or sociological support, or all of the nitty gritty that families and patients need to talk about. It’s a vital service, and helping people to understand how to utilise our services and manage their conditions is so rewarding.
I’m based at the Ashford hospice, which I absolutely love; it’s a very special place, I’m so lucky, every time I walk in here, I think everyone is so warm and friendly, I’m so pleased to be part of the team.
My day begins as the team meets with consultants, social workers, occupational therapists and various teams to discuss patients and get to know them really well, they are not just a name.
I’m based at the Ashford hospice, which I absolutely love; it’s a very special place, I’m so lucky, every time I walk in here, I think everyone is so warm and friendly, I’m so pleased to be part of the team.
Cate
I visit patients from across the Ashford area, from the Marshes to Folkestone, Capel and Tenterden; when travelling, I enjoy a podcast or some music and prepare for the next visit. It is so important that I’m able to give 100% of my energy to ensure I can answer all the questions and support each patient with all of their needs.
The community team collate information and share it with the specialist teams at the hospices in order to provide tailored support for each individual.
I think I always wanted to be a nurse. There are family photographs of me at about six years of age, dressed in a nurses outfit, I think I knew even then that nursing was for me. My training began as soon as I could at 18, in London at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.
I worked as part of the team at William Harvey Hospital A&E department for about 15 years and then further trained as a paramedic.
When I worked in A&E, I loved the experience of not knowing what would be coming through the door next. After joining the ambulance service, I discovered that what I really wanted was more continuity, and a better experience with patients rather than seeing someone different every time.
When I’m at the hospice working, I see patients arrive for the first time for therapy sessions, as they come in and see the set up with sofas, volunteers and smiles, you can see they feel immediately safe and welcomed.
Cate
I suppose as I became older, the draw toward palliative care became stronger; both of my parents had hospice at home care from Pilgrims. First my mum some 14 years ago and more recently my dad, who died in Pilgrims Hospice Ashford in April 2020.
Dad felt completely safe being in the care of Pilgrims, the ratio of staff to patients is greater here, allowing us to really prioritise each patient’s individual needs. Dad loved the environment at Pilgrims, he loved being here, and his preferred place of death was here. As this was during COVID, we were only allowed one visitor in the building; both Dad and I were looked after here, it’s a very special place.
I wasn’t working for Pilgrims then, but it really did inspire me to think about palliative specialist nursing.
When I accepted the role at Pilgrims, I brought my paperwork to the Ashford hospice and thought, this is the first time I’ve been here since Dad was cared for here. But I knew it was the right thing to do. My colleagues from the ambulance service said that they couldn’t think of anyone better to come and do this job for Pilgrims. I’m very proud, and I know Mum and Dad are proud of me too.
I just wish I’d found this job earlier.
Cate
It’s so very different to being in a hospital environment, we are able to offer so much more to support our patients, whether it’s breathlessness management, occupational therapy, wellbeing counsellors, social workers and most importantly a 24-hour helpline. I’m a duty nurse once a week, and do a late and early shift during the week, manning the phones. I speak to people about all of the horrible things going on at home and help them to find solutions and coping methods.
Service users are always so overwhelmingly grateful of our services.
When I’m at the hospice working, I see patients arrive for the first time for therapy sessions, as they come in and see the set up with sofas, volunteers and smiles, you can see they feel immediately safe and welcomed.
Recently, I was speaking to a lady about her husband who is in our care. She said: “Cate, you are the most amazing palliative care nurse I’ve ever spoken to.”
This was very humbling and an emotional tribute to all that we do here at the hospices. There’s something about me, I’ve found my niche in nursing.
It was indeed a massive learning curve coming to Pilgrims, the job satisfaction is beyond anything I’ve ever done, I come to work each day knowing that I’m going to make a difference to someone who is in need of our special care.
Cate
Some days you have people who are more well and in an earlier stage of their illness, when others are more unwell and come by wheelchair with their partner. The role of community nurse encompasses so much, including care for the partner’s wellbeing, offering advice, speaking to siblings and doing as much as possible to help the families through such difficult times. Getting equipment and medication in place and reassuring the families. The team work not only the day shift but can be on-site until 10pm and weekend shifts too.
It’s so lovely when someone takes the time to send a little thank you note, especially during such troubled times. I feel very blessed to be able to listen to people and identify their needs, it’s a good gift to have. I am so grateful that we have this wonderful hospice in Ashford, we help so many people, and the telephone service is so important helping people to identify services that are available to support them.
It was indeed a massive learning curve coming to Pilgrims, the job satisfaction is beyond anything I’ve ever done, I come to work each day knowing that I’m going to make a difference to someone who is in need of our special care.
I think it’s a wonderful calm environment to work in, it envelopes you as soon as you walk in, whether as a patient or a member of staff, we are a great team. Knowing that the hard work you put in benefits so many people makes it a really rewarding job.
When Cate isn’t busy with her nursing role, she loves to relax with her one-year-old springer spaniel Edith, enjoying long walks, especially in the rain!
Finally, Cate added: “I love working with my colleague Dr Pia, she’s really great, very forward-thinking and proactive and keeps us all very motivated. I just wish I’d found this job earlier.”
If you’d like to find out about a career in care with Pilgrims Hospices, please visit pilgrimshospices.org/jobs.
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.
18th January 2023
Tony and Sharon renew wedding vows with the help of Pilgrims Hospices
Tony and Sharon Reed from Ashford were married for 23 years; they had wanted to renew their wedding vows for a long time, but as Sharon says: “Life gets in the way, so we kept putting it on hold.”
When Tony became unwell with cancer and was referred to Pilgrims Hospices in November 2022, he wanted to prioritise the vow renewal to make special, lasting memories with Sharon and their wider family. Thanks to a team effort by Pilgrims’ staff and volunteers, Tony and Sharon’s wishes were fulfilled; they renewed their vows at the Ashford hospice on 16 November 2022.
Sharon first mentioned the vow renewal to Les Rood, a Reception Volunteer, who passed the message to Cat Darkins, Spiritual Care Lead, to get the ball rolling.
Cat said: “’It is a privilege to be able to facilitate important life events at the hospice. We aim to keep what is important to the patient at the centre of what we do. We want to be able to help people make special memories and live life as well as possible for as long as possible. Tony and Sharon had been considering a vow renewal for some time, so for the whole of the hospice to help make it happen made it even more special.”
Sharon and Tony with Rodney the PAT dog
Cat officiated the ceremony, which was attended by the couple’s family and friends, with Tony’s sister and brother-in-law joining via video link from France. The hospice chapel was decorated by volunteers as a surprise for Tony and Sharon, and the catering team provided sandwiches and light refreshments. Volunteer Ginny Taylor arranged flower donations from a local Tesco store. Rodney the PAT dogmade a very special guest appearance, and was a great support to Tony as he was saying his vows.
Sharon said: “We were so excited; we chose our outfits and our bouquets were made by friends. Another friend, Hayley, took photos for us. Tony loved having Rodney there; he was patting away and didn’t stop smiling all day. It was amazing, really beautiful.”
Hannah Sanders, Ward Sister, worked closely with Tony and Sharon and played a vital role in helping to organise their special day. She said: “Providing this opportunity to both Tony and Sharon to renew their vows was a privilege; I saw the love they had for each other and wanted to pull out all the stops to make their wish come true. All the staff were brilliant, and I feel very proud to be a part of such a caring and supportive team.”
Tony had his own room at the hospice complete with a Cuddle Bed, an extra wide and adaptable hospital bed that enables patients to lie next to their loved one. This allowed Sharon to stay over and be close to Tony. They also enjoyed visits from family and friends, including their daughter, Chloe, and grandson, Ethan.
Tony and Sharon in the Cuddle Bed alongside Sarah Martins, Senior Ward Sister, Hannah Sanders, Ward Sister and Cat Darkins, Spiritual Care Lead
Sharon continued: “After the ceremony, so many people came to Tony’s room for a chat, to ask how we were and see the photos. All the hospice staff and volunteers are amazing, they’re like one big family.”
Tony added: “The whole day made me really, really happy. Other patients and their families saw our ceremony going on and it brought them so much joy, too.
“Everyone at Pilgrims is wonderful. They’re so helpful and just want to do what’s best for you; they listen to your wants and needs and give amazing care. I would tell anyone being offered hospice care to jump at the chance.”
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.
