Jim Richards on being a Pilgrims Hospices trustee: “It is a very rewarding role”
Pilgrims Hospices makes a difference each day to the lives of people across east Kent who are living with an incurable illness. Its leadership team reports to and is guided by a Board of Trustees, who voluntarily give their time and expertise to support the charity.
Each decision made always leads back to the reason Pilgrims is here: to support and empower patients and families to live well in every moment.
Jim Richards became a Pilgrims’ trustee in 2021; he shares what inspired him to get involved, and how the charity has a positive impact both within east Kent and beyond.
What motivated you to become a Pilgrims trustee?
I moved to Canterbury four years ago, having lived in Faversham for nearly 20 years.I’d previously been a governor at both Ethelbert Road Primary School and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, and had enjoyed those roles. Following the move to Canterbury and taking up a new job in early 2019, I wanted to settle into a routine before committing myself to further voluntary work within the local community.
I’ve known people close to me who received wonderful care from the hospices in Canterbury and Thanet, and I have also supported Pilgrims through their walking and cycling charity fundraising events. My motivation for being a trustee is a combination of believing passionately about the fantastic work that Pilgrims delivers to local communities, and to become involved on a voluntary basis with a local charity.
During 2021, I became aware of a vacancy for a trustee and put myself forward, and was formally appointed in September 2021.
There are undoubtedly challenges to the jobs that people within Pilgrims do, but the enthusiasm and purpose to help others and deliver a fantastic service with compassion and care to patients and those closest to them is remarkable.
Jim
Is being a Pilgrims trustee different from what you expected? If so, in what way? Has anything surprised you?
Given my previous role as a school governor, I think I was prepared for the type of activities that might be expected. But that has not stopped me from being humbled by the incredible energy and commitment that those who work for Pilgrims demonstrate on a daily basis, whether it be the care teams within the hospices, the volunteers in the shops and support teams, the leadership team, the catering staff, the community teams, the event organisers and everyone else.
The hospice sector is not an area where I have had previous experience; my background is transport. But it is a changing sector, with developments in funding models, the importance of care in the community and a much greater awareness of end-of-life services in our society.
Why do you think it’s important to talk about death and dying? How is Pilgrims Hospices helping to lead the conversation and encourage change within wider society?
Death is inevitable for us all, and yet it is something that as a society we have not been good at sharing and discussing. It seems to me that unlike other cultures and societies, we have treated death as something to be handled privately.
The terrible and tragic losses experienced by far too many during the COVID-19 pandemic has perhaps galvanised the opportunity to have more open conversations. The loss of loved ones and questions over one’s own mortality have provided a platform for charities like Pilgrims to stimulate debate and awareness around the subjects of death and dying.
Pilgrims has been running a series of events across east Kent as part of itsTHINKcampaign, designed to get people talking about death and bereavement, and to start planning for their end-of-life arrangements. In so doing, it can provide comfort and reassurance to individuals as they live out their final days, and to families, friends and loved ones during those emotional and challenging periods.
Pilgrims also curates an online blog,After Wards, that features insights and ideas from people and organisations who can help us all to re-imagine this essential part of life, and to live well until we die.
It is a very rewarding role, and indeed a privilege, to be part of a charity that is forward-looking and plays such an important part in our communities.
Jim
What is your favourite part about being a Pilgrims trustee?
The people I’ve met have all been so welcoming and friendly. There are undoubtedly challenges to the jobs that people within Pilgrims do, but the enthusiasm and purpose to help others and deliver a fantastic service with compassion and care to patients and those closest to them is remarkable.
I don’t really need an excuse to attend various events and fetes, but I have to say that the cake stalls and food at some of the events are a particular favourite – and I don’t even need to be a trustee to enjoy those!
What does Pilgrims mean to you?
Pilgrims means several things to me based on my experiences over recent years, and I am sure these will develop further over time.
As a trustee, I have become involved in the future strategic direction and governance of the hospice, and that is both a responsibility and a privilege. From a personal perspective, I have valued the care and support as loved ones have spent their final days in one of the hospices. Participating in the charity walking and cycling events count as real physical challenges that have helped raise money and pushed me to personal achievements. Finally, I love browsing the Pilgrims shops when I am in Canterbury, looking for a bargain book or items of clothing.
What would you say to others who might consider becoming a Pilgrims trustee in the future?
It is a very rewarding role, and indeed a privilege, to be part of a charity that is forward-looking and plays such an important part in our communities.
I have been a trustee for a little over a year, but I am learning a tremendous amount and hope that I have been able to offer something to support Pilgrims as they look to the future.
Trustees’ Week (7-11 November 2022) is a time to come together to celebrate the achievements of over 1 million trustees across the UK.
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.
“There’s nothing I don’t enjoy about my role in Pilgrim’s retail.
“I love the people I meet every day, and the staff and volunteers create such a positive atmosphere, we make a great team.”
She told us: “I’ve enjoyed a career in hairdressing, owned a property development company and later spent time as a publican in Wiltshire.
“I returned to my hometown of Whitstable with my daughter to be closer to family who needed our support. While we settled here as part of the family support network, I decided that dedicating some time to volunteer for a local charity, would be very positive for me too.
Being a Pilgrims volunteer is an amazing experience, the atmosphere was very special, everyone gets along and really appreciates the fact that they are doing something very positive for a very special charity.
Vanessa
“I applied to volunteer at the Pilgrims shop in Whitstable, it’s such a good way to make new friends and keep in touch with what’s happening locally. As well as helping others, volunteering was great for my wellbeing too.
“I started by helping for one morning each week initially, the manager Lorraine was managing two shops in Westgate and Whitstable and needed her volunteer workforce to help with the smooth running of the shops. I really enjoyed being part of the team and definitely wanted to offer my time to charity rather than work for a local supermarket or business.”
Vanessa found great satisfaction in her role as a volunteer, helping people to find and make a purchase, match an outfit or find a gift, she quickly progressed to four and five days each week and became a supervisor at the weekends; and eventually joined the Pilgrims team as a paid manager at the general retail shop.
She added: “Being a Pilgrims volunteer is an amazing experience, the atmosphere was very special, everyone gets along and really appreciates the fact that they are doing something very positive for a very special charity.
“Even though I don’t have a background in retail, I absolutely love sharing the shopping experiences with our customers. They come back time after time, to support Pilgrims, and most love to chat in a friendly environment and really enjoy finding something special or just a little different from the high street experience. People enjoy knowing that their purchases (and donations) are truly making a difference for the people who need our help the most.”
Our volunteer workforce is absolutely invaluable, we couldn’t run our shops without them.
Mandy Hawkett, Retail Area Manager at Pilgrims Hospices
Vanessa’s daughter also volunteers at the Whitstable shop, and finds the time she spends helping customers, really boosts her confidence and helps her to achieve new skills.
Mandy Hawkett, Pilgrims Retail Area Manager said: “The family are a brilliant addition to the Pilgrims retail team in Whitstable.
“Our volunteer workforce is absolutely invaluable, we couldn’t run our shops without them. Volunteers Week takes place 1-7 June every year. It’s our chance to recognise the fantastic contribution they make. Our volunteers truly make a difference to the lives of people across east Kent who are living with incurable illness. Thank you!”
Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. It takes place 1-7 June every year and is an opportunity to celebrate volunteering in all its diversity.
We’re accredited by REVAMP, a quality mark for Volunteer Involving Organisations developed by Stronger Kent Communities, a leading provider of support for the voluntary sector in Kent.
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.
Volunteer June brings a smile to Wednesdays for patients and staff at Pilgrims
June from Ashford, dedicates her Wednesdays to Pilgrims Hospices as a Ward Support volunteer on the in-patient unit.
Having retired from a career as a registered nurse of 48 years, she is a first-time volunteer, and a very welcome one at the Ashford hospice.
June turns 68 this month; on retirement, she decided that using some of her new-found free time to volunteer, would be a really positive thing to do. She said: “I haven’t any connections to Pilgrims Hospices, but knew of them as an important local charity offering end-of-life specialist care to our local community. I contacted Pilgrims to find out about volunteering opportunities, but then everything changed, the country went into COVID lockdown and all volunteering stopped.
“When things improved, Pilgrims got in touch with me, they were very keen to find candidates to train in new roles as Ward Support volunteers. The role was explained and I definitely thought my skills would be useful. Not because of my nursing background, but because I’m a real people person, I love to chat and listen to people, it’s a role that requires enthusiasm and compassion to say the least.
“It’s quite a diverse role, sometimes supporting the care team with some fetching and carrying; but, most importantly, spending time with the patients in positive engagement along with being a welcoming face and emotional support for visitors.”
June on the ward
June completed her application, and was invited to meet Annie Hogben who supports volunteer training and development, and was consequently offered the role. The role comes with appropriate training and ongoing support to ensure volunteers are fully skilled in safety, Pilgrims’ high standards in diversity and equality and, very importantly, a full DBS check.
Annie said: “It’s wonderful to see volunteers from all walks of life, supporting Pilgrims care in these roles.
“The response from the local community has been fantastic, we’re incredibly proud to work with such dedicated and caring volunteers.”
June continued: “I have been volunteering since December 2021, and really enjoy being part of the team. Between the nurses, relatives and patients, I’ve had the most amazing conversations, and feel very privileged to have people share some of their fears and honesty with me at such difficult times.
“People are very appreciative of the time I’m able to give, it’s good to know they are reassured and comforted, I feel valued as part of the team, and value the skills of my fellow volunteers and the dedicated Pilgrims staff.
“Everyone that I’ve met at the hospice, whether in care and nursing, domestic support or catering, have all been very lovely. The hospice is most definitely a happy place, not sad at all.”
Please note: We are not currently recruiting additional Ward Support Volunteers.
Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. It takes place 1-7 June every year and is an opportunity to celebrate volunteering in all its diversity.
We’re accredited by REVAMP, a quality mark for Volunteer Involving Organisations developed by Stronger Kent Communities, a leading provider of support for the voluntary sector in Kent.
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.
Danielle grows kitchen garden for Pilgrims Hospices
Danielle Duttson, a former teacher and now gardener, from Ramsgate, has been a Volunteer Kitchen Gardener at Pilgrims Hospice Thanet since January 2022.
She is helping the hospice team to grow vegetables, fruits and herbs that will be enjoyed year-round by patients, staff, volunteers and visitors.
Hugo and Wilbur helping out in the Thanet hospice kitchen garden
Danielle is using previously-installed raised beds to create a kitchen garden that will provide the hospice with fresh, seasonal produce throughout the year. Her sons – Wilbur (8) and Hugo (6) – sometimes join her to help out.
She said: “Ideally, it will be a space that everyone can enjoy. Hopefully, patients who are well enough will be able to potter and pick their own peas, salads, strawberries and much more. It’s early days, but by July the garden will be in full swing.”
Danielle’s volunteering is appreciated very much by the whole Pilgrims team.
Drew Fowler, Chef at the Thanet hospice, said: “Dannie is fantastic and an amazing asset to us; she plants, tends and nurtures all manner of plants and herbs for us to utilise in the kitchen.
“We struggled to maintain the garden ourselves due to staff levels, and would like to thank Dannie for her time and dedication to help towards us producing healthy and nutritious meals for our patients, staff and visitors. It’s so nice for us to be able to tell our patients that some of the food on their plates has been grown right outside, in our hospice gardens. As a team, we thrive off the feedback we receive; it inspires us to go that extra mile and do even more for the people we care for.”
Danielle with Drew Fowler, Chef at the Thanet hospice
Danielle is inspired to support her local hospice charity because some of her close family members received end-of-life care, and she wants others to benefit.
She added: “When it can seem like the bleakest time, having a place that feels like home, where nothing is too much trouble and you’re surrounded by nature and compassion, can make a real difference.”
“Wilbur and Hugo love planting seeds and watering the beds. Hopefully, they will grow up without the fear and sadness often associated with hospices.”
Pilgrims is in need of donations for its kitchen garden, particularly:
Seeds
Plug plants
Herbs
Mulch
Compost
If you can help, please contact George Braithwaite, Head Chef at Pilgrims Hospice Thanet:
Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. It takes place 1-7 June every year and is an opportunity to celebrate volunteering in all its diversity.
We’re accredited by REVAMP, a quality mark for Volunteer Involving Organisations developed by Stronger Kent Communities, a leading provider of support for the voluntary sector in Kent.
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.
Pilgrims Hospices celebrate Volunteers’ Week 2022
Volunteers’ Week is an opportunity to celebrate and say thank you to people across the UK who give their time, in many different ways and in a variety of roles, through volunteering.
Helen Bennett, Chief Executive Officer at Pilgrims Hospices, explains why volunteers are vital to the work of the local hospice charity.
Pilgrims Hospices are delighted to have welcomed back many of our much-valued volunteers following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two years, our volunteers have returned to work with us in our wards, offices, shops, gardens, our community projects and fundraising initiatives.
Our volunteers are the backbone of the hospice and without their expertise, time and dedication gifted to us so generously, we would have been unable to provide the standard of care that we are proud to offer to the thousands of individuals we support each year.
For Volunteers’ Week, we reflect on the experiences of our volunteers during the last two years, and sincerely thank each of them for their flexibility, humility and kindness to ensure we continued to provide our services to those who most needed them.
Looking back on the last year, Pilgrims Hospices has been pleased with the introduction of some new volunteering opportunities and their success. Alongside our Ward Volunteers, providing direct care and assistance to our patients, we now work with Expert Volunteers bringing key skills such as counselling and bereavement services into our hospices. These roles have strengthened our services and have further improved the quality of care we give to those who need our help.
For Volunteers’ Week, we reflect on the experiences of our volunteers during the last two years, and sincerely thank each of them for their flexibility, humility and kindness to ensure we continued to provide our service to those who most needed them.
Helen Bennett, Chief Executive Officer at Pilgrims Hospices
In addition, as life returns closer to normal, our Retail teams have really brought Pilgrims Hospices back to the high street with a bang! Thanks to the wonderful donations we’ve received from the public, expertly sorted and sold by our Retail and online teams – Pilgrims Hospices has raised £4.5 million in sales to fund the critical work we do.
We are also very much looking forward to welcoming back our psychosocial and wellbeing volunteers, including those in complementary therapy, spiritual care and those who support our Therapy Centre programmes.
This year, our Thank You events for both our volunteers and staff return at each of our hospice sites. We look forward to seeing everyone there as a thank you for their unwavering support, dedication and commitment.
Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. It takes place 1-7 June every year and is an opportunity to celebrate volunteering in all its diversity.
We’re accredited by REVAMP, a quality mark for Volunteer Involving Organisations developed by Stronger Kent Communities, a leading provider of support for the voluntary sector in Kent.
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.
16th September 2021
Hospice at Home: “The hidden gem of hospice care”
Pilgrims Hospices offer a wide range of support to people across east Kent who are living with life-limiting conditions – on its wards and in its Therapy Centres in Ashford, Canterbury and Thanet, and also out in the local community within peoples’ own homes.
One such service is Hospice at Home; working with those considered to be within the last 72 hours of life, this vital team of Senior Healthcare Assistants (SHCAs) support families through the dying process at an incredibly difficult and important moment. Between them, they travel across the whole of east Kent to offer their skills and support. They work in shifts from 07:30-21:00, always in pairs.
Mandy Hilden, Hospice at Home Team Leader
The Hospice at Home service began in 2009 and is a small team of seven: Mandy Hilden (Team Leader), Becky Baldwin, Sharon Beal, Daniel Brown, Tracy Fullarton, Sharron Hill and Rachel Kendall-Jones.
Referrals to the service are made via GPs, Pilgrims’ multidisciplinary team, a hospital palliative care team or district nurse, and the Hospice at Home team aim to respond within four hours.
If a patient wants to be discharged from hospice or hospital care to die at home, the team help to make this possible; 24-hour care at home is not available, but the team can visit a couple of times a day to provide support and personal care.
Duties are numerous and varied, and no two days are the same.
The team said:
“We help with personal care and offer emotional support to families and carers. We’re not time-restricted like some care providers are, so it’s nice to be able to give people our full, undivided attention for as long as they need it.
“We have a good relationship with district nursing teams, who we contact if a patient needs medicines administering. We also report any changes in a patients’ condition to them and the palliative specialist nurses, so that their care is joined up and tailored to them.
“Although we can’t offer overnight sits, we can refer to organisations that do so families are able to rest and catch up on some sleep.
“Hospice at Home is the hidden gem of Pilgrims’ care. There’s often an assumption that we only offer inpatient units on the ward, but there’s so much more. It’s such a rewarding role, and it’s a real privilege to be allowed into peoples’ homes at a very difficult time. We’re not there to take over, just to support; you can see the pressure taken off family members when we arrive. It’s lovely to go home knowing you’ve done a good job.
“It can be an emotionally and physically challenging role, but we also have an overwhelming feeling of pride and reward in what we do. It’s a real privilege to be able to support patients and families at an extremely personal time.”
It’s such a rewarding role, and it’s a real privilege to be allowed into peoples’ homes at a very difficult time. We’re not there to take over, just to support; you can see the pressure taken off family members when we arrive. It’s lovely to go home knowing you’ve done a good job.
Hospice at Home team
Hospice at Home has continued to be a much-needed and appreciated service during COVID-19. Early on in the pandemic, no visitors were allowed in the hospice buildings; as people were advised to stay home, more were able to care for loved ones there. This meant that many patients chose to be at home with loved ones at the end of their lives. The team was also deployed to the hospice wards and wider community, supporting where needed, especially at the height of the second wave over Christmas 2020.
The team holistically accompanies patients in their journeys – from identifying when they’re nearing the end of life, providing last offices for loved ones, and caring for the family afterwards.
They continued:
“Most SHCA skills are transferable to other roles, particularly when working on the hospice wards, which we have often covered as a team. During the pandemic, we’ve regularly supported our colleagues at this very challenging time.
“Our team became trainers for local nursing and residential homes, showing staff how to ‘don and doff’ PPE correctly. We also assisted a nursing home that was in crisis when their staff and residents all contracted COVID.”
The team’s compassion and commitment is reflected in feedback from families they have supported:
“The carers who came twice a day were amazing, they helped wash my dad, used his favourite body spray, combed his hair. He looked so much more himself and comfortable afterwards, with dignity.”
“The support I received caring for my sister was unbelievable, the team were amazing with everything. I felt like I had gained two more special sisters during this difficult time.”
“They looked after my father daily, looking after his personal needs. They were and are amazing. As soon as they started with us, their confidence and manner calmed us all down. A ray of light in a very bleak time.”
Kate White, Head of Nursing at Pilgrims, said: “Hospice at Home offer an invaluable service to those wishing to die at home by attending their home to give expert personal care in the last few days of life. They are able to take the time to support the patient and their loved ones at a most difficult time, with compassion and dedication. I receive numerous compliments from family members who’ve been so grateful and relieved for their input, as it means the patient’s wish to die at home is fulfilled. The team is vital to our overall hospice service, giving people choice and an alternative to inpatient care.”
Main image, L-R: Rachel Kendall-Jones, Sharon Beal, Daniel Brown, Sharron Hill, Tracy Fullarton, Becky Baldwin
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.
