Our chosen charities are:
“It’s a haven, and there is a great deal of love.”
…Poignant words from a patient eloquently describing the way so many people feel about St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth.
When faced with the reality of coping with terminal or life-limiting illness we believe that all patients should be entitled to the very best care available. St Luke’s has been providing specialist palliative medical and nursing care, free of charge, to patients from Plymouth, South West Devon and South East Cornwall for more than twenty-five years.
A registered charity, we are passionate about offering our patients dignity and choice at a time in their lives when they may feel they have none. Our vision is to provide the best end of life care to all patients wherever their ‘preferred place of care’ might be - Hospice, Hospital or Home.
The St Luke’s network of care stretches far beyond the walls of the Hospice inpatient unit at Turnchapel near Plymouth reaching out to more than 2,000 patients each year. Alongside the specialist medical and nursing care, patients are also offered practical, financial, emotional and spiritual care too.
Statistics show that the number of people living with life limiting illnesses is increasing year on year. Alongside that, the need for high quality specialist palliative care increases also. When patients come to St Luke’s Hospice they are often in great pain and their needs are critical. The challenge we constantly face is actually paying for that care. Government funding covers less than 30% of our annual £5 million running costs.
We have to rely on at least 70% of that figure coming from the local community so the fundraising never stops! Please help St Luke’s Hospice by supporting Sparksy and Co in their fantastic fundraising Jailbreak. For more information about St Luke’s Hospice please visit www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk Thank You for your support.
Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. We provide practical, medical, emotional and financial support and campaign for better cancer care. Cancer affects us all. We can all help.
Macmillan provides a CancerLine, grants service, benefits helpline and the Macmillan website, UK-wide services which benefit local people. In 2007, Macmillan will be supporting our existing teams of 65 specialists in Devon and funding the following new cancer care services. In Plymouth and South West Devon we are funding the cancer care specialists based at The Mustard Tree Macmillan Cancer Support and Information Centre, including a new Macmillan benefits adviser and a new cancer and palliative care education nurse.
http://www.macmillan.org.uk
Vranch House School & Centre for children with cerebral palsy and all children with physical difficulties Treats over 1,400 children.
What does Ofsted think of us?
The November 2006 report graded every area of our work as OUTSTANDING!
“Teaching, therapy & medical staff work very closely together and this ensures outstanding provision for the education,
care & welfare of the children.”
Vranch House has day places for 28 pupils aged 2 to12 years with significant physical difficulties, mostly cerebral palsy.
Many are of average or above average intelligence. We also treat over 1,400 children from other schools.
Treatment includes physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, occupational therapy
and speech and language therapy. Funds raised will help run Vranch House and buy equipment like electronic communication aids and mobility aids for the children,
many of whom have no speech and cannot walk.
Electronic communication aids cost from £200 to £5,000. They give children the gift of speech and interaction with others.They are no longer locked in a silent world and are better able to ‘voice’ their needs, feelings, thoughts and humour. £200 buys a ‘Big Mack’ digital recorder that accompanies the child so messages from parents about news from
home can be relayed to school and vice-versa, it looks like a beefburger in a bun and is operated by the child slapping it on the top!
Registered Charity Number 1002700
www.vranchhouse.org
Chestnut Appeal
The Chestnut Appeal for Prostate Cancer was set up to provide treatment, support and information for men and their families across Devon and Cornwall.
There are now over 30,000 new prostate cancer cases in the UK each year.
Chestnut Nurses are now based in Plymouth, Exeter, Torbay, Barnstaple and Truro. Without funding from the charity there would not be clinical nurse specialists for Prostate Cancer in our region. These dedicated nurses assist people with Prostate Cancer as well as helping to raise funds by giving community talks.
The Chestnut Appeal also funds the very latest in treatments. Brachytherapy, which would not be available without our help, is now being used in Exeter and Plymouth.
The success of the Chestnut Appeal is a testament to what can be achieved if we work together as a community.
As a relatively new charity we only have one full time member of staff and a part time events coordinator.
If funds allow, we plan to expand over the coming years, and would like to see a dedicated fundraising team with administration assistance.
This will mean we can improve this vital service and do much more in the area, helping reach more of the community.
www.chestnutappeal.org.uk