Month: October 2023

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Skydiving great grandma flying high for Willow Wood

A remarkable great grandmother has helped to raise over £3,000 to support patient care at Willow Wood Hospice after taking to the skies to leap from a plane.

Sylvia Heatley, who turns 80 at Christmas, braved a 7,500ft skydive for the Hospice earlier this year, alongside her granddaughters Ashley Clifton, 34, and Karys Heatley, 24.

Sylvia wanted to keep the final amount they had raised a surprise for the Grand Ball, held on Friday 20th October at The Village Hotel in Ashton-under-Lyne, where four generations of her family were in attendance to receive a big cheque to present to the Hospice.

In total, Sylvia and her granddaughters donated a fantastic £3,408.37 to Willow Wood, whose staff cared for Sylvia’s husband of 59 years, Barry, who sadly died from throat cancer a year ago.

Sylvia, from Mottram in Tameside, praised the work of the Hospice, saying: “I can’t thank them enough. They are just a wonderful organisation. Everything about the ball was great – the room, the food, the music, the volunteers – just everything.”

The trio embarked on their skydive endeavour over the August bank holiday weekend, taking off from the Black Knights Skydiving centre near Lancaster.

Sylvia described it as ‘amazing’ but admitted: “I enjoyed it but I didn’t enjoy the freefall!”

She added: “I’m glad I did it, it was a bucket list moment. It was the best day and all the family supported us on the day. To do it with two of my grandchildren was special.

“It was a cloudy day which made it scary but you don’t have time to think about it. Ashley didn’t want to see her nanna get thrown out of a plane so she went before me.

“The staff at Black Knights looked after us and put me at ease – the instructor even joked about whether we had checked the parachutes!

“Ashley and Carys wanted to jump from 15,000ft but went from 7,500ft like me. They said afterwards that they wanted to do it again.”

Sylvia would like to thank everybody who has donated and supported their fundraising efforts.

“We are very grateful for all of the incredible support we have received,” she said. “When we told everyone about the skydive and what Willow Wood did for Barry, people were happy to give.

“I want to give a special mention to Manchester Royal Infirmary Social Club and Tourist Security Group for helping to raise money, through my son Lee.”

Ashley, who is from Ashton-under-Lyne, described the skydive as ‘the best experience she has ever had’.

“It was simply amazing,” she explained. “There’s nothing like it. It was a really positive and emotional day, especially with our family there to support us.

“We had a two-and-a-half hour wait for the weather to clear up, and the anticipation during that time built up. I was wondering ‘Can I do this?’ but it was the best experience I have ever had.”

Sam Duncan, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “Sylvia is an inspiration to us all. What an absolute legend she is!

“It costs at least £3.3 million to run Willow Wood each year and we only receive 20 per cent in Government funding. The remaining 80 per cent comes from the generosity of our local community.

“It’s because of the support of fundraisers like Sylvia, Ashley and Karys that we can continue to provide specialist palliative care to the people of Tameside and Glossop. We thank them all and it was a privilege to celebrate their achievement at our Grand Ball.”

Sylvia has pledged that she and her family will continue to support the Hospice. She is considering the possibility of further fundraising – with a wing walk planned next, so watch this space!

By Adam Higgins

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Willow Wood Ball raises grand total for hospice

Hundreds of people attended the Willow Wood Grand Ball, which has raised thousands of pounds in vital funds for the Hospice.

The glittering charity event was held at The Village Hotel in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, where the Hospice is based.

After stepping off the red carpet with a complimentary drink, attendees enjoyed a three-course meal before dancing the night away. Live entertainment was also provided by swing band Schwing.

The Civic Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Tafheen Sharif, was among the special guests lending their support.

A silent auction, auction and grand raffle with some fantastically donated prizes all helped boost funds on the evening. This included a glove signed by Ederson, which was kindly donated by Manchester City Football Club and raised £600 alone.

In total, Willow Wood is delighted to report that the Grand Ball has raised over £25,000, with more money still coming in.

Karen Houlston, CEO of Willow Wood Hospice, said: “It was a fantastic night and has been a welcome and overdue event. It felt a special occasion to have the Willow Wood Ball back on the calendar.

“After everything that has gone on over the last few years with the pandemic, it was just so nice to see everyone back together and dancing and enjoying themselves.

“A big thank you as well to all of our sponsors, particularly our main event sponsor Gerard McDermott KC, but also the many others who have donated some wonderful raffle and auction prizes.”

Those prizes included everything from weekend breaks away to amazing hampers of food and drink, plus beauty products and many more.

Sam Duncan, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “It’s been fantastic and quite moving to see everyone arriving on the red carpet and the dance floor was full, so thank you to the wonderful band Schwing.

“I also have to say a huge thank you to the fundraising team and all the volunteers for helping to make the event happen and all of the local businesses too who have given us so much support, and our main sponsor Gerard McDermott KC.”

Sam added that it was a proud and emotional evening, saying: “It’s a unique privilege working at a hospice as you build connections with family and friends of people who we have cared for and those connections last a lifetime and those family and friends were with us at the ball. It was a very moving but rewarding event.”

Cllr Sharif, Tameside’s civic mayor who also represents the Mossley ward, said she wanted to support the Grand Ball because the hospice is so close to her heart.

She said: “I visited officially to meet the staff and volunteers recently and you are just so taken aback by how peaceful everything is and I wanted to give the ball my full support.”

By Adam Higgins 

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Manchester City surprise super fan at hospice

A super Manchester City fan was given an incredible surprise when the club he loves so dearly visited Willow Wood Hospice where he is currently a patient.  

Mark Whittaker, 56, has been supporting City almost since the day he was born, attending his first match with his dad when he was just two weeks old.

As well as being a professional photographer and a driving instructor during his career, he worked as a matchday steward at the Etihad Stadium for many seasons and was one of 50 City fanatics chosen to recreate special moments from the club’s history in a documentary film called Blue Moon Rising, which was released in 2010.

Mark was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in March this year and, after receiving support from Willow Wood nurses and therapists at his home in Denton, he was admitted to the ward at the Hospice in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, earlier this month.

As a special surprise for Mark, Willow Wood staff got in touch with Manchester City FC, who arranged for representatives from the club to bring the four trophies they current hold – the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and Super Cup – to Mark’s room for him to see.

Mark also received a gift from the First Team squad in the form of a signed shirt while the club also kindly donated a glove signed by goalkeeper Ederson to the Hospice as an auction prize for our Grand Ball, which raised £600.

Mark’s first experience of hospice care was when he was referred by his Consultant Oncologist to a specialist palliative care nurse.

His specialist palliative care nurse was Genine Kirkwood, who first went to see Mark several months ago as he was experiencing symptoms that required closely monitoring in the community. Genine stated, when handing over to the Willow Wood Hospice Therapy team, how much he loved Manchester City and really wanted to get to one of their games.

Genine then referred Mark to the Community and Wellbeing team at the HIVE to attend their Be Active group, as she felt this would enhance his mental wellbeing, and he attended both Movement to Music and Art sessions.

Mark was also able to enjoy Reiki sessions with Willow Wood’s Complimentary Therapist, which he found relaxing.

Mark’s condition deteriorated and he was finding it more difficult to get out of the house.

So Willow Wood’s Therapy team visited Mark’s home and found he was struggling due to extreme fatigue and reduced mobility, as well as finding it increasingly difficult to engage in some of his basic everyday tasks such as showering.

The therapists allocated Mark with equipment to promote independence in things he wanted, needed and had to do. Therapists work towards keeping a patient’s functionality and mobility going and creating strategies to help them engage with daily activities.

The hospice and community teams also work towards addressing goals that are meaningful to the patient and empower them to make their own decisions and ensuring they can still create precious memories with their loved ones.

Whilst the therapists visited Mark, he stated that his goal was to see Manchester City play again at the Etihad and he lived his week waiting for the games at the weekend.

Mark had a box booked at the stadium on two occasions but, due to ill health, he was sadly unable to attend.

Nicola Burke, a Specialist Occupational Therapist at Willow Wood, looked into the logistics of transporting and mobilising him safely and comfortably to and from the stadium to enjoy the game he loves.

As he was unable to get to the match and as he was now only living upstairs in his home, Mark felt if he couldn’t get to City, City could come to him.

So his therapists made sure that Mark was able to watch a game from his bedroom and was able to invite some of his friends to experience it with him.

After the Willow Wood Therapy team made numerous visits to Mark’s home, he was referred to the Inpatient Unit at the Hospice for symptom control so that he could receive 24-hour holistic and therapeutic care from the specialist multi-disciplinary team.

The care Mark is receiving is aimed at managing his pain so that he can return home to his own surroundings and do things that are meaningful and purposeful to him.

Nicola made contact with the Hospice’s Income Generation team after spotting promotion for a Football Night Fundraiser, which involved former Manchester City player Peter Barnes.

They got in touch with Chris Smith, one of the organisers of the fundraiser, who arranged for Peter to record a short video message to send to Mark.

Seeing the video made Mark’s day more meaningful and made him reminisce about when he used to watch Peter play for the club.

Mark has been at the Hospice for around two weeks. He still receives Reiki on the ward and is seen by the Therapy team and palliative care nurses on the ward.

During his time at the Hospice and within the community, he and his family have been offered counselling services and spiritual support via our volunteer chaplains. The volunteers on the ward and kitchen staff have also been supporting Mark and ensuring all of his needs are met.

Mark’s current goal is to return home so the Therapy team are looking at bringing his bed downstairs so he can see his own garden and spend time with his beloved dog.

The Willow Wood team will continue to visit Mark, if he is discharged, to ensure that he and his family have the service support they need so that they don’t feel alone.

Nicola Burke, Specialist Occupational Therapist at Willow Wood Hospice, said: “We can’t change a patient’s life-limiting condition but we can try to make the time they have as holistic and meaningful as possible. We want to try to make a positive difference to their life.

“A hospice is about living with a life-limiting condition as best as a patient can so they can still be as independent as possible for as long as they can and to help them keep their role and identity and feel they have a purpose in life.

“Hospice care isn’t just within the walls of the hospice, hospice care can also be delivered in a patient’s own home if that is what the patient and their family prefers.”

Karen Houlston, CEO of Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “We are very grateful to Manchester City Football Club for engaging with us and bringing their trophy collection to the Hospice as a surprise for our patient Mark. I want to thank our amazing staff who have supported Mark.

“This is a shining example of how the Hospice works together as one team towards the common goal of ensuring all the needs of our patients and their families are met, including collaborating with our partners and external organisations to achieve this.”

Mark’s wife Julie Whittaker is grateful for the support he has received from Team Willow Wood.

Julie said: “Everyone at the Hospice has been exceptional. From the moment you walk in, you feel like you are in a very loving and comfortable place. Mark’s time here at Willow Wood has been all we had hoped.

“It’s a real home from home environment and he has had such loving, professional and caring treatment and been made to feel comfortable, safe and looked after.”

By Adam Higgins 

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Strictly star becomes our youngest ever patron

Willow Wood is delighted to announce that Ellie Leach has agreed to become the Hospice’s youngest ever patron.

The 22-year-old local actress is already a friend of the Hospice, where her grandad sadly passed away, and she has also supported some of our events.

Ellie will be familiar to many soap fans after starring as Faye Windass in ITV’s Coronation Street for 12 years, before she left the famous cobbles behind in May this year.

She has connections to Tameside, where the Hospice is based, as she was born in Audenshaw and is a past pupil of Fairfield High School For Girls in Droylsden.

Ellie is currently on our TV screens every Saturday night, strutting her stuff in the 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC, alongside her professional dance partner Vito Coppola.

Her performances have already been well received by the judges and audiences at home. Everyone at Willow Wood is supporting Ellie and wishes her well in her bid to claim the coveted glitter ball.

You can follow her dancing and career progress on Instagram and TikTok, as well as her support for the Hospice on the Willow Wood social media platforms.

Our patrons believe in the aims of Willow Wood, help raise valuable funds for our work and generate awareness of our achievements and campaigns.

Ellie said: “I am absolutely honoured to become a patron for Willow Wood. I am in awe of the work that the Hospice does and would love to be a part of it.”

Philip Millson, Chair and Trustee of Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “We are absolutely delighted that Ellie has agreed to come on board as a patron and be associated with the Hospice.

“She is well known to so many people and will be a fantastic ambassador for Willow Wood.”

Sam Duncan, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Willow Wood Hospice, added: “Ellie is an absolute superstar and a fabulous role model for young people.

“She is passionate about hospice care and is very keen to be involved. We cannot wait to work with her to help improve the Hospice’s profile and support patient care.”

Ellie will be in good company as a patron, joining fellow former Coronation Street stars Julie Goodyear MBE and Julie Hesmondhalgh, as well as celebrated cartoonist Tony Husband, comedian Justin Moorhouse, Greater Manchester’s Vice Lord Lieutenant Sharman Birtles MBE, former Civic Mayor of Tameside Brian Wild and retired businessman Phil Cowper.

By Adam Higgins

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Hospice benefits from Glossop car show proceeds

Willow Wood Hospice has received a generous donation of £600 from the proceeds of this year’s classic car show in Glossop.

It’s organised every year by Glossop Vehicle Enthusiasts Club and is always a well-attended and great event.

This year, the hospice was chosen as one of three charities to benefit from the show in Manor Park on 20th August.

There were more cars, just under 300 in total, and stallholders than ever before.

Woody made a crowd pleasing outing, our Teddy Bear Lottery was busy throughout the day and the weather was kind!

Our Lottery Manager Diane Austin-Hughes and Head of Retail Pauline Lunt were also interviewed by Tameside Radio.

Lisa Buckley, Community Fundraiser at Willow Wood Hospice, said: “We were delighted to be part of the day and also to have been chosen as one of the charities to benefit from the event.

“It was a great day, which was well organised, and we hope to be there again next year.”

The GVEC committee said: “A huge thank you to everyone that made the show possible and supported the event. We’re really proud to continue to host the largest Car Show in the High Peak area and we are already planning for next summer’s event.”

The date for next year’s show is 4th August 2024.

By Adam Higgins

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Crown green bowls match raises hospice funds

A club in Ashton-under-Lyne held a crown green bowls match to raise funds for Willow Wood Hospice.

Despite the soggy, wet and muddy bowling green, locals battled it out throughout the day on Sunday 8th October to scoop the cup prize.

It was won by Stephen Radcliffe, after he beat John McGhee in the final round.

The match was organised by Waterloo and Taunton Conservative Club, who raised a fantastic £320 for the hospice – which provides free, specialist palliative care for patients with life-limiting illnesses in Tameside and Glossop.

Lisa Buckley, Community Fundraiser at Willow Wood, said: “We are very grateful to the club for organising the crown green bowls match and choosing us to benefit from the brilliant amount that was raised. Thank you to everyone who took part and we hope everyone had a great day despite the difficult conditions.”

Leon Tamcken, Chairman of Waterloo and Taunton Conservative Club, said: “A huge thank you to everyone who supported this fundraiser, which is now in its eighth year of being sponsored by Tameside Glass Ltd.

“I would also like to thank Rob Bailey, Manager at Howarth Timber, the UK timbers merchants in Ashton-under-Lyne, for their kind donation of wooden boards to get the crown green looking tip top for the event.”

By Adam Higgins 

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Willow Wood to celebrate Hospice Care Week

Willow Wood Hospice will be celebrating Hospice Care Week next week.

The occasion is a chance to celebrate hospice care nationwide, and the incredible work being done to ensure everyone can benefit from the very best end-of-life care.

This year, it will focus on workforce under the theme ‘We are hospice care’.

During the week, Willow Wood will be acknowledging the different departments which make the hospice a special place to work – everyone from the inpatient and catering teams to the dedicated volunteers and finance staff.

The hospice’s retail shops in Glossop, Hyde, Stalybridge, Denton, Mossley and Ashton-under-Lyne will also be decorated with yellow-themed windows – the colour associated with Hospice Care Week.

Karen Houlston first joined Willow Wood as a part-time bookkeeper and has been at the hospice, based in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, since January 2000. She progressed to the role of CEO but will retire at the end of May next year.

Karen has spoken fondly about her varied journey at the hospice and is a shining example of the possibilities that a career at a hospice can bring.

Karen Houlston, CEO of Willow Wood Hospice

She said: “You meet so many incredible people in hospices. I’ve found working at Willow Wood so rewarding – from the patients, staff, families and volunteers.

“There can be a lot of myths around what hospices are like. Sometimes people can feel very anxious before coming in but they’re often pleasantly surprised. Willow Wood is a really friendly, calm and welcoming place.

“There’s never been a day where I have not wanted to come into work. I would recommend working at Willow Wood to anyone.

“The main qualities I have learned in my job is good listening and communication skills, and the ability to empathise.

“The hospice is deeply rooted in the communities of Tameside and Glossop and serves an essential human need in caring for people with a life-limiting illness and those that love them. For me, there remains something special about doing that.”

Julie Hafford, part of the Willow Wood Hospice housekeeping team
Julie Hafford, part of the Willow Wood Hospice housekeeping team

Toby Porter, CEO at Hospice UK, said: “From clinical staff to bereavement counsellors, kitchen staff to volunteer gardeners, the staff and volunteers who support over 300,000 people every year are what makes hospice care so special. This Hospice Care Week, we want to celebrate them.

“Hospices are exciting, rewarding places to work, and with the need for hospice care growing, we need more people to take up the opportunity to work in this incredible profession. If you’re interested, reach out to your local hospice.”

Look out for content throughout Hospice Care Week on the Willow Wood Hospice social media channels. You can also follow the hashtags #HospiceCareWeek and #WeAreHospiceCare

Working for a hospice can be very beneficial and Willow Wood Hospice has a number of voluntary and paid roles available throughout the year. Keep an eye on the hospice website https://willowwood.org.uk/vacancies for more details.

By Adam Higgins