Author: Willow Wood Admin

Willow Wood’s Garden of 1,000 Lights has been a very popular event with the residents of Tameside and Glossop since 2017, raising many thousands for the Hospice who can confidently say that the target this year of £10,000 will be well and truly smashed!

This year, for the first time, invitations were extended to a number of businesses, local councillors and organisations to visit the Hospice on Wednesday 7 December to see the lights, listen to a choir singing a selection of Christmas songs and have a complementary mulled wine, hot chocolate or a festive speciality coffee.

One of the first to arrive was the Civic Mayor of Tameside Mike Glover, who was greeted by chairman of the Board of Trustees Phillip Millson, vice-chair Mark Llewellin and patron Sharman Birtles, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.

The evening was very well attended, with around 70 members of the local business community, the Rotary Clubs of both Tameside and Glossop, TMBC and a number of councillors visiting the event.

Mark Llewellin said, “It was a lovely evening, and so good to meet up with supporters old and new. For some, it was the first time they had visited Willow Wood and what better introduction could they have than seeing the spectacular illuminations around our extensive grounds. I’d like to thank the Yew Tree Singers who were in very fine voice and entertained us so well.

“We also had the pleasure of receiving a cheque for £200 from Tameside Rotary. During their very successful Tameside Beer Festival, both the Willow Wood Hospice Volunteer Choir and the Mossley Ukulele Band donated their fee to us. Our sincere thanks to them all.

“And of course, it was an ideal opportunity to showcase our services for the people of Tameside and Glossop. If you or a member of your family has received a life-limiting diagnosis and would like more information about how we may be able to help, details of our fundraising events, lottery or shops, or volunteering to support us, please go to willowwood.org.uk where there is a wealth of information available.”

Willow Wood has been an integral part of the community of Tameside and Glossop since the Hospice opened its doors to the very first patient back on 5 May 1999.

Since then the Hospice has been at the forefront of palliative care and continues to develop and expand its services to meet the needs of the growing and changing population. Earlier this year, Willow Wood appointed Nicola Cheetham in the role of Clinical Director. Nicola has wide experience in the nursing field, including working in the community as a District Nurse, at the Christie as a Chemotherapy Nurse, as an educator, an associate palliative care specialist nurse and a palliative care clinical nurse specialist.

In 2018 Nicola made the transition to Hospice care with Bury Hospice, where she worked as hospice Care Team Manager before being promoted to Director of Clinical Services. These experiences mean that Nicola knows first-hand both the joys and the pressures of working in palliative care, and says “One of my very first patients as a newly qualified staff nurse, was a gentleman with a brain tumour and when he died in my care I knew palliative care was the field for me; getting to know him over that time, getting to know his family, his wishes for the time he had left and helping his family discuss and make decisions about his care, was a real privilege. Sharing his thoughts and feelings, supporting his family and seeing how much my care meant to them was so important.

There’s only one chance to get it right, and that has become my mission.”

Of course, Willow Wood doesn’t only care for patients at the end of their life. The Hospice can help those with a life-limiting condition, from diagnosis through to bereavement and remembrance, and has a range of initiatives and treatments available.

“We assess every patient individually, tailoring their support to focus on their personal goals and we support around 2,000 patients and their loved ones every year. Our approach has been very successful, and our services include an award winning dementia care service, our Day Services START Clinic, complementary therapies, physiotherapy, bereavement support and rehabilitation services. We are now able to deliver therapy support to patients in their own homes and hope to continue to expand and develop our services to enable us to reach more people out in our community.

“We are looking for more nurses to join our team so if you’re passionate about palliative care, and are looking to take that next step in your career, we’d love to hear from you! We offer NHS salaries for our nursing staff and continuance of NHS pension. If you want to find out more, please contact me on 0161 330 1100. We’re so proud of our wonderful facilities and I’d be more than happy to show you round.”

Willow Wood were honoured to meet the Stalybridge Celtic under 13 team, who are proudly sporting the Hospice logo on their shirts.

The team, who play in Division 4 of the East Manchester Junior Football League, visited on Saturday 19 November and were accompanied by manager Steven Burns, assistant manager Sarah Turner and coach Nathan Bailey.

Steven explained the reasoning behind the new strip: “We wanted to spread the word about Willow Wood, and let people know just how wonderful it is. My dad was cared for here, and I just cannot emphasise how much the Hospice did for the whole family. Looking back now, it gives us so much comfort to reflect on the time he spent here. Nothing was too much trouble, and the care was just so personal – thinking about it just takes my breath away.”

Sarah, whose grandfather was also cared for at Willow Wood agreed. “It’s a lovely place and the care is absolutely second to none. Quite a few of the team have personal connections to the Hospice, and we all want to support it however we can.”

Lynn Fothergill, communications, PR & marketing officer met the team and was delighted to be presented with a team shirt. This is to be framed and will be displayed within the Hospice, showing the link between the two organisations. Lynn said, ‘It was so lovely to meet the team, they’re all so enthusiastic and looked very smart in their blue and white kit. “Our thanks to everyone, especially parents Matt and Lyndsey Ramsden who actually sponsored the strip – so very generous, and much appreciated. Having our logo on the shirts may spark conversations about our services and reach a different audience which can only be good.

“We are very proud of our community support throughout the whole of Tameside and Glossop, and Stalybridge Celtic under 13s have just opened up another avenue for us. Our thanks again, we really are very grateful.”

If you would like to find out more about Willow Wood’s care for those with a life-limiting illness, and how the Hospice may be able to help you, there is plenty of information available on our website.

One of Willow Wood’s most cherished events is back – Lights of Love. Lights of Love gives everyone the opportunity to reach and leave a message of love that family and friends can view whenever they need a virtual hug.

And, of course, like Light Up A Life before it, leaving words of love and remembrance for those no longer with us brings a measure of comfort and joy by reliving precious memories. A beautifully presented Book of Love inscribed with your dedications is available to view both on the Willow Wood website and a printed copy in the Hospice’s multi-faith prayer Room.

Willow Wood’s chaplain, Eddy Inglis said: “Special occasions such as Christmas and the New Year are times when we want to reach out to each other and if we can’t physically embrace our nearest and dearest, then we can help you share your memories of loved ones.

“By dedicating a light on our Tree of Lights, by leaving a message in our Book Of Love you are reaching out to those special people, sharing your love and knowing that they will be able to read those messages whenever they need to feel that connection, that special, loving bond. It is a simple but meaningful way to share love, friendship – even to give each other a virtual hug.

“And you’re not just leaving messages or sharing memories, by taking part in Lights of Love you are helping to ensure that future memories can be made for our patients and their loved ones. Your donations are ensuring that our specialised services can continue into the future, your loving messages are improving the lives of our patients and for that, we thank you.”

Two celebratory carol services will be held, one at Glossop Parish Church on Saturday 3 December and the second at the Albion Church in Ashton on Sunday 11 December. These are free to attend and with choirs and brass bands are an emotional yet joyful way to remember, to share your thoughts and love, to pay tribute and to celebrate those special people who are always in your heart.

Local community group Dipak Dristi has, for the second year, raised a wonderful donation for Willow Wood by taking part in the Hospice organised event, the Twilight Wander.

Volunteers at the group, which translates as, ‘Light of Focus’ meet up at the Broadoak and Smallshaw Community Centre and this year raised £1,473.50, taking the total raised to over £2,000. Dipak Dristi was initially set up three years ago by Champaben Mistry following the loss of her husband. Feeling isolated and without a sense of purpose, Champaben decided to do something practical that would also help others in a similar situation and so the group came into being.

Meeting on Mondays the group provides a valuable service to the community, with activities including arts and crafts, music, dance with the aim of promoting a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing for those over 55. The initial contact between Willow Wood and Dipak Dristi was made only two days before the 2021 Midnight Wander, when assistant practitioner Billinda Dyson visited the group. Although the primary aim was to see how the Hospice and Dipak Dristi could support each other, she took information on the sponsored walk and 12 volunteers immediately signed up, raising £600 in just 48 hours.

Laura Marinelli, the organiser of the Twilight Wander said, “We were thrilled last year to meet the group at the event, and it has been wonderful in the meantime to visit each other to find out more about our aims and objectives. Sue Wicks, our departmental administrator and myself were invited to attend their Diwali celebrations recently where we were presented with the donation and had a really lovely time.

We can’t thank them enough for their support and hope we can continue this strong and very valuable relationship.”

Willow Wood Hospice wouldn’t be able to care for the communities of Tameside and Glossop without the support and dedication of its team of over 500 volunteers, and recently treated more than 300 of these to a slap up afternoon tea, entertainment, dancing and a fantastic party held in the sports hall at West Hill School.

Thanks were given and toasts raised (courtesy of Morrisons Dukinfield who donated a large quantity of both soft and alcoholic drinks) and a good time was had by all. Lisa Pye, volunteer services manager explains, “Our volunteers support us in all areas of the Hospice, our gardens, our offices, our retail and distribution sector, our Day Services and Inpatient Unit, our kitchens and our laundry. We really couldn’t do it without them, and treating them to a wonderful afternoon is really the least we can do to thank them.

“We also recognised the length of service of our volunteers, with members of our Board of Trustees handing out badges to commemorate five, ten, fifteen and twenty years of volunteering. Their skills and support are invaluable to us and we’ve worked out that, by calculating their hours at minimum wage, they save us £1,000,000 annually – so we can truly say thanks a million!”

All those present, who ranged in age from 13 year olds volunteering as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme to those of a more mature vintage, enjoyed the afternoon immensely. Games including heads & tails and stand up bingo went down a treat, and singer Simon Garcia was a huge hit with his wide repertoire of classic songs, which had everyone joining in and dancing to the hits.

“We have had some fantastic support from our community which has helped make this party such a success.” said Lisa. “Huge thanks to Action Together who gave us a grant for £500 towards the costs. Many local businesses gave us discounts, donations and gifts and special thanks to Booth on the Move, Events by Shantel and Sweetest Feeling who donated their products and services free-of-charge.”

Local community group Dipak Dristi has, for the second year, raised a wonderful donation for Willow Wood by taking part in the Hospice organised event, the Twilight Wander.

Volunteers at the group, which translates as, ‘Light of Focus’ meet up at the Broadoak and Smallshaw Community Centre and this year raised £1,473.50, taking the total raised to over £2,000. Dipak Dristi was initially set up three years ago by Champaben Mistry following the loss of her husband. Feeling isolated and without a sense of purpose, Champaben decided to do something practical that would also help others in a similar situation and so the group came into being.

Meeting on Mondays the group provides a valuable service to the community, with activities including arts and crafts, music, dance with the aim of promoting a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing for those over 55. The initial contact between Willow Wood and Dipak Dristi was made only two days before the 2021 Midnight Wander, when assistant practitioner Billinda Dyson visited the group. Although the primary aim was to see how the Hospice and Dipak Dristi could support each other, she took information on the sponsored walk and 12 volunteers immediately signed up, raising £600 in just 48 hours.

Laura Marinelli, the organiser of the Twilight Wander said, “We were thrilled last year to meet the group at the event, and it has been wonderful in the meantime to visit each other to find out more about our aims and objectives. Sue Wicks, our departmental administrator and myself were invited to attend their Diwali celebrations recently where we were presented with the donation and had a really lovely time.

We can’t thank them enough for their support and hope we can continue this strong and very valuable relationship.”

There’s a real treat for theatre-goers and literature lovers alike, with the beloved classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ being performed at the Hyde Festival Theatre on Saturday 19 November, with proceeds donated to Willow Wood Hospice. It is, however, a performance with a difference; Gerald Dickens, great-great-grandson of author Charles Dickens himself plays over 30 characters in this amazing one-man show.

Part of a tour taking in venues across America and prestigious UK settings including Highclere Castle and The Café Royal, London, the show has received standing ovations and rave reviews the world over. Described as ‘spellbinding’ and receiving standing ovations from audiences all over the world, Gerald uses his vocal and physical talents to bring each scene vividly to life, and is following in the footsteps of his famous forebear who himself gave public readings of this most famous story.

Of course, ‘A Christmas Carol’ was Charles Dickens’ commentary on the need for charity and goodwill, so it is very appropriate that this classic tale is raising funds for Willow Wood Hospice, which relies heavily on its community to raise around 80% of the £3million it will take this year to maintain and develop its services for those living with a life-limiting diagnosis in Tameside and Glossop.

Mark Llewellin, vice-chair of the Board of Trustees of the Hospice said, “We are incredibly grateful to Gerald Dickens for this very generous act, and I would urge people to book early as it is sure to be a sell-out. Tickets are available by going to www.sparksem.co.uk or alternatively, you can ring 0161 327 2781 Mondays to Thursdays between 4-7pm and selecting option 2. Tickets are just £20 and you will be assured of an unforgettable evening.”

The Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Diane Hawkins DL JP, will be visiting the Greater Manchester Willow Wood Hospice on Friday 7 October at 2.30pm. This visit, timed to fall just prior to the start of the national Hospice Care Week has two objectives. The first is to promote Hospice care generally and showcase the work that Willow Wood does both in-house and out in the community, and also to lay a Memory Stone in remembrance of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

It will be quite a poignant moment for the Lord Lieutenant; appointed as the representative of the Queen in July this year, Mrs Hawkins attended her funeral on Monday 19 September. Mark Llewellin, vice-chair of the Willow Wood Board of Trustees said, “We were all extremely saddened by the passing of our monarch, and it seemed fitting to mark this occasion by the Lord Lieutenant placing an engraved memento in our Memory Fountain.

“Our gardens are a haven of peace and tranquillity and many of our supporters will be touched to see Her Majesty’s name amongst their loved ones.”

Willow Wood cares for those in Tameside and Glossop with a life-limiting diagnosis. This care extends to the families as well as the patient, and the Hospice can help from diagnosis onward with their innovative START Clinic. Day patients can access a range of treatments, therapies, support groups, counselling and more. “Once a patient has received a diagnosis, they can access our Day Services without the need of a medical referral – just ring and arrange an assessment.” said Mark. “Our holistic approach and individual treatment plan mean we can design our care to help everyone reach their own personal goals.

“And the care on our In-patient Unit is second to none. With a high ratio of staff to patient, our specialised palliative and end-of-life care ensures dignity, respect and loving care, giving families the chance to spend that precious time together.”

The Lord Lieutenant will be accompanied by the Vice Lord Lieutenant, Sharman Birtles JP DL who is also a patron of Willow Wood Hospice.