Latest news with #StMichael's
Powys County Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Penybont twins James and Dan run Rob Burrow Marathon
TWIN brothers from Powys completed the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in searing heat last weekend – with the duo raising close to £5,000 for the hospice which cared for their father in his final days. James and Dan Powell, 23, completed the marathon on Sunday, May 11, with the funds raised going to St Michael's Hospice, in Hereford. The Penybont twins previously praised the hospice and its staff for their 'faultless' care provided to Gary in his final weeks. Gary died on February 21, 2023, after bravely battling against motor neurone disease (MND), the same illness which Leeds Rhinos rugby league icon Rob died of. This year's marathon was the first one held since Rob's death, aged 41, in June last year. 'We got it done,' said James, in a post on Facebook. 'Today, as many of you are aware, me and Dan went to run the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in memory of our dad, to raise money for St Michael's Hospice, a charity very close to our family's hearts. 'We managed to cross the line in the soaring heat in Leeds and I for one couldn't be prouder of myself and Dan for getting this done. 'We cannot thank you all enough for all the encouragement over the last few months, whether through donations, messages, or simple toots of the horn when you saw us running the roads in training. 'Thank you so much!' Bull rescued after getting stuck in remote bog in Powys Powys motorbike event's plea, as organisers say 'we need more help than ever' 'And, of course, a huge thank you to our amazing team of supporters who came up with us. It was so tough, but the feeling at the end was so worth it. 'The community we have is amazing, the family and friends we have are amazing, and Dan you're amazing and I'm so proud of you.' Dan crossed the line in 4 hours 43 minutes, with James coming home in 4 hours 46 minutes. Mum Monica said: 'Well, what can I say.... we are all extremely proud of James and Dan and what they achieved today; it was tough, but they got there. 'They have done us (as a) family and, more importantly, their dad proud. Can I just say the support and generosity from everyone has been amazing. Thank you so much.' The brothers previously described their dad as their hero, and said they were similarly inspired by the fight he showed during his battle with MND, while James said raising money for St Michael's was a 'no brainer'. 'Not only were they amazing with dad but grandparents of ours in the past too,' he said. 'They made things that bit more bearable during a time that, as a family, was as difficult as they get. 'Up until the very last day they treated him like a king and did all they could to keep him comfortable and smiling.' Dan added: 'It's inspiring what they deal with on a daily basis, and the fact that they can face the toughest of situations and still deliver faultless care with a smile on their faces is nothing short of remarkable in my eyes.'
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Oldest' papergirl Maureen Burton marks 80th birthday on zip wire
A woman who thinks she could be the oldest papergirl in the region marked her 80th birthday by crossing a lake on a zip already completed one zip-wire challenge in her forties, Maureen Burton celebrated the occasion by repeating the feat on 12 April at North Yorkshire Water also raised £3,700 for her local church, St Michael's in Bempton, Bridlington, which was four times her original target."It was absolutely amazing," she said. Despite not having the most elegant landing, she said she would be up for doing it again."I didn't end very lady like," she said. "I went in a somersault but I'd do it again, definitely."Maureen volunteered to deliver newspapers in her village three years ago after there was a danger the service could be daily round ranges from six to 12 deliveries and is spread across the village."It's the distance," she explained. "It's not the amount because you go from one end of the village to the other. I keep fit, I keep walking and I keep mobile."She does not get paid for her rounds, but said she donated all her Christmas tips to the church after it supported her following her husband Neil's death five years wore a T-shirt with his picture on during the challenge after he cheered her on at her first money raised will pay for alterations to the church and graveyard to make it accessible for wheelchairs and walking aids. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
29-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hereford hospice plans Ludlow furniture warehouse to boost income
A hospice being able to open a furniture donation warehouse is vital to help it keep caring for people needing end-of-life care, its boss application has been submitted to Shropshire Council by St Michael's Hospice, based in Hereford, to use a manufacturing unit in Ludlow, Shropshire, for the the plans, the site on Orleton Road would be used to take in donations of furniture and sell them alongside books, clothing and bric-a-brac."Approval of this application is essential for the hospice to grow its income to support the increasing demand and costs of their services," chief executive Matt Fellows said. In a letter supporting the plans, he added St Michael's was under increasing pressures from inflation and rising costs and needed the base in Ludlow to allow it to answer rising demand for its number of patients the hospice cares for has risen from 1,070 in 2016-17 to 2,353 in 2023-24. Requests for the hospice's counselling and therapy services had also increased, especially since the Covid pandemic, Mr Fellows hospice has 300 staff and 800 volunteers and the new scheme would create six full-time and four part-time jobs, according to the Michael's had had a lot of requests to collect unwanted furniture from the Ludlow area and spent several years searching for a site for a new warehouse, a spokesperson said."Each year our shops prevent 500 tonnes of items going to landfill," they 200 people were expected to bring in donations each week, if the plans were approved, they council is due to take a decision on the application at a future date. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘Hospices are in retreat': funding crisis squeezing UK palliative care providers
At the end of 2023, St Catherine's hospice near Crawley, West Sussex, moved to a new purpose-built, state-of-the art building. Twenty-four private rooms with en suite bathrooms and French doors leading to individual terraces were designed to make the final days of a patient's life as peaceful as possible. Medical equipment was concealed, beloved pets were welcome to visit, and a drinks trolley came round each evening. The hospice had cost almost £20m to build and equip, every penny raised by donations, legacies, charity events, trusts and foundations. The land was a gift from a local businessman. Fifteen months later, half the rooms are mothballed and 40 jobs have been lost. Patients have to meet a higher threshold for admission, and a 24/7 helpline for those caring for dying people at home has been reduced to eight hours a day, Monday to Friday. The cuts are the result of a funding crisis shared by most of the UK's 200 palliative care sector. 'Hospices are in retreat,' said Giles Tomsett, the CEO of St Catherine's for the past 11 years. This is happening, he pointed out, just as the baby boomer generation is about to need end-of-life care on a significant scale. According to Hospice UK, a body that represents more than 200 hospices, many have had to make 'tough decisions' about the services they provide. Last year one in five hospices warned of service cuts, and 300 beds have been taken out of commission. In recent months, St Michael's in Basingstoke has warned its future is uncertain because of 'unprecedented financial pressures'. The 26-bed Marie Curie hospice in Liverpool closed temporarily last summer, but may never reopen. Three hospices in North Yorkshire have warned that job losses and cuts to services may be needed. St Giles in Lichfield closed eight beds and cut 21 jobs. Dorothy House in Somerset has said that without support for staffing costs, it will be forced to cut services. Although hospices are a crucial provider of care for dying people, government funding averages at 30% of their total costs, according to Hospice UK. The sector is forced to rely on fundraising, charity shops, donations, legacies and grants for the rest. And the proportion of state money received by individual hospices varies significantly, resulting in a postcode lottery of provision. In December, the government announced a £100m investment to fund improvements in hospice buildings and equipment rather than running costs. Hospice UK welcomed the move. 'It will ease some of those pressures and allow hospices to invest in their infrastructure,' said Toby Porter, the organisation's CEO. But, he added, 'the fact remains that hospices are still in very challenging financial positions'. In recent months, the funding of end-of-life and palliative care has been highlighted in the debate on whether assisted dying should be legalised. A commission, set up by MPs to identify strengths and shortfalls in provision, is expected to report soon. Sean O'Sullivan had direct experience of the hospice sector when his wife, Christine, was admitted to Katharine House in Banbury, Oxfordshire, last autumn in the final stages of cancer. The day before she died, she was moved to a private room. O'Sullivan stayed with her, lying alongside her as she took her final breath. 'It gave me great comfort. She died very peacefully,' he said. The care provided by the hospice was superb, said O'Sullivan. 'It was very personal, never rushed, attentive to the individual. I am forever grateful.' A hospital ward would have been 'noisy and distracting, with staff rushed off their feet', he added. But it was 'pure luck' that a bed was available for Christine. 'There is so much pressure on places. I feel that the experience we had should be an option for everyone,' O'Sullivan said. In contrast, Paul Harwood has been unable to find any hospice care for his father in Pembrokeshire. 'We are paying huge amounts for a home care because there are no other options and no one can give us any help. As far as I can tell, there is no hospice-type care in west Wales for hundreds of miles. The system is broken and only getting more broken,' he said. Emily, a clinical nurse specialist who assesses and refers patients for transfer from a big city hospital to local hospices, said: 'Every hospice in my area has cut beds, and some have lost senior clinical roles. It's a huge postcode lottery. While I've been doing this job over the past three years, your chances of getting a hospice place have got lower. 'A lot of my job is about expectation management. I have to caveat everything I say. Families become really distressed when they are told there's no bed available. These conversations are really difficult.' At St Catherine's, the cutbacks have been heartbreaking, said Tomsett. 'We have 12 beds empty while dying people are being nursed in hospital corridors. We see fewer patients in the hospice or in the community which means the NHS has to pick up the slack.' Shelley Goshawk, the hospice's ward matron, said: 'We always have a waiting list. Patients end up dying before they can get a bed. It's very difficult knowing that for every patient we look after, there are others that we can't care for. 'I really feel for the families. The ones that do get a bed can take a deep breath, it's such a relief. People say they can go back to being a husband or daughter again rather than a carer.' St Catherine's costs about £12m a year to run, with just under £3m coming from the state. 'Last year, for the first time, we could see a deficit was likely to emerge this April,' said Tomsett. 'Our running costs have increased significantly over the past five years, and the cost of living crisis has on people's propensity to donate.' The increases in employers' national insurance contributions and the living wage that come into effect next month will have a further impact on the hospice's budget, although Tomsett hopes that improved pay will help recruit people to do essential jobs such as cleaning, housekeeping and catering. 'I think the increase is right,' he said. But the reliance on donations to fund hospices is unsustainable, he added. 'The NHS is looking to hospices, which are charities, to provide essential end-of-life care. Yet by underfunding palliative care, we are forced to cut back on services and get involved at a later stage.' In the end, it costs the NHS more, he said. 'Few hospices will actually close, but many will provide fewer and smaller services. And this is at a time our ageing population needs us more than ever. Baby boomers are about to swamp the whole of the NHS, hospice and palliative care system.' Hospice UK hopes the government's 10-year plan for the NHS in England, due to be published this spring, will provide a joined-up approach to end-of-life care alongside more consistent funding. 'The plan must overhaul our approach to palliative and end-of-life care and ensure hospices like St Catherine's have the sustainable funding they need to support their local communities long into the future,' said Porter.
