Claire Benson, of Whitehaven, received a diagnosis of HER-2 breast cancer in December 2020, discussing her diagnosis she said: “In the week between my biopsy and my results, I went through all the emotions: crying, angry, depression etc. The not knowing for me was the hardest part. Once it was confirmed I had cancer it was like a switch flipped that put me in survival mode”. Claire started chemotherapy in January 2021. After five rounds she had a break in treatment as the tumour had continued to grow. She then underwent a mastectomy followed by immediate reconstruction in the May.

When Claire received her results back it was discovered that cancer had been found in her lymph nodes, so she had further surgery in June to remove all her lymph nodes under her right arm. She then restarted ten more rounds of chemo, followed by fifteen rounds of radiotherapy in the December.

Claire said: “Before I underwent the surgery to have my lymph nodes removed, I was warned that there was a one in four chance that I could develop lymphoedema and what symptoms to look out for. When I noticed that my right arm and hand were starting to look puffy and swollen, I made an appointment to see my breast nurse who referred me to the Hospice at Home West Cumbria specialist lymphoedema nurses.”

Our services can be held in the Therapy Centre in Workington, however Claire was seen at the West Cumberland Hospital as it is where she had received all her treatments and it was more convenient for her. At the initial consultation she had her arm and hand measured to see what the difference was, she continued: “I had everything explained to me including what it was, how it is caused and the best way to help manage my symptoms. Due to radiotherapy, I was told it can take a year to calm down and we set up appointments to do regular lymph massage to help me get it under control and managed. They took measurements and gave me glove and sleeve compression bandages to wear daily that helped with the swelling.”

During this time, Claire experienced some swelling in her right breast, so as well as massage and exercise, a device called ‘LymphaTouch’ was used that gently lifts and moves the skin to help drain the excess fluid. It was also arranged for Claire to see her surgeon to ensure there were no issues with her implant swelling.

Alana, Lymphoedema Nurse Specialist for Hospice at Home West Cumbria said: “Claire is a prime example of how an early diagnosis of lymphoedema can help prevent more serious complications occurring. Claire’s success to date highlights the importance of raising awareness around lymphoedema in the community settings eg. GP surgeries, hospitals, and other health care settings. We are happy that we have been able to help Claire and that she is now able to manage the condition on her own and go on to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. A successful outcome is mostly down to team work and Claire, being the leader of this team, worked hard to follow all advice given. She really is a star and deserves the best quality of life – she’s earned it! ”

Claire is now in full recovery and on the 17^th May 2023 she ‘rang the bell’ to celebrate the end of her treatment of radiotherapy and injections.

Claire said: “Due to the information given before and after surgery, as well as the quick referral, my symptoms are mild, and I do daily massage and wear my sleeve and glove to maintain this. The help and advice I received has made it possible for me to maintain and manage any flair ups and has also meant that I have help on hand should I need it. All the staff from Hospice at Home West Cumbria have been amazing, kind, informative and just lovely people.”

To find out more about lymphoedema and the services we provide at Hospice at Home West Cumbria please visit: lymphoedema services. 

Andrew Berragan and Wayne Grove from Whitehaven raised £6,133 at their Charity Football Match ‘Embrace the Legends’ on Saturday 15^th July at Moor Row Football Club, in memory of their dad’s Maurice Berragan and Dennis Grove.

Maurice and Dennis both sadly passed away in 2020, but due to the restrictions at that time the family were unable to give them the send-off they deserved. Fast forward to 2021 when the restrictions started to ease, they came up with the idea of a Charity Football Match to honour their dad’s memories while raising money for charities close to their hearts. They formed two football teams named ‘Moggers Blues’ for Maurice (he was a big Chelsea fan) and ‘Dens Gunners’ for Dennis’ (he was a big Arsenal fan) and called it ‘Embrace the Legends’.

The event and support has grown over the years, with this being the third consecutive year it has taken place, raising an overall total of £14,540! All proceeds have been split between Hospice at Home West Cumbria, Egremont Bowling Club, CDKL5 UK and Gary Mckee’s 365 marathon fundraising in 2022.

Wayne Grove, Andrew Berragan and Gemma Finley said: “We are extremely proud to have raised this amount in memory of our legend fathers.  One of our chosen charities in particular – Hospice at Home West Cumbria, gave both of our families the essential support during our darkest times. It all seemed to happen so fast and only looking back now do we appreciate the absolute necessary service this amazing charity provides. It’s been our pleasure to raise these funds so many more families can benefit from the vital work the charity carries out. We would like to add our thanks and support to everyone that has made this possible and supported us over these years”.

Holly Harkness, Community Fundraising Co-ordinator for Hospice at Home West Cumbria said: “It is great to see so many people getting involved with the charity football match, Hospice at Home West Cumbria would like to say thank you to everyone who has been involved in this event over the years, and for raising awareness and funds for the nominated charities.”

We would like to thank Julia Swindle and her daughters, Lucy Gentles and Georgina Swindle for raising a fantastic £3,250 for Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

On Saturday 22nd July, they held a charity night at Grasslot Welfare Club to raise money for Hospice at Home West Cumbria and Macmillan Cancer Support. There was entertainment, food, games and raffle prizes were kindly donated by local businesses to maximise the amount of money raised. All proceeds were split between the two charities.

Lucy said: ” The charity night was held in memory of Clive Swindle our much-loved husband and dad who we unfortunately lost to cancer in September 2022. We chose Hospice at home as our primary fundraising charity as a thank you for their care and support during such a challenging period of our lives. We are so proud that we were able to contribute back to such a worthy cause to help them continue their important work in the local community and look forward to being able to do more to help in the future. Lots of love Georgina, Julia, and Lucy.”

 

We would like to say a huge thank you to Lisa Johnson from Whitehaven who has raised £2,749.00 by organising various fundraising activities in memory of her Dad Billy ‘Buster’ ‘Johnson.

 Lisa explained “Our Dad/Grandad Billy ‘Buster’ Johnson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020 and died in September the same year leaving behind three daughters and five grandsons. Since he passed, I have pledged to raise money every year in his memory for Hospice at Home West Cumbria who were the angels in our darkest days and in our Dad’s final hours. For this my family and I will forever be indebted to them and the work they did both during and after our Dad’s death. Thank you to my sister’s Leanne and Kerry Johnson who supported me in raising this fantastic amount for Hospice at Home West Cumbria and to everyone who continues to support me with any fundraising going forward.

If this money can help towards any support these incredible people do to support families in the worst unimaginable pain, our dad’s memory will live on.”

On 10th September 2023 Emily will be doing the Great North Run on what would have been her dad’s 62nd birthday, but will actually mark a few days after the first anniversary of his passing. Emily said “Dad loved Newcastle and was always envious of his stepsons studying there, so running this race, in this city, and on his birthday, seemed like a really fitting tribute to him. Dad was incredibly generous and always wanted to help others and by telling his story, I hope that we continue his legacy. If this helps one other person receive a diagnosis or reach out for help, then we will have succeeded.”

Emily’s Dad was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in September 2021 and was given 6-12 weeks to live. Emily continued “We didn’t know if he would make it to Christmas that year, but due to his immense strength and the help of the doctors, nurses and especially Hospice at Home West Cumbria, we were able to have almost a whole year with him. That meant he got to meet his grandson, watch his stepson get married and watch me, his daughter, graduate. Being with Dad almost every day for that final year of his life was the greatest privilege of my life, but we wouldn’t have got through it without the support from Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

Palliative and end of life care is not something people really speak about. With a diagnosis usually comes ‘how are we going to fight this?’, but no one talks about what you do when there is no cure, no chance you are going to get better. This is what we knew from day one of Dad’s diagnosis, which is where Hospice at Home West Cumbria came in. Their team supported not only my Dad, but the rest of the family as we started down a road we never thought we would have to go down.

They helped us try to understand the process of dying, what palliative treatment is available and what Dad’s options were, because even though he was dying, there were still options that he could make for how he wanted to die, which is extremely important. Hospice at Home West Cumbria gave Dad the option of dying at home, which was ultimately what he wanted. Unfortunately, due to complications in his last few weeks, Dad had to be in hospital and eventually passed away there. But Hospice at Home West Cumbria were working tirelessly to get him home, even to the extent that at the exact moment he passed away, a specially designed bed was being delivered to our house so he could come home. It didn’t happen for Dad, for reasons out of anyone’s control, but to have that option brought peace and comfort to him in his final weeks.

Speaking from the perspective of caring for someone who is terminally ill, Hospice at Home West Cumbria have been incredible. They provided a safe space to talk about how this was affecting me, provided nursing care when we needed more support for Dad, and helped me understand more about palliative care and dying. They have inspired me to get the conversation of palliative care started, to the extent where I am now going to study Public Health in the hope of helping others in similar situations to ours.

Hospice at Home West Cumbria are essential in a rural area like West Cumbria. An in-patient hospice wasn’t really a feasible option for us, as the nearest one is at least an hour away and would mean we couldn’t be with Dad all the time. And for many, comfort is found being in familiar surroundings with your family by your side, which is why dying at home has to be an option. However, this costs a lot of money – specialist equipment is needed and specially trained health care professionals to provide round-the-clock care. For example, one specialist palliative nurse for a whole night of care costs £170. Therefore I am hoping to raise as much money as possible to give back to Hospice at Home West Cumbria and help them care for other terminally ill patients and their families.

During the year Dad was ill I heard a quote that said: “To love someone/something completely, you have to love the ending too” and thanks to Hospice at Home West Cumbria we had the space and support to find love in Dad’s ending, and for that I will be forever grateful. Please donate if you can, but if you can’t please support your local Hospice at Home West Cumbria team where you can and also encourage those you love to talk about their health, as early diagnosis can possibly save someone’s life.”

 

To donate to Emily’s fundraising page, please visit:

https://greatnorthrun2023.enthuse.com/pf/emily-taylor-49313

Six local primary schools in West Cumbria have helped to raise over £20,000 for Hospice at Home West Cumbria by hosting Mini Colour Runs throughout June and July.

Holly Harkness, Community Fundraising Co-ordinator for Hospice at Home West Cumbria said: “We would like to say thank you to all the staff, parents, volunteers and the pupils for supporting Hospice at Home West Cumbria. It was so much fun organising and being a part of their events, watching everyone have a good time and the total amount raised is amazing.”

Mini Colour Runs involve school children running around a track on their school field while having brightly coloured paint thrown at them, which as you can imagine they love! The runs raise thousands of pounds each year for our charity and the fundraising team work closely with the schools to ensure smooth running of the event. There is a registration fee of £5 per child, with the option to purchase a t-shirt and sunglasses. The children can then get sponsors from family and friends for their run. The money raised helps to provide Home Nursing, Family and Bereavement services, Complementary Therapy services and Lymphoedema care to people in West Cumbria.

Mrs Rose, Headteacher at Frizington Primary School said: “As a School, we are extremely grateful and proud of how generous our community has been to such a worthwhile local charity, which many of our families have a close connection with. Frizington has never been so colourful, and the children and families had a brilliant afternoon with buckets full of fun, as well as paint.  Thank you to Hospice at Home for organising the event and we are pleased that the money raised goes to such a good and important cause for our local community.”

Claire Hayes, a teacher at Jericho said: Jericho have taken part in the Mini Colour Run for a number of years now. Our Children really enjoy their experience, and we think as a school it is important to support this wonderful local Charity.

Holly continued: “We welcome new schools to join us for 2024 and are very grateful for the continued support of schools that sign up year after year”.

Schools that are interested in taking part in the Mini Colour Runs 2024, please email: info@hhwc.org.uk for more information.

Ged Hagan from Cleator Moor has raised over £17,000 for Hospice at Home West Cumbria by donating his fees from local gigs.

Since August 2021, Ged a guitar vocalist, has selflessly donated his gig fees to our charity over the last two years. Singing a range of folk, country and rock covers in pubs, clubs and bars around Cumbria.

Starting off with light bookings, venues started asking Ged to return on a regular basis and his diary quickly become busy, meaning he now plays two or three times a week in venues.

Paula Dalling, from The Bush Inn, Cockermouth said: “Ged Hagan is a true gentleman with a huge heart, he is an unsung hero! Every time he plays at The Bush Inn he gets a huge response from the crowd and everyone loves him!”.

When asked why Ged donates his fees to charity, he said: I’ve been amazed at the efforts of so many West Cumbrians raising money for local charities. I would have loved to have joined Gary McKee on his marathons, but my running days are far behind me now and I don’t think my 25m swimming certificate would get me across any Lakes or Channels! So, when thinking about what I might do to raise funds, I thought about how much I enjoy singing and playing guitar. I only intended to play at local charity fundraising events but soon I was being asked to play paid gigs in pubs, clubs and bars. I decided that it would be a good way of fundraising – I get to do what I love, the venue (hopefully) get what they need, and the charity get a few bob too – everyone’s a winner!”

Ged has travelled over 3000 miles in the past two years singing all over the county and raising funds for the vital services that we provide.

Holly Harkness, Community Fundraising Co-ordinator for Hospice at Home West Cumbria said: “It is incredible the amount of time and effort he gives so generously to raise funds and to support our charity. A huge thank you to Ged for all he has done over the years, it is fundraisers like him that mean we are able to provide high quality palliative and end of life care to those who need it”.

Ged added: “I’d really like to thank the staff at Hospice at Home West Cumbria for all their help. I’d also like to thank all the venues and party/event organisers that have invited me to play for them and for their continued support over the last two years, it is very much appreciated. I’d also like to thank my wife, Pat.  She’s my roadie, sound engineer, wardrobe manager and most honest critic.  I couldn’t have done any of this without her!”

The funds raised will help us to continue to offer Home Nursing, Family and Bereavement support, Complementary Therapies and Lymphoedema care in West Cumbria.

To view Ged’s upcoming gigs, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/gedhaganmusic/

For more information on the services we provide, please visit: www.hospiceathomewestcumbria.org.uk

Hospice at Home West Cumbria will now be able to care for adults with a life limiting illness, and their families and carers, by providing a range of anticipatory grief, emotional wellbeing and bereavement support, thanks to Community Investment Funding from the Allerdale GDF Community Partnership. Services will include complementary therapies, one-to-one sessions and group support.

Hospice at Home West Cumbria is at the heart of the community, and the only charity and hospice organisation providing free bespoke emotional wellbeing and bereavement support in the palliative care sector across the region. The funding will make a real difference, delivering care at their Therapy and Information Centre in Workington, in people’s homes and local hospital wards, supporting people when they need it most.

The Allerdale GDF Community Partnership provides access to £1million Community Investment Funding per year from the GDF developer as discussions progress around whether a Geological Disposal Facility could be right for Allerdale and if Allerdale is the right place for a GDF.

A GDF is a highly engineered facility designed to safely and securely dispose of ‘higher activity’ radioactive waste, deep underground.

The Chair of Allerdale GDF Community Partnership, Mary Bradley, said:

“It means so much to the Partnership to be able to award funding to Hospice at Home West Cumbria. Every single member of the team there are passionate and dedicated and are providing genuine care and services that are critical to the wellbeing of our community. Hospice at Home West Cumbria have been there for so many of us in our time of need and any one of us could find ourselves needing them at any time. It’s an honour to support them.”

Claire Jenkinson, Family and Bereavement Services Team Leader said:

“We are incredibly grateful to the Allerdale GDF Community Partnership for helping us to provide hospice support services to more patients and their families. Family and Bereavement Services and Complementary Therapies make a huge difference to the lives of those affected by palliative illness and we are thrilled that Allerdale GDF Community Partnership recognise the importance of this work.”

To find out more about our Family and Bereavement services, please click here.

Thank you to Allerdale GDF Community Partnership for supporting Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

Lakeland Lights have chosen to support Hospice at Home West Cumbria by creating a Heart of the Lakes candle.

This limited edition creation, was crafted to support Hospice at Home West Cumbria by donating £1.50 from every sale, to help provide care for those in need.

Be transported to the heart of the Lake District and invigorate your senses with zesty lemongrass and tea notes, intertwined with delicate lily of the valley and rose. Fresh green base notes complete this revitalising scent. Together we can make a difference.

Candles are just £12.99 with free local delivery as an option.

To purchase a candle, please visit: Lakeland Lights 

Thank you to Jo and James at Lakeland Lights for supporting Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

 

 

A huge thank you to Chris Young, who raised over £21,000 for Hospice at Home West Cumbria during his ’30 Squared Challenge’.

Chris ran 30 miles a day for 30 days throughout the month of April, to celebrate his 30th Birthday.  The 30 mile route started at his house in Millhill, up to Rowrah Hall, down to Woodend & Mirehouse, through town and around the harbour, along the wagon road and then out to Parton Shore and back to Mill Hill.

Chris set himself the challenge to raise money for Hospice at Home West Cumbria and also £5,000 for Hearts of Gold West Cumbria so they could set up as a registered charity. With all the donations in, Chris raised a total of £21,682.26 for Hospice at Home West Cumbria and with the £5,500 he also raised for Hearts of Gold West Cumbria that takes the grand total for the 30 squared challenge to £27,182.26. 

On asking Chris why he chose to support Hospice at Home West Cumbria, he said: “Last year running with Gary McKee, I was honoured to meet so many people out in the community who had benefitted from the services Hospice at Home West Cumbria provide. Hearing their stories first hand and seeing how much difference the charity makes to people’s lives, you can’t not be inspired to get out and do something.”

Chris’ dedication in April not only fundraised vital funds but also raised awareness about our services in the local community. Helping us to achieve our vision; that all people in West Cumbria have timely access to personalised high quality palliative and end of life care.

Every penny that was raised will be spent in the local community, helping people who need it. We are so grateful to have people like Chris who support us.

Arriving at our Head Office on Finkle Street, Workington for the cheque presentation, Chris said: “I just want everyone to know how thankful I am of the support I received whilst doing my challenge. From people making donations, buying raffle tickets, running with me, cycling, making cups of tea, day sponsors or being a listening ear, it means so much thank you“.

To fundraise for Hospice at Home West Cumbria, please visit: Fundraise for us