Birmingham Hospice

Last Thursday, our Corporate Fundraising Team hosted their second Above and Beyond Club event for businesses at our Selly Park site.

It was a lovely evening with representatives of local Birmingham businesses discussing the importance of hospice care and how their donations make such a difference.

We also had a guest speaker, Hazel Carter, who spoke about how hospices supported her when her husband was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. Hazel’s inspiring talk motivated many of our guests to get involved and support the hospice further. Thank you so much Hazel for sharing your story.

Our next ABC event will take place on Monday 21 October at the Leonardo Hotel in Birmingham. To reserve your space, please email [email protected].

Making every moment matter really is as easy as ABC. For more information, please visit 👉 https://bit.ly/3RyzNck

For Sara Jones, last year’s Rainbow Rush was particularly poignant as she signed up to take part while her husband Kevin was being cared for by the hospice. He died before the race itself, which took place two days after what would have been his 44th birthday.

Kevin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when he was 43 and was referred to Birmingham Hospice – where his brother was already being cared for – by his GP, first for home visits, and later for care in our Erdington Inpatient Unit.

Following the support that the family received, Sara signed up to take part in our first Rainbow Rush in September 2023. She also volunteers in the Hive Café at our Erdington site, where she offers refreshments and a supportive ear for visitors.

Sara said: “Kev was a happy, lively and friendly chap who’d had lots of different experiences in his life, before working as a windscreen fitter for 20 years or so. We were together for 25 years and had three children and a granddaughter.

“After he was referred to the hospice, initially we had home visits, then he was a patient at the IPU. We were given support afterwards as well; we had a memory box made and a teddy bear with a voice recording of Kev. We have positive memories of being able to support him in a non-hospital environment.”

Kevin’s family signed up to take part in the Rainbow Rush last year, and were joined by more family and friends until eventually 21 people were taking part in his memory. All of the family, including Kevin, used social media to gain sponsorship, with Kevin’s workplace also helping to drum up support. In the end, his family raised just over £2,000, with income from other teams on top of that.

Sara added: “We decided to sign up to Rainbow Rush in July because we know how vital fundraising is for the hospice. First of all it was myself, my daughter, both of my sons and a friend, and it ended up with 21 of us taking part. Kev passed before the Rainbow Rush, so at his celebration of life we asked that any voluntary contributions went directly to the event.

“The atmosphere was amazing – everyone came together and we started off laughing and dancing as we warmed up. We took it at our own pace – you could walk, you could run, some people skipped – it was entirely up to you. For me personally, it was a joy to do but it was also sad crossing the finish line, knowing the reason that we were there.

“We had a good laugh, admittedly a cry too, but we did it!”

A huge thank you to Sara and her whole team for taking part last year - we are so grateful for all your support.❤️

With just under two months to go until this year's event on Saturday 21 September, we want you to join incredible people like Sara in taking on the Rainbow Rush! 🌈

For more information or to sign up today, please visit our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3y0KApl

Today, we'd like to say a huge thank you to the hard-working Community Champions and teams at the Asda stores in Perry Barr, Queslett, Small Heath and Minworth. ❤️

Over the years, our friends at Asda have not only volunteered at multiple events, but have also kindly supported us with regular refreshment donations, including bottled water, hundreds of chocolates, boxes of cereal bars and thousands of teabags. Thank you for your incredible support! 🍪☕🍬🥪

The last few years have seen a huge increase in costs, including the prices we pay for energy, food and medicine. We estimate it could cost £20 million to run Birmingham Hospice this year - this is a £3 million increase compared to last year. By supporting events like Ride The Reservoir and The Chocolate 5K through volunteering and providing refreshments, Asda are helping us provide our expert, compassionate and personalised care at an extremely difficult time.

Are you interested in donating towards our events, or would like to support Birmingham Hospice in another way? Please get in touch! Reach us via [email protected] or give us a call on 0121 465 2009. To see what we have coming up in our calendar, please visit 👉 https://bit.ly/4bRh0As

We are delighted to have the continued support of St Michael’s Church of England Primary School. To further raise awareness of the services Birmingham Hospice provides, members of the Year 6 School Council came to visit our Selly Park site earlier this month.

The children received a tour of the Inpatient Unit and the Living Well Centre, learning about all the different ways the hospice provides care to patients and their families navigating through the challenges of a terminal illness, and how that support continues after death.

Then the children settled with the CHATS team for a special activity around supporting their peers through losses and changes.

One pupil, Olivia, said: “Whilst at the hospice, we were shown around the cafe, garden, peace room, the Living Well Centre and more! The hospice has lots of spaces where their patients and visitors relax. There is also a children's room, where children of any age can do fun activities. We had a great time and learnt so much about the important work the hospice does. Overall, the hospice is a happy and vibrant place to be.”

The CHATS team continues to support many local schools with education packages for staff and support to children and young people. To find out how your school can get involved, please contact the CHATS team directly by emailing [email protected].

Would you like to gain valuable experience in a professional office environment while contributing to the meaningful work of Birmingham Hospice?

We’re looking for a Volunteer Office Assistant to offer essential administrative support to our lovely Supporter Experience and Finance Processing Team.

You’ll assist with greeting supporters and taking donations, answering phone and email enquiries and providing information as needed.

You’ll also help with processing donations and acknowledgements, as well as conducting general office duties.

This is a great opportunity to build your CV, learn new skills working in a friendly environment, and support your local hospice!

For more information, please email [email protected] or visit our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3YbNRg3

Today, we would like to say a huge thank you to the Sutton Coldfield Benevolent Bowls Club for their amazing donation of £275, raised from their annual ladies competition!

The sun was shining and spirits were high during the competition. They also held a raffle, which was supported by the local community.

We are so grateful to have the support of the Sutton Coldfield Benevolent Bowls Club, now more than ever as we face our funding crisis. Are you part of a sports group that are looking to support a charity? If so, please get in touch and hear how we can help!

For more details on how you could help, please visit 👉 https://bit.ly/3ybzk9d

Congratulations to all runners who took part in Birmingham Running Festival today at Sutton Park! 🏃🏃🏿‍♀️🏅

It was great to see so many runners and supporters on the day. Thank you to everyone who visited our stall as well!

Thank you for running and fundraising as part of . If you couldn’t join us today, there are future race dates for Sunday 15 September and Sunday 22 December, where you can take part with a charity place or your own place - for more information, please visit our website!

All of us here at Birmingham Hospice are beyond grateful to our long-term supporters and friends of our hospice, Fitzgeralds Contractors Ltd, for taking on their incredible Three Peaks Challenge to raise vital funds for Birmingham Hospice. Their challenge was all set for 2020, having already raised money towards their feat, however this was delayed due to the pandemic.

A couple of weeks ago, several enthusiastic members of Fitzgeralds' team tackled the mighty Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis over 24 hours, raising a wonderful £4,941.65 in the process!

It costs £572 each day to pay for one specialist bed in our Inpatient Unit, with all costs included. Thanks to our heroic hikers, eight days could now be funded.

Their dedication and effort come at a crucial time during our ongoing funding crisis, and we can't thank them enough for your support. Their contribution helps us continue providing essential care and support to our patients and their families. Together, we’re making every moment matter.

If your company could support our services during our funding crisis, we’d love to hear from you! Please email [email protected], or visit 👉 https://bit.ly/3UIbs4D

Our Rainbow Rush early bird offer ends tomorrow! 🚨🌈

Join hundreds of people at Cofton Park on Saturday 21 September and have a powder paint-filled party with us.

Jack and Roisin took part in last year’s Rainbow Rush and had a fantastic time!

Jack shared: “I wouldn't usually do an organised 5k, but Birmingham Hospice put on such a fun event. It was a great day out, and a memory that will really stay with me! If you are thinking of doing something for Birmingham Hospice, definitely take on the Rainbow Rush - a really accessible challenge and it's great knowing you are helping such a worthy cause.”

Roisin said: “I've never taken on a 5k before as I am not a natural runner, but the Rainbow Rush was so enjoyable and I was so proud of myself for taking part. The paint throwing makes the event so much fun! Working at the hospice, I see first-hand how vital fundraising is, especially in this funding crisis!”

You too can experience this colour-fun 5k like Jack and Roisin! To sign up and make the most of our early bird tickets, please follow the link below 👉 https://bit.ly/3y0KApl

Good luck to all our runners taking part in the Birmingham Running Festival tomorrow on Sunday 21 July! 🏃🏃🏿‍♀️

As this year’s official Charity Partner, we are so proud and excited to be involved with this amazing day, especially after the fantastic events on Sunday 28 February and Sunday 12 May!

You’ve put in the training and we hope you are looking forward to taking part in your race tomorrow. 👟

If you have entered with your own place in the 5k, 10k, Half Marathon or Junior race, and would like to run and fundraise for Birmingham Hospice, it’s not too late! You can set up a fundraising page at 👉 https://bit.ly/4f6M1Dl.

If you raise over £50, you will receive a Birmingham Hospice running vest - this can be picked up on the day, or alternatively we can arrange getting it to you! 🎽

Birmingham Hospice desperately needs your help to continue providing vital palliative and end of life care in your local community. If raised £2,492, that could fund a week of nursing in the community to ensure we reach people who need us most.

Our lovely team will be there on the day, so please pop to their gazebo to say hi! They’ll be cheering on all of the runners with Hettie the Hedgehog too.👏

Not free on this date? You can join the team on our next event dates, Sunday 15 September or Sunday 22 December! For more, please visit the link 👉 https://bit.ly/4bFR2R2, or email [email protected].

Alice “Milly” Milton, who recently died at the remarkable age of 105, leaves behind a legacy of passion and dedication. For over 25 years, Milly was a cherished volunteer at our Heeley Road charity shop, contributing significantly to Birmingham Hospice.

Milly was inspired to volunteer at the hospice after a relative was one of the first people cared for at what was then St Mary's Hospice. Her nephew Peter recalled: “She was a lovely, charitable person, always meeting people with a smile and thriving on the company of others. Her warmth and kindness left a mark on everyone she met.”

One of the most prominent highlights of Milly’s volunteering career was her invitation to Buckingham Palace. Recognising her for over 25 years of voluntary work, she was invited to a garden party with Queen Elizabeth II.

Reflecting on his aunt’s enduring impact, Peter said: “She valued camaraderie and cherished the moments spent meeting people behind the counter. She was a valued member of the charitable community, and her contributions have left a lasting legacy.”

Read more here 👉 https://bit.ly/4d3z1MY

Last week saw a very special day for one of our volunteers, when Richard Green received the Order of Mercy - an award which recognises distinguished voluntary work within the health and social care sectors.

Richard is a well-loved, dedicated and selfless individual who has been supporting the hospice for over 10 years. His connection to the hospice goes back to when his mother was cared for at our Selly Park site many years ago. Since then, he has chosen to give back in the form of his time, and we truly could not do what we do without him.

Richard acts as an ambassador for our fundraising team and is involved in many of our activities, but predominantly gives his time to help make two of our key fundraising events – Treecycling and Ride the Reservoir – a success.

He received the award during a ceremony, in the beautiful Mansion House in the City of London on Friday 12 July - an unforgettable occasion with his family.

Richard said: "I am so grateful to my family, to the hospice Fundraising Team past and present, and to so many other enthusiastic volunteers who have encouraged, supported my ideas and helped made them happen. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to keep raising the profile of Birmingham Hospice - and the current crisis in hospice funding means we're not going away any time soon!"

The summer holidays are almost here, and what better way to keep the kids entertained than with reading! 🌞📚

Sign your children or grandchildren up for The Big Birmingham Readathon this August. They can join Hettie the Hedgehog in a fun reading challenge, choose from four difficulty levels (5-20 books), receive a free reading tracker, and even earn a medal if they raise £100! It's a great way to enjoy summer while supporting Birmingham Hospice.

Sign up now at 👉 https://bit.ly/3SzM4hx

Today we'd like to say thank you to Tom Ritchie, who took on the Windermere marathon with his dad Jonathan in memory of two of his grandparents who were cared for by Birmingham Hospice. 🏃

Tom said: “While I had been training in the months running up to it, the race was more challenging than I imagined.

“I enjoyed it a lot but the second half was really demanding due it being so hilly. In fact, I spoke to one runner who had ran over 20 marathons and said this one had been the toughest."

When signing up for the race, Tom said Birmingham Hospice was the only choice for him to fundraise for considering the care his grandparents received.

He shared: “Back in 2009, my mum’s mum, who we called Lalla, was cared for at the hospice after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007. I was too young to visit the hospice then, but my family have always talked highly of the care she received and have been supporting the hospice ever since.

“Then last August, my grandpa was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and we were sadly told he had up to six months to live. My grandpa had otherwise been really healthy but he declined rapidly and died just 27 days after his diagnosis.”

“I was able to visit my grandpa and saw the amazing round-the-clock care that the hospice teams provided.”

Tom and Jonathan have raised over £1,000, and Tom's workplace provides match-funding up to £250, which takes their total to £1,400! 👏

Read their full story here 👉 https://bit.ly/4cLDILu

Our Childhood Grief: A Creative Approach sessions equip you to support children and young people through bereavement.

You will learn effective, creative and therapeutic tools to support children and their families through their grief journey:

- What bereavement looks like in children

- The wider impact of grief

- Strategies in supporting children and families

- Creative activities and tools

- Memory making.

This training will be beneficial for any practitioner working with children such as school staff, clinical staff and family support workers.

A buffet lunch and refreshments will be provided. The cost is £95 per delegate including a certificate of completion.

Register via Eventbrite for the following dates:

Thursday 19 September 2024: https://bit.ly/4dlqPbJ

Tuesday 19 November 2024: https://bit.ly/4cRUV5M

Wednesday 29 January 2025: https://bit.ly/3LoXCjt

We are so excited for Saturday 21 September, when Rainbow Rush returns to Cofton Park! 🌈

One of our amazing Events Volunteers, Karen, can hardly wait either! She told us: “I can honestly say that Rainbow Rush is one of my absolute favourite events! Seeing lots of excited adults and children clad in white t-shirts completing their 5K and getting covered in colourful paints along the way (that was my job!) was simply brilliant. There was such a great atmosphere, everyone was super friendly and there was a real positive buzz… I really can’t wait to do it all again in September!

"I'd definitely recommend Rainbow Rush to anyone. Either sign up to take part or volunteer to help on the day! There are lots of different ways you can get involved and be part of such a supportive community – you won’t regret it! You’ll feel amazing and by doing so, you will make a real difference to Birmingham Hospice.”

Join us this September for the most colourful run in Brum! By signing up, you'll help us be there for terminally ill people at a time when our services need more funding than ever.

For more information, or to get involved now, please visit 👉 https://bit.ly/3y0KApl

Could you make Birmingham Hospice part of your special day? 👰

In May this year, Naomi married her partner, Stacey. The couple wanted our charity to be part of their wedding, as a thank you for the care her grandad received from our teams, so they gifted their guests Birmingham Hospice wedding favours.

Naomi said: “The hospice looked after my amazing grandad during the hardest months. He received symptom management at the hospice and nothing was too much trouble. He loved all the staff and the care shown by them all was heartwarming.

“Plus, the Hospice at Home Team visited the house, supporting not only my grandad, but the whole family. At a time of such sadness, they brought love, care and normality.

“We chose the hospice’s wedding favours in memory of my grandad. We wanted to not only donate to a charity close to our hearts, but they helped us feel like he was with us on the day.”

Read Naomi and Stacey’s fundraising story and learn how Birmingham Hospice can be part of your celebrations this year 👉 https://bit.ly/4bFtYB9Could

Sarah from our Nursing Team, who has worked at the hospice for over 20 years, has shared her own personal experience of the care the hospice provides having seen her mother, father and mother-in-law all cared for by our community team in recent years.

Her mother-in-law Carole died in December 2019, dad Albert in August 2020 and mom Eileen in July 2022. All received support from our hospice teams, primarily our Hospice at Home and Community Nurses, allowing them to be cared for at home in their final weeks.

Read her full story here 👉 https://bit.ly/45ZNGGw

Who’s watching the Euros final tonight? ⚽

The England squad are on a mission to get their hands on those medals, and Birmingham Hospice has brand-new challenge for you to do the same!

Introducing Medal Mission: The Best of Brum Virtual Challenge. 🏅

In this exciting new fundraising campaign, you’ll get moving, support local people and earn exclusive Brum-inspired medals that celebrate our city.

Select from four distance challenges, each representing a different part of Birmingham, decide when, where and how you’ll complete your distance, and raise sponsorship for your local hospice.

Once you’ve completed your challenge, you can proudly wear your well-deserved medal! 🤩

Go the distance for Birmingham Hospice at a time when we need your support more than ever. Rising costs and a shortfall in NHS funding means it is becoming increasingly hard to provide our expert palliative and end of life care to everyone who needs it.

Sign up today and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that you’ll soon be following in the footsteps of the men’s England football team 🙌 👉 https://bit.ly/4cV6GZ8

A huge thank you to our friends at Fyffes, who over the years have donated hundreds and hundreds of bananas to our Ride The Reservoir events. 🍌

Back in April this year, the team at Fyffes in Coventry were kind enough to provide us with 600 bananas, helping to fuel our incredible cyclists and keep them energised while taking on their miles for Birmingham Hospice.

By supporting our events, companies like Fyffes help us continue to offer our compassionate and expert care at a time when energy bills are soaring and food prices have risen. Costs are rising exponentially, making it harder for us to care for everyone who needs it. Without your donations and support of our fundraising events, we simply couldn’t continue providing expert palliative and end of life care to local people.

Thank you, Fyffes! 💛

If you are interested in donating anything to our events, or would like to support with an event in another way, please let us know! Reach us via [email protected] or give us a call on 0121 465 2009. To see what we have coming up in our calendar, please visit 👉 https://bit.ly/3xXHhPJ

Have you visited our Erdington shop (121 High Street, Erdington) where everything costs just £1?

The outlet has recently been converted to a clearance outlet. It sells a range of quality goods, with high street fashion brands and bargain finds all at the same low price. Customers can find a healthy supply of children’s clothes and toys, as well as jewellery, shoes and accessories. There is also lots of entertainment on offer, with plenty of books and CDs to choose from.

To read more about the shop, please visit 👉 https://bit.ly/3zFTxVB

Calling all businesses! 🕷️

Want to face your fears with creepy crawlies, tackle thrilling mystery challenges and compete against other local businesses, all while raising money for your local hospice? 🐍

Then look no further! Sign up to our brand-new event ‘I’m A CEO…Get Me Out of Here!’ and help us support local people living with a terminal diagnosis and their families. On average, we support around 800 people every day across our services.

Join us on Wednesday 20 November at Escape Live Birmingham for a fulfilling day of networking, fun and raising vital funds for our hospice.

To find out more and to sign up, please visit 👉 https://bit.ly/4bsILz9

Enter our Summer Raffle to support local people living with a terminal diagnosis, while also being in with the chance to win a cash prize. ☀️

Earlier this year, Genevieve Ellis entered our Big New Year’s Raffle to support Birmingham Hospice after our Hospice at Home Team cared for her husband Raymond, and she became a winner!

Genevieve said: “The Birmingham Hospice team always took the time to chat to Raymond and got to know us both. They somehow put the sparkle back into Raymond’s blue eyes and made everything feel so much calmer.”

“When I got the call to say I was one of the raffle winners last time, I couldn’t believe it. Please consider entering the Summer Raffle to help more patients like Raymond, and you never know – you could become a winner like me.”

You can support families like Genevieve’s by playing our Summer Raffle today. Be quick! If you enter before Sunday 14 July, you’ll be entered into a fast reply draw for the chance to win a £50 M&S voucher 👉 https://bit.ly/3xIAmda

Birmingham Hospice is facing a funding crisis and buying Summer Raffle tickets is a simple way to support our charity. Fundraising is more important than ever, and each ticket sold will help us to continue providing expert palliative and end of life care to our patients and their families. 💗

Recently, our CHATS Team delivered another wonderful support group for children with a loved one who has a life-limiting illness or has sadly died.

The theme of this group was linking feelings and emotions to the elements air, fire, earth, and water. By looking at the environment around us, we can explore difficult emotions.

Some of the activities involved making a volcano using a bottle of coke and adding Mentos inside to create an eruption, reflecting the explosive emotions. They also made fans and airplanes as a calming activity and created a collage of beautiful spring flowers to represent tranquility and hope.

The explosive volcano was definitely the most popular! 🌋

This session allowed the children to explore and express their feelings. It gave them the opportunity to experience peer support and talk to others who are in similar situations.

Find out more about the CHATS Team on 👉 https://bit.ly/3S2oMQN

Could your school, nursery or community group join the herd? 🐂

Get involved with our Learning Programme, and you can design and decorate your own medium calf, which will feature as part of the summer 2025 trail.

Once the trail comes to an end, your sculpture will be returned to you to remain in its forever home.

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to get creative, be part of a ‘larger-than-life’ art trial and support Birmingham Hospice. Register your interest today 👉 https://bit.ly/4bCVYFH

We'd like to say a big thank you to the wonderful The West Brom team, who kindly volunteered their time by gardening recently at our Erdington site.

During their time with us, our corporate volunteers tackled a mammoth bush which was located right outside several of our patients' rooms. The team worked tirelessly, making much-needed space and allowing light into our patients' rooms. One of our patients, Mark, who was on IPU, sat outside for most of the day watching and chatting with our green-fingered friends. A little later, he left them some treats and a note thanking them for their support.

If your company would like to get involved in supporting our hospice, giving back to our community and making our patients' days, please get in touch on 0121 465 2009.

Big thanks once again to all at The West Brom for joining us!

Wham, bam, KAPOW!

Channel your inner superhero and sign up to soar through the skies this September 🪂

With just over two months to go before our hospice heroes assemble, there’s still plenty of time to sign up!

Secure your place today with a deposit of only £50 and pledge to raise a minimum sponsorship of £395.

Did you know that £356 could fund a whole day of nursing in the community to ensure we reach people who need us most?

We are in a funding crisis – we need your help. Your heroic support can really help Birmingham Hospice at a time when our services need more funding than ever.

For more information or to get involved, follow the link 👉 https://bit.ly/4bnnIhE

Our next Above and Beyond Club networking event takes place on Thursday 18 July. 💙

Vicky Hadley is part of our Above and Beyond Club following the care her husband, Mark, received from our hospice after being diagnosed with cancer when he was just 30.

Vicky said: "Mark and I were typical childhood sweethearts. We fell in love when I was just 14, we got engaged in our 20s and bought our first home together. Everything was perfect.

“Then we were told he had incurable bowel cancer and peritoneal disease, and that he would live for less than a year. It was the worst day of my life.”

Vicky shared how the nurses were not only there for Mark, but for her as well: “Our nurse would visit Mark at home as his cancer progressed. She provided Mark with the expert medical care he needed, but what I’ll always be truly grateful for is her understanding.

“She was a supportive hand, helping to guide us through this heartbreaking journey.
When he knew he didn’t have much time left, Mark asked to go into the hospice where he peacefully died, surrounded by those he loved, four weeks later."

Since experiencing the care our hospice teams provide, Vicky has been supporting the hospice and is now encouraging businesses to sign up to our Above and Beyond Club.

Above and Beyond Club members will play a key role in raising funds and awareness, while creating connections between our Fundraising Team and other local businesses. To find out more, come along to our Above and Beyond Club networking event on Thursday 18 July at our Selly Park site. To register your interest, please email [email protected].

To read more of Vicky's story, please visit 👉 https://bit.ly/3xDiNv7