Fundraising Archives - Page 20 of 64

Journalist takes on Midnight Walk hours before playing at Old Trafford

May 24, 2022 | 10:05am

Journalist and author Andy Mitten took part in the Manchester Midnight Walk – just hours before playing football at Old Trafford.

Andy joined hundreds of other walkers in the 10k stroll around the city centre to raise money for our patients.

The same day he donned his football boots to play for his beloved Manchester United in a charity legends match against Liverpool.

Andy was joined by wife Barbara and daughters Olivia (11) and Clara (8) at Manchester Cathedral where the walk began.

The family had just flown in from their home in Barcelona and they also spend time in Urmston where Andy is originally from.

After his late dad Charles spent his final few hours at our hospice in 2018, Andy and brothers Jonathan and Sam, plus two friends, cycled 1,200 miles from Barcelona to Old Trafford.

They raised more than £40,000 to buy an ambulance for our patients.

Andy said: “Clare and Olivia were keen to come along to the walk to honour the memory of their grandad.

“My dad received fantastic care at St Ann’s and we promised we’d give something back. The walk was a fabulous occasion and a great warm up for playing at Old Trafford.”

Thank you Manchester Midnight Walkers!

May 21, 2022 | 1:33pm

Hundreds of walkers hit the city streets last night, taking on our annual Manchester Midnight Walk.

The event, sponsored by Betfred, was back in the city centre for the first time since 2019, raising money for our patients.

Our flagship fundraising event, which has raised over £2million since its launch, has become a highlight of the annual calendar, with walkers taking on a loop past landmarks such as the Hilton Hotel, Spinningfields, Manchester Arena and the Northern Quarter.

Crowds were sent off in style with pre-walk entertainment at Manchester Cathedral in the form of a disco, plus live music from The Rock Choir and local band Throb Love Lace and the Pitts.

The Cathedral stage was hosted by Alan Keegan, the voice of Old Trafford, with St Ann’s supporter Paul Hazelby, who has raised more than £100,000 for our hospice, as DJ.

Rachel McMillan, our chief executive, said: “What an absolutely amazing night, I really can’t thank everyone who took part enough.

“It’s been a few years since we’ve been able to hold the Manchester Midnight Walk in the city centre, and it was actually quite emotional to see everyone coming back together to raise money and have a great night out with friends, family or loved ones.

“People in this city are so generous in spirit and we all know that Mancunians are always happy to pull together as a community in support of others. We certainly saw that in the bucket loads this weekend, and I can’t tell you how grateful we are.

“Thanks so much to everyone who took part – we can’t wait until all the sponsor money is in to see how much has been raised. I’m sure you’ve done our patients proud.”

Smith Goodfellow colleagues take on the Manchester Midnight Walk in memory of Gloria

May 17, 2022 | 10:48pm

They will be remembering Cathy’s late mum Gloria Anderson (78) who was a patient at St Ann’s Hospice in 2014.

The 10k walk, organised by the charity, returns after a three-year absence and it is not too late to take part.

Colleagues at Smith Goodfellow, where Cathy is MD and Jen is business development manager, will join them and hundreds of other walkers leaving Manchester Cathedral at midnight for a circuit of the city centre.

Our family has a long-standing connection with St Ann’s which is a fantastic local facility.

Mum was born in Cheadle and ran the information offices in Cheadle Hulme and Bramhall for many years, so St Ann’s was a place she’d definitely have told people about.

I grew up in Cheadle Hulme and was involved with the church youth group on Swann Lane which quite often did things for the hospice – every year we would go carol singing to raise funds.

The palliative care mum received at Heald Green was superb. They made those final weeks of her life bearable because her cancer was fairly horrendous and we’ll also never forget the way they supported us as a family and made us feel welcome. It’s a remarkable place.

Cathy Barlow

Smith Goodfellow also have a professional link with St Ann’s, with the Stockport-based construction PR firm spreading the word about the exciting new hospice building which is planned.

Other employees participating are Cathy’s husband and co-owner Paul Barlow, Jen’s husband Dave Heil, Kelly Oldham, Jodie Affleck, Daisy Dicker, James Gee, Hayley Mayer and Emily Kehoe, along with Luna, the office dog.

The moonlit walk costs £21 for a standard adult entry, or £10 each for a group of 4 or more – come along and join Luna and the Smith Goodfellow team. For those unable to make it, a virtual walk is also available.

Thinking about signing up for the Manchester Midnight Walk?

Find out more information and sign up

Here!

Happy birthday to us!

May 17, 2022 | 7:38am

Rachel McMillan sat in the hospice gardenholding a metal forget-me-not

After such an amazingly busy 50^th anniversary year in 2021, it would have been easy to think that as we celebrate our 51^st birthday, things would be quieter and that the hospice would have much less going on. But, I’m excited and pleased to say that couldn’t be further from the truth…

It’s right that anniversaries are a time to stop briefly and take stock. They are a great opportunity to look back and reflect on what’s gone well – the memories that have been created, and everything that has been achieved.

Whilst the last twelve months certainly brought plenty of challenges as we continued to care and support people during the pandemic, I couldn’t be prouder of the fact that we’ve also carried on moving forward at pace.

Teams across the hospice have continued to innovate and improve services, being brave and bold and reaching out to new communities who have historically found it harder to access palliative and end of life care.

Collaborations have been key, whether that’s staff and volunteers working hard across teams to ensure the very best, compassionate care for patients; local healthcare professionals who have worked with us to improve that care; or funders and supporters who have enabled our work to happen. It’s been an amazing year and most importantly our patients and those closest to them have remained at the heart of everything we’ve done.

Ensuring patients remain at the centre of our work is something which is driving our work in 2022 and beyond too.

Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive

As well as the evolution of our services, we have also been carrying out work to ensure our Little Hulton hospice remains fit for the future needs of patients too. We are also heading into the next half a century of care with an exciting project to build a brand new hospice in Heald Green. The new site will be on land adjacent to our current hospice there, and is being developed as our old building is no longer fit for purpose – parts are more than 150 years old and not conducive to modern hospice care.

It’s ambitious, but it’s absolutely necessary. If we don’t do this urgently, we’re in danger of having to close or reduce services in the near future. The project has been carefully planned to sit alongside our recently innovated services and wide range of community and outreach provisions, which will together mean we are able to remain an organisation of choice for people from across Greater Manchester and parts of Cheshire.

We’ll be sharing more on this exciting project in the next few months, so please watch this space.

Huge, huge, thanks for all your support over the last year, and for joining us on this exciting journey as we start the next phase of St Ann’s history.

Over the last 51 years something which has remained true is that we couldn’t do what we do without the community that supports us. Thank you so much for everything you’ve helped us achieve – and continue to help us do for our patients and their families, now and in the future too.

Want to find out more about our exciting plans for the future?

Read all about our ambitious project to create a new hospice for local people now.

Find out more now

Stockport lender donates £32k for new hospice facility

May 10, 2022 | 8:13pm

The ambitious project, which will see St Ann’s Hospice replace its current outdated building on St Ann’s Road North in Heald Green with a purpose-built modern facility on land adjacent to its current site, has received a donation of £32,000 from Together, a specialist lender based at Cheadle Royal Business Park. The funding will pay for one of the state-of-the-art counselling rooms in the new build.

At St Ann’s, our support isn’t just about physical care, it’s truly holistic, with emotional and psychological wellbeing services playing a hugely important part in the care we provide to patients and those closest to them. The counselling rooms in the new building will provide an opportunity for patients and their families, friends or carers to talk confidentially about any distress or difficulties they are experiencing. There will also be areas where we can support people when a loved one has died, giving them a comfortable and confidential space to discuss their thoughts and feelings. Demand is high for these services, and the new hospice in Heald Green will have a suite of three dedicated counselling rooms, self-contained to maintain privacy and ease of access. They will be designed to be light and airy, providing a calm and relaxed environment for the individual to be able to work through their feelings with our specialist, supportive team. We can’t thank Together enough for their amazing support. We really do appreciate it, and their generosity will make such a huge difference to the lives of local people. We’re really pleased they are happy to be part of this exciting project in our history – helping us to continue to provide world-class care right here in Greater Manchester.

Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of St Ann’s Hospice

The team from Together chose St Ann’s as charity of the year in 2020, with Covid restrictions meaning their planned fundraising activity had to be rolled over to 2021 – including a group from the organisation taking on the Great Manchester Run as part of Team St Ann’s.

The business pledged to raise £32,000 for the hospice, and topped up money raised from ongoing activities with a donation to ensure that the charity could fund one of the counselling rooms.

We’re really proud that we’ve been able to give this donation to St Ann’s to help the community around us. The hospice is close to the hearts of many of our colleagues and, as with all of Together’s other charities, we’re passionate about the work supported by our ‘Let’s Get Giving’ charity fundraising pillar. St Ann’s plans for a new facility, including the counselling suite, are impressive and will be a great asset to people in the local community affected by life-limiting illnesses.

Kevin Fisher, HR Director at Together

In addition to the counselling suite, the new hospice building will also comprise a 27-bed inpatient unit, including 21 en-suite bedrooms with access to private outdoor terraces.  The development will feature modern outpatient and day therapy services, offices, a coffee shop which will be open to the public, landscaped gardens, and improved car parking. 

The new St Ann’s Hospice building has been designed with the environment in mind, being ecologically efficient, using the latest green initiatives including a green roof, PV panelling and grey water solutions. The car park will have electric charging points and plentiful room for bicycles. 

Our current building in Heald Green is more than 150 years old and is no longer fit for purpose. If we don’t create this new facility we are at real risk of having to close services in the future. The state-of-the-art hospice will ensure we can continue to serve our local communities now and for decades to come too. Local people with life-limiting illnesses deserve the very best care, and with the kind and generous support of organisations like Together we will be able to carry on providing specialist care from right here in Stockport. We are looking forward to starting to build later this year, so are really keen to hear from any other organisations, business or individuals who might also be able to provide much-needed support. Please do get in touch as we’d love you to be part of this exciting moment in the history of care provision in Greater Manchester.

Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of St Ann’s Hospice

St Ann’s Hospice provides care from its sites in Heald Green and Little Hulton, as well as a range of community and outreach services.  It is one of the oldest and largest hospices in the UK, and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. 

Are you interested in seeing plans for our new hospice?

Find out more information

Here!

Forget-me-not 2022

May 6, 2022 | 8:06pm

Hundreds of people from across Greater Manchester will be taking part in the St Ann’s Hospice Forget-me-not Spring Appeal, which gives people the chance to reflect and celebrate the life of a loved one.

Appeal dedications are made alongside a donation to St Ann’s, with money raised helping the front-line clinical teams to continue providing specialist care to local patients. Supporters can also create an online dedication in the hospice’s online Memory Meadow if they wish.

Our annual Forget-me-not appeal is a beautiful way to come together to celebrate the lives of people we love. Anyone can take part – you don’t necessarily need to have any connection with the hospice.

It’s always incredibly moving seeing how many people join us for the appeal, and when reading their dedications and messages about family members and friends too. The kind donations supporters make when taking part in the appeal make a real difference to the hospice. We simply couldn’t continue to provide care without our local community, so can’t thank everyone enough.

Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of St Ann’s

Many people find the gardens at our hospice sites are a place of tranquillity and a space to reflect. The Forget-me-not flowers in our gardens come back every year and help us to remember people we have cared for and supported.

Nature and being outdoors is shown to help wellbeing, and outside space is so important for that. This appeal encompasses that feeling of Spring perfectly, as we look back and reflect, whilst also looking forward to the care that it will enable us to provide for people in the future too.

Please do visit our website or call the team and join us for this year’s Forget-me-not Spring Appeal, while supporting a local cause.

Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of St Ann’s

The hospice will also be holding three special Forget-me-not Spring Appeal services, for people of all faiths or none, giving an opportunity for reflection and celebration of the lives of loved ones. There will be two in-person services on 11th June – 10am at the St Ann’s Hospice site in Little Hulton, and 2pm at the hospice in Heald Green – as well as an online service which will be available online from 16th June.

Watch our virtual Forget-me-not 2022 service here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSe-vA96IYw

St Ann’s Hospice is one of the oldest and largest hospices in the UK, providing care to thousands of people every year from its sites in Little Hulton and Heald Green, as well as via a range of community and outreach services.

For more information on St Ann’s, or if you would like to take part in the Forget-me-not Spring Appeal to remember someone special

or find out more about you can attend one of the services, please call 0161 498 3631 or

Click Here!

Denise Oldfield has her sights set on the Great Manchester Run Half Marathon to raise funds for St Ann’s Hospice

May 6, 2022 | 8:03pm

In the summer of 2019, the father of Denise’s former partner, Bill Waddington, was supported by the nursing staff at St Ann’s Hospice in Heald Green, after being diagnosed with a rare brain tumour. Denise happened to be helping out in the lottery department of the hospice at the same time and would visit Bill each day after work.

I witnessed first-hand how amazing the staff and nurses were during that period and how much they cared.

A keen road runner, Denise has been pounding the pavements for the last twenty years but never met the challenging heights of a 23km half marathon. Inspired by the work of the hospice and wanting to push herself further than ever before.

I have always had it in the back of my mind to do a half marathon. The longest distance I have run is 17km; from my house in Northenden to Quarry Bank Mill in Styal and back. I want to push myself a little bit further this time round for a great cause.

Talking about what gives her the motivation to take on the run, Denise said:

I guess like many people I had my preconceptions about hospices, however all these myths were dispelled on my frequent bed-side visits to Bill in Heald Green. There is a real camaraderie between staff, patients and families. Bill was treated with such dignity whilst being cared for at St Ann’s. The hospice is widely respected in and around Greater Manchester, Stockport but also around the world. It’s evident that everybody who works there, whether office-based, nursing staff, shop managers or volunteers, all share the same vision and passion.

St Ann’s provides care for thousands of people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses every year from its hospice sites in Heald Green and Little Hulton, as well as via a range of community and outreach services. Specialist hospice staff support people from across Greater Manchester and parts of Cheshire right from the point of diagnosis of their illness, through treatment and beyond.

Thank you so much Denise for taking on this bold and brave challenge to support St Ann’s. The Great Manchester Run has been such an important fundraiser for the hospice for many years. We’re really grateful to anyone who joins Team St Ann’s – there’s an amazing atmosphere on the day, and every penny raised makes such a difference to the lives of local people. We can’t wait to see you there! Please sign up now and help support St Ann’s.

Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of St Ann’s Hospice

St Ann’s have a number of free charity places available for people wishing to run the epic 10km or half-marathon. The St Ann’s sixty in 60 challenge returns for the Great Manchester Run 2022, where the hospice challenge sixty runners to complete 10km in 60 minutes. Team members are granted free entry into the run and asked to raise a minimum of £200 in sponsorship. Runners can decide to take on the challenge or run at their own pace and can join social meet ups and training events to help them prepare for the challenge.

To sponsor Denise visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/denise-oldfield

Sign up for a free St Ann’s charity place today!!

Call 0161 498 3631 or

Click Here!

Keen walker Tom Everett and grandson to tackle the Manchester Midnight Walk!

May 3, 2022 | 4:04pm

Keen walker Tom is bravely tackling the 10-kilometre circuit of the city centre, having turned 80 just three days before the event on Friday, May 20.

He will have a heavy heart leaving Manchester Cathedral after losing his wife Carol (76) to cancer 18 months earlier.

The Sale couple had been married for 51 years and retired sales manager Tom will always cherish the beautiful poems written by his beloved wife, a tax officer.

He compiled them in a book and presented a copy to St Ann’s in Heald Green where Carol was cared for.

He even read Carol a verse from a favourite poem, entitled My God, at her hospice bedside during final precious moments together.

The beautiful thing was that after I’d read the first verse she squeezed my hand and relaxed. I didn’t even know that Carol had been writing poems since she was a teenager.

She wanted us to look after St Ann’s as they were so good to us all in the month she was there. I visited her twice a day every day with our son Andrew and they were brilliant.

Carol was a wonderful person and I was astonished she accepted my invitation to go out on a date all those years ago. I thought I must be in a queue! She had steely determination.

Tom Everett

The couple’s daughter Rachel died of cancer in 2004, aged 31.

Matthew, a pupil at Wellington School, Timperley, is excited by the walk.

I’m sure it’s going to be fairly tough for my grandad, but he walks every day and I’ll be there every step of the way to support him.

Tom’s grandson, Matthew

The moonlit walk, starting and ending at Manchester Cathedral from midnight, costs £19 to enter, £11 for under 18s. For those unable to make it, a virtual walk is £10 and £5.

Fancy joining Tom at the Manchester Midnight Walk?

Find out more information on how to sign up…

Click here!

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