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Theme: Staff and volunteers

Our Autumn Fair will raise money for the new hospice

September 22, 2023 | 4:40pm

We are hosting an Autumn Fair on Saturday 30th September to raise money for our Build It Together campaign.

Bring along your friends and family to St Ann’s Hospice’s Heald Green site between 12-3pm for all the fun of the fair!

Organised by our volunteer committee on behalf of St Ann’s, the Autumn Fair is helping to raise vital funds towards our Build It Together new hospice appeal.


We’ve all laughed so much on the committee as the weeks have gone by and made a great team. Everyone has been so accommodating and each person seems to have certain things they bring to the table.


Lisa Cartlitch, Volunteer Treasurer

The fair will be a family fun afternoon with stalls, plants, refreshments and licensed bar, games and bouncy castle and fire brigade.

Tracey Yarwood is the Secretary of the committee and has been volunteering for six years at the hospice.


I’ve really enjoyed helping at the previous summer and Christmas fairs, so I was excited to be working with the other volunteers on this fair. I enjoy being part of a team on the committee that’s going to raise money to help the hospice’s new build. We hope this fair will be a great success and we can start planning our next one!


Tracey Yarwood, Volunteer Secretary

Another volunteer on the committee, Dushyant Mehta, speaks highly of St Ann’s, which is a charity close to his heart.


I have been a volunteer for St Ann’s Hospice for more than 12 years. The connection I have with the hospice grew much stronger since the last two years when my wife was at Heald Green for end-of-life care. Over that period, I found along with my family that the care and support of the staff was extraordinary, they have treated my family and myself as one family which I’ll never forget and continue to do so even now. I enjoy being on the committee as everyone is like-minded who are focussed on the project ahead of them. I’m glad I am able to give back and help St Ann’s Hospice raise as much money as they can for the welfare and care of all its patients.


Dushyant Mehta, Committee Volunteer

Entry to the Autumn Fair is free, so bring as many of your friends and family along to see what’s on offer!

St Ann’s Hospice excited to join Manchester Pride Parade for first time

August 18, 2023 | 1:49pm

St Ann’s Hospice are delighted to announce that they will participating in the Manchester Pride Parade for the first time this year on Saturday 26th August.

We have a walking entry in the iconic parade, which follows a route from Castlefield through Manchester city centre, ending near Piccadilly. Staff and volunteers from across the hospice will be taking part to represent St Ann’s, alongside supporters of the hospice and some representatives from partner organisations.


At St Ann’s Hospice we believe in pride and dignity in life and death. No matter who you are or who you love, we care for everyone in our communities right across Greater Manchester.

We firmly believe that love knows no boundaries, and we are resolute in our promise to provide unwavering support, if you ever need us.


Paul Jarvis, Director of Business Development, St Ann’s Hospice

St Ann’s walkers will be wearing t-shirts and holding banners bearing their message, and their entry will pumping out some classic pride hits along the route.

There are many events that are taking place in the Gay Village across the weekend, with the Parade happening on Saturday 26th August. The Parade encompasses thousands of LGBTQ+ people and their allies who all march together through the city centre.

St Ann’s Hospice will also have a stall on Monday 28th August in the Community Lane area of the Manchester Pride festival. Resources will be available that St Ann’s have developed, giving advice on palliative care for the LGBTQ+ community and how to reduce the specific barriers they face.

Manchester Pride is the latest Pride event in the calendar for St Ann’s Hospice, who this year have also had a presence at Stockport Pride, Salford Pride and Trans Pride Manchester.

Heidi McIntyre, Palliative Care Coordinator at St Ann’s, spoke on a panel at one of Trans Pride Manchester’s events on Saturday 12th August. She said: “Over the last 18 months I’ve been co-delivering St Ann’s Hospice’s Inequalities Workshop to St Ann’s staff and external health and social care colleagues, which includes a focus on the experiences of LGBTQ+ communities within palliative and end-of-life care.”


Services often focus on LGBTQ+ communities as a collective, however each community experiences quite specific barriers. For trans and gender-diverse people this is especially true, so having a presence at the first Trans Pride in Manchester felt particularly important for us and what we’re trying to achieve.


Heidi McIntyre, Palliative Care Coordinator, St Ann’s Hospice

The presence at local Pride events is the latest step in St Ann’s journey in building relationships with groups that have traditionally faced inequity in palliative care, to ensure that they are a fully inclusive organisation. Over the last year, this work has also encompassed delivering the Inequalities training workshops, working with the homeless community, and working with the LGBT Foundation on projects including the development of LGBTQ+-specific palliative care resources and Advance Care Planning workshops.

Suzanne Willians is one of the staff members taking part in the Manchester Pride Parade this year. She works in the hospice’s inpatient unit at its site in Heald Green.


I’ve worked at St Ann’s Hospice for nearly 30 years and feel privileged to represent the inclusive care we give to all our patients. It’s important to reach out to LGBTQ+ community to show that St Ann’s Hospice cares. I’m looking forward to being part of this important day in Manchester.


Suzanne Willians, Heald Green Inpatient Unit, St Ann’s Hospice

If you would like to walk with St Ann’s Hospice at the Manchester Pride Parade, or if you have any feedback or ideas to share about how St Ann’s could support the LGBTQ+ community further, please email communications@sah.org.uk.

First Audit and QI Seminar at St Ann’s a great success

June 27, 2023 | 1:39pm

The first annual Audit and Quality Improvement Seminar was held at St Ann’s Heald Green Hospice on Wednesday 21st June.

The event was organised by Katherine Lamb, Quality and Governance Lead, and Consultant Dr Lesley Henson. There were five presentations and 12 posters showcasing the clinical audit and QI work at the hospice over the last 12 months.

The presentations were from Dr Sarah Clelland, Fran Brown, Dr Ben Anderson, Jennifer Forsyth and Dr Roisin Porteous.

The posters and presentations were judged by a panel made up of Medical Director Dr Dave Waterman, Heald Green Ward Manager Louise Pinney, and Trustee Melanie Ogden.

The winners of the Best Poster were Fran Brown, Emma Barclay and Emma Dixon for their poster ‘How a rehabilitative approach helped us to transform patient outcomes and our hospice culture.’

The winner of the Best Oral Presentation was Dr Ben Anderson for his presentation ‘Using simulation training to improve management of opioid induced respiratory depression in the hospice setting: a quality improvement project’.

Katherine said: “We are always looking for ways to improve and develop our services and strive to provide the best possible care for our patients. The seminar was a great opportunity for clinicians and other colleagues from across the hospice to come together, review some of the amazing quality improvement projects carried out over the last 12 months and share best practice and ideas.”

Feedback after the event was very positive with one attendee saying: “Really motivating and inspiring to see what has been done.” Other feedback praised the session for being “educational and forward thinking.”

Volunteers’ Week 2023

June 7, 2023 | 9:10pm

Volunteers’ Week runs 1st-7th June, and this annual celebration is a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities.

St Ann’s Hospice would like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing volunteers who support us in so many ways. We simply could not continue to provide our care without their help and we are extremely grateful to each and every one of them for their support.

We’re shining a spotlight on just a few of our team of incredible volunteers to celebrate them this Volunteers’ Week.


My favourite thing about volunteering is seeing the variety of items people donate – it’s really interesting. I would recommend volunteering at St Ann’s to anyone, and I have done! My husband is going to start at the shop as well.


Sheena, Volunteer, Distribution Centre


At the time I signed up I was suffering from chronic fatigue and needed purpose. I wanted to give something back to the community.


Tracey, Volunteer, Distribution Centre

Read Sheena & Tracey’s story here.


I volunteer to help the hospice and also increase my knowledge and learn about eBay, so it’s two-fold. I would really recommend volunteering to meet people. It’s better than staying in! Plus you get the knowledge and new skills – you might become an eBay millionaire through learning at St Ann’s!


Jeff, Volunteer, Online Sales Team

Read Jeff’s story here.


Early retirement has given me the time and opportunity to volunteer, including supporting the Fundraising Team in their ongoing Build It Together campaign, as well as being a volunteer driver for the Being You Centre. I hope that supportive role can further evolve as building works for the new hospice begin, allowing me to share in the St Ann’s journey at this most exciting time.


Graham, Volunteer

Read Graham’s story here.


I needed to do something moving forward and decided to give back to St Ann’s after they cared for my mum. I’d never worked in a shop before, but I like meeting people, talking to them and having a joke with them. I get on with the team and get a real reward out of doing it.


Ian, Volunteer, Sale shop

Could you volunteer at St Ann’s?

You’ll be challenged, inspired, and empowered to help us achieve our purpose and to play your part in making a difference.

We’re currently looking for volunteers across the organisation in our shops, Online Sales Team, Fundraising Team and in our hospices. Find out more here.

Volunteering at St Ann’s

Find out more information about all of our current volunteering opportunities.

Find out more




Fiona wins bronze award at the British Journal of Nursing Awards

July 1, 2022 | 11:43am

Fiona, a lymphoedema specialist at St Ann’s Hospice, collected a bronze award at the British Journal of Nursing Awards 2022.

The honour took her by surprise as she was even unaware she had been nominated and she is not actually a nurse, her prize coming in the Chronic Oedema Nurse of the Year category.

Fiona, who is also affiliated to Macmillan in her role as a palliative care specialist, has treated patients at Heald Green and Little Hulton in nine years at St Ann’s.


I feel slightly embarrassed by the award, but it’s nice to get the recognition for our lymphoedema work and, if anything, it highlights how important our services are.

I love my job and making a difference to people who might have been searching for treatments over a long time to help them manage their condition. It’s an under-staffed and under-resourced service in this country.

More people than you think suffer from lymphoedema, which can lead to other problems like wounds, infections and sepsis.

“People with cancer can experience lymphoedema, but it can also be congenital or occur due to other conditions such as vascular problems and cellulitis.

It limits what people can do in their life. One lady I treated recently had swollen ankles and couldn’t get her shoes back on after not going outdoors for two years in the pandemic. After three weeks of treatment, she was able to send us a photo of her at her local restaurant.
People are grateful there’s a service out there which helps them get a better quality of life.


Fiona Sanderson

Lymphoedema is a swelling caused by an impaired lymphatic system and affects any part of the body. Most common areas are arms or legs, but the head, neck, breast, abdomen and genital area can also be affected. It is estimated that lymphoedema affects between 263,000-422,000 people in the UK

Support for you

When you’re living with a life-limiting illness, you can experience physical, psychological, emotional or social issues which mean that you don’t quite feel like you.

The Being You Centre at St Ann’s is here to help you get back to feeling like yourself again.

Find out about The Being You Centre




Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2022

May 31, 2022 | 3:55pm

So many people across Greater Manchester selflessly give their time to help others.  I’m proud to be part of a community – and city – that has so many individuals who are passionate about making a difference.  

This week, as the UK marks Volunteers’ Week (1 – 7 June), I’d like to thank and celebrate the hundreds of volunteers who support St Ann’s Hospice.   

We have more than 600 volunteers who share their expertise, time and skills, supporting us in so many different ways.  

From our hospice shops and fundraising events and activities, to running our cafés and supporting clinical staff on our wards, we’ve benefitted from the generosity of volunteers for so many years. 

They give many thousands of hours between them each year, and some have been volunteering for an incredible 50 years or more.  We simply couldn’t carry on providing our specialist palliative and end of life care without their support.   

We’re hugely grateful and I’d like to say a big thank you to each and every one of them. I’d also like to thank all of the other people across our fantastic city who selflessly volunteer their time to help others too.  

You’re all amazing.  Thank you. 

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 50th anniversary year in 2021, it would have been easy to think that as we celebrate our 51st 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




A big thank you to our nurses for International Nurses Day!

May 10, 2022 | 9:14pm


Thanks to all of the incredible hospice nurses who chose to work at St Ann’s Hospice, for their hard work, commitment, expertise and compassion. On this day we celebrate the amazing contribution that our nurses make to the lives of so many patients and their families, and thank them for their contribution.
As a nurse, and Director of Clinical Services at St Ann’s Hospice, I am proud of our team, and to work in organisation which invests in nursing, their development, their well-being and their growth.



Emma Dixon, Director of Clinical Services