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HOSPICES OF HOPE
EDITION 25 NEWSLETTER
March 2016
FEATURED ARTICLES:
NEW PATRON
MEALS INITIATIVE
A NEW HOSPICE FOR
SERBIA
COULD YOUR CHURCH
HELP?
SMILE OF HAPPINESS
Message from the Executive Director
Dear Supporters
It is hard to believe that almost 25 years
have passed since a small group of us
agreed to raise money to help terminally
ill patients in Romania. Every journey has
a beginning and it is amazing to think of
those first small steps and where they
have led.
During our “Silver” anniversary year I
hope that we will be able to retrace
some of those steps together and
celebrate the milestones along the way.
I am amazed when I think back and
remember so many people I have had
the privilege of meeting during all these
years; patients, staff, volunteers,
supporters - so many kind, generous
and inspiring people.
If you are reading this and are one of
them, thank you so much! Without your
help the journey would have not have
come this far, but thankfully it is still
continuing and more and more
terminally ill patients in South East
Europe are getting the help they need.
2016 marks our 25th Anniversary
of pioneering hospice care in
South East Europe. We need your
help to do “Something Silver” for
our patients suffering from a
terminal or life-limiting illness.
Mother Theresa once said “The dying,
the unwanted, the unloved, they are
Jesus in disguise.” It is such a privilege
to be involved in this work. I hope that
you will help us make this 25th
anniversary year a special one and that
you will continue to make the journey
with us.
Sincerely,
Graham Perolls
Executive Director
SOMETHING
SILVER
Please read the card enclosed and sign up today!
For more information please visit www.hospicesofhope.co.uk/something-silver
CREATE A SILVER LINING
for the terminally ill. Help make a difference.
Making a difference in
South East Europe...
New Patron
Although our mission started in Romania we were encouraged to reach out to other
countries in the region. We now help terminally ill patients and their families in
Serbia, the Republic of Moldova and, more recently, the tiny country of Slovenia. In
the future we would like to extend our work to patients in Albania. We hold restricted
funds for all of these countries, as we recognise that some of our donors would like
to support a specific country or project, and this is always respected. Here is a brief
roundup from these countries and our partner organisations.
ROMANIA
HOSPICE Casa Sperantei
HOSPICE Casa Sperantei is the leading
provider of hospice care in the region
and has a special focus on education. Its
training centres in Brasov and Bucharest
run courses in hospice and palliative
care throughout the year, not just for
Romanians but also for medical
professionals from 17 different countries
in Central and Eastern Europe. A new
in-patient hospice was inaugurated in
Bucharest in 2014, 12 years after the
first one was opened in Brasov. Only 7%
of patients in Romania requiring hospice
services receive help.
Emanuel Hospice
Emanuel Hospice serves the city of
Oradea and surrounding area in North
West Romania. It offers home care
services and is currently building an
in-patient hospice on land that was
donated by the local council.
SERBIA
BELhospice
BELhospice is still the only charity in
Serbia dedicated to hospice care. It
started in 2005 with just one doctor and
has since grown into a multi-disciplinary
home care team that provides home
care to patients in the capital, Belgrade.
In a very exciting development, a
property has recently been acquired with
a view to establishing the first in-patient
unit in the country.
Dr Mary Baines OBE has recently
retired as a Trustee, having been
involved with Hospices of Hope from
its inception. However, she has
agreed to become a Patron of the
charity. Mary has had a long and
distinguished career in the hospice
movement, having joined Dame
Cicely Saunders soon after she
started the first modern hospice in
the UK, St Christopher’s in
Sydenham, South East London in
1967. She pioneered the first hospice
home care service and has travelled
all over the world to support the
development of hospice care.
REPUBLIC OF
MOLDOVA
HOSPICE Angelus
HOSPICE Angelus was founded in 2002
in the capital, Chisinau, by a group of
volunteer doctors. Hospices of Hope
was able to partner with it in 2008 and
establish a palliative care home care
team, firstly for adults and subsequently
for children. The team also runs a
service for stoma patients, and is able to
distribute stoma bags to patients from
across the country who would otherwise
go without.
SLOVENIA
Ljubhospice
Ljubhospice opened its doors in the
capital, Ljubljana, in February this year.
Prior to this, the only hospice in the
country had to close due to lack of
funding. The main need here is for
advocacy and technical expertise and
Hospices of Hope was asked to help.
New Event: Do you want to take
part in a ‘Silver Swim’ for
Hospices of Hope?
We are delighted to announce that we have 5 places available for Swim
Serpentine, a brand new open water one mile long swim to be staged in the
Serpentine, Hyde Park on 24th September 2016. This is the first time this event
has been open to the public in Hyde Park after the triathlon took place here in the
London 2012 Olympics!
If you would like to be involved in this fantastically unique event then please
contact [email protected] | 01959 5252110.
Mary Baines OBE at her last meeting
with fellow trustees of Hospices of Hope.
Mary was present at the very first
hospice conference in Romania in
1992 and has made a huge
contribution to the charity ever since.
Graham Perolls said “We have been
hugely privileged to have Mary on
the Board for the past 15 years and
personally, I have benefitted
enormously from her constant
support and encouragement. I know
that she, and her husband Ted, will
continue to take an interest in the
development of hospice care in
South East Europe.”
Farewell to
Alex Bache
Alex Bache has recently left the
charity after nearly 8 years of service.
We thank Alex for the very valuable
contribution he has made and wish
him well with his new role as
Operations Manager at Busoga
Trust, which provides safe water and
improved sanitation to rural
communities in Uganda.
Meals Initiative
Award winning
window!
“This project provides healthy, home
cooked food to families struggling to
care for terminally ill family members.
It started over a year ago and relies on a
group of dedicated volunteers. Every
month, a team of 25 volunteers prepares
and freezes family-sized meals. The
meals are generally of the ‘one-pot’
variety and contain a mix of vegetables,
a form of protein (either meat, beans,
fish or cheese) and carbohydrates. They
are then collected by Mihai Paparega, a
dedicated volunteer, who spends
several hours each month collecting and
dropping off trays of food at the
Hospice.
Most of our cooks are from the expat
community here in Bucharest. Although
several of our volunteers moved away
during the summer, we were fortunate
that more volunteers came forward and
Some of the volunteers who are part of the
meals initiative project.
we have been able to maintain the
number of cooks at 25 so that 100 trays
of food are provided each month.
It is a truly rewarding way to be involved
in the work of the Hospice. Many
volunteers enjoy donating their time and
this project enables volunteers to do this
in a way that is possible to fit around
their own busy lives!”
Rowena Gerber
HOSPICE Casa Sperantei Volunteer
Our Faversham charity shop won
the best dressed window in the
charity shop category during the
Hop Festival 2015. Why not visit this
excellent, spacious Hospices of
Hope store that boasts good quality
furniture, designer clothes, a lovely
tearoom and picture gallery?
A New Hospice for Serbia
One of our nurses visiting a patient at home
BELhospice’s mission is to provide the
best possible quality of life for terminally
ill cancer patients in Belgrade. During its
first 10 years the organisation
concentrated entirely on the
development of home care services. In
the next decade it will broaden its focus
through the development of in-patient
hospice services. This will start with the
opening of the first specialist in-patient
hospice in Belgrade by the end of 2017.
Living Area (Day Centre)
There is a strong need for a facility of
this type. Serbia has a population of 7.5
million. Cancer is the second highest
cause of death in the country with more
than 30,000 new cancer diagnoses and
over 20,000 cancer related deaths per
year. With a population of 2 million in
Belgrade, around 200 in-patient hospice
beds* are required in the city.
(*according to World Health
Organization guidelines).
Serbia does not currently have a
specialist hospice for terminally ill
patients providing multi-disciplinary
holistic care. With this project we hope
to change that and become a future
Centre of Excellence for the whole
country by building a teaching unit with
12 beds in the capital.
approximately 800sqm that could
accommodate our current offices and
education centre as well as additional
services such as a day care centre and
out-patient clinic. A purpose-built wing
with 12 beds will be added behind the
building. The site also provides space
for parking and a garden area for
patients.
A campaign to raise £1.1 million has
been launched in Serbia headed by a
group of Honorary Patrons which
include the Ambassadors of Belgium,
the United Kingdom and Canada. It is
also hoped to establish an Honorary
Patrons group in London in the Spring.
In-patient units, which require 24 hour a
day staffing, are more expensive to run
than mobile teams, but are needed to
demonstrate good practice and deal
with more complicated cases. There is
also a strong economic case for building
a hospice, as currently many terminally
ill patients are admitted to the Clinical
Centre and other acute hospitals, which
are more expensive to run and bed
blocking can occur.
Following an extensive search we have
found a site of approximately 2,500 sqm
that would be ideal for the in-patient
hospice. The site includes a building of
Exterior of the House
Could your
Church help to
raise funds for
Hospices of Hope?
Christmas Appeal
- Thank You
Our Christmas Appeal 2015 raised
over £30,000! We are so grateful to
everyone who generously donated to
the cause and wrote encouraging
messages and prayers for our
patients. We really appreciate your
kindness and support.
Two local Churches did just that last
year in very different ways.
In 2015 Emmanuel United Reform
Church, West Wickham chose Hospices
of Hope to be their ‘Charity of the Year’.
They invited a speaker from Hospices of
Hope to one of their Sunday morning
services to speak about the work of the
charity. They also displayed information
about our work in their Church.
Emmanuel Church raised a total of
£1,715 at their summer fete in July and
from their Christmas day service
offering.
Members of Avenue Baptist Church,
Beckenham raised £500 for Hospices of
Hope through a number of different
fundraising events held during the year.
This included cooking and serving a
wonderful supper for other members of
the Church, as well as a toy, book and
cake sale.
These different fundraising activities are
just a few ways that local Churches are
supporting the work of Hospices of
Hope. Church fundraising means that
‘Some of the members of Avenue Baptist
Church, Beckenham who helped raise
funds through a number of different
fundraising events’.
Stoma bags
transform lives
“I have been helping with medical
supplies for four years. We receive
regular supplies of 2 to 3 pallets a
month, coming to our Dartford
warehouse. It is satisfying that there are
over 1,500 stoma patients in Moldova
for whom these supplies of pouches are
a life transformer. Without them, they
might be using a plastic bag from the
supermarket to collect waste. I haven’t
been to Moldova, but I have been to the
Brasov hospice in Romania and the
opening of the new Bucharest hospice.
It is particularly moving to meet the
Emmanuel Summer Fete promoting the
work of Hospices of Hope and selling
yummy jams!
more and more people are learning
about the charity and are promising to
pray regularly for our work.
If your Church would like a someone to
come and speak about the work of
Hospices of Hope or if you would like to
hold a fund raising event for the charity,
please contact Carole Ford on
01959 525110
[email protected]
Marilyn Boggust
Trustee of Hospices of Hope
Romanians providing palliative care to
the charity's patients. For the future I
would love to see a regular supply of
materials to ensure care for our patients;
a set of more industrial weighing scales;
and strength to lift all the boxes without
getting a hernia!”
Andrew Alford
Hospices of Hope Volunteer
Andrew (far right) with fellow volunteers
Ian (left) and Steve (middle) at the
Distribution Centre.
Two patients from our in-patient unit
reading some of the messages and
prayers from our supporters.
Have a look at our new
all-in-one donation
form envelope!
Please use this to send donations
and forms direct to our head office.
We hope you like the new design.
Summer Trips 2016 places still available
We still have place for YOU to make a
difference this summer. Why don't you
volunteer at one of summer trips and
help our child patients and their families
directly?
“ All I can say is: ‘Thank you and it was
sensational! We needed a vacation. Of
course I couldn’t afford it but thanks to
you, the people from hospice, my kids
saw the seaside this year. The location
was, as my little son said: ‘We have
arrived in paradise!’. The food was more
than enough. Sun, sea and fun. The
hospice staff were very friendly and the
UK volunteers were loved by all the
children. The activities stimulated and
relaxed at the same time. Thank you
very much and we love you!” Mother of
a Hospice child patient.
Smile of
happiness
COME AND JOIN OUR
VOLUNTEER TEAM
Bucharest Holiday Club
24th June - 2nd July
Brasov Seaside Club
2nd - 10th July
Brasov Holiday Club
28th July - 6th August
Brasov Summer Camp
4th - 14th August
Bucharest Summer Camp
18th - 28th August
If you would like to be part of one of these exciting trips,
please contact Anna 01959 525110 | [email protected]
www.hospicesofhope.co.uk/overseas-volunteers/
Ana Maria and her mother enjoying some
respite care at the seaside with Hospice in
2015
Scotland gets
into the “Spirit of
Romania” with
glittering black
tie ball
The inaugural Hospices of Hope “Spirit
of Romania” Ball in Edinburgh was a
huge success. Held on Friday 2nd
October 2015 at the stunning Waldorf
Astoria - The Caledonian, 160 guests
attended the black tie event, which was
raising money for the charity’s newly
built hospice in Romania’s capital,
Bucharest.
“My name is Ana Maria, I am 25 years
old and have a spinal tumour. I’ve been
a Hospice patient for six years now. I’m
very happy about the way they deal with
my care and the treatment I’m getting.
Because of the Hospice team I see life
differently and I am more optimistic,
despite the fact that I am in a
wheelchair.
Guests enjoyed a ceilidh to end the evening!
The Master of Ceremonies for the
evening was Edinburgh’s very own Willie
Hunter who added his usual touch of
humour to the proceedings.
Sisters Ancuta and Roxana Nite,
renowned pianist and soprano
respectively, delighted guests with their
music. Our silent auction was very
successful and the evening raised an
incredible £21,500 for the charity.
The beautiful Waldorf Astoria ready to be
filled with supporters for a great evening
raising precious funds.
Welcomed by a string quartet and
champagne reception, guests were then
treated to a beautiful dinner before
hearing about the work of the charity
from founder and Executive Director,
Graham Perolls.
Scotland Fundraising Co-ordinator
Pamela Newby said: “We are absolutely
delighted at the success of our first
major event here in Scotland and our
thanks go to all the guests and auction
prize donors for their amazing support.
This money will go such a long way to
helping us care for our terminally-ill
patients in Romania. We look forward to
hosting the event again in 2016.”
Only because of Hospice I was able to
see the sea for the first time in my life.
I’ve really enjoyed the beach holiday this
year, the holiday club and the activities
the British team had put together for us.
I’d like to thank them again for the
smiles they put on the children’s faces.
I’d like to extend a special thank you to
those living abroad (outside Romania)
who think about us and all the doctors
for their constant care. Because of all
their efforts I’m feeling better now. I
come to the Hospice with great
pleasure, coming here makes me more
optimistic and I leave home with positive
thoughts.
One more thing now about the British
team: they’re absolutely wonderful and
every year I’ve been learning something
new from them.”
Ana Maria
Patient of HOSPICE Casa Sperantei
since 2010
Events Calendar:
Sunday
29th May
Thursday
9th June
at 12:00
Monday
13th June
at 12:00
Edinburgh Marathon
The Edinburgh Marathon
is Scotland’s largest
running festival with over
30,000 runners expected
to take part in 2016. With
7 races on offer over two
days including the
marathon, half marathon,
team relay, 10k, 5k and
junior races, there really is
something for everyone!
Hospices of Hope is
delighted to have charity
places available for the
2016 event, so please
contact us if you would
like to discuss a
guaranteed place.
Ladies Lunch with
Eurobe Fashion
Rowhill Grange Hotel,
Kent, BR8 7SQ
Join us for a delicious,
seasonal luncheon
followed by a fashion
show featuring the latest
labels from Eurobe
Womenswear.
Ticket: £29.00 per person
to include an arrival drink,
two course luncheon with
a glass of wine & coffee
with mint chocolates.
Ladies Lunch with Tea
Expert and Tasting
Alexander House, East
Grinstead, RH10 4QD
Join us for a luxurious
ladies lunch. Tea expert,
Alex Probyn from Blends
for Friends will be sharing
his wealth of experience
about tea. He will
demonstrate some of the
skills of a tea taster by
talking through an
informal, fun tea tasting
session.
Ticket: £29.00 per person
to include an arrival drink,
two course luncheon with
a glass of wine & coffee
with mint chocolates.
Sunday
31st July
Saturday
24th September
Saturday
1st October
Thursday
10th November
at 12:00
Ride London
We still have one place left
to take part in the
Prudential RideLondon Surrey100 2016. This is a
unique opportunity to
become part of cycling
history and ride through a
100-mile modified version
of the London 2012
Olympic Road Race whilst
raising much needed
money for Hospices of
Hope. We ask you to raise
a minimum of £500
sponsorship, in return you
will gain race day entry,
HofH Team t-shirt and
your very own fundraising
pack to help you raise the
money.
Swim Serpentine
Hyde Park, London
Hospices of Hope is
delighted to have 5 charity
places available for this
unique event, so please
contact us if you would
like to discuss a
guaranteed place. We ask
you to raise a minimum of
£250 sponsorship + £25
registration fee, in return
you will gain race day
entry, HofH Team t-shirt
and your very own
fundraising pack to help
you raise the money.
Edinburgh Ball - Save the
date!
Our second Edinburgh Ball
will be held on Friday 2nd
October at Prestonfield
House Edinburgh. Further
details will follow, but for
now, please save the date!
Ladies Lunch with
Temple Spa
Rowhill Grange Hotel,
Kent, BR8 7SQ
Liz Warom, owner of
Temple Spa will be sharing
her wealth of experience in
the spa & beauty industry,
after a sumptuous festive
lunch.
Ticket: £29.00 per person
to include an arrival drink,
two course luncheon with
a glass of wine & coffee
with mint chocolates.
Saturday
19th November
at 19:00
Monday
5th December
at 12:00
Monday
12th December
at 09:30
Christmas Craft Market
Bessels Green Baptist
Church, Kent, TN13 2PS
Come and try your hand at
making some Christmas
presents and decorations,
whilst chilling out with a
glass of mulled wine and
delicious Christmas
nibbles.
Ticket: £15 per person to
include at least 3 crafts
and refreshments.
Ladies Lunch - Save the
date!
Alexander House, East
Grinstead, RH10 4QD
Guest speaker to be
confirmed but please put
the date in your diary!
Ticket: £29.00 per person
to include an arrival drink,
two course luncheon with
a glass of wine & coffee
with mince pies.
Christmas Wreath
Workshop
Bessels Green Baptist
Church Hall, TN13 2PS
£30.00 per person to
include coffee and mince
pies on arrival followed by
lunch. All materials are
supplied but please bring
your own secateurs and
gloves.
Please note that more
events will be added
to the calendar so
please keep checking
our website!
Tickets for any of the above events can be booked through our secure website
http://www.hospicesofhope.co.uk/2016-calendar/ or alternatively please contact
Amy / Anna on 01959 525110 / [email protected]