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The new-look Sunflower Living Well Centre

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

The new-look Sunflower Living Well Centre at East Cheshire Hospice is already reaping rewards for patients and staff.

The £1.3m facility opened four months ago and is a vital community hub for healthcare.

An extensive range of services is available for day care patients diagnosed with a life limiting illness with more programmes on the way. Many patients can get involved with the arts and crafts that the activity coordinator provides.

Modern surroundings can be adapted for courses, enhancing the visitor experience.

Exactly how health care professionals envisaged it when plans were drawn up.

Sunflower Sister Sharon Hurley said: “Everyone is delighted with how we’ve settled into our new home. It’s a fantastic facility and most importantly provides the best possible environment for our patients and staff.

Sharon Hurley, Sister at the Sunflower Living Well Centre.

“It’s not often you go to a place where everything is brand spanking new. Everywhere is lovely, fresh and bright with reclining chairs that have pressure relief cushions and bifold doors which give patients access to the garden.

“I must admit we had to get savvy with all the gadgets, but we have piped music which means we could have ABBA in the dining room and Queen in the main room.

“We’ve become quite techy and it’s lovely to have a larger nurses’ station where we are situated near the patients.

The main lounge at the centre.

“The kitchen and dining room are in dementia friendly colours, and we love the glass corridor which avoids interrupting patients during their visit.

“There’s a quiet room with its calming environment. We can divide up the main room to hold separate activities.

“It’s still early days as we get things implemented. For instance, we may bring in volunteers to run activities at Halloween or Christmas.”

Staff mark the opening of the Sunflower Living Well Centre in April.

The extra capacity means the Hospice has started hosting stand-alone courses with the Look Good Feel Better charity.

Volunteers from the beauty and wellbeing industry offer advice remotely to cancer patients via a giant screen on the third Friday of every month, which is held here in the Sunflower living well centre.

The Sunflower centre have worked with the Macmillan cancer resource centre in Macclesfield who refer for these one-off sessions.

Leaflets are found within the Macclesfield area and on the Hospice website. Participants receive a goodie bag of products and courses for men will hopefully run in the future.

There is also a six-week Live Well Feel Well programme aimed at anyone living and coping with the effects of their illness and treatments.

There are multiple services including topics such as breathlessness, fatigue, anxiety, complementary therapies, befriending, art therapy, counselling, lymphoedema, physiotherapy, dementia support, motor neurone support, staying strong and keeping safe.

* Contact the Sunflower centre on 01625 665685 for full details.

Lucas Jackson is tackling the Three Peaks Challenge

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Scaling the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales within the space of 24 hours is the challenge facing Lucas Jackson.

Spurring him on will be the memory of his mum Annalisa who died of cancer in January, aged 52.

Lucas Jackson with mum Annalisa.

Lucas, from Macclesfield, has already raised more than £2,200 for East Cheshire Hospice where his mum spent her final days.

Lucas is tackling the Three Peaks Challenge with close friend Ben Dewe this weekend (Aug 3-4).

Lucas’ dad Simon will drive the pair on their adventure which starts at Ben Nevis and is followed by Scafell and then Snowdon.

Lucas during his Snowdon climb last year.

Annalisa, an accountant based in Manchester, died within weeks of diagnosis.

Lucas, an apprentice engineer, said: “Mum was the best person ever and it was a great shock to lose her. It all happened so quickly.

“The care she received at the Hospice was amazing and this is my way of thanking them for looking after her and many others.

“I climbed Snowdon and Scafell last year, so Ben Nevis is the only peak I’ve not visited but doing them at once is completely different.

“Thankfully dad has volunteered to drive so we can focus on the walking.

“Ben and I enjoy going to the gym and walk a lot so we’re quite active, but it’ll be tough, especially within a 24-hour target.

“I think I might book a few days off work afterwards.”

* To sponsor Lucas visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/lucas-jackson-3peaks

Deputy Matron Remembered on Hospice Memory Tree

Posted on by Luke Brightmore

A pioneering nurse who was there when East Cheshire Hospice opened is remembered on the Hospice’s Memory Tree.

Deputy matron Jean Stevenson described her time on the Hospice ward as the ‘jewel of her nursing career.’

Jean died last December, aged 83, just four months after losing her husband Christopher who was 77.

Jean was a key part of the Hospice’s development. She spent five and a half years on the staff from 1988 after spotting an advertisement for the role of assistant head of nursing.

It was her last job in a nursing career which spanned more than 30 years.

Son Simon said: “Mum adored the Hospice – there’s no two ways about it. She regarded it as a privilege to work there and made some lifelong friends.

“I don’t think it was a job to her, but something she did naturally. She spoke about her role with such warmth and held the Hospice in high esteem.

Hospice staff from times gone by

* Flashback to the Hospice early days. Jean Stevenson (third from right, front row) with Claire Jones (second from right, back row).

“She enjoyed working with a collection of highly skilled staff who had the right temperament and created an atmosphere of warmth and happiness with a desire to help people out.

“Mum was heavily involved in the church. Our parents had a strong faith and the bereavement aspect had a big part in her role and outlook on things.”

Family friend Randall Gray, who lives in Florida, bought a leaf dedicated to the couple’s memory.

Simon and brother David – they also have an older brother Michael – visited the Memory Tree where they met Claire Jones, a nursing colleague of Jean.

Simon said: “I now live in Abersoch and returning to the Hospice back brought a lot of memories. We were given a tour and as soon as we saw Claire recognised her and gave her a hug.

“Mum kept in touch with the Hospice when she retired and was keen on fundraising.

“We were blown away that Randall, whom we met on a family holiday when we were young, wanted to buy a leaf. We had no idea he was doing it.

“The Memory Tree has rekindled our connection with the Hospice and is a wonderful legacy of our mum’s involvement.”

The metal tree is in the gardens behind the main Hospice building. Subscription is £10 a month or £120 for a year.

Stevenson Family

* To sign up to the Memory Tree visit www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/memory-tree.

For queries, contact amy.williams@echospice.org.uk or call 01625 665688.

Coming back to East Cheshire Hospice was like coming home

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Coming back to East Cheshire Hospice was like coming home … a quote from mum Georgia Leah reflecting on her husband Leon’s final journey.

It is 16 months since Leon, a drayman at Wincle Brewery, died from pancreatic cancer, aged 53.

His pain was so bad he was readmitted to the Hospice within 48 hours of going home following a three-week inpatient stay.

Wife Georgia is courageously sharing the couple’s story to raise awareness of how much the Hospice cares for patients like her late husband.

Ruby Leah takes on a nursing role to help her dad.

Georgia features in an emotional video produced by the Hospice and shared with supporters.

The little star of the film is three-year-old daughter Ruby who fell in love with the nurses, even helping them care for her doting dad.

Georgia said: “Leon was an amazing dad. He was so hands-on and loved spending time with Ruby.

Georgia, Ruby and Leon.  

“He started to feel pain six months after she was born and it reached the stage where he couldn’t even play with her or read her a story.

“A Macmillan nurse suggested pain management at the Hospice and he was reluctant to go in at first.

“Then he agreed to give it a try. He had his own room and Ruby loved it. That settled Leon and he felt better.

“We spent quality time together. Having a conversation and watching him read her a story and smile was everything.

“When he came out, the Hospice gave us an out of hours number and his pain suddenly got so bad that I had to ring it.

“Coming back to the Hospice was like coming home. When the ambulance took him back, I just knew they’d look after him.

“They also looked after me and were the first to give me a hug, tell me what was happening and help me make some pretty hard decisions in the few hours we’d got left.

“The nursing staff understood and knew what to say. We were also offered bereavement counselling which I found helpful.

“Ruby wanted to be a nurse, carrying medicine and hot water bottles for her dad. I bought her a nurse’s outfit from a charity shop and she carried round a doctor’s toy set. She felt she was helping and looking after Leon.

“The staff became a massive part of Ruby’s life and she’s often been back to say Hi to them.”

* To watch the video visit eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/campaign/georgias-story/

Georgia Leah is on a mission to raise funds for East Cheshire Hospice

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Georgia Leah is on a mission to raise funds for East Cheshire Hospice, inspired by her husband’s story and the cost of caring for patients.

Family and friends have helped the Macclesfield mum raise around £10,000 so far.

A Snowdon climb and sky dive have already been completed since Leon died in the Hospice in March 2023.

Georgia and daughter Ruby have also taken part in the Starlight Walk twice to honour his memory.

A family fundraiser … Ruby, mum Georgia with Hannah Middlebrook and Freya Eeles at the Starlight Walk in April.

Georgia said: “We want to give back in any way we can. It’s our way of saying thank you to the Hospice for looking after Ruby’s dad.

“She asks to see the nurses every week and we go in as often as we can.”

The Hospice are highlighting the Leah family story as part of an appeal to raise the £9,362 needed every day to keep its services running. Only 21 per cent of funding comes from government.

Georgia and Ruby Leah.   

The Hospice say…

£13 could go towards a week’s worth of tea and coffee for families, helping them feel at home in the Hospice.

£38 could go towards specialist medical training to effectively manage patients’ pain, enabling people like Leon to feel more like themselves at a time when every moment matters.

£740 could pay for one night’s stay on our ward, giving families like Georgia’s dignity and space to make special memories.

* Visit the Hospice website to donate.

Newspaper photograph captures a unique moment

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

An old black and white newspaper photograph captures a unique moment in the lives of grandparents Christopher and Christine Jones.

The couple were babes in arms on the image taken in a maternity unit on Christmas Day 1954.

But not only was Chris there on the day his future wife was born – he was also by Christine’s side when she died 69 years later.

A remarkable twist of fate for a couple who were married for 49 years, mostly spent living in Macclesfield.

Christine and Chris Jones celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

Christine died of bowel cancer at East Cheshire Hospice in January, two years after diagnosis.

Her life will be celebrated by close friend Kathryn Cronin, a florist who has a special installation at the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park from Wednesday, July 17, to Sunday July 21.

Her display called ‘Threshold – On Life and Living’ will raise awareness of the Hospice’s work and its motto ‘where people come to live.’

Flashback to Christmas Day 1954. Christine held by her mum Margaret on the right of the picture. Husband Chris is held by a man with an eyepatch in front of the tree.

Christine appeared in the local paper because she was a Christmas Day baby, like her younger sister Carol.

Husband Chris was born prematurely three months earlier in the same Aberystwyth hospital and was still in the baby unit because his brother had mumps, preventing him from going home.

Dr Jones said: “I think it’s quite unusual that I dovetailed Christine’s life. The photograph shows I was there the day she was born and I was there the day she passed, holding her hand in the Hospice being looked after wonderfully by the staff there.

“We went to the same secondary school and met at a sixth form dance. About two years later we had a chat about Christmas Day babies and that’s when the story came out.”

Christine helped at a playgroup at St John’s Primary School and became a classroom assistant when she joined Westlands and Eaton Bank in Congleton.

Son Paul and daughter Kathryn, and grandchildren Frankie (12), Florence (9), Violet (6) and Eden (6) were also grateful for the way the Hospice cared for Christine.

Christine and Chris with grandchildren (from left) Florence, Violet and Frankie in 2022.  

Dr Jones said: “The Hospice were superb and made you feel like you were the only patient there.

“What brought it home was when we went to collect Christine’s belongings after she passed. Another patient arrives like we did two weeks earlier so the system carries on, but also you feel like family; they were so kind, calming and reassuring.”

A determined family honour their memories and raise funds for East Cheshire Hospice

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

The last 12 months have been a year to forget for Viv Denny and her siblings after losing their brother and mother.

But they were determined to honour their memories by climbing Mount Snowdon with friends, raising £3,460 for East Cheshire Hospice.

Gary Paluk, a self-taught software developer and programmer, spent a month in the Hospice where he died on Christmas Eve, aged 45.

Their mum Christine Barnett, a retired retail assistant, passed away four months earlier, having suffered heart failure unexpectedly.

Viv said: “We did the walk to remember them both. It was an awful year and we never really had a chance to grieve mum’s loss because we were on this journey with Gary.

“It was a huge shock when he was diagnosed with colon cancer in August 2021. He survived emergency surgery and had a further operation to remove tumours from his liver.

Gary with wife Neung, sisters Sharron and Viv and brother Ash at East Cheshire Hospice.

“It was his wish to return to Thailand, his second home, for a holiday. However, once the cancer spread he wasn’t able to travel. His wife Neung is from there and he wanted to say his goodbyes to her family.

“We didn’t think he’d be here for his birthday last November, but he proved us all wrong again. He then went into the Hospice and they gave us all another month together.

“What an amazing place. You don’t realise it until you’re in their care and see exactly what they do.

“They’re incredible. His wife and nine-year-old son Isaac were able to stay overnight in an adjoining room to be with Gary. The Hospice make a difference to the whole family, not just the patient.

“Nothing was too much trouble. The weekend before Gary passed away they laid on a buffet and drinks in the family room with a visit from Father Christmas.

“The memories are precious to us all. Isaac also received three bears with his dad’s voice recorded in them, which will forever be a precious gift.

Snowdon climbers (from left), Neung Paluk, Jenny Smallwood, Isaac Paluk, Jayne Woosey, Viv Denny, Sharron Whittaker, Ash Paluk and Donna Denny. 

“Once Hospice staff know your name, they don’t forget you. Many people must pass through those doors, but they know who you are and who you’re connected to. The care is personal.”

Friends joined Viv’s sister Sharron, brother Ash, Neung and Isaac for the Snowdon challenge. Isaac did not make it to the top, but he has promised to do so when he is older to make his dad proud.

* To donate visit justgiving.com/page/vivian-denny-1711287669619

Installing advanced technology at the new Sunflower Living Well Centre

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Installing advanced technology at the new Sunflower Living Well Centre was a dream job for the IT team at East Cheshire Hospice.

Head of IT Conor Stubbs and technician Paul Jones were delighted to be asked to incorporate a smart system into designs.

Visitors to the £1.3m complex can see the results of their endeavours with the latest equipment making sessions a far better experience for patients and staff.

Everything is at the touch of a button with presentations beamed on to a giant wall.

IT experts Conor Stubbs (left) and Paul Jones in front of the one of projections at the Sunflower Living Well Centre.

A corridor leads to individual rooms meaning the central area is no longer a thoroughfare as before.

Conor said: “Patients and staff will hopefully enjoy the benefits of the smart technology. It’s been an exciting project to work on.

“The existing building was essentially reworked with the old framework of the main area taken out to raise the roof. Cabling was reset for IT requirements.

“Lights are smart controlled which means they can choose different pre-sets for relaxation scenes. Lights will dim, blinds close and the projectors and sound are controlled by iPad.”

The new centre opened to patients last month after healthcare professionals attended open days.

Paul said: “The colours are dementia friendly putting patients at ease. Staff love it and projectors, lights and sound create scenes to help patients relax.

“Every patient has different capacities and needs and this facility benefits them all.”

The aim is to widen access to community groups, including non-Hospice users, with evening and weekend sessions offering more flexibility.

The new look Sunflower Living Well Centre at East Cheshire Hospice

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

The new look Sunflower Living Well Centre at East Cheshire Hospice has welcomed its first patients.

The facility has undergone a major transformation to become one of the most modern healthcare centres in the region.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire Lady Alexis Redmond MBE officially declared the centre open after a nine-month building project costing £1.3m.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire Lady Alexis Redmond MBE cuts the ribbon to reopen the Sunflower Living Well Centre.

There to witness the ribbon-cutting ceremony were long-standing Hospice supporters Anna Rains, Thelma Jackson and Madge Slater whose fundraising exploits created the original Sunflower Centre in 2000.

The new complex on the same site adjoining the main Hospice building is equipped to meet a rapidly growing need for the Hospice’s services.

Patient and carer capacity will eventually more than double from a weekly rate of 179 to 400.

More services can now operate simultaneously and during evenings and weekends.

The new design in dementia-friendly colours allows natural light to flood the main room. Smart technology is also incorporated.

The interior of the new centre.

The work was funded by significant grants from The Hargreaves Charitable Trust, The Mather Family Charitable Trust, The Wolfson Foundation and Garfield Weston. The balance was met from the charity’s reserves.

Guests included Robbie Hargreaves, co-founder of Proseal UK which provided funds for a new Hospice wing opened three years ago, and patrons, trustees, ambassadors, vice presidents and volunteers.

Contractors celebrated the opening with staff, including project manager Mike Drew.

Chief Executive Karyn Johnston said: “This is an important day in the history of East Cheshire Hospice.

“I want to thank everyone who has supported us to make today a reality, enabling us to extend and develop our care to anyone, anywhere and anytime they need it.

The entrance to the new look Sunflower Living Well Centre.

“We’re delighted Lady Redmond, a fervent supporter of the Hospice movement, can be with us today, along with her husband Sir Phil Redmond, and our donors without whom this building would not have been possible.

“Our staff are the best team any organisation could ever hope to have.”

Lady Redmond said: “This is such a special place and I congratulate you all. The aim of the new centre is to be at the heart of the hospice’s commitment to making sure those with life-limiting illnesses are supported to live as well as possible right from the point of diagnosis.”

The Northern Chamber Orchestra, sponsored by CDL Software, entertained guests with a demonstration of Mind Music, a project exploring the effects of live music on those living with dementia.

Helen Trueman, CDL’s Internal Communications Manager, said: “We were delighted to sponsor the Northern Chamber Orchestra to play at the opening of the Sunflower Living Well Centre, and to be part of celebrating the addition of this wonderful resource for the community.

“CDL has a long-standing relationship with the orchestra who work to widen access to live classical music in a range of settings, including care homes, schools and in this case, by bringing through their ‘mind music’ initiative to East Cheshire Hospice. Congratulations to all involved.”

A glimpse inside the plush new Sunflower Living Well Centre

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Helen Henshaw only wanted a new carpet for her beloved Sunflower Living Well Centre at East Cheshire Hospice.

Her wish was granted and she got a lot more besides.

Helen Henshaw, who has worked at East Cheshire Hospice for 25 years. 

A glimpse inside the plush new complex shows the scale of a stunning facility.

Helen, the centre manager, said: “All I asked for in the first place was to replace our dark carpet which wasn’t classed as dementia friendly and this is what we’ve ended up with!

“People with dementia can be reluctant to walk on dark colours. They feel it could be a hole or a puddle.

“The new centre is lighter and brighter and has opened everything up, using technology to give a new perspective.”

Staff toast the opening of the new look Sunflower Living Well Centre.

Helen has worked at the Hospice for 25 years. She said: “When I first came we had a small day care set up in one of the side rooms near the inpatient unit before opening up the main room in 2000.

“Now we have a built-in sound system and can dim the lights for relaxation sessions and project presentations on to a big wall.

“Before we were a general day care unit. Now we’re progressing into a wellbeing centre giving information and guidance on managing conditions.

Centre manager Helen Henshaw presents flowers to Lady Alexis Redmond MBE, Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire, watched by Hospice Chief Executive Karyn Johnston.

“People were frightened and apprehensive of the word hospice. We want this to be a community hub accessible to all where people feel comfortable and relaxed.

“We’re offering services from the point of diagnosis and want family and social groups to use these facilities.”

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