Corporate Archives - East Cheshire Hospice

Review of the Year 2019

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Fun and fundraising brought lots of smiles for East Cheshire Hospice supporters over the last 12 months.

Another packed colourful calendar of events meant the charity benefitted in many different ways.

Music, art, sport, fashion, travel, leisure and business were all thrown into the mix by generous donors.

Families were out in force at Light Up The Night at Capesthorne Hall, a poignant occasion which saw many walkers remember loved ones.

Community events included Splash Out! when young and old faced a series of water challenges, while dogs and owners tackled a testing obstacle course at Tough Woofer.

Taking a dip at Splash Out.

Mayor Janet Jackson in her charity shop outfit which she wore at Buckingham Palace.

Mayor of Macclesfield Coun Janet Jackson is a regular customer at the Hospice charity shop at Thornton Square where she picked up a bargain for a Royal appointment.

When she received the MBE from Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, she wore a dress and matching jacket she had bought from there for £25. Her hat cost £10.

Nick Robinson gives his speech at the Hospice’s Business Briefing

BBC journalist Nick Robinson gave a keynote speech at the Hospice’s annual Business Briefing at Alderley Park. Nick’s late father Robbie was cared for by the Hospice.

Round-the-world sailor Heather Broadbent.

Hospice supporter Heather Broadbent starts 2020 sailing off the coast of Australia.

She is aboard GoToBermuda competing in the Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race.

Heather is going from Freemantle to the Whitsunday Islands on the latest leg of her 11-month voyage.

She is raising £40,000 for the Hospice where her late husband Adam was a patient. To donate go to dreamitnowdoit.com

Heather said: “I’m loving every minute and wouldn’t change it for the world. At sea I’m making memories and friends for life.”

Mother and daughter Kim and Nina Bennett with cockapoo Elsie at Tough Woofer.

Co-op Local Community Fund

Posted on 16th January 202016th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Co-op customers can now help people in Macclesfield with dementia every time they shop.

East Cheshire Hospice is putting proceeds from its Co-op Local Community Funding towards its dementia services.

It means that that one per cent of what Co-op customers, who are also members, spend on own brand products goes straight to the charity.

The latest partnership between the store and the charity runs until next October. The Hospice is hoping supporters become members before their Christmas food shop.

The Hospice has already received almost £8,000 from Co-op shoppers since the scheme was introduced more than three years ago.

The most recent round of funding generated £3,763 which was allocated to its Childhood Bereavement Service.

Co-op stores at West Park Drive and Westmorland Close are supporting the Hospice as their nominated charity, although individual members can choose which charity benefits from their one per cent donation regardless of where they shop.

The Hospice has received widespread praise for its approach towards dementia and operates a Companion Service and Carers Programme.

Admiral Nurse Debbie Callow said: “We’re delighted the Co-op funds will support such a vital service. The aim of the fund is to help pay for local projects Co-op members care about and through their support at the tills we can continue to address the growing needs for those living with dementia and their families.”

“Our dementia services offer a safe, relaxed environment where carers in East Cheshire can come together in a group setting to share problems, concerns or experiences with others who are going through a similar experience.

“Our services also provide people affected by dementia with a regular volunteer companion to support social activities in order to give the person they live with some respite.”

* Any Co-op member can support the Hospice through their shopping providing they have chosen to support it through their membership account. (www.coop.co.uk/membership).

East Cheshire Hospice Trustee Alistair Kennedy with Co-op staff (from left) Romi Adragna, Stacey Mountford and Gabi Smith.

Ecclesiastical – 12 Days of Christmas

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

East Cheshire Hospice is asking supporters to help it earn £1,000 as part of a 12 days of giving campaign.

Specialist insurer Ecclesiastical is making a £1,000 donation to 120 different charities as an early Christmas gift.

To vote for the Hospice go to www.ecclesiastical.com/12days. Nominations close on Thursday, Dec 19.

Winners are drawn at random and the more times each charity is nominated the more chance of being selected. The 10 daily winners are announced on the 12 week days from Dec 5-20.

Kate Bowmar, Corporate Fundraiser at the Hospice, said: “The Hospice received £1,000 from Ecclesiastical earlier this year thanks to votes from supporters and the local community and it’d be wonderful if we can attract enough votes again.

“Such a gift would fund a day’s catering, laundry and housekeeping services, or three overnight stays on our inpatient unit so it means a lot to us.”

Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: “Our annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign will help charities change lives for the better and we know that for many charities, £1,000 can make a real difference.

“We’re encouraging everyone to nominate a cause close to their hearts this Christmas to be in for a chance to win a festive financial boost.”

Welcome to the 500 Club – The Switched On Solutions Group

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Company director Geoff Gittins has a professional and personal involvement with East Cheshire Hospice.

Father Harold and uncle Leslie Singleton were both cared for by the Hospice until they died more than 10 years ago.

Now Geoff’s business The Switched On Solutions Group (SOSG) has become the latest addition to the Hospice’s 500 Club in which members raise at least £500 a year over a three-year period.

Geoff and fellow directors David Baker and Martin Havenhand are keen to promote the 500 Club to other businesses.

Geoff, a lottery volunteer at the charity, said: “The Hospice has a loving environment for patients, families and friends and SOSG is delighted to offer its support.

“We’re a growing business helping businesses and organisations reduce costs and increase profit. We work with our expert partners in the energy, telecoms and finance sectors to get the best deals available for our clients.

“Our principles are trust, respect and integrity. Our client base includes churches and not-for-profit organisations which might not, for example, have secured the best energy deals in the past. Our commission comes from the suppliers with no cost to clients who make all the savings.”

Business Briefing with Nick Robinson

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Leading BBC journalist Nick Robinson has made a personal appeal to business leaders to continue to support East Cheshire Hospice.

The Macclesfield-born presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme has first-hand experience of the charity’s work.

His late father Robbie was cared for by the Hospice and his mother Evelyn was among the audience for his keynote speech at the Hospice’s annual Business Briefing at Alderley Park.

Robinson said: “The Hospice is a place of sanctuary, welcome and re-assurance. It’s also a place that makes those last few days tolerable, manageable and removes all the other anxieties there can be when somebody comes to the end of their life.”

His entertaining talk, entitled ‘The New Chaos’, gave an insight into his career covering politics, including Brexit. He was the BBC’s chief political correspondent for 10 years.

He added: “I’m nervous because my mother’s here. When I was on the telly the test for my piece would be the ‘my mum’ test. It meant does this make sense to someone who doesn’t follow everything incredibly carefully?”

Robinson, who was treated successfully for lung cancer in 2015, said: “What angers me about politics and the New Chaos over the last three years, is we’ve spent a lot of time insulting each other and being angry with each other and taken our eye off the ball of the things that really matter and change people’s lives.”

More than 150 business leaders were urged to support the charity’s Hospice @Home service.

He said: “You’re being asked today to help make the end of people’s lives better. What’s really exciting is it isn’t just in the Hospice, but increasingly will be in people’s homes.

“It’ll mean the experience of the last few days is as tolerable as possible and that’s a great cause to be involved in.”

Other speakers included Dr Kath Mackay, Managing Director of Alderley Park; Hospice @Home Ambassador Chair Dr Simon Hayward; and the Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs MBE KStJ, President of East Cheshire Hospice.

Hospice Director Karyn Johnston said: “We’re extremely grateful to Nick for giving up his time during yet another busy political week and all our other speakers and members of the business community who attended.

“We’re fortunate to enjoy wonderful support from the corporate community which is vital to our future. We’d also like to thank our friends at Alderley Park for hosting our third Business Briefing.”

Lifestyle Fitness Charity Spinathon

Posted on 8th August 2019 by Luke Brightmore

Cyclists were made to sweat during a Charity Spinathon which raised almost £1,300 for the Hospice.

Some 30 members of Lifestyle Fitness, based at Macclesfield College, took part in the three-hour marathon.

Over half the donation came from sponsorship raised by fitness enthusiasts through JustGiving pages.

Lifestyle Fitness has 1,000 members in Macclesfield where classes run from 6.30 am to 9.30 pm.

The company is part of the Hospice’s popular 500 Club in which members raise at least £500 each year over a three-year period.

Club Manager Jake McKie said: “East Cheshire Hospice was the charity chosen by our members to support last year. It’s a wonderful cause which we’re delighted to help and want to thank our members for their generous fundraising.”

The next challenge is to raise £1,000 from National Fitness Day on Wed, Sept 25, when the target is to get 100 members to join a one-hour circuit class.

If you would like to be part of our 500 Club, get in touch today kbowmar@echospice.org.uk or click here to find out more!

£1million donation from Proseal

Posted on 30th May 2019 by Luke Brightmore

One of the region’s best-performing companies is taking the opportunity to share its success with worthy local causes.

As part of its local community support programme, Adlington-based Proseal has donated £1 million, to East Cheshire Hospice for the care of people with life-limiting illnesses.

The donation to East Cheshire Hospice will help it to further extend its outreach projects and palliative care service, providing specialist medical treatment and holistic care for local people coping with life limiting illnesses, while continuing to deliver compassionate support and counselling for carers and relatives.

Karyn Johnston, East Cheshire Hospice Director, said on receipt of the gift “I am humbled to accept this generous donation from Proseal. As a small local charity, we rely on our community and corporate partners for more than 85% of our funding, so this represents a massive boost to our future plans. The team at Proseal have been generous supporters of the Hospice for a number of years, working alongside our amazing What Women Want supporter group.”

“On behalf of all the patients and families whose end of life experience will be improved by this gift, I say thank you.”

The Christie Cancer Centre Macclesfield is also receiving the same amount. This will undoubtedly make East Cheshire, and Macclesfield in particular, the centre of excellence in palliative and end of life care.

Proseal directors and co-founders Steve Malone and Robbie Hargreaves, who set up the company in 1998, say the donation is on behalf of all its employees, whose hard work and dedication have enabled it to make this important contribution.

“We have enjoyed immense success and growth in the 20 years since Proseal was established, and none of this could have been achieved without the fantastic support and commitment of everyone within the business.”

“Proseal therefore wanted to give something back to the local community. We chose the Christie Cancer Centre and East Cheshire Hospice as the recipients because of the vital work they do, which any of us at Proseal, as well as our families and friends, may have to call on at some point.”

“The Christie Cancer Centre and East Cheshire Hospice play vital roles in the local community,” says Steve and Robbie. “We hope our contributions will help both organisations continue their great work.”

Proseal designs and manufactures high quality food packaging machinery for the food industry. Since its inception in 1998, the company has grown into a global market leader in its sector, currently employing over 350 people in the UK and nearly 500 worldwide. Last year, Proseal won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Astra Zeneca 2018 Fundraising

Posted on 26th March 2019 by Luke Brightmore

One of the most important corporate supporters of East Cheshire Hospice has been awarded a specially designed trophy thanking them for their ongoing fundraising work.

The Macclesfield pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, has been a loyal supporter of the Hospice since the Millbank Drive facility first opened its doors in 1988 and were one of the original founding businesses who contributed to the building costs.

Employees at the AstraZeneca sites have helped to raise funds for the Hospice over the last 30 years and raised a stunning £26,000 last year alone.

To mark the company’s ongoing support, Hospice Director Karyn Johnston, recently presented AstraZeneca with a specially made trophy designed in the shape of the Hospice logo – the sunflower.

“Over the years, employees from AstraZeneca have been superb friends to the Hospice and we wanted to thank them in a special way. It was an honour to host their visit and to personally acknowledge all their support over the last three decades,” said Karyn.

“We need to raise over 80 per cent of our running costs each day and we can’t do this without the fantastic support of our corporate supporters”.

Juliette White, Vice President Global External Sourcing, AstraZeneca, said: “I am very proud that AstraZeneca is part of supporting the important work done by East Cheshire Hospice. Many of us within the community are touched personally by the outstanding work the Hospice does everyday”

Community Involvement Champion at AstraZeneca, Colin Bath, said: “The range of fundraising events has been truly phenomenal ranging from cake sales to sponsored haircuts and from film nights to Christmas party donations. We are very proud to have supported the hospice in 2018 and we will once again make it our Charity of Choice in 2019”

Dozens of AstraZeneca employees have undertaken their own fundraising and there are regular company-organised events to raise funds such as the Alderley Park Farm Weekend .

At a special event at the Hospice, Karyn welcomed senior staff from the company to talk about the work of the Hospice and future plans. Karyn was joined by her clinical director colleague, Sarah Dale and Sandra Jones, who has a connection with the company having previously worked as a research nurse at AstraZeneca, working on clinical trials with oncology drugs.