When time is limited, we help patients make the most of every minute

My name's Rachael and I'm the Day Services and Therapy Team Manager here at the Hospice.

I'm not sure if you've heard of our Day Services programme, but it's an essential part of what we do. Through our various activities, we teach patients how to manage their symptoms, so they have the best quality life in the precious time they have left. 

Courses are offered for symptom management like fatigue and breathlessness, or how to live well with your illness, as well as more social and creative sessions.

It's lovely to watch each patient as they flourish and make new friends. For two hours every week, their illness seems like a million miles away, and they can just be themselves again. They can escape. It's really powerful.

I am passionate about letting people know that the Hospice doesn't just offer end of life care, but support for wellbeing too. All of our Day Services are provided free of charge, and we need help to continue delivering the service to the people who need it most.

I remember seeing the effect one programme in particular had on Brian. He was living with myeloma and after a long stay in hospital was feeling isolated and low, until he came along to our Brushstrokes painting group. Now he can’t stop!

He's like a different person and is happiest when he has a brush in his hand. His family told us that they feel like they have "their old Dad back", which was so lovely to hear.

Without supporters like you, we genuinely couldn't offer the range of Day Services we do for patients like Brian.

Read Brian's story