Katie Vines, Trusts Fundraiser for the Hospice speaks with W Bro Jeff Green 

More than just a Hospice....

The generous donation of £3,095 from the MCF / London Freemasons has supported us to maintain St Christopher’s high standards of care throughout the pandemic. We are proud to offer world class palliative and end of life care to everyone who needs it, whenever or wherever that may be. We are also here for the people closest to them.

We passionately believe in the words of our founder, Dame Cicely Saunders, who said: ‘You matter because you are you, and you matter until the last moment of your life‘.That means we’ll listen to your story, adapt our treatments and advice to suit your particular needs, and we won’t stop until we can give you the best possible support.

The hospice itself is a friendly, vibrant place and as different to a traditional hospital as we can make it. But rest assured, our medical and nursing care is excellent and our clinical teams are highly professional and devoted to doing their best for everyone.

However, as we often say, we’re more than just a hospice. We are proud of our community programmes that offer practical, emotional and spiritual support to over 7,500 people in the local area, most of whom we will help to continue living at home. 

We are a place for everyone. The last year has seen us face some of the greatest organisational challenges in our history, as we have adapted our services with urgency to ensure they have been consistently available for those who need them. The MCF’s support has helped us tackle a rising community caseload, increased numbers of virtual and phone appointments, and a growing isolated and lonely community, as a result of COVID-19. We have faced new challenges such as finding new ways to support and engage with isolated community members, particularly achieved through training volunteers to make welfare checks and introducing patients to new technologies to allow them to be supported from home. 

Trusts Fundraiser, Katie Vines says: ‘your donation has allowed us to be innovative in our approach and ensure those in need have continued to receive care throughout this difficult period’.