The Alternative Christmas List Appeal

Could you help to raise £31,000 to fund 12 ways to make Christmas special for patients and their families at St Oswald’s Hospice?

Donate to our appeal

Every year, kind people and businesses from across our community choose to buy gifts for our patients and their families at Christmas.

But sadly, due to the often-complex needs of those we care for, particularly in the Children and Young Adults Unit, many of these gifts are unable to be used as intended. We really appreciate the sentiment and the generosity you show at this time of year, but we know you would prefer your kindness to make a real difference. And that is why we have launched this appeal.

This Christmas, we would like to share our Alternative ‘12 Ways of Christmas’ list with you. While our Christmas list might not be traditional, it showcases 12 special ways you can make a difference to our patients and families, not just this year, but for many to come.

Donate to our appeal

Everything on our list will make a difference, and by giving a gift to our appeal, you will be sharing some festive magic from your family to ours. What a wonderful thing to do.

We hope that together, we can raise the £31,000 by the end of the year, to make our Alternative Christmas List a reality.

 

Target: £31,000

Raised: £30,302

Thank you for your support.

Donate to our appeal

Our Alternative ‘12 Ways of Christmas’ List

By choosing to donate money to fund these items, you can be sure that the gift you give this Christmas will directly benefit the adults, children and their families, who rely on the care of St Oswald’s Hospice.

£150

£150

will fill our children’s Christmas Eve boxes with treats to make them smile when they wake at the hospice on Christmas Eve morning

£160

£160

will buy 20 fluffy blankets to keep our patients cosy in the Focus on Living Centre lounge when having their treatments and therapies

£350

£350

will pay for 5 new coffee tables for patients undergoing transfusions in our Focus on Living Centre, meaning their cuppa is always close to hand

£360

£360

will pay for nutritious meals for an adult inpatient every day throughout December, tailored to their tastes and needs

£400

£400

will buy craft and gardening equipment and baking tools and ingredients for our patients to get creative with

£450

£450

will fund 30 bereavement sessions, at a time of year when loss and grief is often felt even more strongly

£500

£500

will fund specially selected gifts for adults and children staying with us at Christmas

£550

£550

will buy Christmas decorations to use across the hospice, to make St Oswald’s Hospice sparkle

£630

£630

will pay for compression bandages that our team use to treat patients living with Lymphoedema

£1,500

£1,500

will help to pay for the days out and activities for our young service users over the festive season

£5,120

£5,120

will purchase televisions for the eight beds in our two Adult Inpatient unit bays, and for four of our single rooms so patients can enjoy festive films in their rooms.

£20,830

£20,830

will fund 24 hours of specialist nursing care, per day, throughout December, for an adult inpatient

Christmas at St Oswald’s Hospice...

If you haven’t experienced hospice care yourself, you might not be aware of the many things that go on behind the scenes at this time of year. While it can be a difficult time for many families when a loved one is living with a palliative condition, full of worry and mixed emotions, Christmas at St Oswald’s Hospice can also be filled with a lot of joy, memory making and moments to cherish.

Here are some snapshots of what goes in in the run up to Christmas across our services…

Christmas on our Adult Inpatient Unit

Christmas can be a time of joy but sadly for some of the people staying on our Adult Inpatient Unit, it might be the last one they get to spend with their loved ones. That’s why it is so important to us to make it as special as possible.

 

Christmas Appeal Adults - Web

Anne Tuck, Matron, Adult Inpatient Unit said:

“There have been times when a patient is very poorly, that we have ‘brought Christmas forward’ by a few weeks, so they can make memories with their family, especially if they have young children. We make sure all the festive touches are in place, from decorations, music and presents, and give them space to enjoy their day how they wish to.

“On Christmas morning our staff visit the patients in their rooms to deliver a Christmas present, which might include toiletries, fluffy socks, sweets. Some of our patients who live alone say this is the only gift they will get, so they really enjoy the thought and being able to unwrap something on Christmas morning.

“In the afternoon, we serve a full traditional Christmas lunch. Some patients might enjoy this in their room, but for those with family visiting, we will dress tables in other parts of the hospice, so that they have their own private space to enjoy a family Christmas.”

Donate to our appeal

Christmas on our Children and Young Adults Unit

While children and young adults don’t stay at the hospice for their short breaks on Christmas day itself, the run up to the big day is packed full of memory making, magic and fun during their stay with us.

 

Christmas Appeal Childrens - Web

Sarah Turner, Activities Coordinator in our Children and Young Adult’s Service said:

“Arts and crafts are always very popular so it’s a wonderful opportunity to get creative using a range of materials. Baking is another favourite, and for us its more about the process than the end result! Baking is a great sensory experience for the children, with all the textures, smells and hands-on mixing, kneading and rolling.

“Our big event of the season is our Winter Wonderland party in December, where all of our children and their families are invited to join is for a fabulously festive day – we even have a snow machine, and of course a visit from Santa.

“For children staying overnight on the 23rd of December, they will wake up to a Christmas Eve box containing sensory toys, pyjamas and toiletries and we spend the day getting cosy, reading stories together and then getting the children ready to return home with their families to wait for Santa”

Donate to our appeal

Christmas at our Focus on Living Centre

Our Focus on Living Day Centre offers a range of day services to people with a progressive illness or condition. These take place all year, but as the cold, dark nights draw in, these hold even more importance for our patients.

 

Christmas Appeal FOLC - Web

Jennifer Saunderson, Sister in our Focus on Living Centre said:

“While most of our patients attend the Focus on Living Centre in person for their treatments and therapies, there are some we can offer in a patient’s home, such as complementary therapies. In winter, these home visits can be even more important, for patients who might be bedbound, suffer from frailty and breathlessness and struggle with the cold weather.

“We have two therapists who visit patients in the homes, offering complementary therapies to them and often their carer too. Many of our patients live alone, so having someone spend an hour with them, delivering their treatment can be beneficial in many ways. The treatments can help with pain and reduce stress and anxiety, as well as provide a human connection for those who may be suffering from loneliness and isolation.

“Some patients come to us for transfusions or infusions which means they are connected to an IV line for most of the day. We like to provide a range of activities to distract and engage them, such as our craft trolleys, where patients enjoy making gifts for their friends and families, especially at Christmas.”

Donate to our appeal

We hope that together, we can raise the £31,000 by the end of the year, to make our Alternative Christmas List a reality.

Thank you so much for your kind support of our work, our patients and our families.