One hour of our 24 hour advice line = £3 t shirt Essential clinical supplies for a patient for one day = £6 pair of trousers A complementary therapy session for a patient = £25 table A few hours of your time volunteering in a St Clare charity shop = priceless Our retail team needs to generate nearly half a million pounds in vital funding for our hospice every year, through our 8 charity shops and through our online eBay shop. Their contribution alone is almost enough to fund our entire Community team for a whole year, who offer life-changing care and support for local people in their very own homes. With thanks to our incredible volunteers who constitute more than 90% of our retail team, we are able to achieve this. But we know that we need to be reaching more people than ever who are in need of St Clare. Will you be a part of it? Make a change in 2018, and volunteer a few hours of your time every week to your local St Clare charity shop. Your support can directly help to make a difference to the lives of those who need us. For more information, and to find out what it’s like to volunteer with St Clare, please visit www.stclarehospice.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer or contact Voluntary Services Manager, Rob, on 01279 773722 or email rob.wallace@stclarehospice.org.uk

Here at St Clare, a person is supported on their journey with us, every step of the way. Our hospice services are accessible right from the point when a life-limiting diagnosis is received, so we can see patients over a number of years. Our compassionate care extends to families, relatives and carers when loved ones are lost, offering counselling and psychological support to cope with change and bereavement. Everyone is looked after here at St Clare, for as long as they need us. The wonderful Emel Mustafa, our new Bereavement Counsellor, recently joined our Patient and Family Support team so that we can support more people in the local community than ever… “In my role at St Clare, I work directly with families whose loved one has died, offering them emotional support throughout their journey and a safe space to talk openly about their grief. I offer a person-centred space to support their natural self-healing process, to talk about their loss at their own pace. My role is to encourage the wellbeing of people who have lost someone special to them, and support them to understand their grief and know that it is okay to feel how they feel.” “The bereavement and pre-bereavement support offered here is an essential element of the St Clare ethos, and an integral part of palliative care - that everyone is supported throughout the whole journey. It is a real comfort to both patients and their families, knowing that friends and relatives will be supported even after the last days. It helps people to feel safe”. “Families can enter a state of intense grief after a loved one has died. It can be a painful and difficult time, and they may have thoughts and feelings which they did not expect. The counselling service here at St Clare is tailored to suit individual needs as we understand that everyone deals with the death of a loved one in different ways. We ensure that people and their families never feel isolated in what they are going through. No one is alone at St Clare." “Someone who has experienced bereavement can feel like they have had something taken from them. Their grief may be experienced as a psychological, social or emotional reaction. They may feel anger, guilt, sadness or despair. Grief is a powerful emotion: exhausting and painful. As a counsellor, my aim is to enable individuals to express their feelings, work through their sorrow, and help them to heal”. “Throughout my time here, I am fortunate enough to say that I am grateful to be working for an organisation that delivers the highest quality of care to people with terminal or life-limiting conditions, and supporting their families. All of the staff and volunteers are friendly, hard-working and passionate about the service and treat everyone with respect. It is a privilege to work alongside people who work day and night to ensure we are providing the best care possible to those who need it”. “My work as a therapist is a rewarding and empowering experience, which offers great satisfaction and reward. The best part of this role is the direct contact with people. It’s when you go home and feel like you’ve made a difference to someone’s life by being with them – not by doing – but by being”. “For anyone who feels anxious about visiting a hospice – we understand. My initial perceptions of a hospice have changed since working here. It is such a safe haven, a tranquil oasis away from the hustle and bustle of society. Staff who work here are like a family of hard-working, dedicated team members, all united together to give people who visit us the best experience possible! The hospice itself is beautiful and well-kept. The gardens are lovely. I would honestly recommend anyone to visit St Clare and see the incredible work done by all staff and volunteers. I feel very proud to be a part of the growing team here at St Clare”. It’s a pleasure to have you here, Emel! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about St Clare! To learn more about the Patient and Family Support team here at St Clare, please visit our website at: stclarehospice.org.uk/care/support-families

Four years ago this January, we launched a brand new St Clare care service that now supports over 450 local families every year. We’re wishing a very Happy 4th Birthday to our incredible Hospice at Home team! Since January 2014, our team of registered nurses and nursing assistants have been providing expert care, completely free of charge, to patients with life-limiting illnesses all across West Essex in the comfort of their very own homes. Four years later, they have provided vital care and support to well over one thousand families facing one of life’s most difficult journeys. A home is a special place. It is where we build our lives, and nurture our families – where we sleep, eat, rest, pray, put our feet up, read a book, watch our favourite TV show, and share special memories with loved ones… Enabling people to receive support at home, where they want to be, surrounded by everyone and everything that they love, is a true honour for St Clare. Happy Birthday, to our wonderful Hospice at Home team! Thank you for all you have done over the past 4 years, and all you continue to do – day and night, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You are inspirational!

New year, new you? Time for a change? This January, we’re offering the opportunity to join the St Clare Hospice team and help to us to raise vital funding that pays for our specialist, palliative care within the local community. Could you have what it takes to be a St Clare Community Fundraiser? We’re currently on the lookout for a professional individual who will build relationships and support local community groups, schools and individuals to develop engaging fundraising activities to generate income for St Clare. This is a great opportunity for an enthusiastic and target driven individual with excellent communications skills to join our Income Generation team. Having a can-do attitude and friendly, approachable nature comes part and parcel with the role – sound like you? If you’ve got experience in sales and fundraising, too, then this could be the job for you! If you would you like to be part of a friendly and supportive team, helping to develop hospice services then we would like to hear from you! Please visit our website for more information at: http://bit.ly/2Cv4ACp For an informal chat about the role, contact Community Fundraising Lead, Dani, on: 01279 773738 or email dani@stclarehospice.org.uk Closing date: Sunday 21st January 2018

The fabulous Clare Gallagher has finally completed her ‘marathon’ challenge, running 12 races in 12 months! This amazing mother of three completed a race each month for the whole of 2017 following the care her dear grandmother received from us in 2015. Clare is such an inspiration! In total, Clare has raised almost £5,500 in sponsorship as a result of her year-long fundraising commitment. That is enough to fund two weeks’ of the care and support provided by the St Clare Hospice Patient and Family Support Team, which includes bereavement counsellors, social workers, a Children’s Bereavement Service and a chaplain. Incredible! With over 160 race miles covered throughout the year, plus more than 500 training miles, Clare has gone over and above her original challenge by also completing the St Clare 5k Santa run as a bonus 13th race! - January 15th: Benfleet 15 (15miles) - February 5th: WinterRun (10k) - March 12th: Silverstone Half (13miles) - April 23rd: London Marathon (26miles) - May 1st: Milton Keynes Half (13miles) - June 18th: St Albans Half (13miles) - July 2nd: Stort 10 (10 miles) - August 20th: Kimbolton Half (13miles) - September 25th: Ealing Half (13miles) - October 28th: Beachy Head Marathon (26miles) - November 19th: Herts Half (13miles) - December 2nd: Grim Challenge (8miles) - December 3rd: St Clare Santa Run (5k) On completing the challenge Clare commented, “I feel really emotional now that the challenge is over. When I started out in January, I really felt that there was a lot riding on it. I have been so lucky to have been injury free for the whole year, and it feels amazing to have finally completed all 13 races.” “This challenge has really changed me as a person. I have grown so much through the experience and my outlook on life has totally changed. I have made so many friends throughout the year – and I even met my partner, John, whilst running! John has been with me at every single event this year, and I could have done it without him and my whole family. My mum and dad, sisters and brother, have helped me so much with their moral support and assistance with my fundraising. I cannot believe we have made more than double my original target of £2,500 – raising a combined total of nearly £5,500.” “The money I have raised is the least we could do as a family to try, in some small way, to repay St Clare. As a family, we cannot thank St Clare enough for caring for my Nan. The nursing staff at St Clare were like angels, everyone was just amazing.” Clare Gallagher’s year of running has led to a fully-fledged passion for running that is continuing into 2018. Clare’s next challenge is the Breacon Beacon’s Trail Running Ultra Marathon (30miles) on 5th May 2018. To sponsor Clare Gallagher for her marathon St Clare challenge, visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ClareGallagher1

The CM Connection are running a competition to choose who will become their Charity of the Year for 2018! Please vote for St Clare Hospice - just 'like' the St Clare Hospice photo below!

Today, we celebrate the re-launch of our Day Therapy service! We will be making some very exciting and anticipated changes to our Day Therapy services this year. We listened to the people who we support, our patients, on what they want to see at St Clare and how we can support them in the best way possible. We’re pleased to say that these new changes will be set in motion as of today! Our Day Therapy patients told us how keen they were to have more opportunities for ‘drop-in’ sessions, where they could take part in a wider variety of groups and activities at the Hospice. We’re pleased to announce that these changes have also allowed us to free up more time for our staff to deliver 1-to-1 patient-led clinics. January will see the launch of a range of new groups to complement our existing Day Therapy activities at St Clare. Here are the details: Café Clare: Café Clare offers patients the chance to join us for coffee and cake in the hospice dining room, and the chance to meet others socially, in a relaxed and friendly environment. This group is available to people who have completed a Day Therapy group, or those who just wish to gain some support from their peers on an informal basis. The group is available to all St Clare patients, is run once a week and is a drop-in group. Physiotherapy Group: The aim of this weekly drop-in exercise group is to enable people to take part in a tailored exercise programme, led by a qualified physiotherapist. The group is open to all existing St Clare patients. At the first session, people will be assessed by our physiotherapist and given their own exercise programme, adapted to their needs. Creative Drop-in Group: A relaxing and enjoyable fortnightly drop-in group where people can learn new skills and find enjoyment through creative activities. The group is open to all existing St Clare patients and is a drop-in group, run by our Day Therapy Assistant. Click a Friend: The aim of this fortnightly drop-in computer group is to enable people to develop their computing skills and to tackle social isolation. The group will be run in partnership with staff from Age Concern Harlow and aims to provide group members with the skills to use tools such as Skype to speak to their friends and relatives, social media and online shopping. Our Day Therapy Manager, Emily, explained, “We often hear people say that they thought hospice care was ‘just for the last few days or weeks of someone’s life’ – and that is just not true. Day Therapy supports you from the moment you are diagnosed as having a life-limiting condition – supporting you to process what that diagnosis means, and empowering you to live your life to the full. When you have an illness or condition that cannot be cured, it is very easy to let the illness overcome you – and we often see people who feel like they are ‘just a patient’ and not a ‘person’ any more. Day Therapy supports people to take back control, to become ‘me’ again. We support people to live with their condition, to remain independent, and continue to fulfil their goals and dreams in life.” For more information about our Day Therapy Service please contact the Day Therapy Team on 01279 773768 or visit: https://stclarehospice.org.uk/care/day-therapy-services/

Another year over, a new one just begun. The Christmas magic is ebbing and the refreshing feeling of the New Year setting in, with many of us making resolutions and looking forward to what 2018 may bring. This time of year can be particularly difficult for those of us who are missing someone special. As the months come and go and another year passes, we can begin to feel further away from that person whom we love as time continues on. Our Memory Tree, an olive tree symbolising peace and harmony, offers a place in the hospice where people can remember and honour a loved one. Each beautiful leaf is a tribute to someone who is so loved and missed – the tree representing a place of togetherness and support for friends and family. This year, you can create a personalised leaf in memory of your loved one, and in doing so you will be supporting St Clare Hospice to be able to continue caring for local people and their families who need us. The Memory Tree at St Clare brings a feeling of warmth and hope to the Hospice and to everyone who sees it, and it means so much to us and to the people who have created a leaf. It really is an extraordinary and touching sight to behold. If you are interested in creating a Memory Tree leaf in honour of a loved one this year, you can find out more on our website: https://stclarehospice.org.uk/donate/in-memory/memory-tree/

Have you registered for Winter Walkies yet!? If you haven’t already heard, the puppy love is once again returning to St Clare Hospice for our 12th annual Winter Walkies extravaganza on Sunday 25th February 2018! Winter Walkies is the perfect opportunity to get active after the Christmas feasting. If getting more exercise into your routine is your New Year's resolution - look no further! Join us for a 5k nature walk around the beautiful, local Hastingwood countryside. Hundreds of perfect pooches, dazzling doggies and cutest canines come together with their owners every year in aid of St Clare – so you’d be have to be barking mad to miss it! Our Events Fundraiser, Emma Broadbent, is organising the event and said: “The 2017 walk saw a record-breaking 350 owners and their dogs take part, and we are hoping even more people register for 2018. Anyone is welcome to join us on this rural route across the beautiful Essex countryside – whether you are a dog owner or not. Just remember your wellies as it is likely there will be plenty of muddy feet and paws!” As always, the route starts at St Clare Hospice in Hastingwood, and finishes again at the hospice where walkers are greeted with a delicious hot soup and roll. We’d love to see you there! Don’t forget: if you’re coming along and have registered with us, make sure you enter your little four-legged friend into our ever-popular ‘Cutest Canine Competition’! The Cutest Canine competition is running on our Facebook page from Monday 22nd to Friday 26th January where you can vote for the cutest canine – but all entries are due by 12noon on Friday 19th January! All you have to do is email us a photo of your perfect pooch at fund@stclarehospice.org.uk to enter into our Cutest Canine Competition Facebook gallery – and then the dog who gets the most likes by 26th January wins! The prize is a hamper of doggy goodies and the chance to officially start the Winter Walkies event. Good luck! A huge thank you to Epping-based vets, Forest Veterinary Centre, who are kindly sponsoring this year’s event! For more information and to register for this event, visit the St Clare Hospice website at: www.stclarehospice.org.uk/event/winter-walkies

Is your New Year’s resolution this year to do more for your community and make a difference in the world? We’ve got you covered! This year, we’re encouraging more local people to join the team and get involved with a diverse range of volunteering activities to support our hospice in 2018. We currently have the support of over 450 committed volunteers, working across all departments of the hospice. Volunteering roles range from support in clinical services and care settings, to facilities maintenance, assistance in their 8 charity shops, fundraising support and more. Volunteering at St Clare is flexible for the individual, with some choosing to give their time on an ad-hoc basis whilst others commit to a regular shift. With our services continually developing and growing, the appeal for more helping hands is as vital as ever. Our Voluntary Services Manager, Rob, said, “Our volunteers are an absolutely crucial part of the team at St Clare – they support our nurses on the Inpatient Unit, help to run Day Therapy groups and assist in running sessions for children and young people who have lost loved ones. As well as this, they also provide invaluable support behind-the-scenes – maintaining our beautiful gardens, giving talks about our care in the community, fundraising for us, and so much more.” “If you have a spare few hours here and there, or a free day during the week, please do get in touch and lend us your time and skills to help our hospice – we would love to hear from you! Joining the St Clare team is like being part of an extended family – you will feel so rewarded by lending a hand to us, whilst making a huge difference towards the local people and families who you help us to care for.” Kevin, a St Clare Volunteer who works on our Inpatient Unit, said, “One of the best things about volunteering at St Clare is knowing that when I finish my shift, I have made a difference. However big or small, whether it’s a patient or a relative that just might want a chat or a simple cup of tea, as a volunteer I am there to listen and make the patient and family as comfortable as I can. When I get home, I know I’ve done something to contribute to the community.” If you’d like to volunteer with St Clare, you can find more information on our website at: https://stclarehospice.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/. Alternatively, please get in touch with Rob Wallace at rob.wallace@stclarehospice.org.uk or 01279 773722

Winter Walkies is coming! Have you signed up yet? Sign up before Friday 19th January and get free entry into our Cutest Canine photo Competition! Is your four-legged-friend the fairest of them all? Submit their cutest photo and find out! https://stclarehospice.org.uk/event/winter-walkies/

Happy New Year, to one and all! What are you up today? Enjoying a lovely meal, taking a relaxing stroll or recovering after last night’s celebrations?! Whatever it is, we hope you spend the first day of 2018 peacefully and with happiness, and that the year ahead brings you all that you wish for! New Year’s resolutions are high in people’s minds as we enter 2018. From spending more time with family, to giving up smoking or alcohol, losing a few Christmas-pudding-pounds or going to the gym, we wish you the best of luck with your New Year endeavours! If you’re looking to get involved in your local community a bit more this year, there’s one way we know of in which you can make a huge difference with your local hospice. It takes just five minutes, but will ensure that we are able to carry on caring for people who need us. Tick ‘Yes’ for St Clare Hospice > www.stclarehospice.org.uk/tick-yes Due to changes in data protection laws, as of Friday 25th May 2018, we will no longer be able to contact you unless you “positively opt in” to receive our communications. That means that you need to tick ‘Yes’ to being contacted by us, and at the same time let us know what your contact preferences are (post, email, phone, or text). A simple ‘tick’ today means that we can continue to keep you updated about the difference your support makes to local families when they need it most, and in a way that you are most comfortable with. It means that we can keep you updated on the many new and exciting ways that you can help support the hospice, like remembering a loved one with a personalised Memory Tree leaf, taking part in one of our events like Light up a Life at Christmas-time, joining up to play our weekly Lottery, donating preloved goods to one of our shops or hearing how your support makes a difference through our supporter newsletter. We are delighted that our fantastic supporter, Jeff Brazier, is behind our new Tick ‘Yes’ campaign. Jeff tells the moving story of Lorna and Darren. When Darren was diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, St Clare was there for him and his family. Your support, and by simply ticking ‘Yes’, can directly help people like Lorna and Darren. Our supporters often tell us that they have a personal connection with us. No one ever expects to need somewhere like St Clare, but if you have ever needed our care on our Inpatient Unit, through our Hospice at Home team or at our Day Therapy groups, you’ll know just how critical our nurses and medical teams are. We are there for local families when they need it most, day after day, year after year. Whatever your motivation, we need your ‘tick’ today > www.stclarehospice.org.uk/tick-yes