Today’s speaker was Julia Owen from the Kirkwood Hospice. Julia explained that her role is Community Fund Raiser – visiting schools, groups, individuals, organisations to inform people of what the hospice does and how it operates.
The hospice is based in Dalton, fairly central to the whole of Kirklees and it works with people who have life-limiting conditions, not just cancer. It receives approximately 25% of its income from the government. The rest from fund raising and sponsorships. It needs £11m per year to operate. With the recent tax changes and increased minimum wage, it’s finances are strained. It will have to reduce staff, beds, outreach, etc.
The focus of the hospice is on what matters to people with cancer, dementia, organ failure, respiratory problems, neurological conditions and needing palliative care providing comfort and dignity at end of life. The hospice also helps with counselling and bereavement support for family, friends, co-workers, neighbours – anyone affected by another’s death. Dealing with all this requires a large multi-disciplinary team.
Julia showed a video of a patient who explained the care and treatment she had received, the emotional support given to her and her husband.
Julia helps to spread the word of the work done by the hospice and ways in which the public can help. Volunteer – not all volunteers work in the shops. Sign up for a fund-raising event. Sign up for their e-newsletter. Play the Big K lottery.
The general perception of the hospice is a place where people with cancer go to die. It is so much more than that as Julia informed us.