It has been a busy few months for our Community Engagement and Living Well team at the hospice and we wanted to share what we have been up to.

In The Hub of it all!

We are excited to launch another new service for our patients and carers called The Living Well Hub Drop-in. Our weekly 2-4pm Tuesday sessions in our café provide a relaxed and informal environment to drop in to see key people from the nurse led and therapy led clinics as well as hearing about community support available. The team are here to listen, answer questions and provide support and advice to patients, with private rooms available if required.

It has been a great success so far due to its flexible nature (no appointment is required) and social support the group provides from our team and other patients and carers. Here are what some of our attendees have said:

“I came to meet other people in a similar situation and get information regarding what’s available for his (my husband’s) illness.”

“We returned to see friends we made last week and get out.”

“I came to spend time with my daughter and to share experiences and laughter.”

Please come and join the group and see for yourself!

When -Tuesday 2-4pm

Where – The Street Café at St Wilfrid’s Hospice

Our Community Links Network

Our Community Links network is a vibrant network of groups and organisations across our catchment area. The network allows us to spread awareness of hospice services and signpost the people we support to relevant groups and organisations in their community. In the last few months 10 new groups have joined the network, find out more about them in the links below:

• Albion in the Community – Brighter Outlook
• Arthritis Action
• Beachy Head Chaplaincy
• Beachwood Grove Care Home
• Eastbourne Shed
• Healthwatch East Sussex
• Parkinson’s Hailsham Branch
• St Wilfrid’s Choir
• Uckfield Men’s Shed
• You Raise Me Up

It’s great to have such a varied number of local organisations joining the network! To find out more about the Community Links Network contact Kathryn Sutter, Community Engagement Navigator on 07513 827518 or kathryn.sutter@stwhospice.org .

Getting out into the Community and hospice visits

Our Community Engagement Team have been working hard to get out and about to share information about our services across our catchment area. This has included stands in Eastbourne Library and at Uckfield Civic Centre. In January, Kathryn Sutter (Community Engagement Navigator) and Nyasha Maposa (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead), went to Seaside, Eastbourne and spoke to 17 local businesses and community services about the support we offer to include our Community Bereavement Service.

During this month Lucy Cheshire, our Community Engagement Lead, visited St Peter and St James Hospice in Lewes. Wendy Agate, their Community Champion, kindly gave Lucy a tour of the hospice and gardens and Lucy also spent some time at their Living Well Centre meeting the team and learning more about their groups and activities.

If you would like us to come and speak at your group or event about our services get in touch with Kathryn on the details above.