HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO St Giles Walsall Hospice


It’s been an eventful first year for St Giles Walsall Hospice since this much-needed facility opened in April 2011.


One of the highlights was when HRH The Duke of Gloucester officially opened the new centre in February.


This followed another significant milestone in October with the admission of St Giles Walsall Hospice’s 100th patient.


“As we reach the end of St Giles Walsall Hospice’s first year, we can reflect on a great deal achieved for the local community,” says Peter Holliday, Chief Executive of St Giles Hospice.


“We were delighted in particular to welcome HRH The Duke of Gloucester for the official opening ceremony.”


The Duke of Gloucester (right) officially opens St Giles Walsall Hospice, with Chairman of NHS Walsall Geoff Archenhold and St Giles Chief Executive Peter Holliday


St Giles Walsall Hospice opened as part of the town’s brand new £5.5 million Palliative Care Centre, which provides care and support services for a wide range of patients and carers from across the community.


Marie’s uplifting stay


Physically and emotionally drained after intensive courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat breast cancer, Marie Simpkins “needed a light at the end of the tunnel – something that would help me get my head together, let me feel normal again and give my family a bit of a break.”


After spending some time at St Giles Walsall Hospice to control her symptoms, the 35-year-old from Walsall found exactly what she was looking for.


“The staff and volunteers made me feel like a human being again,” she says. “They’re helping me get my life back and after only a few days, I was already feeling uplifted.


“I have come from the darkest depths you can possibly imagine and now it feels like I’m floating on air.” A dream come true


Chairman of the former Walsall Hospice charity, the Rev’d Dr Ian Poole, has been delighted to see years of fundraising finally pay off with the opening of the town’s hospice.


Dr Poole and his team led the charity’s drive to bring a hospice to Walsall.


Since the opening of the in-patient facility in April 2011 the Walsall Hospice charity has now formally merged with St Giles Hospice to keep the momentum of fundraising going under the single unified umbrella of St Giles Walsall Hospice.


Dr Poole says: “It gives me tremendous satisfaction to see the hospice fully operational.


“In 12 short months the hospice has made a huge difference to the lives of so many patients and their families who would otherwise have had to travel many miles to receive similar high quality care.


“I still continue to be amazed by the local community’s commitment to continue to help fund their hospice.”


4 01543 432 031 • www.stgileshospice.com • mail@st-giles-hospice.org.uk Marie Simpkins with nurse Vicky Wint


HOSPICE NEWS


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18