On 29th March 2019, we at City Hospice welcomed guests to two separate events at Ty Hosbis, in the grounds of Whitchurch Hospital in Cardiff.
Our first event of the day saw guests from the local business community coming together to network and learn more about the exceptional work of City Hospice. Together we celebrated our ‘Charity Of The Year’ partnerships including TPS360, our Platinum Pledge club members, and representatives from leading businesses, keen to learn more about our work and how they could support the charity.
The tour we provide of Ty Hosbis helps to tell the City Hospice story in greater detail, especially as we were able to share accounts of the difference we make to patients and their families. The Centre is a bright and welcoming space, where patients come for social activities or sessions with a consultant, clinical nurse specialist, counsellor or complimentary therapist. Invariably, our guests share stories of their own experiences with City Hospice, re-affirming just how special the charity is, and the big difference we make.
In the afternoon, we held our ‘Heart of Cardiff’ event, where we welcomed representatives from the community, including many Cardiff Councillors, church groups, universities, community champions, and public sector organisations. Guests were keen to understand the support we offer within the Cardiff community, and were happy to offer their support for Cardiff’s local hospice.
The clouds had cleared by the afternoon and during this tour, we were able to enjoy the beautiful City Hospice gardens in all their glory. The charity’s gardens are a great source of pride; a tranquil space maintained entirely by volunteers, which patients, carers and visitors can enjoy.
This engaged group asked a range of interesting and thought provoking questions, which are always a joy to answer – knowing that our work has clearly struck a chord and people are keen to learn more. We discussed how our patient referrals have increased from 100 over the course of a year in 1997, to 100 per month in 2019, and what patient care looks like now compared to days past. We chatted about the high quality of our service, provided by our exceptional multidisciplinary team, and our focus of living the fullest life possible for as long as possible, which clearly resonated with everyone.
We finished off with a talk about the counselling that we offer families and specifically our work with children. This is often an emotional subject, and whilst many of our guests were clearly moved by this work, everyone could clearly see the massive impact we can have on the lives of the young people we support; helping them to express their emotions, providing a trusted person to share their feelings of grief with, and ensuring they don’t feel alone during such a difficult time.
City Hospice is truly a charity at the heart of Cardiff. Thank you to everyone who joined us for these two special events, in celebration of City Hospice’s essential work.
If you would like to attend a future business networking or community event, please contact info@cityhospice.org.uk
Liz Andrews
Chief Executive of City Hospice
