At Cool Running Rental, we pride ourselves on being a company that supports local causes. For several years now we have been involved with sporting teams in the Rochdale area, including the Belle Vue Aces, Mayfield Rugby League team, Saddleworth Golf course, and Rochdale AFC. One of our charities that we support is the Springhill Hospice. This is one of our most important causes as they provide essential services to those who need them most in our area.
So who are Springhill?
The Springhill Hospice was founded in 1989 by Margaret Geoghenan MBE, and the purpose of the trust is to provide palliative and end-of-life care to those who have been diagnosed with life limiting illnesses and support to their families. The core of Springhill Hospice is the clinical care provided by its medical staff, but supporting them is a range of corporate services including administrative staff, fundraising teams and living support (catering, cleaning etc). Alongside these teams there is a veritable army of volunteers, who the hospice could not operate without. They provide counselling services, transport, fundraising and help to run the charity shops that are vital to the hospice’s running.
What services do they provide?
Inpatient Care
The Springhill Hospice specialise in palliative care, but have a wide range of services that they offer to those who need them. One of their most important services is their inpatient care. The hospice has 16 beds on site that are available for short term stays, usually occupied by those in the early stages of their illness. When a patient is taken in, they are assigned a personal nurse who will assess their condition, create a treatment plan, and provide a level of 1 to 1 care that can only be attained in such a small environment. All patients that are admitted to the inpatient care program have access to the excellent complementary therapies and day hospice, along with psychological support and spiritual support from the Pastoral Care Coordinator.
Day Hospice
As the inpatient support is only available in the short term, many of Springhill’s patients are transferred to the day hospice scheme after discharge. This gives the patient their independence while still maintaining their care and noone with a life limiting illness wants to spend their time in a hospital bed. The day hospice runs on 4 days a week from 10am-3pm and provides all the activities that would be available to an inpatient. These day sessions are important not only for the care they provide, but also to give any carers at home a period of rest and to monitor the progress of the patient. Should a patient live alone, these sessions also help to fight the feeling of isolation, and provide social interaction for those who may not have it in their own homes.
The services that are provided in the day hospice sessions are many and varied. One of Springhill’s strengths are its counselling and therapy sessions, as these give patients the opportunity to discuss their condition with those who will understand it best, and those who can empathise with the situation they find themselves in. Traditional counselling allows patients access to one of Springhill’s volunteer counsellors who will discuss their condition and be able to give an outsiders advice and support. This coupled with the group and creative therapy gives the patient a well rounded support network when they need it most. Spiritual and psychological support is available as it is with the inpatient scheme, but there is also the more holistic support of hair and beauty treatments, to help make a patient feel their best despite their condition.
Bereavement Support
The Springhill Hospice doesn’t only provide support the sufferers of severe illness. When a loved one has passed away, the grieving process is hard hitting and often damaging. At Springhill, they also provide bereavement support services to any and all that need it in the areas of Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale. As with patient care, bereavement services are varied and diverse to best suit those who need them and are available either in the hospice, or in some GP surgeries.
The support offered to patients is mirrored in those offered to their loved ones. Counselling with a specialist grief counsellor and group therapy sessions are two traditional and proven services offered at Springhill, and provide the support network that the grieving need. Alongside these though are more modern ways to help, like the Ecotherapy sessions. These sessions are offered to those receiving counselling and include activities like gardening, potting, weeding and harvesting. The aim of ecotherapy is to get people outside, and doing something with a tangible goal to help them return to a normal way of life. These outdoor group sessions are also an excellent way to introduce people to new social groups if they feel isolated by the death of a loved one.
Education
Another way that Springhill Hospice give back to their local community is to provide training in palliative treatment and end of life care to medical professionals in the Heywood, Rochdale and Middleton areas, free of charge. They have a purpose built classroom in the grounds of the hospice that features a classroom large enough for 25, and a fully equipped library for study. The training that Springhill Hospice provide covers subjects like communication, infection control, oxygen training and symptom management among many others (view the full list here). All of the training that can be undertaken at the hospice is mandatory for its staff, as they aim to only provide the best care to their patients and families, and having onsite training allows them to always be up to date.
Their funding, and how you can help!
The Springhill Hospice is funded partly by the Clinical Commissioning Groups, who cover the cost of providing community services and a third of patient service costs. The remainder of the cash that is required comes from charitable donations, fundraising events and the revenue generated by the hospice charity shop. The events that Springhill run happen throughout the year ranging from outdoor challenges to sporting competitions. Already they have a mixed pairs bowling competition and 3 peaks challenge planned for 2020! The fundraising team also help to facilitate events that you can run yourself which are a great source of income for this vital charity.
So where do Cool Running get involved? We are a refrigerated van hire company based in Rochdale and proud sponsors of the Springhill Hospice, and we hope that our contributions have helped those in need of this essential care. We would challenge any and all of our readers locally or far away to do their bit to aid Springhill’s cause. If you would like to organise your own charity event, you can contact their fundraising team on 01706 641790, they would be happy to hear from you and make sure you say hello from us! Alternatively, if you’re stuck for a Christmas present for someone you know, why not make a donation in their name to the hospice and help to change the life of someone with a life-limiting condition.
If you are interested in renting a temperature controlled vehicle, then we urge you to get in touch with us today so that we can continue to do our bit for the good people of the Springhill Hospice.