Category Archives: News

Friends raise thousands for Stroke Early Supported Discharge Team

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PATIENT Christine Beedles was so pleased with her care and rehabilitation by the North Devon Stroke Service that her friends decided to support the service by organising a series of fundraising events.  An amazing total of £2,126.15 was raised for the Stroke Supported Discharge Team.

The events included a Big Breakfast at Bradworthy Village Hall organised by fundraiser Carol Skrzypczak, a raffle which included an oil painting by BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2012, Lara Virginia, and a coffee morning organised by fundraiser Pym Gander in Dolton.

Neuro-Rehabilitation Lead Emma Cork said “The team are overwhelmed and very grateful for the generosity and support of Christine and her friends.”

Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “The hospital charity Over and Above supports over 90 different departments which includes our stroke, cardiology, chemotherapy and special care baby units.  All of our hospital departments are important to us, and this amazing sum of money raised by Christine’s friends will enable us to purchase equipment to help our wonderful staff to care for our stroke patients.   The support we receive from our local community makes such a difference in enabling us to provide equipment “over and above” what the NHS can provide, helping us to do so much more for our patients.”

To find out how you can support the hospital charity “Over and Above”, contact the Fundraising Team on 01271 311772 or email ndht.charity@nhs.net or visit www.overandabove.org.uk.

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L-R  Back:  Sally Berkley Sage, Pym Gander, Fran Theakston, Julie Grenge, Hester Gill, Carolyn Skrzypczak

L-R Front (with cheque):  Lorraine Forward, Carol Skrzypczak, Malcolm Pidgeon, Neuro-Rehabilitation Lead Emma Cork, Christine Beedles (standing)

 

Charity Day at Ilfracombe Aquarium raises over £1400

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IA FOH Team, LR & Cakes 230416Ilfracombe Aquarium Charity Day held on Saturday 23rd April raised an fantastic £1402.20 which was split between Over and Above Special Care Baby Unit Appeal and the Marine Conservation Society.

The charity event included a free exhibit entry for a donation, a cake sale, tombola and raffle.

Local businesses were very generous with their prize donations and on the day ‘Team Aquarium’ pulled out all the stops to entertain the crowds.

Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “The hospital charity are very grateful to Ilfracombe Aquarium for holding their family fundraising day and donating £701.10 to the SCBU Appeal.  The Appeal has now raised an amazing £120,000 towards its £250,000 target.

001Photograph L-R:  Martha Raybone, Chelsea Freeman, Bernadette Davis, Ste Corcoran, Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton and Ilfracombe Aquarium Director Lawrence Raybone.

Parkhouse Patchwork Group patch for the Stroke Unit

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PARKHOUSE PATCHWORK GROUP has been busy making a beautiful Log Cabin Quilt to raffle at their exhibition in June.

Member Jo Hendy said “The charity was chosen by our Chairlady as her father had a stroke 18 months ago and was treated in the Acute Stroke Unit at North Devon District Hospital.   We were aware that they need an ECG machine and we decided to help.”

The quilt is on display at North Devon District Hospital in the main foyer on most Wednesday’s and the raffle tickets are available for purchase Monday to Friday on the Over and Above charity stall.

The Parkhouse Patchwork Group Exhibition will take place at the Parkhouse Centre in Bude from 2nd – 4th June, and will include a wide selection of patchwork and quilted items to view as well as a sales table, raffles, tombolas, demonstrations and refreshments.

The patchwork group based in Bude has over 60 members which meet every fortnight between September and June.

 Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “Parkhouse Patchwork Group have put an amazing amount of work into their Log Cabin quilt. Without doubt, it must have taken hours to work up and design.  We are absolutely delighted the ladies have chosen to support our Stroke Unit with the raffle.”

If you would like to give your support to the hospital charity Over and Above or if you want to find out more, please visit; www.overandabove.org.uk and the charity’s Facebook page or contact the North Devon District Hospital Fundraising Team on 01271 311772 or email ndht.charity@nhs.net.

chairty quiltPhotographs L-R:   Back Row:    Maria Berkley, Carole Sparham, Jean Coumbe, Liz Blair, Joan Gleinsinger, Joan Lashbrook

Front Row:  Ruth Pearce, Jen Bond, Jeanette Orr, Jo Hendy, Sue Bentley and Caroline Miller.

Barnstaple M&S raise £5k for Seamoor Unit

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BARNSTAPLE Marks and Spencers staff have raised a magnificent £5,000 for the Seamoor Chemotherapy & Day Treatment Unit over the past year.

The money will be used towards an observation machine to support cancer patients being treated at the North Devon District Hospital.

Hospital charity “Over and Above” Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “Marks and Spencers staff are amazing supporters to our hospital charity “Over and Above”.  Over the past few years, the Barnstaple store has raised almost £20,000 for the Seamoor Unit which was achieved through skydiving , bag packing, charity fun days and collecting tins on their tills.  Their fantastic achievement shows how a team working together can make such a difference to the lives of our patients.”

DSCN1989 - bestL-R:  Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton, Jody Morrell, Carol Manley, Barnstaple Store Manager Nina Hunter. Front: Michelle Johnson and Lorraine Scoines

Sew a ‘Snuggly’ for SCBU

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NORTH DEVON DISTRICT HOSPITAL Special Care Baby Unit is appealing for those with sewing skills to help parents bond with their babies.

The Special Care Baby Unit is looking for volunteers to help them make ‘snugglies’.

The aim is to give every baby that is cared for on the unit several snugglies, which are small muslin squares that are knotted in one corner, one for the mum and one for the baby.

Snugglie

Muslin snuggly 30 cm x 30 cm

One snuggly is placed in the incubator close to the baby and the other stays close to the parent to pick up their scent. Every few hours they are swapped around so that the baby and the parents share each other’s scent.

Special Care Baby Units across the UK have used snugglies on their wards and have found that it can help the mum and her baby bond, they help the mum to stimulate her milk production and can ease separation anxiety.

Senior Neonatal Staff Nurse & Educator Vikki Baker said “These little squares of muslin make such a difference to our mum’s and their babies.  Having a baby in SCBU can be a very emotional time and it is important that we give our mum’s the very best support we can.”

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Vicki Gallagher of Bideford delivered her twin girls at the North Devon District Hospital in March.  Brioney and Brooke Gallagher were born at only 35 weeks weighing just 1.615 and 1.295 kilograms and then cared for in the Special Care Baby Unit for 21 days. Vicki said “A snuggly is so important as it helps mums and their babies to become familiar with each other’s smell and it is a comfort to hold the snuggly when the babies are in an incubator and it is difficult to hold them when they are so small and fragile.  Having twins was a surprise as there are no twins on my side of the family but I have four other lovely girls who enjoy helping me.”

Over and Above Hospital Charity Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “Our SCBU Unit would be very grateful if volunteers could sew some squares of muslin and tie a knot at one end preferably in pastel colours and either post or bring into the Fundraising Office on Level 2 at North Devon District Hospital, Raleigh Park, Barnstaple, EX31 4JB.   A few minutes of your time will make a big difference to our unit.”

The Special Care Baby Unit also need in pretty pastel colours or prints, flat brush cotton sheets and cot blankets approximately 500 x 900 mm and small knitted bags to put the baby’s keepsakes in such as namebands, BP cuffs, and first footprints so that parents can take all the items home to ensure these special “first items” do not go astray.

The charity’s latest Appeal is to raise £250,000 towards new equipment for the Special Care Baby Unit.  So far, £110,000 has been raised thanks to the generosity of the people of North Devon.

If you would like to give your support to the hospital charity Over and Above Special Care Baby Unit Appeal or one of the many other departments, or if you want to find out more, please visit; www.overandabove.org.uk and the charity’s Facebook page or contact the North Devon District Hospital Fundraising Team on 01271 311772 or email ndht.charity@nhs.net

 

 

 

 

 

Seamoor Unit celebrates first birthday

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The new chemotherapy and day treatment centre at North Devon District Hospital has celebrated a busy first year and its first birthday.

Since it opened at the end of March 2015, the Seamoor Unit has seen more than 10,000 patients, divided equally between the unit’s oncology and haematology services.

The £2.5million unit was made possible thanks to the Chemotherapy Appeal, a four-year fundraising campaign promoted by the North Devon Gazette.

Seamoor-Unit-celebrates-first-birthday

The region responded to raise the money, together with large donations from charitable trusts.

The main treatment area is named the Jennifer Bonetta Treatment Room in memory of the founder of the North Devon Cancer Care Centre Trust, which donated hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Unit manager Emma Thoms said she had not known what to expect in the first year, but patients had been delighted with the difference to the former cramped, shared facility at the hospital.

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from patients about the space and it being light and airy,” she said.

Before the unit was built, many patients had to travel to Exeter for treatment.

Now they can enjoy a better environment and an enhanced service that includes specialist nurses to offer telephone or face-to-face advice on dealing with side-effects of treatment.

Fundraising manager Ian Roome said: “A huge thank you to the people of North Devon and Cornwall for their dedicated fundraising.

“But our hospital charity Over and Above stills need to raise funds for additional medical services and equipment at the unit not available on the NHS.”

Article and photo courtesy of North Devon Gazette.

Easter Extravaganza at Cook Island raises £2574.27 for SCBU

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ON EASTER SUNDAY an Easter Extravaganza was held at Cook Island at Mullacott Cross near Ilfracombe.

Ilfracombe residents Duncan and Angie Mays regularly fundraise for local charities, and decided to support the Special Care Baby Unit at North Devon District Hospital.

Angie said “Some of my friends have had children who were cared for in the Special Care Baby Unit in Barnstaple.  We were fortunate that our little girl did not need the unit, but I know many young babies do, and so when I heard that the hospital charity Over and Above had launched the SCBU appeal to raise funds for new equipment my husband Duncan and I wanted to help too.

The event raised an amazing £2,574.27.  This was achieved by selling raffle tickets and collecting outside Tescos in the lead up to the event, and on Easter Sunday there was an Easter egg hunt, a treasure island fundraiser, tattoo painting and much more.

Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “The charity is thrilled with the amount that Duncan, Angie and their team raised.  Duncan only picked up the fundraising buckets and banners a few days before, and within the week had raised an amazing sum.”

The Appeal is currently concentrating on fundraising for three neonatal ventilators which cost around £2,500 each.  The Draeger ventilator is currently on trial in the unit, and this is the ventilator that the clinicians and nursing staff have assessed is needed.  The SCBU unit already has ventilators but the equipment is old and the unit currently uses three different machines to get the same result as the Draeger ventilator.

Angie and Duncan came into the unit recently for the cheque presentation with their daughter, Phoebe, and our Neonatal Paediatrician, Dr Michael Salter, had the opportunity to show them the Draeger ventilator. Our Special Care Baby Unit appeal aims to raise £250,000 and so far we have raised an amazing £110,000 thanks to the overwhelming support from the people of North Devon.

Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “I know, with the help of the people of North Devon we will raise the funds for the ventilators.   It is important to the hospital that we give our mothers and their families the very best care and support we can during an emotional and stressful time.“

 

Dance for SCBU

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GET READY to strut your stuff on the dance floor, bust some moves and boogie the night away with the hospital’s Over and Above Charity 12 hour Dance-a-thon.

The event is being organised by Project Dance Devon who offer a wide range of dance classes across North and Mid Devon for all ages and abilities.

Project Dance director Karen Moss said “There will be a variety of dance styles throughout the day to keep you moving.  We will start with a warm up of party dances, tap, rumba, freestyle, quickstep, cheer dance, paso doble, musical theatre, line dancing, street dance, rock and roll and burlesque style – saucy not naughty!  This event will be fun, fun, fun and is open to everyone so bring your whole family.

“I am a senior nurse at the hospital but also a dance instructor for Project Dance.  We have had a fabulous time at the hospital raising funds for the chemotherapy unit by organising a Harlem Shake which got staff from across the hospital involved.  It was because we had so much fun with that I thought it would be a perfect time to organise an event which everyone can take part in to support our Special Care Baby Unit Appeal”.

The event kicks off at 8am until 8pm on Sunday 10th April at Lampard Community School Hall at St Johns Lane, Barnstaple.

To take part simply download the Danceathon entry form 2016 and Sponsorship form and return it with your £2.50 registration fee to the Fundraising Team at North Devon District Hospital, Raleigh Park, Barnstaple, EX31 3JB .  Alternatively contact the fundraising Department on 01271 311772 or ndht.charity@nhs.net for an entry form.   You may also want to set up a Just Giving page on https://www.justgiving.com/OverandAbove/ to help you with your fundraising.

 Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “We are delighted that Project Dance are supporting our Special Care Baby Unit in such a fun and energetic way.  Don’t worry if you have never done it before as a warm up and instructions will be given by Project Dance on the day.   If you feel you can’t do all 12 hours, don’t worry – just do what you can or take part as a team.  Participants are encouraged to bring pom-poms, tutu’s, cowboy hats.

Just get your dancing shoes (or trainers) on and we will see you there!”

DSCN1959 - bestPhotographs L-R:   North Devon District Hospital Physiotherapy Staff practicing their line dancing for the 12 hour charity dance-a-thon: Physiotherapist Lee Buckland, Administrator Catherine Holman, Staff Physiotherapist Jackie Jones