Thanks to all supporters who have generously helped Dave & I to achieve our original £400 target. Now, with 5 weeks to go, we’re raising the bar and hopefully more vital funds & awareness for this great cause!  

Throughout the pandemic, although all their shops had to close, Longfield Community Hospice continued to support patients with life-limiting conditions, as well as their carers and family members. Equipped with PPE, the Hospice at Home team visit patients at the end of life in their own homes up to three times a day. Patients are able to die at home, surrounded by loved ones and in familiar surroundings, fully supported by Longfield. Face-to-face services at the hospice stopped overnight, so the team took to supporting patients and carers by a new telephone counselling service. 

Looking to the future, the shops are now open again and Longfield has developed a 3-year strategy including a Wellbeing Centre at the stunning facilities and gardens at Longfield in Minchinhampton offering complementary & creative therapies, a Carers’ Café and lots more. The wellbeing services will meet the needs of people living with a wider range of life-limiting conditions, including cancers, neurological and respiratory illnesses, organ failure and dementia. The focus is on holistic rehabilitation of mind and body, so people diagnosed with life-limiting conditions & their carers are better able to feel good and function well.

“Longfield is a positive and happy community space, not a place to die, and I am determined that many more people will use it to live life to the full over the years to come” Simon Bernstein, CEO at Longfield

Here’s why patients & their families need our support:

Dierdre’s husband was cared for by the Hospice at Home team. In 2019 a consultant told Dierdre it was time to move her husband Douglas, who had prostate cancer, into a home. “But we didn’t want him in a home, we wanted him at home,” said Dierdre. The pressure of caring for a loved one can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, Longfield Hospice team visited three times each day to help Douglas wash, eat and get comfortable. “They were total professionals,” said Dierdre. “The care they offer is from the heart.” The night Douglas died, Dierdre didn’t leave his side – he wouldn’t have wanted her to. She was grateful for the calming presence of the Longfield carer who stayed past the end of her shift to offer support. Together, they washed Douglas and laid him out. “I was there for Douglas, and she was there for me,” Dierdre said. “I will always remember that kindness.”

Robin explains how Longfield supported her & her husband, John, during lockdown. “John was always full of life. He retired from the clergy in 2011 but still took services in our local churches. In his spare time, John loved bird watching and volunteered at Slimbridge Wetlands Centre. But in 2014, John became confused and anxious and could no longer do the cryptic crossword - once so easy for him. He became unsteady on his feet and couldn’t drive safely. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2016. Today, he relies on me to care for him. Before COVID, John visited Longfield for day activities like art classes, massage and Reiki. It was so comforting to know that he was safe and happy and meeting up with people with similar challenges in life. It also gave me a chance to catch up with things. I’ve also had counselling with Longfield, which was such a positive experience. As well as an emotional release, I came away with some coping strategies. Throughout the pandemic, the Longfield team has called me to check in and say hello. I was out in the garden one day and a Longfield volunteer appeared at the gate and handed me a goody bag of things like shortbread, hot chocolate sachets and candles. It was such a lovely surprise, I felt quite overwhelmed.  Longfield just keeps giving. They make us feel valued and very well supported.”

Longfield relies heavily on community support with over 85% of their income coming from voluntary donations, retail sales and gifts in Wills. Please do give generously in support of our Cotswold Way Challenge.

To find out more about the incredible work of Longfield Community Hospice visit www.longfield.org.uk