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a word from daphne hall Daphne Hall MBE is one of Fair Havens three founders. As a nurse, she saw that the needs of local people at the end of their life was woefully lacking and opened Fair Havens in 1983. Fair Havens was born out of an idea at Earls Hall Baptist Church in Westcliff. With very little money and the faith of a few people, we knew God was calling us to do something about the provision of care for dying people. It was 18 months from the inception of the idea to when we took in the first patient. On June 13th 1983 we were ready and opened the doors of the hospice to our first patient. At the 10th anniversary, all the staff and trustees were wondering what God had in mind for us in the future. What we need is a local children s hospice, and what is Fair Havens going to do about it? In March 1998 Essex s first children s hospice, Little Havens, opened. I look back on my time at Fair Havens amazed at the way God uses ordinary people to bring about his purposes. 2 side by side - issue 26 spring 20i8
Trustee Board Members Reg Ramm and Clive Pegler have been supporters of Havens Hospices for the past 35 years. Clive says, Whether it s a child or a young person or an adult, Havens Hospices focuses on that person s quality of life right up to the end of their life. I m very proud to be a trustee of a charity that is so focused on life and love; it is a privilege to be a part of it. The charity is now looking to the future of Fair Havens with plans to start building a new hospice in September 2018. Reg adds, Looking back to when we first opened Fair Havens we had four beds; so it s amazing to think today we are planning for 16 beds to serve the community in a much different way. And it won t only be more beds, but we ll be able to care for more people, something that is an answer to prayers for everyone not just myself. side by side - issue 26 spring 20i8 3
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wills month returns in june Giving supporters the chance to make a Will with a local solicitor, in return for a donation to Havens Hospices. Suggested donations are 90 for a single Will, 150 for a pair of Mirror Wills and 50 for a Codicil. Making a Will during Wills Month means you can save money, and ensure that your estate passes to the people closest to your heart. You will also have the option of leaving a legacy to Havens Hospices and help us to continue Making every day count for the many patients and families who will need Havens Hospices help in the future. For information visit havenshospices.org.uk/wills-month or call Sarah Seiffert, 01702 221670 on Mondays and Fridays. joan s founding 5 Fair Havens received its first donation, anonymously, from a member of the community who believed in the founder s vision. The lady, Joan Mead, posted 5 through their door with the message for the hospice on the envelope. This was the start of a journey which has seen us care for more than 25,000 patients and countless family members in their time of desperate need. In 2015 Joan was admitted to Fair Havens. She died in the hospice on 2nd April 2015 aged 86. Thanks to her generosity more than 30 years earlier, she was able to die peacefully in the hospice she d helped to create. side by side - issue 26 spring 20i8 5
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early donation leaflet fair havens original bedroom little havens cook book launch the project 90 fund was launched to raise money for the purchase of the additional building for fair havens fair havens charity ball early fair havens volunteering leaflet original fair havens volunteer badge former ambassador jessie wallace with little havens child milan 8 side by side - issue 26 spring 20i8
pearl naylor and dee anderson Meet two of our volunteers Pearl Naylor and Dee Anderson, who have both been recognised for their service to the community and work with Havens Hospices. Pearl, who volunteers at Fair Havens, has become a well-known face around the hospice as she has been with the charity since it opened in 1983. Pearl was awarded an MBE in 2011 for her service to the community. Pearl, 93, said, Fair Havens is a huge part of my life. I feel like I m giving back. So many people I know have had cancer or other illnesses and this charity has been able to help them. There is always laughter at Fair Havens, despite what people may think. I wouldn t give this up for anything. Dee started her volunteering with the charity after her daughter, Katie, was cared for and died at Little Havens in 2015, aged 13. Dee now speaks as a Community Champion at a variety of events, sharing Katie s story and encouraging others to support Little Havens: She was Highly Commended at the 2017 Pride of Essex Awards in the Community Champion category. Dee said, Little Havens needs to carry on for years and years and be supported by as many people as possible because it s such a special place and certainly not what you think. I would like to spend the rest of my days making sure that Little Havens can carry on because it changes lives. It allows lives to be as good as what they can be. thank you to both pearl and dee for all your hard work over the years, you re both havens heroes. side by side - issue 26 spring 20i8 9
sadie s story After noticing a lump in Sadie s throat and complaining of aches in her legs and significant weight loss, 13-year-old Sadie was diagnosed in May 2015 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia T Cell. She also has high functioning Asperger s, a form of Autism. The family was referred to Little Havens in June 2015. I couldn t believe that such a place like Little Havens existed. It s like being on holiday for us. What made us stay was sitting around that huge dining table, having lunch with other families and people listened to me. I didn t feel guilty if I laughed or cried. Everyone just accepted us for who we were. We could be ourselves. We could almost forget about the illness. We ve lost a lot of friends as people don t know what to say, but we ve made best friends at Little Havens, friends for life. Jessica, Sadie s Mum mick s story In November 2017 Mick was referred to Havens Hospices Community Hospice at Home service. He died at home on 31st January 2018. Sherry, the Fair Havens Hospice at Home Nurse Coordinator, came and set everything up and they come in three to four times a day to administer medications, provide personal care and give emotional support or to give Sue some respite. That s a relief for me too, that Sue s being cared for. I wouldn t like to think that she would break down on me, that would be a disaster. I really don t know where we d be without Fair Havens Hospice at Home, I wouldn t even like to go there to be honest. I d still be in hospital without a doubt. This is where I want to go from when I m going. Everyone else skips around it but I m happy and they ve enabled me to be at home, which is where I want to be. 10 i0 side by side - issue 26 spring 20i8
new fair havens hospice update The final plans for a new Fair Havens Hospice have now been submitted to Southend Borough Council and we hope to have them approved shortly. Changes include moving the bedrooms downstairs so the patients have direct access to a private garden with improved aspect, and reduced the size of office space and reception area to create a more amenable entrance. New Fair Havens will incorporate 16 in-patient bedrooms, increased Day Hospice services and additional Family Support set in beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds, which have taken inspiration from the neighboring Priory Park. Project Director Steve Smith says, We have a duty to get value for money as public donations will pay for the majority of a hospice that will serve the local community for years to come. We have scrutinised the plans to ensure we build a hospice of the right size and are using space effectively so we can reduce costs. Previously we needed to raise over 16 million to build the new hospice, but after lots of support from grant making trusts, our Appeal Board members and our Founders we now need only 2.5 million to fund the new hospice. For more information on new Fair Havens or to make a donation towards the project visit www.havenshospices.org.uk/ newfairhavens. side by side -- issue 26 spring 20i8 11 ii
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