Category Archives: Derian News

Good morning everyone,

Last night, we launched our brand new Fundraising Video which has been many months in the making. A huge thanks to all of the staff and volunteers who agreed to take part, be that in an interview or background artist role! 🙂

You can find the link to it on YouTube here:

Derian House Fundraising Video 2025

This is a tool that we can all use, be that to engage new supporters, reach new families, or in training and external meetings to show who we are and what we do.

I’ve put a copy of the video in the Q Drive > Drop Zone (3 Months) so you can save it to your own drives/use in your own presentations.

Thank you and enjoy 🙂

On Friday 22nd August we are holding an event in the garden to celebrate the launch of our hospice documentary, The Little Things, on Amazon Prime.

We have over 50 guests attending the event and need to ensure there is adequate parking available at the hospice for their arrival.

Any staff on the early shift are welcome to park at the hospice, but please keep the main carpark free by parking only down the side of The Lodge or over on the Vinten side of the carpark.

We are politely requesting that all other staff arriving from 8am onwards park at TC’s Sports Bar, Chancery Fields, Astley Village, Chorley, PR7 1DG until after the event finishes (approx 2pm).

Richard has very kindly offered to operate a shuttle service into work from 8am.

Thank you for you cooperation with this, it is much appreciated.

Find out more about The Little Things documentary coming to Amazon Prime.

In preparation of our feature-length Derian House documentary hitting Amazon Prime in the UK and US next Friday 22nd August, we’ve adorned 50 buses with our official film poster to spread the word.

Over the next few weeks, you may just see The Little Things film poster across a double-decker if you’re in Manchester, Oldham, Preston or Wigan.

If you see us, take a photo and make sure to tag us in your Instagram story!

Derian House Children’s Hospice has appointed a new Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Paul Morton has taken on the top job and plans to ensure the charity continues to become the gold standard for children’s hospice care, setting the benchmark for others across the UK.

Derian’s previous Chair of trustees Karen Swindley retired from her position earlier this week, after nine years’ service.

Under her watchful eye, Derian House earned a rating of Outstanding from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), had a £1.7m refurbishment, and introduced free holidays for families.

Paul said he will build on the great work already done and looks forward to leading the Board of Trustees on the charity’s next exciting chapter.

Paul joins Derian following a career as a global healthcare leader spanning four decades.

He has worked at the highest level at some of the biggest private healthcare and medical technology companies across the world.

In his free time, the dad of three grown up children, who lives with his wife Nicky in Euxton, Chorley, also fosters Guide dogs, is a member of Euxton Parish Council, and serves as a Magistrate at Cumbria and Lancashire Family Court.

He has a raft of experience on charity boards, with a focus on building communities and helping people to create opportunities, enabling them to thrive whatever their circumstances.

He said: “I’ve had a base in Euxton for many years and Derian House has always been there. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted get involved, but had never had the time before now having been so busy in my careers.

“The amazing and important work Derian does with families fits in with my thinking and my beliefs. I have always strived to ensure that children have the best opportunities, whatever they are going through, and whatever that may look like to them.

“I’m absolutely honoured to have been given the chance to be involved in influencing the future of this incredible charity and I am looking forward to utilising all of my experience and knowledge to help Derian House thrive and innovate.”

Karen Edwards, Chief Executive of Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Paul to the Derian family. He brings with him not only a wealth of professional experience but a deep-rooted passion for helping children and families live their best lives.

“We’re excited for the future and look forward to working with Paul to continue delivering the very best care and support to families who need us.”

Karen Swindley, former Chair of the Board of Trustees at Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “I wish Paul every success in taking over the reins and leading the board of Derian House forward from the amazing place we have taken it to.”

Hello all,

The regulations surrounding waste management have changed and we are now required to separate recycling from the domestic waste.

I will be putting new bins around the hospice for you to place cans, plastics and glass into. Paper and cardboard can still be left at the side of the bin.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping make Derian green but if you have any issues please let me know.

Chair of Trustees, Karen Swindley, who has dedicated nine years of her time – a third of the hospice’s existence – will be retiring from the Board of Trustees at Derian House Children’s Hospice.

Under her guidance, the charity has gone from strength to strength – achieving an Outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission and strengthening Derian House’s reputation as a leader in children’s hospice care.

As Chair of the Board, Karen helped steer major initiatives, including the £1.7million refurbishment of the hospice building and gardens in 2019, and the development of the Derian on Holiday service, enabling families to enjoy precious time away together, free of charge.

Now stepping back from her role, Karen is looking forward to enjoying more time with family and friends.

“It has been an absolute honour to serve as the Chair of Trustees at Derian House,” said Karen, whose career in the NHS spanned 35 years, before she retired two years ago from her role as Chief People Officer at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

“Working alongside such passionate, talented people – from staff and volunteers to my fellow trustees – has been incredibly rewarding. I’m very proud of everything we’ve achieved together, especially seeing Derian House recognised nationally for the outstanding care it provides.

“Everyone hears children’s hospice, and they think that it must be a sad place. And yes, Derian House does have some sad moments, but there is also so much joy there too. It’s filled with children and young people who are being given experiences that they wouldn’t ordinarily have. Our teams go above and beyond to make sure families make the most of every moment and so it can also be a very happy place to be.

“The first time I visited Derian House was for an open day and craft fair at the hospice about 20 years ago. The hospice has links to my family as my nephew used Derian House’s services – so I already knew what the charity did. I have always been a public servant, and for me, it has always been about giving something back. I joined the Board of Trustees in December 2016 becoming Chair early in 2017.

“I joined Derian House at a difficult time for the hospice. I remember being in my first ever Board meeting with the other Trustees and discussing the outcome of a recent Care Quality Commission inspection which had come back as ‘requires improvement’. To come from that, now to a rating of ‘outstanding’ is amazing. I remember that it took a very long time for the results of that last inspection to come back, because it’s so unusual for an organisation to jump to such a high rating in one inspection so there was a lot of scrutiny over the outcome. When we finally heard the news it just blew us all away – that we’d been able to achieve that.

“Because of having such a broad remit in my executive role in the NHS and knowledge of the Care Quality Commission, it has meant that I have been able to understand every part of the business – whether its human resources, quality, finance – it’s all essential to making sure things run as they should for our families. I hope I have been able to put that experience to good use during my time with Derian.

“I feel incredibly proud of the organisation and what it does. Derian House is above and beyond respite care. And the charity is now so innovative in so many ways. One of my favourite things about the charity is the holiday lodges, where Derian families can have a free week’s holiday each year. I feel honoured to have been part of this journey and to see how far we have come.

“I’m going to miss Derian House, it has been a huge part of my life for almost 10 years. I have so many memories there. A truly unforgettable moment for me was when a mystery donor decided to gift a fully paid for Disney holiday for 13 of our families, I’m not ashamed to admit I cried when I heard! I’ll also miss the Lights of Love service each December, a lovely event and the start of Christmas for many, when our community comes together to watch one of our families light up the Christmas tree.

“Now that I’m stepping down, I’m looking forward to spending more time with family and friends, including my husband, Barry, and our two dogs Alfie and Mitzi. We’ll be spending lots of time doing DIY in our home as we have just recently moved. I’m also looking forward to spending more time catching up with friends.

“It has been an absolute privilege. I want to say thank you to my fellow Trustees, who give up their time for such a fantastic cause. I also want to thank all the Derian House staff and volunteers, you are all amazing. Everyone is dedicated to what Derian does, and have made it the wonderful place that it is. I wish everyone all the best for the future. I feel so very proud of Derian House and all those who work there and those who support us. I hope that the charity continues to grow and prosper in the future.”

Derian House has now appointed a new Chair of the Trustee Board, Paul Morton.

Karen Edwards OBE, Chief Executive of Derian House, paid tribute to Karen’s service, saying: “I have enjoyed working with Karen, she has been a huge support for me especially in the early days of my role as Chief Executive here at Derian House. Karen has brought wisdom, compassion and a deep commitment to everything she’s done here at the hospice. Her time as Chair has been instrumental in shaping our vision and ensuring we deliver on our promise to children and families.

“We are incredibly grateful for her dedication and all she has done to strengthen the hospice. On behalf of everyone at Derian House, I thank her sincerely and wish her all the best in her well-earned retirement.”

Hi everyone,

Please be aware that during the summer holidays on Tuesdays, we will be closing Danni’s Diner to staff at 12:45pm to accommodate our families, children and young people attending Family Day Care.

You will be able to eat your lunch in the lounge/snug/hopefully outside if the weather is nice (!) after this time, subject to availability.

This will be from today (Tuesday 22^nd July), with the last one being Tuesday 2^nd September.

Thank you for your cooperation J

When Angela Danby bought a book of raffle tickets to support her local children’s hospice, she never thought she would be a winner.

But on Friday (27 June), Angela – who was preparing to go out for a meal to celebrate her daughter’s birthday that night – was surprised at her front door with the news she had won the £5,000 jackpot in the Derian House Summer Raffle.

Astounded Angela cried out: “I’ve got my rollers in!” before hugging staff from the hospice who had travelled to her home carrying giant numbers to break the good news.

£1,000 was awarded to the second prize winner, £500 to the third prize winner, and 20 runners-up won prizes of £25 in the raffle that ran from March to June.

With entries flying in from as far as Devon and Scotland, the raffle launched by the Chorley children’s hospice sold 20,637 tickets – raising a phenomenal £31,170 for the charity’s children and young adults.

And it wasn’t just ticket sales that boosted the total – the charity was inundated with donations from kind-hearted supporters that amounted to £11,533.

Winner of the top £5,000 prize is Angela Danby, a public speaker and former journalist, who lives in Rufford with her husband, Will Danby, daughter Sophia, 22, son William, 24, and rescue cat George Walter.

She said: “I was just out in the garden when the Derian House team appeared holding up the £5,000 number cards. I was moving things around as we were preparing for the scarecrow competition the next day. I wasn’t expecting it, I had forgotten I’d entered. In fact I first thought it was a scam. I was getting ready to go out – I had no makeup on and I had my rollers in!

“The surprise couldn’t have come at a better time. We all went out for food to Penelope’s in Birkdale for my daughter Sophia’s birthday, and we took out grandma too who is 90. We all had celebratory cocktails – it was a really lovely night.

“I’m going to give some of the money to my children to help towards a deposit on their first home. But some of it will definitely be going back to Derian House. They do such amazing work. And when my dad passed away two years ago, he wanted some of the money from the funeral to go to Derian House. So we’re all big supporters of the hospice. I just can’t believe it, thank you so much.”

The Derian House summer raffle closed for entries on midnight on 20 June 2025.

Sarah Proctor, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “Angela’s surprise and joy at winning £5,000 was absolutely wonderful to see. Even George Walter the cat came to have a look. We hope she had a wonderful birthday meal with her daughter.

“The amount of money raised in the Derian House summer raffle will make a real difference to seriously ill children and young people from across the North West. It will cost £6 million to run Derian House this year and we rely heavily on the generosity of our supporters as we only receive a small amount of this in NHS funding.”

For full terms and conditions of the raffle visit: https://www.derianraffle.co.uk/terms-conditions/

An explosion of colourful paints covered hundreds of runners who took part in the brand new Derian House Colour Run on Saturday (28 June) to raise money for children whose lives are too short.

Donning vibrant props, sunglasses, and glitter face paint – people of all ages and abilities took part in the family fun run on the field beside the hospice, based in Astley Village, Chorley – raising an incredible £21,531.63 for Derian House.

The Colour Run kicked off with a fun Zumba session with instructor Sylvia Skinner alongside Derian House’s mascot, Danni, to get everyone warmed up and ready to go.

There were plenty of smiles as everyone crossed the finish line, each receiving their very own Colour Run medal, provided for free by John Harrison Sports Ltd of Leyland.

Junior, 16, who visits Derian House, took part in the Colour Run with his younger sister Bella, 11, mum Belinda, and nan Tina.

Junior said: “It was a wonderful and fantastic experience. I had a super day and loved how messy I could get – my wheelchair still has some paint on it!”

Chorley MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle made an appearance to show his support for the charity.

And participants enjoyed refreshments, including ice creams provided by Ramzy’s Whippy, at the event sponsored by Vincents Solicitors.

Kerry Salmon, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “I want to say a massive thank you to all the runners, volunteers, businesses, sponsors and staff who helped make Derian’s first ever Colour Run a success. It was such a vibrant and memorable day, and we can’t wait to do it all over again next year.

“Care is free to families at Derian House, but it will cost £6million to run the hospice this year. We rely on our kind-hearted supporters to raise 70p in every £1 as we only receive a small amount of funding from the government.”

Good afternoon everyone,

I am very happy to share that the Trustees have approved a 3.6% cost of living salary increase for all employees.  This will be effective within your July salary and will be backdated to the 1^st April 2025.  I hope you agree that this is wonderful news given the current economic climate.

Hi everyone,

We’ve got another success story from our amazing Derian Dynamos team!

Harrison, Luke and Felix (aka Maverick, Iceman & Goose) beat the best of the best at Bolton Arena yesterday to become the North West Regional Kurling Champions for a second year running!

In collaboration with Panathlon and Bolton Wanderers in the Community, they were up against six other teams from schools all over the North West and stormed through winning five out of their six games.

We are so proud of their commitment, vision and team work and have seen their confidence soar throughout the local and regional competitions.

Hello Everyone

We have two rotational posts available for Registered Nurses.  These will be rotating between In house and out in the Community, please see attached job description.

If anyone is interested in applying for one of the two positions please send your expression of interest to me by 16 May 2025.

Thanks,

Kim

Exciting News!

Our Summer Raffle has now launched are we’re pleased to announce all staff and Volunteers (excluding Trustees & Directors) are eligible to play  – So don’t miss the chance to win one of our fabulous cash prizes, including our first prize of £5,000!

The raffle costs just £1 per ticket and with a guaranteed winner, someone has to take home the top prize, and it could be you!

There are also runners-up prizes of £1,000, £500 and 20 lucky winners of £25.

Raffle tickets can be purchased from reception Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm or alternatively can be bought online at www.derianraffle.co.uk.

We would also love your help to sell tickets to your friends and family, so if you’re a super selling machine, please speak to Sarah Proctor, ext.206/ sarah.proctor@derianhouse.co.uk

Oh, what a night! 

We enjoyed a star-studded evening at the Smiley Charity Film Awards, held at indigo at The O2 last week

Thanks to our supporters’ votes, The Little Things documentary was shortlisted for Best Film in the ‘Longform – Over £5m Turnover’ category… 

…and despite not winning, we took home BRONZE in the People’s Choice Award 

With celebrity guests including host Lisa Snowdon, This Morning’s Jeff Brazier, and TV icons Patsy Kensit and Patsy Palmer, it was an evening we’ll never forget 

Sharing the room with over 200 inspirational charities from across the country was a huge honour, with some incredible films showcasing the important work of the non-profit sector 

Well done to all of the winners and thank you so much to the Smiley Movement for having us 

Hi all,

We want to share some good news!

Our language and accessibility toolbar is live on both our Derian main website and our family website.

Recite Me is an accessibility assistive toolbar which will allow our website visitors to customise the webpages in a way that works best for them.

The Recite Me toolbar features include:

• Screen reader
• Multiple reading aids
• Live translation feature that has over 100 languages including 65 text-to-speech.
• Styling options – changes to font size, type and colour.

Our families will now be able to translate the pages in their chosen language and with 65 languages being about to read out loud.

This means that our websites will be accessible for families for whom English is a second language, those who don’t read English, and those who don’t read at all.

Alongside this, the toolbar will help individuals who may have a disability, learning difficulties or visual impairment as the features will be able to support them by customising the pages as they need, meaning that even more people will be access Derian House information.

We will be working on advertising the toolbar, demonstrating on how it works, along with highlighting all its benefits of the toolbar over the coming weeks, so please keep a look out for this.

Please start sharing this news with our families and other professions who may wish to refer families to Derian House, as Recite Me will make our website inclusive and a place where people can access information in an easy way.

The toolbar is found:

https://www.derianhouse.co.uk

https://www.derianfamily.co.uk

If you have any questions please let us know.

Hospice leaders from across Greater Manchester are heading to Parliament today to ask MPs to support their calls to reform the funding model for hospices.

Since 2020 hospices in Greater Manchester have seen their total costs increase by 33%, with most of this cost having to be met by fundraising from the local community.

Now, the Greater Manchester Hospices Provider Collaborative, made up of Greater Manchester’s adult and children’s hospices, is asking MPs to sign a joint letter to the Minister of State for Health and Social Care, calling for the government’s new 10-year health plan to include commitments to improving palliative and end of life care, and reforming the hospice funding model.

Karen Edwards OBE, Chief Executive of Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley, Lancashire, said: “Hospices play a vital part in our healthcare system, but this care is at risk. Increasing demand, long term underinvestment and rising costs, mean many hospices are struggling to maintain their services. This, in turn, places more demands on the NHS.

“We are travelling to London today to meet with MPs to ask for support for fairer funding for hospices. We want their support to reform the funding model for hospices with a new 10-year health plan. Currently £11.7bn is spent on health care for people in the last year of life in the UK, but 80% of that funding is spent in hospitals. We believe this money could be better used by investing in hospice care, which currently only receives 4% of this funding.

“We are forever grateful for our community for doing so much to support Derian House Children’s Hospice, but we shouldn’t have to depends on our supporters as much as we do to fund these essential services for children.

“By investing in hospice care, we can reduce hospice admissions and make it more likely that people can die in their place of choosing. It is better for people, their families and the NHS.”

In Greater Manchester, hospices rely on their local communities to raise two thirds of their total funding. Demands on hospice services are only set to increase and the current funding model means they need to ask more and more of their communities every year – at a time when the cost of living is at an all time high.

The Government has made a commitment to invest £100m in additional capital spend in hospices over the next two years, which has been welcomed by Greater Manchester’s hospices, but only offers a short term solution. Long term reform is needed to protect hospice services.

The parliamentary event has been sponsored by Josh Simons MP, Member of Parliament for Makerfield.

Hi all,

Just a reminder that Abbey ICT will still be with us for IT support until the end of March.

Please email support@abbeyict.com if you need anything, and we will still have onsite presence from a member of the team every Wednesday.

Good afternoon everyone,

As you will know, our Smile Park is currently in the middle of a major refurbishment… and with that comes a rebrand!

Our family engagement team have been working on a project to allow our families the chance to name our brand new and inclusive space, and we’ve decided to open it up to staff and volunteers, too.

We’d love you to help us name the playground – closing date for entries is Monday 24^th March, and all entries will then be shortlisted with a new vote with the final five going live shortly after for all of our social media followers to choose our winner.

Whoever wins will then be invited along to an official opening in the spring.

Here’s a link to a video of the virtual tour of the new ‘Smile Park’ on Facebook – you can either comment your entry on the post or email engagement@derianhouse.co.uk.

https://www.facebook.com/derianhouse/videos/1615199169103601

Good Morning to you all.

I’d just like to send a little reminder that the dining room is shared by all staff, children, and families, so if we could all be mindful when we have enjoyed our lunch, it is everyone’s responsibility to please give the table a quick clean with cleaning products provided and leave your area as clean as possible.

Many Thanks

Alison Burke

New year, new you? 

2025 is the perfect chance to start a brand new chapter, so why not do something incredible for Derian House instead of the same old resolution?

For more info or to sign up to any of these events, visit the link below.

https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/events/

A little reminder that December payday is Friday 20th December – early in time for Christmas.

Good morning

We have installed designated Fleet Vehicle parking signs, of which 2 are specifically for the electric fleet vehicles in the layby and 3 other spaces have been designated for the remaining fleet vehicles.

I would respectfully request that under no circumstances are these designated spaces used for any vehicle other than fleet vehicles to ensure they are always available and accessible as needed.

Thank you for your understanding.

Kind regards,

John Boe

Head of Facilities and Infrastructure

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of the Wellbeing support that we offer at Derian House:

1. Sage Benefits

We are all covered for Sage Employee benefits which offer a range discounts and benefits, see attached. One of these benefits is a counselling service which is totally confidential.  To access the counselling service you would need to access the portal to arrange.  You can use this counselling service for any needs not just work related.

To access your benefits, simply visit https://www.sageemployeebenefits.co.uk and log in with your username name@derianhouse.co.uk and password.

2. Counselling Sessions

For work related stress or support you can access two counsellors Sam and Suzie.  You can contact them direct to arrange sessions with them and it is completely confidential.

suzdavis@madasafish.com

samantha.crapnell@number11counselling.co.uk

3. Anonymous email

On the Derian Intranet under Staff Forum there is the ability to send an anonymous email with any queries or concerns.

4. Wellbeing Sessions

John Pilling sends out regular wellbeing messages and holds regular mindful meditation sessions.

As always if you need anything further please let me know.

Thanks

Kim

Hello all,

A polite reminder about the process of using the fleet (pool) cars:

Monday to Friday (office hours) – Please ask at reception for your car keys (this is so reception can document that you have arrived for your keys), on return please drop them back off with reception (or admin if no one is at reception), again this is so reception can mark the booking with ‘returned’.

When using the pool cars please make sure you fill out the mileage sheet (please leave the pen in the document folder), and if there are no wipes left to clean the car after use, please notify the housekeeping team.

An exclusive red carpet screening of ‘The Little Things’ – an emotional documentary inspired by Derian House – debuted with a special appearance by Benidorm star Steve Pemberton this weekend.

Lancashire-born Steve Pemberton, who is an Executive Producer of the film, joined 300 families and friends of the Chorley-based charity at the VIP event at Bolton Cineworld.

It was a family affair as Steve’s son Lucas Pemberton wrote the original film score for the production, which is now searching for a distributor so it can be shown to the rest of the world.

The Little Things has already received two five-star reviews, and has been nominated for ‘Best British Documentary’ at the Docuworld 2024 Film Festival.

If you haven’t yet seen the film and would like to attend a showing at Derian at the Movies, here are the three dates that you are welcome to attend (all starting at 14:00pm):

• Friday 8^th November
• Wednesday 13^th November
• Tuesday 19^th November

The film’s runtime is 98 minutes long, so please be seated for 13:55pm… there’ll be complementary popcorn and tissues provided.

If you’d like to attend one of the screenings, please drop me an email.

Hello Team Derian, I hope that you are all well, it has been a few weeks since my last update email which shares news and info from across the charity.  There is so much great work and news, here’s a few things that I think you’d be interested to hear about. It’s a long one…grab a brew and enjoy!

• Congratulations to Rosie who has now started in her new role as Head of Integrated Care. Rosie and Bridget will be reviewing the in house and community offer over the coming months and we’ll be sure to share the outcome and plans for growth.

• Bridget has asked that we remind all staff regardless of role that all activity including home, community and hospital visits should be recorded on Care Database. This will be monitored this over the coming months particularly when reviewing the community offer.

• We’ve had a successful clinical update day with external speakers. Back to basics on mouth care and positioning to ensure pressure area care is prioritised.  We’re committed to supporting our staff to be the very best they can be, and this includes regularly remembering the basics.

• PSIRF policy is out for comment and overview was presented at away day – this is a shift to a learning culture when errors are made with Just Culture, Duty of Candour and staff support central to the framework.  Great work to date everyone that has been involved so far.

• A new Activity Heat map/Performance Dashboard is now in final draft all team KPIs and performance will be included for Directors, CEO, QSI and the Trustees  This is with me at the moment for review.

• Well done to Sue Ward on achieving Queens Nurse status, what an amazing achievement for Sue, and for Derian, we’re all really proud.

• AN open evening for more nurse recruitment is planned on 16^th October with a similar format to previously.

• Hospice activity is busy with an increased offer for end of life and Sunflower admissions, thank you to all the team who have worked extra shifts to accommodate a 7 night opening for EOL and Sunflower children, it is very much appreciated, and it is wonderful so the services growing following our reset period.

• We have 2 newly qualified Nurses joining us on Monday the 23^rd September, Sam & Shannon so will be doing their preceptorship with us.  We are fully committed to preceptorships and see this being a key part of our workforce plan.

• Perinatal Nurse Vicky, Midwife Maria and Team Leader for Community, Vicky are all  joining us in October.  Great to see us expanding the team and employing all aspects of the register.

• Internally we will be recruiting for a Team Leader to fill the gap that Rosie leaves, this could include a great development opportunity for a 6 month secondment.

• A new Individual Giving Administrator, Bev, will join us in October.  Bev’s role will support the Lottery, Raffle and Individual Giving aspects of fundraising, which we are growing.

• Thank everyone for taking part in the Employee Engagement survey, the initial results are fairly encouraging which is wonderful to see, if you didn’t have the opportunity to take part Kim has resent the link so please do… you have until the end of September!  The final results will be produced by the end of October and shared with everyone.

• Tracey Scott, our new Director of Finance and Resources has started, please do say hello.  Tracey has a lot to do, one of the key things being reviewing and improving all of our financial procedures.

• Dawn in Finance has started her Level 4 AAT qualification, which will mean study off site every Tuesday, we wish Dawn well in her development.

• Risk Management training has been completed for Middle Managers and Team Leaders on 5^th We continue to raise awareness around risk.

• Care Database – laptops now in place for remote working for staff visiting patients/families at home, hospital, etc.

• Anthony has asked me to remind everyone regarding ensuring all computer screens are locked when not in use.  In addition, I’d like to add to this a reminder about a tidy desk policy, and ensuring that any papers left on desk do not contain any personal information about anyone.

• The annual Quality Account which we compete is almost near completion, and is with me for review, This is a public facing document.

• A Trustee development session on 4 CQC Quality Standards (Safe, Caring, Effective & Responsive) is scheduled for 14^th October, following a successful session on Well Led.

• We have finalised the contract for this year (finally) with the L&SC ICB (lead contract for our children’s hospice grant across LSC, GM and C&M), and have agreements in place with Bolton and Wigan.

• We have an exciting piece of research that we are embarking on which Catherine is leading on behalf of Derian, we will share more soon.

• You’ll have noticed an increase number of visitors across the hospice, this is a key part5 of our strategy which Catherine’s new role is focussing on, the visits are being extremely well received and lots of outcomes from them, thank you everyone, especially the care tem for accommodating these.

• I have submitted a proposal to the Finance and Investment sub-committee of the board for investment across the site, including increased car park (don’t worry we are not losing the seaside garden!), installation of solar panels, a brand new Smile Park and activity Hub, and a nursing station.  This is a proposed investment of around £400k,and I’ll share with you all the outcome over the coming month.

• Our Retail portfolio is expanding, we are currently negotiating a lease on a new store – our biggest to date – on a retail park in Bamber Bridge.  This will test out a new approach for retail, and we look forward to sharing more with you.

• Most of you will already know that Kim will be leaving Derian House later this year, and therefore we are currently reviewing the role and will be advertising soon for her successor.

• And finally… the news you’ve all been waiting for… we’re just finalising the details of the cinema screen showing of the documentary “The Little Things”.  This will be in October and EVERYONE will be invited.  As soon as the details are finalised we will share them….. I can’t wait!!!!!!

If you’re still reading this (J)thank you for everything that you do at Derian, and have a great week.

K

Good morning everyone,

A huge congratulations are in order for our Catering Team, who are the proud recipients of a 5* food hygiene rating after the health inspector visited us yesterday!

Well done to Jeff, Kath, Andrea and Nic – alongside their dedicated team of volunteers – for not only feeding us excellent food, but for keeping Derian House safe, clean and tidy in the process.

Our shiny new sticker is being proudly displayed on the front door leading into reception J

Hi everyone,

Over recent weeks there have been a number of occasions when I have noticed that computers have been left with their screens on and in a state of live use, i.e. the screen not locked out with information visible on screen.  Where I have seen this, I have closed the lid on computers and/or locked the screen immediately.

Can I remind you that leaving information on screen and unattended is a potential breach of General Data Protection Regulation principles and guidelines, and could lead to sensitive information being accessible to anyone.

As Data Protection Officer, I will now be formally monitoring this situation to ensure screens are not left unlocked and unattended.  Staff will therefore be challenged to ensure we all follow information governance policies and procedures.

It is the responsibility of us all to protect the information we hold.

Many thanks,

Anthony.

A Paediatric Nurse who specialises in making sure children and their families receive the best care at the end of their lives has been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse.

Sue Ward walked through the doors of Derian House Children’s Hospice 13 years ago as a Registered Nurse – and since completing her Masters Degree in 2020, is one of the first Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPS) to operate within a hospice environment.

The Queen’s Nurse is a prestigious and historic title which is given to nurses who are delivering and leading outstanding care and is awarded by the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI).

The title is open to registered nurses with more than five years’ experience working in the community. Managers and patients provide feedback about applicants, which is assessed along with their application.

“Becoming a nurse has always been my dream since being a young child,” said Sue.

“The day I qualified as a Paediatric Nurse, 14 years ago, was one of the proudest moments of my life. And now, I am so very proud of my role as one of the first Advanced Clinical Practitioners within a hospice environment. Seeing the difference my role makes to Derian House families is a huge achievement.

“As a nurse, I am constantly striving to achieve high standards of practice and delivering excellent patient-centred care to all our families – making sure all care is tailored to the child and their family’s needs.

“I am proud to be an ambassador for nursing, whether it has been working in an acute environment on the ward, caring for sick children, or supporting children and their families when they receive a palliative diagnosis.

“I am very aware there are few nursing professionals with skills and experience required to provide children’s palliative care in the community. My personal vision is that every baby, child, young person, and their families, should receive the best palliative nursing care by a knowledgeable and skilled nurse, within their preferred place of care.

“To have received the Queen’s Nurse title means the absolute world and is the most amazing achievement of my nursing career. The award will allow me to continue my commitment to improving paediatric palliative care across the region.”

Catherine Randall, Chief Nurse at Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “Congratulations to our incredible colleague, Suzanne, who has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Nurse title – it is a great honour.

“Your dedication, compassion and commitment to excellence in nursing inspires us all. We are so proud of you.”

Hello All

The Amazon account has been changed to a ‘business Amazon account’ – going forward all orders will be processed via the Admin team, please continue with your usual process of having the PO signed off and pass to Paula or Kirsty to order – please send a link for the items to be ordered by clicking on the following symbol and email it to admin@derianhouse.co.uk

Please note we will trial this way of ordering and review it in time to see how well it works – items will only be ordered if we have the approved purchase order – thanks all, any queries please ask Kirsty Yates.

We took home gold at this year’s Chorley Flower Show after our garden wowed the judges this weekend (26, 27, and 28 July).

The vibrant display, created by our Derian House team and its army of volunteers, told the story of Build-A-Forest – our campaign to rebuild our woodland areas after we had to have more than 150 trees cut down in its gardens due to ash dieback disease.

Named “giving nature a helping hand”, the garden featured saplings donated by the Woodland Trust, a selection of alpine plants, a handmade pond, and recycled materials made from the trees that were cut down in the hospice gardens – including a sculpted wooden hand made by Ken in Estates.

Derian House’s Build-A-Forest campaign is still ongoing, and thanks to our generous supporters, hospice volunteers have been able to plant 250 new trees in the gardens.

Cameron Murray, Communications and Marketing Manager at Derian House, said: “It was fantastic to see so many people come together to see Derian House’s entry at the one of the most popular horticultural shows in Lancashire.

“It was a real Derian team effort – thank you to everyone, from staff to our wonderful volunteers, who helped make our garden look as fantastic as it did.

“And thank you to everyone who has supported our Build-A-Forest campaign so far. With your help, we have been able to begin to replenish our woodland areas so that our families can enjoy them now and years into the future.”

Councillor Peter Wilson, Deputy Leader of Chorley Council, said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed chatting to everyone at Chorley Flower Show. The community gardens in particular are spectacular this year. I would like to thank everyone who contributed and it’s really important that we maintain our partnerships with charities like Derian House who do such great work.”

Chorley Flower Show is a three-day flower-filled family event set in Astley Park where visitors can see award-winning gardens plus speak with gardening experts.

MONDAY 8^th

• What film will we choose to watch in the cinema this afternoon?

TUESDAY 9^th

• Derian Playgroup will be held in the Seaside Room this morning, where our babies and toddlers will be enjoying a morning of music, messy play and fun from 10:00am – 11:30am.

• Eyes down looking, it’s Prize Bingo time! Join us for one of our favourite activities in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• After lunch, we’ll be joining Caroline (Wellbeing & Play Worker) for a session of Sensory Story Time in the House Lounge.

WEDNESDAY 10^th

• We’ll be welcoming a team from Baxi into the hospice gardens today for a corporate volunteering day.

• Music teacher Rachel will be in the Snug for an hour of singalong fun from 11:00am.

• Let’s make summertime sun catchers in the Messy PlayZone this morning… we may even do it outside in the Sensory Garden if the weather is kind to us.

• Our children and young people will be enjoying fun and splashes in the hydrotherapy pool this afternoon.

• Derian Dads will meet for their monthly session in the Seaside Room from 7:00pm – 9:30pm this evening.

THURSDAY 11^th

• It’s competition time! Who’ll come out on top as we play Boccia and Kurling in the Messy PlayZone this morning?

• Shuna and her human Linda will be visiting us for Pet Therapy fun.

• Individual and group sessions of music therapy with Martha will take place in the Snug from 2:00pm.

• We’ll be in Danni’s Diner this afternoon, baking some yummy treats to take home.

FRIDAY 12^th

• Join us in the Messy PlayZone for themed activities this morning.
• The hospice will be closed for in-house respite tonight, tomorrow (13^th) and Sunday (14^th). Please be aware that the hospice will not be open until 7:30am on these days.

SATURDAY 13^th/SUNDAY 14^th

• Please see above.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to in the next 7 days, please send an email to murray@derianhouse.co.ukbefore Friday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! J

MONDAY 1^st

• Bonjour, hi! To celebrate Canada Day, we’ll be doing themed arts and crafts in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• What film will we choose to watch in the cinema this afternoon?

TUESDAY 2^nd

• Derian Playgroup will be held in the Seaside Room this morning, where our babies and toddlers will be enjoying a morning of music, messy play and fun from 10:00am – 11:30am.

• Wimbledon is kicking off, so naturally we’ll be doing tennis themed activities this morning in the Messy PlayZone.

• Join us in Smile Park this afternoon for tennis and outdoor games – weather depending!

WEDNESDAY 3^rd

• Our children and young people will be enjoying sensory tenpin bowling fun in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• Music teacher Rachel will be in the Snug for an hour of singalong fun from 11:00am.

• We’ll be making a splash in the hydrotherapy pool this afternoon.

THURSDAY 4^th

• To celebrate American Independence Day, we’ll be doing themed arts and crafts in the Messy PlayZone this morning, followed by Hollywood Walk of Fame hand and footprint fun after lunch.

• Individual and group sessions of music therapy with Martha will take place in the Snug from 2:00pm.

• The Sibling Social (for our 16+ siblings) will meet here at the hospice this evening for a relaxation session with Denise.

FRIDAY 5^th/SATURDAY 6^th/SUNDAY 7^th

• The hospice will be closed for in-house respite tonight, tomorrow (6^th) and Sunday (7^th). Please be aware that the hospice will not be open until 7:30am on these days.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Walk This Way! On Friday 20^th September, gather your friends and family for our latest fundraising event, which will see our supporters walk 10ft across fire, shattered glass, and/or Lego bricks. All we ask is a minimum fundraising target of just £50 per person, per walk. Get involved by emailing salmon@derianhouse.co.uk.

• If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to in the next 7 days, please send an email to cameron.murray@derianhouse.co.uk before Friday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! J

Good morning, this is particularly short notice but tomorrow the 27^th we will have an engineer with us to perform the annual Pat Testing.

As per usual this service will require us to make available all electrical equipment the only items that will not be tested is medical.

If you have any questions please contact Facilities.

MONDAY 24^th

• It’s film time – what will we watch in Derian at the Movies today?

TUESDAY 25^th

• Derian Playgroup will be held in the Seaside Room this morning, where our babies and toddlers will be enjoying a morning of music, messy play and fun from 10:00am – 11:30am.

• VR Pixel will be here at the hospice to capture new drone footage and stills of our gardens – particularly the recent updates to the Sensory and Reflection Gardens – for the updated virtual tour on our website.

• The Quality, Safety and Improvement Sub-Committee meeting will take place in the Conference Room between 10:00am – 12:00pm.

• From 12:00pm until 1:00pm, the CQC Preparation Meeting will be held in Vinten Meeting Room to ensure we are CQC ready.

WEDNESDAY 26^th

• Our children and young people will be enjoying water and sand play fun in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• Music teacher Rachel will be in the Snug for an hour of singalong fun from 11:00am.

• There’ll be lots of fun being had in the hydrotherapy pool this afternoon.

• A group of corporate volunteers from Capita will be in our gardens doing some general maintenance work today.

THURSDAY 27^th

• Join us in the Messy PlayZone for ten pin bowling fun this morning – who will win?

• Our resident pet therapy pooch Shuna will be here in the hospice with her human Linda for pet therapy.

• A Sensory Story Time session will take place in the House Lounge this afternoon.

• John (Family Counsellor) will be running a guided meditation session available to all staff in the Cinema from 4:00pm today.

FRIDAY 28^th  

• Get creative with summertime arty fun in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• Our children and young people will be in the Sensory Room for a therapeutic TACPAC session this afternoon.

SATURDAY 29^th/SUNDAY 30^th

• The hospice will be closed for overnight respite this weekend. There will be no access to the building until 7:30am on these days.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to in the next 7 days, please send an email to cameron.murray@derianhouse.co.uk before Friday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! J

A dedicated children’s nurse is taking on a mammoth cycle to celebrate Children’s Hospice Week 2024.

Francesca Lennon, from Buckinghamshire, will cycle 54 miles each day – representing the 54 children’s hospices in the UK.

She will visit seven hospices over seven days and will complete her epic challenge at Derian House Children’s Hospice on Sunday.

The challenge will raise money for Together for Short Lives, the charity that looks after all of the country’s children’s hospices, and will be split between each hospice.

Francesca worked as a children’s nurse in the NHS and children’s hospices before setting up CHAT UK – a project to raise awareness and funds for all children’s hospices across the country.

She will set off from Derian House at 9am on Sunday, 23 June, returning that afternoon to be cheered on by supporters, hospice staff and families.

The fundraiser is taking place during Children’s Hospice Week (17-23 June 2024), the UK’s annual awareness week for children’s hospices and palliative care services, run by Together for Short Lives.

This is the second time Francesca’s challenge has come to Derian House. In 2022, she took on a mammoth 3200-mile cycle during Children’s Hospice Week in 2022, visiting every children’s hospice in the UK and raising over £80,000 for Together for Short Lives.

Francesca, from Chenies in Buckinghamshire said: “I know first-hand that caring for a child with serious health needs 24/7 is emotionally and physically exhausting. Every day in my job, I get to meet the most incredible children and families, and I see just how life-changing support from children’s hospices are for them. They will push me on to cross the finishing line once again.”

Caroline Taylor, Director of Income and Engagement at Derian House, said: “Children’s Hospice Week is a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the work we do at Derian House. The cycling challenge will be a definite highlight of the week. Francesca’s story is one that has touched us all and we cannot wait to celebrate her arrival in Chorley.”

Alongside Derian House Children’s Hospice, Francesca is also cycling to and from Demelza, Acorns Children’s Hospice, Children’s Hospice South West’s Charlton Farm, Tŷ Hafan, Rainbows, Martin House, and Helen and Douglas House.

Nick Carroll, Director of Fundraising at Together for Short Lives added: “Francesca is, quite simply, one of the most inspiring people we know. Not only is she there for seriously ill children and families in her job, but she is also going the extra mile for them in this incredible challenge. It is a privilege to have her support, and we will be cheering the whole team on as they also help raise important awareness of the role children’s hospices play and why they urgently need more support from whichever party forms the next government.”

To support Francesca and raise money for hospices like Derian House, visit https://www.justgiving.com/chatuk.