News

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” 

Join the Derian Voices from Wednesday 26^th October and enjoy mince pies and hot chocolate after choir practice.

We’re looking for new members to join the Derian Voices to perform at this year’s Lights of Love concert.

The musical celebration will be held at the beautiful Blackburn Cathedral on the evening of Friday 2^nd December and the performances from the Derian Voices Choir are what make the night even more special.

What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by singing carols on your lunch break each Wednesday throughout November.

All singing abilities are welcome and you may find that you have so much fun that you’d like to remain a member of the choir all year round.

For more information, please speak to Gill.

We’re inviting fashion fanatics and charity shop lovers everywhere to our latest charity shop lock-in event at Derian House’s Blackburn store on Thursday 29th September.

If you enjoy a bargain, we’d love you to join us for an evening filled with vintage pieces, pre-loved designer brands and homeware goods. Plus:

– Food and fizz
– Goodie bags
– Charity shop challenges
– Live music from Emma-Rae
– Give your unwanted clothes a second life by bringing along donations

Tickets are free, but you MUST book to be added to our guest list. We can’t wait to fill our shop floor with fashionistas for a night to remember!

For tickets and info, please email gillian.rabbett@derianhouse.co.uk.

SATURDAY 17^th

• There’ll be fun and splashes in the hydrotherapy pool for our in-house children and young people this morning.

• Our bereavement group for Derian families will be held in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 12:00pm today.

• A mixture of our staff and trustees will be representing #TeamDerian at the Kingswood Homes Great Big House Giveaway ball at Hoghton Tower this evening, as the winner of the competition will be revealed and lots more money will be raised for Derian House.

SUNDAY 18^th

• Weather depending, we’ll be participating in arty fun in the Sensory Garden this morning.

MONDAY 19^th

• All of our stores will be closed today for Bank Holiday Monday.
• Our children and young people staying in-house will be taking part in syringe painting this morning in the Messy PlayZone.

TUESDAY 20^th

• Play Group for our Derian families will take place in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 12:00pm.
• Gareth (Gardener) will be in the Greenhouse for gardening activities with our children this morning.
• A therapeutic Tac Pac session with Claire (Wellbeing and Play Worker) will be held in the Sensory Room this afternoon.

WEDNESDAY 21^st

• Fun singalong with Rachel (Music Teacher) will be hosted in the Snug from 11:00am.
• Flu jabs will be being administrated (location TBA) throughout the day by Hayleigh (ACP) and Michelle (Team Leader).
• The Derian Voices will meet at their weekly singing session from 12:00pm – 1:00pm in the Seaside Room. Join us for an hour of vocal harmony, no matter your singing ability!
• Our Derian Dads will meet once again this evening from 7:30pm in the Seaside Room.
• Put your coats on, we’re off to Astley Park to feed the ducks and visit Pet’s Corner.

THURSDAY 22^nd

• Our Board of Trustees meeting will take place this evening.
• Swimming lessons with Caroline W (Wellbeing & Play Worker) will take place in the Hydrotherapy Pool from 4:00pm.
• It’s Elephant Appreciation Day, and we’ll be celebrating with themed arts and crafts in the Messy PlayZone this morning.
• Let’s get our bodies moving, it’s Music and Movement time this afternoon with Claire.
• A group of 11 volunteers will be visiting us from AO.com to help do some garden maintenance as part of their annual volunteering days.

FRIDAY 23^rd

• Friday Night Club for our 14+ year olds will be held in the Lodge from 6:30 – 9:30pm.
• Our jail-biting FUNdraiser, Bail Me Out, is making its long-anticipated return as we lock up 13 businesspeople from across Lancashire in The Vaults Bar and Bistro. They’ll only be released once they raise £999 in bail money.
• Sensory Story group with Caroline W will take place in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 12:00pm for Derian families.
• Eyes down, it’s bingo time in the Messy PlayZone this morning.
• Dawn Andrews (Family and Young People Services Manager) will be speaking in the Lounge from 9:30am this morning about MCA and DOLS. This session is aimed at the Care Team only.

SATURDAY 24^th

• There’ll be fun and splashes in the hydrotherapy pool for our in-house children and young people this morning.

• Our Pet Therapy pooch Tallulah will be in and around the hospice this morning with her human Claire.

• Hop to the Messy PlayZone this afternoon for bunny themed arts and crafts as we celebrate International Rabbit Day.

SUNDAY 25^th

• A therapeutic Tac Pac session with Claire will take place in the Sensory Room this afternoon.

• Our final batch of brave divers will take to the skies at 15,000ft for the last Dive for Derian event of the year. Gill (Marketing Coordinator) and some Derian parents will be just some of the supporters jumping out of a plane to raise vital funds for us.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Derian House’s Christmas Party is fast approaching and we need numbers! Our all-inclusive do will take place at Stanley House on Friday 9^th December from 7:00pm – 1:00am. There’ll be a three-course meal, plenty of drinks and a couple of surprises to boot. Please check your emails from christmasparty@derianhouse.co.uk and respond accordingly.

• It’s (not very long until) Chriiiiiiiiiiiiiiistmaaaaaaaaas, and this year’s Christmas cards are on sale NOW! Visit our website for an exclusive pre-sale before they hit our shops on October 1^st – Christmas

• 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 Thursday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! 🙂

The mornings are getting colder and the evenings are getting darker, which means the countdown is officially on to our Christmas party!

If you haven’t already done so, please email christmasparty@derianhouse.co.uk with your menu choice and whether you would like a place on the coach.

MAINS:

• Brown sugar gammon, cheddar mash, holiday roasted vegetables
• Turkey and Swiss burger, coleslaw, festive fries
• Fried mac and cheese, Christmas salad, sour cream dip (v)

DESSERT:

• Chocolate churros, chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream (v)
• New York style cheesecake, blueberry compote (v)
• Warm apple pie a la mode, caramel sauce (v)

If you are unable to make it, please do RSVP to let us know.

If you have any other questions, please get in touch on christmasparty@derianhouse.co.uk

Thank you!

It’s that time of the year once again! Flu jabs will be being administrated by Siobhan and Hayleigh next week. There will be an update on which day and location, and anyone can just turn up.

Good afternoon everyone,

Following this morning’s SMT, please find updates from it for your attention:

• Following initial Options Appraisal meetings between David, Lynn and Architects to discuss ideas on how to use the Hospice, Vanessa, Lynn and Luke will be meeting with them on Thursday to discuss these and next steps.  We’d also be open to a more interesting name that encapsulates this exciting project!
• CEO interviews will be held in October to appoint David’s successor
• Birdsong will be published after this September’s Board meeting
• Luke will be meeting with our Contractors to discuss the impending changes in the Sensory Garden.  He’ll update after the meeting
• Flu Jabs will be available later this month with dates to follow
• The Great Big House Giveaway campaign ends tonight at 23:59.  Ticket sales are approximately £100,000 ahead of budget.  The winner will be drawn during Saturday’s Gala Ball
• Sadly our Leyland store ceases trading at the end of today.  The decision was taken to stop trading as the store doesn’t fit the overall retail strategy.  I’d like to thank all our past and present Team members and Customers for their service and support in the 4-years we’ve traded in this store

Good morning everyone,

We are pleased to open entries for this year’s Julie Atherton Professional Development Grant.

Based on the success and positive feedback received last year we have decided to keep funding applications open to ALL staff.

Further details are on the attached poster so please have a read through, consider how you can develop and think big! The deadline for applications are Friday 30^th September and please send completed applications to either Lynn Grayson or myself.

To ensure fairness in the shortlisting process we will take into account whether or not you had an accepted proposal in previous years.

Good luck and don’t be shy to ask any questions.

Kind regards,

Ben Leavesley

MONDAY 12^th  

• Our children and young people will be exploring their senses with messy, sensory, tactile play in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

TUESDAY 13^th

• Play Group for our Derian families will take place in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 12:00pm.

• Gareth (Gardener) will be in the Greenhouse for gardening activities with our children this morning.

• Sensory Ten Pin Bowling fun will be hosted in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• Today is the FINAL DAY of the Great Big House Giveaway! At 11:59pm this evening, entries will close and someone will be one step closer to winning a £250,000 family home in Green Hills, Feniscowles.

• To commemorate World Sepsis Day, a team of our nurses will be leading a talk about sepsis so that as a hospice, we can learn more about it together. Please speak to Faye, Karen S, Rhianne or Sue W for more information.

WEDNESDAY 14^th

• Fun singalong with Rachel (Music Teacher) will be hosted in the Snug from 11:00am.

• The Derian Voices will meet at their weekly singing session from 12:00pm – 1:00pm in the Seaside Room. Join us for an hour of vocal harmony, no matter your singing ability!

• Put your coats on; we’re off out on a trip out with our in-house children and young people – destination to be confirmed.

• A team of volunteers from Thomas Hardie will be in our gardens doing some general maintenance throughout the day.

• An online course facilitated by Project ECHO with the subject being ‘Transition – Psychological Perspectives’ will take place from 12:00 – 2:00pm today. Please speak to Kirsty B (Clinical Educator) for more information and how to sign up.

THURSDAY 15^th

• It’s ‘Make a Hat’ Day, so guess what we’re doing this morning in Messy Play?!

• Our favourite German shorthaired pointer, Shuna, is back for more Pet Therapy fun for everyone with her human Linda this morning.

• Swimming lessons with Caroline W (Wellbeing & Play Worker) will take place in the Hydrotherapy Pool from 4:00pm.

• Join us for Boccia in the Messy PlayZone this afternoon with our children and young people.

• An all-inclusive ice cream van, courtesy of Leaders in Care, will be parking up at the hospice reception from 12:30pm today for staff, volunteers, young people and families to enjoy a free frozen treat!

FRIDAY 16^th

• To celebrate National Play Dough Day, we’ll be making our own sensory dough in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• Sensory Story group with Caroline W will take place in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 12:00pm for Derian families.

• Join us around the fire pit this afternoon for stories and hot chocolate.

• A group of us will be off to the winner of the Great Big House Giveaway’s home to surprise them ‘Postcode Lottery’ style with Danni mascot and a giant key!

SATURDAY 17^th

• There’ll be fun and splashes in the hydrotherapy pool for our in-house children and young people this morning.

• A mixture of our staff and trustees will be representing #TeamDerian at the Kingswood Homes Great Big House Giveaway ball at Hoghton Tower this evening, as the winner of the competition will be revealed and lots more money will be raised for Derian House.

SUNDAY 18^th

• Weather depending, we’ll be participating in arty fun in the Sensory Garden this morning.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Derian House’s Christmas Party is fast approaching and we need numbers! Our all-inclusive do will take place at Stanley House on Friday 9^th December from 7:00pm – 1:00am. There’ll be a three-course meal, plenty of drinks and a couple of surprises to boot. Please check your emails from christmasparty@derianhouse.co.uk and respond accordingly.

• 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 Thursday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! J

We’re going back to the 80’s for our next Derian House dress-up day!

Dig out your Top Gun costume and get those flares on for a celebration day to remember on Tuesday 27th September.

Please adhere to IPC policies when choosing your costumes.

SATURDAY 3^rd

• Our youngsters are on a trip out to Wigan Wheelchair Rugby all day today.

• Pet Therapy with our labradoodle Tallulah and her mum Clare will be happening in and around the hospice this morning.

SUNDAY 4^th

• Guided relaxation followed by a massage for our CYP will be taking place this afternoon in the Sensory Room.

• Collect your scavenger hunt items list from Tina (Wellbeing & Play Coordinator) for our hunt around the hospice – what will we find?

MONDAY 5^th

• We have a new starter starting with us today. Youth Worker Lauren Prochyra will be joining our Wellbeing & Play Team.

• Our children and young people will be exploring their senses with messy, sensory, tactile play in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

TUESDAY 6^th

• Play Group for our Derian families will resume after a short break for the summer holidays. Our babies and toddlers are in the Seaside Room for lots of fun from 10:00am – 12:00pm.

• Gareth (Gardener) will be in the Greenhouse for gardening activities with our children this morning.

• The final meeting with our Great Big House Giveaway partner, Kingswood Homes, will take place before entries close in a week today. Over 500,000 tickets have been bought and we can’t wait to see who’s won!

• Join us in Smile Park for some campfire stories around the firepit this afternoon.

• Trustees will be in the House for the Audit and Risk Sub-Committee this afternoon.

WEDNESDAY 7^th

• Fun singalong with Rachel (Music Teacher) will be hosted in the Snug from 11:00am.

• The Derian Voices will meet at their weekly singing session from 12:00pm – 1:00pm in the Seaside Room. Join us for an hour of vocal harmony, no matter your singing ability!

• Ready, steady, cook! Are you Team Tomato or Team Pepper? Join Arron (Wellbeing & Play Worker) in Danni’s Diner this afternoon for cooking fun.

• David (CEO) and Lynn (Director of Clinical Services) will be in Manchester for the Together for Short Lives Conference today and tomorrow.

THURSDAY 8^th

• Join Arron in the hospice gardens to forage leaves and other natural bits and bobs for our forest art session this morning.

• Swimming lessons with Caroline W (Wellbeing & Play Worker) will take place in the Hydrotherapy Pool from 4:00pm.

• Caroline W will be in the House Lounge this afternoon for her weekly Sensory Story Time session for the children and young people staying with us.

FRIDAY 9^th

• Happy Teddy Bear Day! Can you spot all the beard hiding around the hospice?

• We’re looking forward to a visit from the entire Wigan Warriors team today from 12:30pm. There’ll be four groups and they’ll each be invited to join in on a session of messy play, outdoor activities, guided relaxation, and education.

• A group Amazon volunteers and our gardening team here at the hospice will be taking a trip to Green Hills, the site of the GBHG plot, to plant some flowers and cuttings that Derian children have done in the gardens of the £250,000 house.

• Siblings group Chill Out and Chat will be meeting in the Seaside Room from 6:30 – 9:00pm.

• What’s that funny smell? Join us in the Messy PlayZone for Smells Bingo this morning.

• Mel L (Youth Worker) will be hosting a session based on ‘Sexuality’ in the Clinical Skills Lab from 2:00 – 3:00pm, and all staff are welcome to attend.

SATURDAY 10^th

• Meet us in the gaming corner of the Messy PlayZone this morning for a gaming session… and don’t talk to us!

• Our younger siblings, Danni’s Club, will be joining us in the Seaside Room for an afternoon of fun from 1:30 – 4:00pm.

SUNDAY 11^th  

• What better way to celebrate Grandparents Day than making some cards to show how much we love them.

• Sensory Story Time with Caroline W will be held in the House Lounge this afternoon.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• There’s just ONE week to go until the Great Big House Giveaway is drawn! Tell all your friends (unfortunately you or your immediate family can’t enter) for them to be in with the chance of winning a £250,000 Kingswood Homes house in Feniscowles, Blackburn. Ticket bundles start from just £5 and the summer sale is now ON! 25% extra tickets with every purchase – derianhouse.co.uk/house.

• Hate to drop the C-bomb two days into September, but our Christmas Party is fast approaching and we need numbers! Our all-inclusive do will take place at Stanley House on Friday 9^th December from 7:00pm – 1:00am. There’ll be a three-course meal, plenty of drinks and a couple of surprises to boot. Please check your emails from christmasparty@derianhouse.co.uk and respond accordingly.

• 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 Thursday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! J

Dear Derian House Colleagues,

I am sorry for not sending my monthly updates for a couple of months but here is the August CEO Message.

It is hard to believe we have said goodbye to August, schools will be returning after the summer break very soon and we will now look forward to all the Autumn activities across Derian House. I do hope you all had a great summertime with family and friends and enjoyed some of the lovely weather we have enjoyed or have managed to get away on a holiday either in the UK or overseas.

As we enter the new month we now have the lowest level of restrictions we have seem for nearly two and a half years, it feels rather strange to cease testing and although we still have masks for direct patient care or when you’re a little unwell it is great otherwise to be free of them at all other times. We need to be mindful as we approach the Autumn/Winter period of keeping each other safe so please wear the mask when you feel you need to protect others.

The hospice continues to be busy with a range of increased respite, day care and many other activities and it is great to see so much activity everywhere. It has also been busy with lots of fundraising and other events keeping Derian at the front of everyone’s minds across our region. Well done to EVERYONE for their continued dedication, commitment and hard work which is much appreciated.

Here are a few updates on August and the activities and developments :-

• Use of all our care services continues to increase as we reach more families across the North West and I am sure we will see this continue to grow over the coming months.
• Our gardens have been looking lovely throughout the Summer and have been enjoyed by everyone who has visited.
• We continue to refresh areas of the Hospice with additional works and licks of paint where needed.
• There have been lots of fundraising activities with one of the most notable being ‘Diving for Derian’
• Please make sure you check the Intranet for the latest news and information.

Around and About the Hospice (and beyond) – things to know for September …..

• Sensory Garden, Works will start on the refurbishment of this garden on the 12^th September and will take around 6 weeks, we will pop images of what is coming in the link corridor shortly.
• Painting, Ongoing painting will be happening across the Hospice to freshen up corridors and rooms, these will not impact any operations and the Estates team will coordinate with the care team.
• Together for Short Lives,Conference commences on the 7^th/8^th September in Manchester, Lynn will be presenting on day one and KiKi (our Patron) is also presenting the Keepsake Circle project on day 2 so great profile for Derian.
• Great Big House Giveaway, ticket sales finish at 11.59pm on the 13^th September with the winner being announced at the Kingswood Gala Ball on the 17^th This promotion has been a huge success with over 500,000 individual tickets in the draw and currently raising lots of money for Derian.
• Final ‘Dive for Derian’, the last of the year will take place on the 25^th
• Bail me Out, The activity where company bosses get arrested and have to raise a minimum of £999 to be released happens on the 23^rd
• Derian Voices – our choir are looking for additional staff or volunteers to join and perform at the Lights of Love service in Blackburn Cathedral.
• Options Appraisal, The assessment of the options is ongoing and once we have any updates we will share them with you ll.

As you can see, lots going on.

Thank you all for your continued support and commitment and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask me, any member of the senior team or your line manager.

David

Dear all,

We have some euros in the finance office given in donations. If anyone is interested in buying a bag of 10 euros at a cost of £8.60, please email Debbie or Janet, or pop into the office.

We have 15 bags.  First come first served…

Gracias!

Good afternoon everyone,

I have the pleasure in announcing that the Department of Health and Social Care have paused the lateral flow testing program.

This means that the test you did and submitted yesterday was your last lateral flow test.

We would ask however, if you’re symptomatic please use one of the tests you have at home.

This does not change any restrictions on mask wearing therefore the same still applies;

• Mask wearing is only required if you’re involved in the direct care of a child or if you feel slightly unwell but fit to work.

We will continue to follow guidance from the Department of Health Social Care and at this stage testing is paused due to falling COVID-19 prevalence nationally. If Covid cases rise guidance may change and we will update in that instance.

Thank you to everyone for your patience and participation in the testing over the past (almost) two years!

Kind Regards,

Ben

Fitness fanatics and race runners everywhere – sign up to the Preston 10k today with Derian House!

Places are totally FREE as long as you pledge to raise £150 for us, and all participants will be awarded with a medal at the finish line.

Visit our website below or go upstairs to Fundraising to register your interest. Tickets are on a first come, first served basis

 https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/…/spar-city-of-preston-10k/

Afternoon everyone,

As you may already be aware, the Great Big House Giveaway is coming to an end after a year.

Kingwood Homes are throwing a grand ball at Hoghton Tower on Saturday, September 17 where the lucky winner will be announced.

We have four tickets available for members of staff to attend the ball – would you like to come?

It will be a really fun night – the ball is a black tie event and fairground-themed. There will be a helter-skelter, hook a duck, strongman, comedian Justin Moorhouse and music from live band the Souljets.

If you’d like to attend then please drop me an email by next Wednesday (31 August) at the latest and I will pull names out of a hat if needed.

Thanks

Caroline

At 12:00 on Wednesday 7th September, in the Lodge Conference Room, Derian Voices will start rehearsing this Christmas favourite, and more, for the Lights of Love service on Friday 2nd December. 

For new staff and volunteers who may not know of Derian Voices – it is a choir of staff and volunteers formed primarily to sing each year at the Lights of Love service.  

Numbers are very depleted post Covid and unless a few more willing souls join us, performing at the Blackburn Cathedral service may not be possible.

We would love to have you back if you have been involved in previous years and look forward to giving a warm welcome to any new faces.  

Practices are each Wednesday lunchtime, between  12:00 and 1:00.  It is appreciated that staff shift patterns may  mean you can’t attend every week,  come when you can. 

For those who cry, ‘I can’t sing’ , ‘I can’t read music’ you may be pleasantly surprised, and the ability to read music is a bonus not a necessity! 

Please join us. 

Eileen Murray obo Derian Voices

Hello everyone,

Due to a recent security breach at the hospice, in which a member of staff had their email hacked, we will be taking extra precautions to strengthen our I.T. security measures.

All staff and volunteers with a Derian email address will be required to sign into their email using two-factor authentication. This means that you will need to input your mobile phone number and will be sent a code to verify your identity. You will only need to do this once, not every time you sign into emails (and also when you sign in from a different device).

Steve from I.T. will support staff in this process and will be in touch with team leaders to schedule in each team.

The process is simple and will make things much safer for Derian and all of us.

If you have any questions, please log with I.T helpdesk or speak to Steve Carr.

Good morning everyone,

After reviewing the COVID absence cases in the Hospice over the past few weeks and the reduction of COVID in the region we have removed all COVID restrictions apart from the below;

• Mask wearing is only required if you’re involved in the direct care of a child or if you feel slightly unwell but fit to work.
• The only visitor testing now required is if the visitor is involved in direct patient care.

No other restrictions are in force at this time.

A thank you to all for the increased participation in the lateral flow testing and reporting. In line with government requirements the bi weekly lateral flow testing is still required and will be in place until we hear otherwise from the Department of Health.

SATURDAY 20^th

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

• Pet Therapy with Tallulah and her human Clare will be happening in and around the hospice throughout the AM.

• It’s time to feed the ducks at Astley Park – we’ll be heading off on an adventure after lunch.

• There’s a double dose of Dive for Derian this weekend – our first batch of divers taking to the skies at Black Knights Parachute Centre to raise vital funds for Derian House include Gill (Events & Legacies Marketing Coordinator) and two of our builder friends at Kingswood Homes, the Great Big House Giveaway partner. Good luck!

SUNDAY 21^st

• Guided relaxation followed by a massage for our CYP will be taking place this afternoon in the Sensory Room.

• We’re going on a treasure hunt throughout the hospice this morning. What will we find?

• Our Fundraising Team will be out in full force for the second of this weekend’s skydiving fundraisers with more Derian daredevils – Danielle (Clinical Support Worker) and Cam (Digital Content Coordinator) – amongst those diving at 15,000ft.

MONDAY 22^nd

• Sensory Story Time will take place in the Seaside Room from 1:30 – 3:00pm for Derian families with Caroline W (Wellbeing & Play Worker).

• Do you believe in fairies? You better had, because it’s National Tooth Fairy Day and we’re celebrating by doing themed arts and crafts in the Messy PlayZone.

TUESDAY 23^rd

• Family Day Care will be based in the Seaside Room from 11:00 – 2:30pm, with numerous activities taking place throughout the day.

• Music Therapy with Martha (Music Therapist) will be held in the Snug for individual and group sessions from 1:00 – 5:30pm.

• We’re all taking a trip to Danni’s Diner for National Sponge Cake Day – can you guess what we’ll be baking?!

WEDNESDAY 24^th

• Fun singalong with Rachel (Music Teacher) will be hosted in the Snug from 11:00am.

• The Derian Voices will meet at their weekly singing session from 12:00pm – 1:00pm in the Seaside Room. Join us for an hour of vocal fun, no matter your singing ability!

• Support Lodge Day Care will be held throughout the day in the Lodge.

• Music and Movement with Claire VO (Wellbeing & Play Worker) will take place in the Sensory Room this afternoon.

THURSDAY 25^th

• Our School’s Out boys will be meeting up today for school holiday shenanigans. They’ll be based in the Seaside Room between 11:00am – 3:00pm.

• Children and young people in-house will be invited to join a themed sensory journey in the Messy PlayZone with the story ‘The Rain Forest’ being our theme.

FRIDAY 26^th

• David (CEO), Lynn (Director of Clinical Services) and Matt (Trustee) will be meeting with the group assigned to move the Options Appraisal work forward. Visitors will be on site to look around.

• We’re going on a bear hunt… and we’re not scared! It’s Bring a Bear Day, so bring your favourite teddy to work and join us for the famous story around the hospice and Smile Park this morning.

• Individual and group sessions of Music Therapy with Martha will take place in the Snug from 2:00 – 6:00pm.

• Join us in the Sensory Garden for chalk painting with Caroline W this afternoon.

SATURDAY 27^th

• We’re off to Astley Park for a scavenger hunt – what will we find?

SUNDAY 28^th

• Happy Sunday everyone – what better way to spend it than with fun and games in Smile Park.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• There’s just four weeks to go until the Great Big House Giveaway is drawn! Tell all your friends (unfortunately you or your immediate family can’t enter) for them to be in with the chance of winning a £250,000 Kingswood Homes house in Feniscowles, Blackburn. Ticket bundles start from just £5 and the summer sale is now ON! 25% extra tickets with every purchase – derianhouse.co.uk/house.

• 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 Thursday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! J

As we continue with our development of the Retail Estate to ensure we are Fit for the Future, we have an exciting vacancy which is currently open only to internal candidates.

We are strongly encouraging all suitable candidates to apply to help us to support our vision on Retail for the future.

Blackburn Store Manager

£21,389.08 – £25,163.95

If you require any further information or job descriptions then please speak to Andrew or Helen.

Expressions of interest to be sent to recruitment@derianhouse.co.uk by 26th August 2022.

SATURDAY 13^th

• We’re all going on a summer holiday… well, atleast to our gardens for beach fun with Caroline W (Wellbeing and Play Worker)! There’ll be sand and water play, and arts and crafts going on throughout the day.

SUNDAY 14^th

• It’s National Bowling Day! Our children and young people will be sensory ten-pin bowling in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

MONDAY 15^th

• Sensory Story Time will take place in the Seaside Room from 1:30 – 3:00pm for Derian families with Caroline W.

• HSBC are visiting us today with a view of providing funding for one of our outdoor projects.

TUESDAY 16^th

• Family Day Care will be based in the Seaside Room from 11:00 – 2:30pm, with numerous activities taking place throughout the day.

• Music and Movement with Claire will be held in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• Come and tell us your jokes in the Comedy Corner of the Messy PlayZone – we’d love to hear them!

• Finance and Income Sub-Committee will take place this morning in the Conference Room. Some of our trustees will be on site to attend.

WEDNESDAY 17^th

• Fun singalong with Rachel will be hosted in the Snug from 11:00am.

• The Derian Voices will meet at their weekly singing session from 12:00pm – 1:00pm in the Seaside Room. Join us for an hour of vocal fun, no matter your singing ability!

• We’ll be meeting with our Great Big House Giveaway partners, Kingswood Homes, at their HQ to discuss the final stage of the fundraising campaign.

• Both of our siblings groups, Chill Out & Chat and Danni’s Club, will be off on a trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach today.

THURSDAY 18^th

• Aloha – it’s Hawaiian Dress-Up Day here at the hospice! Please adhere to IPC policies when choosing out your colourful costumes. To celebrate, we’ll be Hawaiian Lei making in the Messy PlayZone this morning, and doing pool art with mocktails this afternoon in Danni’s Diner!

• Our School’s Out boys will be meeting up today for school holiday shenanigans. They’ll be based in the Seaside Room between 11:00am – 3:00pm. They’ll possibly be off out on a trip to Mrs Dowson’s Farm.

FRIDAY 19^th

• David (CEO) and Lynn (Director of Clinical Services) are joining a meeting of the Lancs and South Cumbria Hospices Together group this morning.

• It’s National Potato Day, and we’re celebrating by doing potato art work in Messy PlayZone this morning, and making potato cakes in Danni’s Diner this afternoon.

• Friday Night Club for our 18+ year olds will be held in the Lodge from 6:30pm.

SATURDAY 20^th

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

• Pet Therapy with Tallulah and her human Clare will be happening in and around the hospice throughout the AM.

• It’s time to feed the ducks at Astley Park – we’ll be heading off on an adventure after lunch.

SUNDAY 21^st

• Guided relaxation followed by a massage for our CYP will be taking place this afternoon in the Sensory Room.

• We’re going on a treasure hunt throughout the hospice this morning. What will we find?

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• There’s just five weeks to go until the Great Big House Giveaway is drawn! Tell all your friends (unfortunately you or your immediate family can’t enter) for them to be in with the chance of winning a £250,000 Kingswood Homes house in Feniscowles, Blackburn. Ticket bundles start from just £5 and the summer sale is now ON! 25% extra tickets with every purchase – derianhouse.co.uk/house.

• 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 Thursday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! J

Hi everyone,

Here’s the top stories from this week’s SMT meeting:

• A fire drill was successfully carried out last month, well done everyone!

• Birdsong survey results have now been received and are being reviewed, these will be presented to the Trustees at the HR Strategic Committee meeting on 15^th September and the Board meeting on 22^nd meeting. We will share these with everyone as usual before the end of September.

• We discussed our out of hours catering and Lynn shared that the care team are looking at idea so, any proposals please send to Luke by 26^th August.

• The Horwich shop has had a much needed refresh and we are now seeing the results of everyone’s efforts in increased sales – thanks go to all those who helped.

• The Great Big House Giveaway is now only 5 weeks away – but income from this has already achieved the target of £250,000.

• The Hospice results for the first half of the year are showing a surplus and we are significantly ahead of our budget which is great news.

• The 2022 Danni’s Diary is now in production and will be distributed to 41,000 people in late September.

• Please remember to keep COVID testing twice weekly and continue to register the results on the gov.uk site.

Staff and volunteers of Derian House – we want you!

Our annual Lights of Love service will take place once again on Friday 2nd December at Blackburn Cathedral, and is seen by many of our families and supporters as a special start to the Christmas period.

As ever, there will be a multitude of readings, bible stories and poems read out by Team Derian.

Would you like to get involved? Please email gillian.rabbett@derianhouse.co.uk if you’re interested, and we’ll get back to you in due course.

SATURDAY 6^th

• Pets as Therapy pooch Tallulah will be rocking up for a visit with her humans Clare and Steve this morning.

• Music and Movement with Claire (Wellbeing & Play Worker) will be held this afternoon in the Sensory Room.

SUNDAY 7^th  

• Our children and young people staying in-house will be enjoying fun and splashes in the hydrotherapy pool this morning.

• TAC PAC with Claire will take place in the Snug this afternoon.

MONDAY 8^th

• Sensory Story Time will take place in the Seaside Room from 1:30 – 3:00pm for Derian families with Caroline W (Wellbeing & Play Worker).
• MEOW! Happy International Cat Day – naturally, we’ll be celebrating the occasion with art fun in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• A group of children and young people will be joining us for Day Care from 10:30am – 12:30pm.

TUESDAY 9^th  

• Family Day Care will be based in the Seaside Room, with numerous activities taking place throughout the day.

• Senior Management Team/Health and Safety meeting will take place this morning in the Conference Room.

• There’ll be a meeting to progress the Options Appraisal work this afternoon.

WEDNESDAY 10^th

• Trustees will be on site for the Audit and Risk Sub-Committee which will be held this afternoon.

• Support Lodge Day Care will be held in the Lodge from 10:00am – 4:00pm.

• Sensory Story Time with Caroline will take place this morning in the Lounge for our in-house children and young people.

• Fun singalong with Rachel will be hosted in the Snug from 11:00am.

• The Derian Voices will meet at their weekly singing session from 12:00pm – 1:00pm in the Seaside Room. Join us for an hour of vocal fun, no matter your singing ability!

• Music and Movement with Claire will be held this afternoon in the Sensory Room.

THURSDAY 11^th  

• Adele Doherty (Debuty CEO and Director of Clinical Services at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice) is visiting the hospice this morning.

• Our School’s Out boys will be meeting up today for school holiday shenanigans. They’ll be based in the Seaside Room between 11:00am – 3:00pm.

• Everyone’s favourite Shorthaired German Pointer, Shuna, will be visiting us for Pet Therapy with her human Linda this morning.

• Join Arron (Wellbeing & Play Worker) in the Woodland Walk this afternoon for some forest art fun.

FRIDAY 12^th

• Forget Glastonbury, we’ll be hosting our own festival in Smile Park this afternoon with our Wellbeing & Play Team taking the helm – let’s hope the weather stays dry!

SATURDAY 13^th

• It’s National Bowling Day! Our children and young people will be sensory ten-pin bowling in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

SUNDAY 14th

• We’re all going on a summer holiday… well, atleast to our gardens for beach fun with Caroline W! There’ll be sand and water play, and arts and crafts going on throughout the day.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• There’s just six weeks to go until the Great Big House Giveaway is drawn! Tell all your friends (unfortunately you or your immediate family can’t enter) for them to be in with the chance of winning a £250,000 Kingswood Homes house in Feniscowles, Blackburn. Ticket bundles start from just £5 and the summer sale is now ON! 25% extra tickets with every purchase – derianhouse.co.uk/house.

• 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 Thursday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! J

“It has been an absolute privilege to lead Derian House and taking Derian from CQC ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Outstanding’ in just two years has, and always will be, our biggest achievement. It could only have been possible with the teamwork of our amazing staff and volunteers.”

Today we announce that our Chief Executive, David Robinson, will be retiring from the charity at the end of December, after almost five years of service.

Under David’s leadership, Derian House Children’s Hospice has made huge strides, improving palliative and end of life care for children and young people across Lancashire, South Cumbria and Greater Manchester.

During his five years at the helm, the charity has achieved an Outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the highest rating possible – and built strong staff culture and values.

David led a £1.7million transformation of the hospice building and its gardens and introduced a new Derian on Holiday service so families could enjoy a free holiday every year to make precious memories.

In 2019, Derian House won Charity of the Year in the national JustGiving Awards, and David travelled to Westminster alongside Lynn Grayson, Director of Clinical Services, to lobby MPs for fairer funding for children’s hospices.

David is now looking forward to taking some well-deserved time to pursue his passion for travel before considering non-executive opportunities to use his wide range of leadership skills in the future.

David, 57, said: “It has been an absolute privilege to lead Derian House and taking Derian from CQC ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Outstanding’ in just two years has, and always will be, our biggest achievement. It could only have been possible with the teamwork of our amazing staff and volunteers.

“I am incredibly proud of the strides we have made in ensuring Derian is embedded in the local health economy and recognised as a key provider in children’s and young people’s palliative and end of life care across the region and by NHS England nationally.

“Working alongside the staff and volunteers at Derian House has been an absolute honour and I will always look back on my time at the charity fondly.”

Over the coming months, David will work alongside colleagues and the hospice’s Board of Trustees to help recruit a new CEO.

Karen Swindley, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Derian House Children’s Hospice, thanked David for his dedication, passion and enthusiasm.

She said: “I would like to put on record my sincere thanks and appreciation to David for his hard work and commitment to Derian House over the last five years.

“During his tenure we have moved mountains, improving palliative and end of life care for children and young people from across our region significantly.

“David’s dedication and drive has made a real difference to local families at their very darkest times, ensuring they receive outstanding care when coping with the death of a child.

“On behalf of all of Derian’s staff, volunteers and trustees I would like to wish David all the best for his future endeavours – he will be truly missed.

“The Board is now committed to recruiting an individual who will continue to deliver our ambitious strategy to be the leading light in children’s hospice care.”

Kirsty Blackburn (Clinical Educator) has had a surprise litter of kittens arrive at her house, and she is looking for cat lovers everywhere to take them off her hands!

2x tabby

2x black

2x black and white

Kirsty is looking to sell the kittens at 2 for £100, and they are litter trained, 2-4 weeks old (go at 8 weeks), weened and soon to have their injections.

Please speak with her directly if you’re interested or have any questions.

Dear Derian House Colleagues,

I am delighted to let you know that Gareth our Derian Gardener and his team of volunteers achieved a GOLD Award at this year’s Chorley Flower Show.

It is a great achievement and the Derian garden at the show, based on The Teeny Tiny Plumber story looked absolutely amazing.

I am sure you will join the senior team and myself in congratulating our gardening team when you see them around the hospice.

Thanks,

David

SATURDAY 30^th

• TAC PAC with Claire VO (Wellbeing and Play Worker) will be held in the Snug this afternoon.

• This weekend, Gareth the gardener and his trusty team of volunteers will be out at Astley Park showcasing at the Chorley Flower Show, where we’ve chosen to base our Community and Schools Garden Competition entry on ‘The Teeny Tiny Plumber’, which was written by one of our little fundraisers who wrote a book to raise money for Derian House.

• Our younger siblings’ group, Danni’s Club, will take place in the Seaside Room from 1:30 – 4:00pm.

SUNDAY 31^st

• Boccia fun will be happening in Smile Park with Katie (Wellbeing and Play Team Leader).

MONDAY 1^st

• Sensory Story Time will take place in the Seaside Room from 1:30 – 3:00pm for Derian families with Caroline W (Wellbeing & Play Worker).

TUESDAY 2^nd

• Family Day Care will be based in the Seaside Room, with numerous activities taking place throughout the day.

• Individual and group sessions of Music Therapy will take place in the Cinema from 2:00 – 6:00pm.

• There’ll be a kick-off meeting this afternoon to progress the Oldham/Rochdale Community Engagement Programme.

WEDNESDAY 3^rd

• A meeting with Derian GPs will be hosted here at the hospice.

THURSDAY 4^th

• Our Pets as Therapy dog, Shuna, will be arriving at Derian with her human Linda for their weekly visit.

FRIDAY 5^th

• Sensory Story Time with Caroline W for our in-house children will take place in the lounge this morning.

SATURDAY 6^th

• Pets as Therapy pooch Tallulah will be rocking up for a visit with her humans Clare and Steve this morning.

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 Thursday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! 🙂

Good afternoon everyone,

We have been made aware that the prevalence of COVID infections in Lancashire remains high and therefore we will be continuing with some enhanced precautions for the remainder of this week;

• Mask wearing is required within the main Hospice building at all times unless sat at a workstation (including when Vinten Place or Retail staff are in the main Hospice building).
• Within the dining room 4 at a table is authorised unless a Child or Young person is present therefore please reduce numbers.
• We also ask everyone to please speak to their line manager prior to arranging any external visitors for this week.

SATURDAY 23^rd

• Our weekend shift Pets as Therapy dog Tallulah will be visiting the hospice with her human, Clare for some belly rubs and cuddles.

• Music and Movement with Claire VO (Wellbeing & Play Worker) will take place this afternoon in-house.

• Dream Tents and Events will be swinging by the hospice with their bell tent from 1:30pm to set up ready for Open Gardens in the morning. Gill (Legacies & Events Marketing Coordinator) will be on hand to assist, please email her if you have any questions.

SUNDAY 24^th

• 3, 2, 1… JUMP! Our next (and first, seeing as the last date was cancelled due to high winds!) batch of dedicated divers will take to the skies and Dive for Derian from 15,000ft to raise money for their local children’s hospice. Karen (Donor Database Coordinator) and Clare (Pets as Therapy dog Tallulah’s mum) will be representing #TeamDerian as they face their fears at Black Knights Parachute Centre.

• Our grounds will be open once again for the National Garden Scheme’s Open Gardens event here at Derian House. Supporters will be welcome to peruse our wonderful outdoor spaces at our festival-themed ‘D in the Park’ event, with live music and bell tents in Smile Park. As ever, we’ll have plenty of volunteers about to talk about the work we do at the hospice, refreshments in the Seaside Garden and plenty of fun for all the family to enjoy. Grab your tickets here – it’s just £3 for adults and FREE for children and dogs – NGS Booking System.

MONDAY 25^th

• Sensory Story Time will take place in the Seaside Room from 1:30 – 3:00pm for Derian families with Caroline W (Wellbeing & Play Worker).

TUESDAY 26^th

• Our first Family Day Care session of the summer will be based in the Seaside Room, with numerous activities taking place throughout the day.

• A session based on ‘Verification of Death’ will be hosted by Clare Grady Smith (Community Services Manager) in the Clinical Skills Lab at 1:30pm. All staff are welcome to attend.

• There’ll also be a Support Lodge Day Care session held in the Lodge all day.

• Individual and group sessions of Music Therapy will take place in the Cinema from 2:00 – 6:00pm.

WEDNESDAY 27^th

• Support Lodge Day Care will be held in the Lodge throughout today.

• There’ll be tenpin bowling fun in the Sensory Garden this morning. Who’ll get a strike?!

• Our in-house children and young people will be off on a trip out – location TBC.

THURSDAY 28^th

• Our Pets as Therapy dog, Shuna, will be arriving at Derian with her human Linda for their weekly visit.

• School’s Out for the summer! Our first session will be held in the Seaside Room from 11:00am – 3:00pm.

• It’s the start of the Commonwealth Games, so naturally we’ll be doing themed arts and crafts in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

FRIDAY 29^th

• Sensory Story Time with Caroline W for our in-house children will take place in the lounge this morning.

• We’ll be showcasing at Chorley Flower Show in the Community and Schools Garden Competition this weekend. The theme this year is ‘Film and Literature’ and we’ve chosen to base our garden on ‘The Teeny Tiny Plumber’ which was written by one of our little fundraisers who wrote it to raise money for Derian House!

• Chill Out & Chat for our older siblings will be held in the Seaside Room this evening from 6:30 – 9:00pm.

SATURDAY 30^th

• TAC PAC with Claire VO (Wellbeing and Play Worker) will be held in the Snug this afternoon.

• Our younger siblings’ group, Danni’s Club, will take place in the Seaside Room from 1:30 – 4:00pm.

SUNDAY 31^st

• Boccia fun will be happening in Smile Park with Katie (Wellbeing and Play Team Leader).

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• It’s time to paaaaaaaartaaaaaay! Our summer staff party is taking place on Friday 26^th August at Ivory Tower, The Corn Exchange, Preston from 7pm. Please could you RSVP to the email which you’ll have in your inbox ASAP or email party@derianhouse.co.uk if you can go, alongside any dietary requirements.

• 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 Thursday the week before.

Have a great week everyone! 🙂

Morning all,

It has become apparent that staff have been taking food items from the kitchen without authorisation. Food stock has been ordered and allocated for organisational need and so when items go missing, we are unable to meet the requirements. All food that has been prepared or set out by our catering staff for staff must be paid for. If you have not ordered a lunch or dinner, you may not help yourself to anything, including salads, yoghurts and fruit.

We have increased stock checking recently and can confirm that missing bread, ham, cheese, breakfast cereals, crisps, yoghurts, biscuits, fruit, salads, coleslaws, ice creams have all been unaccounted for; as well as prepared meals of lasagne slices, meatballs, quiche slices to name a few examples over the last few weeks.

If food is required to be prepared for staff or CYP, it must be recorded through the catering department. If evening snacks are required for CYP, you must email me directly to confirm what has been taken so I have an auditable trail of requirements.

There is no excuse for staff taking stock and disciplinary action shall be sought for those who feel entitled to a ‘freebie’.

Luke (Head of Facilities and Infrastructure)

Good morning everybody,

Following my email last week we have decided to continue with some COVID restrictions for a one week period (18^th July – 24^th July 2022).

The below guidance will continue;

• Mask wearing is required within the main Hospice building at all times unless sat at a workstation
• All Vinten Place staff to minimise activity in the main Hospice building
• All visitors to take a lateral flow test prior to arrival
• If you have a visitor planned that cannot easily be rearranged to next week, please speak to Lynn or Luke as this will be reviewed on a case by case basis

I can confirm that you no longer need to do daily lateral flow tests and all Hospice and Vinten Place staff should revert back to bi-weekly testing (Monday and Thursday).

Lateral Flow testing update

Against our COVID-19 Unique Organisation Number only 80 lateral flow tests were registered between the dates of 27/06/2022 and 10/07/2022.

This means either staff are not completing the bi weekly lateral flow tests or have become complacent in not registering them.

Please ensure that you continue to both take your tests and register them as this is still the mandatory instruction from Department and Health and Social Care.

Due to our high levels of engagement in the testing programme we have continued to be able to provide test kits free of charge to all staff and volunteers. I urge people to continue to participate as I would not like to see Derian House having to pay for the kits in the future.

Kind regards,

Ben Leavesley
Head of People and Culture