Hospice at Home staff preparing for big move

The transfer from its Wentworth Place offices to Legion House, on the Beaufront Park trading estate off Anick Road, will provide improved care for families, says the hospice’s head of care services.

Fiona Hutchinson said: “All of the team are very excited about the upcoming move and the extra space that we will have at Beaufront Park.

“The new rooms and added space will help us to improve the quality of support we offer to adults and families who use our service and it will also allow us to have dedicated spaces for training and meeting with all of our nurses, volunteer drivers and staff who deliver our services.”

The move, which was originally planned for early November, is now expected to happen in the next few weeks.

Among the things planned for the new premises are a special remembrance area featuring a memory tree.

The tree will be for people who set up a tribute fund to commemorate their loved ones and will display their names on bronze leaves.

There will also be a new adult family support suite called The Rosemary Room, rosemary being the herb of remembrance. The Rainbow Room, which offers a safe space where children and adults can express themselves and their grief, will also get a new look at the hospice’s new home.

In the last year Tynedale Hospice at Home staff and trained volunteers have supported more than 40 families, 79 children and 126 adults who are facing or grieving the death of a parent, sibling, child, grandparent or friend.

The new premises will also feature dedicated meeting rooms and spaces for its volunteers where they can meet and receive important training.

There are over 230 volunteers, including 25 within family support and 36 drivers in the transport team.

Volunteers are the backbone of the service, with people around the district doing everything from jumping out of planes to baking cakes.

Indeed this year’s first ever Big Tynedale Bake fund-raising total exceeded £5,000.