From April to June 2024, our Community Engagement team unfortunately had to say goodbye to Susannah but have continued to attend events, meet with groups and organisations. The team continue to form important connections and work out ways in which we can work together. The team have had over 46 meetings & events in this period and engaged with over 810 people to raise awareness of Hospice Care, volunteering, training and our Compassionate Communities projects.
The team works to build up community partnerships within the local community to:
- Stronger relationships and reach under-served communities
- Joint projects & initiatives, and share expertise & resources
- Grow referrals into and out of our patient services
- Challenge myths and improve knowledge about hospice care
- Encourage volunteering and promote fundraising activities
- Raise our profile in the community and the wider hospice sector
The types of events the team attended were as follows:
- Harpenden’s Trust Senior fair, visit to the Ribbon Cancer Support Group and Harpenden’s Library Heath & Wellbeing event
- Ambassador talk at SSAFA the armed forces charity about our services and power of volunteering
- Connected Communities event in Watford with CDA to engage with communities who traditional do not engage with Hospice care
- Talks with various W3RT Getting Together groups across Watford and Three Rivers area about our services and power of volunteering
- Dying Matters ACP stall at Watford General Hospital with the MacMillan team
- OPALS events at the Meriden and Greenwood park
- Talking at Say it with a Smile The Memory Steps Course about future planning
- Visits to Hertswise’s Dementia groups in Borehamwood and Potters Bar about future planning
- Bereavement training to the new Bethany group at Sacred Heart and St John the Evangelist RC Church and volunteers from Leeanna’s Wish who want to support people who come to the Compassionate Café
