Confessions of a Hospice Chaplain during the Corona Crisis

in , /by

Lisa Rainier is Chaplain and Lead for Spiritual Support at St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley. Here she shares what it’s been like working on the front line supporting local terminally ill people and their families.

“Early on, I joined my local neighbourhood isolation support group, purchased seed to grow my own vegetables, thought I would read the Hilary Mantel novels on my bookshelves, get fitter with Joe Wicks, run further, rescue a few people and generally be a cross between a hero and an angel.

Later on, any kind of  hero status or angelic ambition was seriously compromised by the reality: I was unable to concentrate for long enough to read anything, physically hauling my increasingly heavy body out of bed for a short run round the park took Herculean effort and I wrestled with run-rage (why is it always me who has to give way on the path and go into the undergrowth?). I also had to accept that I couldn’t do much extra for my neighbours because it took me so long to shop for me and mine.

There have been too many male humans in my house and the churlish chore-wars are getting me down. I sorely miss my alone time on retreat and my going out time with girlfriends, and I’m sad that my mother- in- law with Alzheimer’s will no longer recognise me if, or when, I do see her again.

Being ‘only human’ at St Catherine’s Hospice has got to me too: I have felt my own  anxieties in caring for people with COVID-19, and wearied at the challenges of communication: with patients through plastic PPE, with relatives whilst maintaining social distance, with colleagues internally and externally, variously and vicariously via Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp, Vsee and Lifesize. And oh, how I have missed the support of many of my in-the-flesh colleague-friends who are currently furloughed or working from home.

But, being human at the hospice in this time has also been precious; with less meetings to attend and less time taken up with travelling and training, I have had longer to listen; to hear and honour life stories, and more opportunities to stand in the gap when a patient’s own priest or minster has not been able to be present; special moments have been the sharing of communion and the privilege of planning and conducting intimate and meaningful committals with the closest family of those who have died.

In and through all of this has come the realisation that even when a mask muffles some of your words, the hand you offer is clothed in a glove, and the calm in your voice is only heard over the phone, compassion can still be communicated, and what we are still able to do is to remind and reassure our fellow humans that we are still here for them: they are not alone.”

To make a donation to support St Catherine’s Hospice and help Lisa and her colleagues continue to provide care and support when it’s needed most please visit: www.stch.org.uk/donate

Horsham Matters Re-Opens

in , /by

The Horsham Matters charity shop and donation centre has now re-opened.

The charity shop on Redkiln Close will be open from Tuesday through to Saturday each week from 10am-2pm. In order to keep everyone safe and ensure that the re-opening adheres to the latest government guidelines, there are a number of new measures in place that all visitors will be respectfully asked to adhere too.

The Horsham Matters Donation Centre on Blatchford Road will be open on Tuesday and Saturday mornings between 9am-10.30am.

Please be assured that in order to ensure the safety of all, items will not be sold on until 72 hours after they have been received.

For further information about about re-opening of both locations please visit: https://www.horsham-matters.com/

Church Re-Opens for Private Prayer

in , /by

We are very pleased to be able to share the good news that as of Wednesday 17th June, our church building will be open daily from 10am-4pm for private prayer. We rejoice at this new opportunity to pray in St. Mary’s once again, but please note that this does not yet mean that our Sunday or midweek services in the church will be resuming. Weekly Sunday and midweek services will continue to be available to watch and participate in via our website and Facebook page.

Any visitors to the church will have to abide by careful social distancing rules, and the number of people that will be allowed in the building at any one time is limited to ensure we can keep it as safe as possible for everyone. This may mean that there will be a need to wait before being able to enter the church if there are already the maximum number of people inside.

We have a wonderful team of church welcomers that have been specially trained to support and assist those visiting the church at this time. We thank them for their valuable contribution in allowing St. Mary’s to reopen safely for everyone.

We look forward to welcoming you.

(With regret, please note that it will not be possible to buy preserves or cakes from the back of the church at this time.)

 

Please Donate Food for Family Support Work (FSW)

in , /by

Family Support Work (FSW) help families in Sussex to overcome their difficulties and prevent crisis by supporting families struggling with issues such as poverty, ill health, learning difficulties, bereavement, family break-up and domestic abuse.

Due to lockdown, food supplies at their foodbank in Brighton has become less and demand by their families has grown. FSW has experienced a serious shortfall and in response, the Mothers’ Union in the diocese has been coordinating collection points and deliveries to help make sure that families in need are not going hungry.

Over recent weeks an extra-ordinary amount of food has very kindly been donated by our community in Horsham and this has been collected and taken down to Brighton each Friday in order to be distributed to those in need. THANK YOU SO MUCH to all those who have contributed to this cause, it really has made a huge difference.

It’s not too late to make a contribution if you feel able to help at this time. The FSW are still in particular need of tinned meat goods, such as pies, curry, chilli, hot dog sausages and meatballs.

Please contact the Parish Office on 01403 253762 or office@horshamstmarys.org.uk for details of the collection points in Horsham, or if you are self-isolating and would like to arrange for your donation to be picked-up.

Many thanks again for all your kindness, help and support.

Vocation Sermon Series – June 2020

in , /by

Prior to lockdown, having begun to work as a ministry team of clergy and readers across our 3 churches of St Mary’s, St Leonard’s and Holy Trinity, we had decided to begin a joint sermon series after Easter, using the theme of vocation. Though the circumstances are not as we had imagined, we have nonetheless decided to embark on the series from the beginning of June.

A vocation is about making a contribution to something beyond ourselves; making a difference, playing our part, giving of who we are and of what we have, for something that matters. Though a vocation may involve sacrifice and challenge, it will also bring great joy.

Churches over the years have often used vocational language to refer to clergy. We talk about priests as ‘having a vocation’, with the implication that the rest of us don’t! But the Bible is clear that every one of us has a vocation, and that this may take many different forms at different times in our lives.

Our Sunday morning services throughout June will be available on our respective Church websites, but there will be an opportunity to then discuss the sermon themes on an online ‘Zoom’ meeting at 6pm each Sunday evening. If you would like to find out more about this and to get the details to join the discussion, please contact the Parish Office on 01403 253762 / office@horshamstmarys.org.uk

Horsham Matters Food Bank (updated 6/4/2020)

in , /by

Update 6/4/20

Horsham Matters would like to ask people to continue to donate food through the drop-off points in Horsham supermarkets. They are aware that Tesco in Broadbridge Heath and Pulborough have removed their donation boxes and they are working to address the situation.

Food donations can also be made at the Donation Centre on Blatchford Road, Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 4pm each day. Items can be left in the crates provided and a member of the Horsham Matters staff will bring them in to be sorted.

A project is also just about to be launched with small independant local shops across the District, to have donation points set up. Horsham Matters will keep us updated on its progress.

Father Russell Stagg (All Saints, Roffey) would also like to make everyone aware that he is opening the church on Tuesday Morning 7th April between 10am and 12noon for people to drop off their food bank donations. This may be of help for anyone that end of Horsham who might be out taking their daily exercise.

At the present time, there is no food in paticular that they require, but they have plenty of soup and baked beans!

Horsham Matters are also still welcoming any monetary donations to support the Foodbank and any operating costs as the loss of income from the Charity Shop is hugely detrimental. (See below in this news post for the online link to donate.)

 

Horsham Matters Food Bank

Our Foodbank has seen a significant reduction in food donations and as such we are reaching out to Churches and their congregations to add an item to their shopping for the foodbank. In these challenging times the most vulnerable in our community are not in a financial position to stockpile food, buying their food week to week. We want to ensure that we have a supply of food to ensure that we can support those experiencing food poverty.

Thank you everyone for your kind donations. Every item of food and every penny makes a huge difference during these challenging times.

We are extremely grateful to those of you who have kindly offered to volunteer with the foodbank. That said, in light of the latest Government advice we will now be asking all of our volunteers to stand down. We are very grateful for all of your efforts, but your safety and wellbeing are important to us. Please stay at home and stay well.

Thank you in advance for your continued support.

Just Giving: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/horshammatters-appeal2020?utm_term=qArD5zK2p

Food collections

If Churches would like to donate food, we would be more than happy to collect from them. Please contact Horsham Matters, 0300 1240204 or via email: info@horsham-matters.org.uk

Horsham Matters – Staying Indoors Surprise Parcel

in , /by

HORSHAM MATTERS – A Staying Indoors Surprise Parcel and Support Your Local Charity

Want to surprise someone with a doorstep delivery of some goodies to keep them entertained? Treat the family, friend or maybe a neighbour to a surprise bag which may include books, puzzles, games and DVDs. The cost of our bargain surprise bags are £10!

Give us a ring, 0300 1240204 to arrange delivery. Tell us who you would like to surprise, and we will leave our delivery on their doorstep within 48 hours of your call. You can also email us on info@horsham-matters.org.uk

Please have your bank card ready when you ring. As you can imagine we are very busy delivering food parcels at the moment, so this offer of a surprise delivery only applies to addresses in central Horsham and immediate surrounding villages.

Each children’s package contains a variety of 4 books, at least one puzzle, at least one game, 2 DVDs, an activity item and 2 toys, we can adjust for an age range up to 3, 3-6, 6- 12 and 12 and over and adult. Adults will get

2x puzzles

4 books

2 DVDs and a small game item, eg pack of cards.

All average contents for each package at least £10.00

Update for Horsham Matters 25/3/2020

in , /by

Our face to face delivery of Foodbanks, Night Shelter and our Community Meal will cease until Government advice changes. Our Charity Shop is also closed for the time being.

That said, we will focus all of our efforts to continue to provide food for those most in need through a home delivery service.

We appreciate this is a challenging time for all Horsham residents, but we would ask for continued food donations as we fully expect the demand for this service to be extremely high over the forthcoming months.

Crucially, the loss of income from the closure of our shop will significantly affect our Charity’s funds and as such we will be setting up a Just Giving page for any individual or organisation who might be able to support us financially as we navigate this unprecedented situation.

Any donations however large or small will be enormously appreciated and will help us to continue current and future services to meet those who are most at need across the Horsham community.

Our thanks in advance for your support.

We wish you all good health.

For more information about Horsham Matters : click here for their website

Voluntary Sector Support in the Horsham District (updated 6/4/20)

in , /by

Update 6/4/20

Supporting elderly and vulnerable people – Community Volunteer hubs

The community response during the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation has been amazing, with hundreds of individuals, groups and organisations coming forward on the ground, and through social media, to offer support: community spirit and resilience at its best. Over 1,300 volunteers have signed up to offer their support so far.

It is clear that the most effective delivery mechanism for support lies in local neighbourhood groups responding to requests for support from their neighbours – local people helping local people.

To support these efforts across the entire district, Horsham District Council are working closely with numerous groups including the Horsham Self Isolation Support (HSIS) Facebook groups, Parish Councils, Voluntary groups, Community Partnerships and hundreds of individuals.

To talk to a member of the team about volunteering, please call 01403 215230 or email Covid-19.Support@horsham.gov.uk

https://www.horsham.gov.uk/community/coronavirus-community-support?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Click here to find out more about the hubs and how you can get involved.

 

HORSHAM DISTRICT COUNCIL CORONAVIRUS COMMUNITY SUPPORT PACK:

Horsham District Council has produced an electronic Coronavirus Community Support Pack which may be distributed as appropriate: www.horsham.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/82029/Coronavirus-Community-Support-Pack.pdf

Responding together

We are very aware of the increased need to support vulnerable people across our communities, and the enormous response from people wanting to help in any way they can.

Horsham District Council are putting in place ways in which we can best support communities to ensure that the most vulnerable are kept safe and well during the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. The best way to do this will be at the local level.

At first we will assist in enabling a coordinated response, and offer support wherever possible alongside existing organisations and volunteer groups; this will be a phased approach based on needs and capacity. Our focus will then shift into a more on-the-ground effort. Horsham District Council staff will be there to offer support where possible and necessary across the District in partnership with the volunteer groups.

We have also printed some template volunteer help cards, which can be used to let people know where their nearest support services are. These will need to be posted through letterboxes, so we will be looking for volunteers to do this so people have a way of contacting help if necessary.

This is a rapidly changing situation, and we are currently gathering information to help us organise and offer support.

Can you help?

Can you volunteer? Get in touch

  • If you are a volunteer or want to volunteer, please get in touch with us so that we can pass on your details at a local level
  • If you have organised or are currently running a new informal local coronavirus (COVID-19) volunteer group, please get in touch so we have the group’s details

Get in touch to volunteer here

Do you know someone who is vulnerable?

  • If you are vulnerable or know of somebody who is vulnerable please let us know
  • We will also hold information on what services and support is available in your area

Contact details

Dedicated phone number: 01403 215230

Dedicated email: Covid-19.support@horsham.gov.uk

 

Postponement: ONE GOOD FRIDAY 2020 – HORSHAM PASSION PLAY

in , /by

Following advice given at the government’s briefing on Monday 16 March 2020 in relation to Coronavirus (COVID-19), it is with regret that we have decided to postpone the One Good Friday 2020 – Horsham Passion Play due to have been performed twice in Horsham town centre on Good Friday (Friday 10th April).

The contribution of the Horsham Passion Play cast, supporters, suppliers and Horsham District Council is acknowledged. Everyone has been working tirelessly to prepare for the performances. The project has demonstrated a considerable show of unity across churches and a strong community effort to achieve something quite amazing.

Rehearsals have been underway twice weekly since the beginning of the year. Other Passion Play locations (Havant and Tonbridge, and the Passion Trust) have been tremendously generous, lending costumes and props for the production. Other costumes and props have been made by willing volunteers and partners such as Men in Sheds. Big Church Day Out was also partnering with the event by providing music on the Carfax Bandstand.

Sarah Holloway, Director, One Good Friday 2020 – Horsham Passion Play said: “When I began this journey almost a year ago. There were just the two of us: Rosemary and I. In December 2019, it looked as if the project couldn’t continue, as we had no income, few cast members, and a lack of manpower to make it happen. At the same time God led me to visit the half size Noah’s Ark docked at Ipswich. He spoke about giving us the blueprint for the vision of the project, as with Noah building the ark, and that He would bring all the animals i.e. cast and resources that we needed.
Within the following weeks that’s exactly what happened, resulting in over 100 volunteers pulling together, including over 60 cast members from sixteen local churches and the wider community. It is a vision of unity that we’ve carried since the beginning to deliver a message of hope. With or without the performance, this is what we continue to do.”

Rosemary Couchman, Producer, One Good Friday 2020 – Horsham Passion Play said: “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with Wintershall and other locations to prepare for the Horsham Passion Play performances. Our cast and crew have been spectacular in their dedication to this project, and our supporters have demonstrated extreme generosity in getting us to this stage. This has been more than a play – more of a journey really. Truly inspirational!”

Although it is disappointing that the Horsham Passion Play will not be able to take place on Good Friday 2020, it is hoped that there will be the opportunity to perform it at some point in the future.

The One Good Friday 2020 – Horsham Passion Play was being performed under license from Wintershall. Good Friday, 10 April 2020, was to have seen the Passion Play performed again in London, and across other UK locations, including two performances in Horsham’s Carfax with a local cast.

The Passion Play’s Christian message embraces all denominations but is also for those of different faiths or none. It is both educational and historical, and an opportunity to tell the real story of Easter to a whole new audience.

Any queries, please contact Producer, Rosemary Couchman at horsham@onegoodfriday.com or 07566 202741.

www.onegoodfriday.com/horsham         www.facebook.com/OGFHorsham