Service supporting end of life care patients expands – and co-ordinator Helen celebrates by getting in the saddle for Trust’s Head to Toe charity
A service run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust which trains volunteers to support patients who are receiving end of life care is to expand.
Following a successful initial trial in Peterborough, the Community Butterfly Volunteer Service is now available to those living in the St Ives, Ramsey and March areas.
Funded by the Trust’s charity, Head to Toe, since it launched in March last year, the service has already received more than 100 referrals while the Butterfly volunteers have given more than 1,000 hours of their time.
And to mark the milestone achievement, the Butterfly Volunteer Co-ordinator, Helen Gould, will be taking part in a 50km cycling challenge in aid of Head to Toe.
Helen will be on the start line when Head to Toe’s Big Bike Ride takes place on Sunday, 9 August. The event – run in partnership with Red Fox Cycling – starts and finishes at the Trust’s Fulbourn Hospital site in Cambridge.
As well as a 50km course which is ideal for beginners, there is also a 100km route for more experienced riders. Both courses will take in the beautiful south Cambridgeshire countryside – and there is still time to sign up. For more details visit the Big Bike Ride section on the Head to Toe pages of the CPFT website.
Helen said: “The support the Community Butterfly Volunteer Service has received from Head to Toe has been amazing. Without Head to Toe, none of what we’ve been able to achieve over the last year would have been possible.
“The charity’s funding has allowed us to now expand into St Ives, Ramsey and March and recruit even more volunteers who can offer support to patients receiving end of life care.
“Taking part in the Big Bike ride is my way of thanking the Head to Toe team for the faith they’ve shown in me and our volunteers."
CPFT’s community nurses - who treat older patients and those with long-term physical health conditions - provide care to end of life patients across the area. The nurses, as well as some GPs, can refer patients to the Community Butterfly Volunteer Service.
The volunteers – or Butterflies as they are called - provide company and companionship to those who have not have many visitors or whose family and friends need a respite from their caring responsibilities.
When it was launched, the initiative was the first in the country to have volunteers working in the community by supporting patients in their own homes. The number of Butterflies has now grown to 26.
Hannah Wysocki, Head of Charity for Head to Toe, said “This is the fourth annual Big Bike Ride, and we are so proud of all of our riders who, like Helen, are taking on the challenge to raise money for an CPFT service that is important to them, whether it has provided support for a loved one, or is helping to strengthen the care in our community.
"It’s inspiring to see the impact that fundraising has on services like the Community Butterfly Volunteer Service, enabling it to grow and reach more people at such an important time in their lives. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone taking part and supporting Head to Toe; every contribution helps us continue funding projects that make a real difference for patients and their families.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Community Butterfly Volunteer Service or other volunteering opportunities at CPFT should contact volunteers.CPFT@cpft.nhs.uk.
CPFT, which employs more than 4,700 staff, provides community physical health services for older people and adults with long term conditions, mental health services, children community services in Peterborough and learning disability services. The Trust is also renowned for its research and development work.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Andy Burrows
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Deputy Head of Communications
E communications@cpft.nhs.uk