Northern Ireland Hospice held a ‘Building for Life’ Roadshow at the Market House in Ballynahinch on Thursday 16 October to update local supporters on current Hospice care services provided in Ballynahninch and the surrounding area and their plans for the future.
Loretta Gribben, Director of Nursing and Patient Services at Northern Ireland Hospice and Dympna McCann, Hospice Nurse Specialist from the Ballynahinch Hospice Team updated attendees on local services and the progress of the Adult Hospice rebuild project at Somerton House in Belfast.
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At the cheque presentation to the NI Hospice in the Market House in Ballynahinch were Declan and Fintan McCann with Joanne McEvoy of Dromara GAC who presented a cheque to the NIH for £300. Included are NIH staff and fundraisers Loretta Gribben, Dympna McCann, Nessa O’Callaghan, Deirdre Melly, and Noreen Kennedy.[/caption]
Those attending heard that Ballynahinch Hospice Team provided specialist hospice care and support for over 400 people with a terminal illness and their families last year locally. They also were updated on the plans for a new Hospice building in Belfast. When open and operational in late 2015, the new facility at Somerton House will become a hub of palliative care in Northern Ireland, providing advanced technologies to support the teams of Northern Ireland Hospice nurses who are based in local communities right across Northern Ireland to care for more people at home. 90% of NI Hospice care is delivered in the patient’s own home.
As part of the event, Dromara GAC took the opportunity to present the charity with a cheque for £300 which had been raised from a Tractor Run in August.
Speaking at the event, Loretta Gribben, Director of Nursing and Patient Services said: “Our aim is to add life to days, even if days cannot be added to life, through the expertise of our multi-professional team in managing the challenges and complexities of life limiting conditions and advanced disease and to support individuals and families facing loss. We are in the middle phase of our £13 million Adult Hospice Rebuild and as a team, are preparing for a future that includes providing care for wider disease groups such as dementia, heart disease and other non-malignant illnesses.”
Community Fundraiser, Deirdre Melly added: “We still have a final £2.1 million to raise to complete the building works for the new Hospice and are indebted to the efforts of local people, our local support groups, community groups and associations who have and are helping us to buy the bricks for the new building! Special thanks to Dromara GAC for their fundraising initiatives and generosity of time.”
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