This year marks the 30th anniversary of The Society of Will Writers, and we’ve been busy working at our goal of making this year as special as possible, which is why we are thrilled to announce our charity partnership for the 2024 SWW Conference.
This year we have chosen The Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity, which is especially close to our hearts, having supported the daughter of our very own Diane Mandeville, who shares her story:
“Sunday, 18th December 2022 became the darkest day of my life. It was on this day that I lost my beautiful daughter Laura Sharman.
She was just 42 when cancer took her from us. She fought so hard throughout the chemo, and it was terrible to watch her suffer as she did. But like the trooper she was she carried on as best she could, she continued to work throughout this difficult period (she was an editor for a London Magazine). “I’ll get through this mum” she said.
When things got really tough, and the pain became too much she went into the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Lodge in Norfolk (taking her work laptop in with her).
We arrived just after lunch and were getting settled in when the “drinks” trolley arrived. Laura loved a Baileys, and this became her special treat each day. “I think I could get used to this” she said to me, glass in hand.
The staff there are amazing. They took such good care of Laura, and nothing was too much trouble for them.
By sponsoring them at our Conference, I feel I am giving something back to them to say, “Thank you for the help and support you gave Laura in her time of need.”
The Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity
Established in 2016, the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity aims to enhance palliative care services in Norfolk. The Charity’s primary goal was to fundraise for and construct the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge, a state-of-the-art hospice offering expert palliative and end-of-life care. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity across the community, the new Lodge was inaugurated by King Charles III in October 2023, replacing the original facility and continuing 44 years of exceptional care.
Now, the Charity focuses on enhancing core NHS services at the Lodge to enrich care before, during, at the point of, and after death. Its holistic approach includes freshly prepared meals from dedicated chefs, a Head Gardener to maintain the gardens, and funding for specialist equipment and patient transport, ensuring patients and loved ones make the most of their precious time together.
Ongoing charitable contributions and community support are now essential as we seek to enrich care, to expand services and to deliver the best possible end-of-life experience for patients and their loved ones.
Enhancements funded by the Charity since opening include:
- Bereavement Support, with drop-in café sessions, group therapy, and individual counselling.
- Garden Pavilion, offering a quiet space for bereaved families.
- Music Therapy, commenced for inpatients, being expanded to outpatients.
- Community Art Sessions, a mindful activity held in the garden.
- Complementary Therapies, providing massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, and mindfulness.
All donations, contributions, and voluntary involvement are crucial to enhance care for patients and their loved ones at Priscilla Bacon Lodge.
How you can help:
To raise money for the hospice we will be holding a charity raffle, with prizes generously donated by the SWW and the sponsors of this year’s SWW Conference. A range of prizes will be available, and to enter all you have to do is donate via donate via JustGiving using the link below. The raffle is open to anyone, whether attending the conference or not, and prize winners will be announced at the close of the event. Please make sure you have either left your name when donating via JustGiving, or have notified us separately of your donation to be entered into the raffle.
Click here to donate: https://www.justgiving.com/page/sww-1724329844622
Thank you to everyone for your support and we hope to raise plenty of money and awareness for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity during and in the run up to the conference.
