West Essex and East Hertfordshire charity, St Clare Hospice, has expanded its services into the heart of Saffron Walden with a new ‘Wellbeing Hub’.
St Clare Wellbeing Hub – Saffron Walden, delivers a range of specialist services directly to the people of Saffron Walden and surrounding villages. Meaning those living locally with life-limiting conditions can be helped to live well, with the weekly drop-in hub taking place every Thursday from 10am – 3pm in the Salvation Army Hall.
The Wellbeing Hub runs a rolling schedule of sessions, bringing the current wide range of specialist support offered at the Hospice site in Hastingwood, to the town.
This will include therapies support, social work support, and specialist nurse specialist input. People with diagnoses including (but not limited to) cancer, heart, lung and kidney conditions, and neurological conditions, will benefit.
Support includes: information on finances, benefits and future planning; emotional and spiritual support; fatigue and breathlessness management; mindfulness and relaxation; a drop-in café and dedicated fortnightly Bereavement Café.
Tracey Hall, Head of Community Engagement, is running the project and said:
“We’re delighted to be bringing our specialist Hospice services straight to the people of Saffron Walden. We know that the distance to the main Hospice site is a challenge for many local people. We hope that the new weekly Wellbeing Hub will mean more people with life-limiting conditions can get the support they need and deserve.”
“If you have been recently diagnosed with a life-limiting condition, for example cancer, heart failure, COPD, or Parkinson’s, we are here to support you and help you to live well. The Wellbeing Hub’s aim is to be there for more people, from an earlier point in their diagnosis. We want more local people to get the advice and support they need, as early as possible.”
Tracey continued: “Being told that you have something that cannot be cured comes with so many questions and fears for people. From how to get benefits and financial support, to having conversations with their family, and planning their future care.
Our expert professionals can also give advice and run sessions to help people to stay well for longer, and to keep doing the things they love. This can include tips for fatigue management, breathlessness workshops, and advice on managing nutrition and medication.”
A St Clare Community Hub was first launched in Saffron Walden at the Salvation Army in 2021 with social work and counselling support on offer. The success of this pilot project has led to the expansion of services on offer at the new Wellbeing Hub. It means that a wider range of Hospice services will be available to people in the town, and on a more regular basis.
As well as a schedule of specialist sessions, the Wellbeing Hub also includes a fortnightly Bereavement Café for local people looking to connect and find support from others experiencing grief and loss.
There is also the chance for anyone to drop-in, every single Thursday, during the Café Clare session from 1pm – 3pm. You don’t need to pre-book, and it is open to all people wishing to find out more about St Clare Hospice.
The Saffron Walden Wellbeing Hub takes place every Thursday, 10am – 3pm, at the Salvation Army Hall (Abbey Lane, CB10 1AG). Parking at Swan Meadow Car Park.
The Wellbeing Hub officially opened on a weekly basis from Thursday 2nd March 2023.
For more information and to view the Spring/Summer 2023 schedule of sessions, visit: http://stclarehopsice.org.uk/wellbeing-hub-saffron-walden
Photo captions:
Photo 1: Sushma Dhami (St Clare’s Head of Patient & Family support services), Julia Attwood (Saffron Walden Savlation Army) and Tracey Hall (St Clare’s Head of Community Engagement)
Photo 2: St Clare Wellbeing Hub – Saffron Walden takes place every Thursday in the Salvation Army Hall
St Clare Hospice is a charity providing specialist palliative care for people living with terminal or life-limiting illnesses across West Essex and East Herts border.
We care for patients and their families, providing physical, emotional, social, psychological and spiritual support, and ensuring they have timely access to skilled, compassionate and sensitive care in a place of their choice.
Our services are free of charge to those who need our care, but cost around £5 million a year to run. With limited NHS funding we need to fundraise the majority of this each year through donations and other voluntary sources.
stclarehospice.org.uk /stclarehospice @hospicestclare @stclarehospice
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