An initiative by our hospice team to help young people become better informed about end-of-life care and the work of the hospice is proving a huge success, with 17 new schools signing up in the last few months alone.
Launched in September last year, students from 34 local primary schools and nine high schools are now actively involved.
“The feedback from teachers and students has been phenomenal,” said the hospice’s Programme Lead, Sam Eastwood.
“Schools have welcomed the educational elements of the programme and how we inform young people about the work of our hospice in a responsible and age-appropriate way. “Some have reported that the programme has helped with the new Ofsted grading and SIAMS inspections (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools).”
The programme includes a tour of parts of the hospice, engaging talks from end-of-life care clinicians and an opportunity to meet with patients at the start of their palliative care journey in the hospice’s purpose-built Living Well outpatient unit.
Opportunities to experience other aspects of hospice life including volunteering and fundraising are also provided, together with a range of enterprise and team activities.
“The commitment and enthusiasm of our young supporters is nothing short of amazing,” said Sam. “They have already done and achieved so much. Students from all the schools have already succeeded in raising more than £50,000 from their various fundraising efforts! “That has directly paid for 217 hours, or nine full days of care for an inpatient. They and their teachers should be immensely proud of that contribution.”
More than 20 schools have received special awards to mark their individual fundraising milestones.
As Sam explained, the focus isn’t primarily on fundraising: “It’s about learning and understanding what hospice care is all about, boosting confidence, creating opportunities for teamworking and hands-on experience of enterprise.”
One teacher describes the positive impact of the programme on her students as ‘profound’. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the children to engage with their community,” she commented.
Mrs Julie Cox Deputy Headteacher at Mickle Trafford Primary School explained: “The children themselves have taken the lead in organising activities, speaking in assembly to promote the Hospice’s work, displaying relevant materials on our Hospice notice board, and inspiring others to initiate their own fundraising efforts. “The positive impact on the children has been profound. Their response during their first visit to the Hospice was truly heart-warming, demonstrating curiosity, empathy, and a proactive approach to helping. “Through this project, our ambassadors have developed a range of skills, including public speaking, collaboration and organisational skills.”
She continued: “I find it challenging to fully articulate the many benefits of being part of this programme. Our children have observed the positive impact of their efforts, gained an understanding of the role of hospice care in educating future generations, and learned about events such as sponsored walks, fayres, charity shops and marathons, which they may see in their community but not fully comprehend.
“I cannot express the joy a Year 5 child felt when they discovered their poster displayed on the streets of Chester during the 10K event this year. Additionally, the excitement of the ambassadors being invited to an afternoon tea celebration in a marquee at the hospice was truly special.”
She added: “We look forward to continuing our involvement in future years and hope others will consider joining this valuable initiative if they have not already done so. A little time for a massive impact.”
Students at the nine local secondary schools that are currently participating are also benefitting from the programme.
“Our involvement has been really worthwhile,” said Head of RS at Upton High, Karen Smale. “When I saw the email inviting us to participate, I recognized what the programme had to offer our learners including work skills, career skills and confidence-building skills. “We still haven’t got over how much it costs to run the hospice and how much the hospice team needs to raise, something we became aware of during our visit. I think about it all the time. The hospice is such an important part of our community and I felt it was a privilege for the learners to be involved.”
Karen continued: “The learners have been incredible and became quite competitive. The boys set up a triathlon with their own funding page and it really took off. They were fantastic. The girls ran snack and cake sales and they did raffles and sweets in the jar. They also organised a non-uniform day.”
“One of the things teachers always worry about is time but actually when you weigh up the pros and cons, it hasn’t taken me much time at all. “Also, the programme reflects all the school values of inclusion, diligence, ambition, community and resilience. It fits in beautifully. “We’ve been able to showcase characteristics that the children wouldn’t normally get to showcase in a normal day. After all, as educators, we have a bigger responsibility than just shaping academic progress and excellence. The whole person is important.
“Having that sense of purpose and belonging in your community, and knowing that you can have an impact, raises people’s appreciation of themselves.”
She added: “Showing our learners, some of whom may not have that academic rigour, that they have something amazing to offer to the community really helps them shine. And they do shine and that has a knock-on effect in the classroom because they build a confidence. They think: ‘well, I can do that, so maybe I can do this’.
“My advice to other schools is definitely go for it.”
To get involved in the Young Ambassador programme, contact Sam at samantha.eastwood@hospicegs.com