THERE were smiles all round at Marie Curie when a generous cheque was handed over.
The National Garden Scheme handed over £47,575 to fund a leadersip project for nurses and allied health professionals around the UK.
The money was raised from volunteers across the country opening their gardens to visitors to raise funds for the end of life charity.
The National Garden Scheme Nightingale Programme has started for a second consecutive year, with 16 Marie Curie Nurses and Allied Health Professionals signed up.
This year Jane Murray, bereavement services manager and Lisa Shyamalan, team therapy lead at the Solihull Hospice will be taking part.
Inspired by The Nursing Now Challenge the programme is unique at Marie Curie as it supports the next generation of healthcare leaders in palliative and end of life care.
Each delegate is assigned a mentor and learning is undertaken via workshops, action learning sets and regular shadowing opportunities.
At the graduation in February 2023, each delegate will also share outcomes from their service development or workforce project.
Jane said: “I started in the hospice 32 years ago as a fairly newly qualified nurse whose only experience had been in acute settings. Being a nurse really made me notice the impact not only on the patient at the end of their life but the emotional impact on their family members too.
“I trained to be a counsellor whilst continuing my nursing role and gradually stepped into the Family Support Team, which I now manage.
“The palliative care journey doesn’t stop when the patient dies- we carry on caring for the patient’s family members of all ages, in their grief.”
Lisa added: “I have worked for Marie Curie for three and a half years and the philosophy of palliative care fits beautifully with the holistic approach of occupational therapy as a profession.
“I joined Marie Curie for the opportunity to help patients to live until they die, and I love being able to offer the full range of my expertise for the benefit of each patient.”
Both Jane and Lisa agree that the Nightingale Challenge is as an opportunity to learn from experts but also to engage with others across Marie Curie to create a valuable network, to build on knowledge and skills and ensure people in the West Midlands at the end of their lives experience the best care.
Marie Curie has been a beneficiary of the National Garden Scheme for 26 years, receiving over £10million in funding, including a £525,000 donation this year alone.
