A day in the life of...

Chris Gatfield, Dove Cottage Day Hospice

By Mike Beckett (Village Link)

Situated in almost the centre of the Vale of Belvoir nestles Dove Cottage, a Day Hospice, run by Chris Gatfield, together with her wonderful staff of around 60 people, the majority of whom are volunteers. To those of you who know about this excellent charity, I think you will agree that this is a particularly special venture.

Chris was originally a volunteer for GIFTS in Grantham and realised the need for a Day Hospice somewhere locally. With the help of a local charitable trust, Chris and her colleagues were able to acquire some disused buildings at the current site at Dove Cottage, together with their first donation of £10,000. This happened in 1995, and in December 1996 Dove Cottage opened its doors to the first guests. By December 1998 the number of guests had risen to the point where they had to hold two separate Christmas parties! At that time, the lounge/dining room catered for eight people a day for two days a week. The 2004 extension to this area provided much-needed facilities, as did the Conservatory and, after another recent extension, up to 18 people per day can now make use of the services on offer.

The question of transport became very important. It was becoming more and more difficult to ferry the guests around, especially where wheelchairs were involved. Chris mentioned this need, and three local clubs joined together to raise £10,000 to purchase a minibus. The arrival of this vehicle was greeted with terrific enthusiasm by the guests, who were then ferried down to the local pub to celebrate their new acquisltionl The latest extension has provided additional space for the administration of the Hospice, with a new reception area, treatment and storage rooms.

I was invited to lunch and to spend time talking with the guests. I have only visited one Hospice previously - and this catered for children. I was impressed by the characteristics that they had in common - both filled with warmth, care and laughter; this mixture being created amongst staff and guests alike.

Two delightful guests told me some of the amazing activities that they had been involved with. One was planning to go up in a glider in the coming weeks, whilst the other told me that she had driven a race car around Silverstone circuit and had ridden a motorcycle to the south of France! Humour and laughter are frequent visitors to these premises, and you quickly gained the impression that it is simply one very happy, large, family. Nothing is too much trouble; everyone has a smile or a cheerful word to exchange.

The buildings themselves are warm and friendly and situated in a lovely spot close to the canal. The gardens have pathways and grass, with ample seating and trees to shade when the sun is too warm. The guests spend their time talking, reading, joining in various activities, or simply sitting and reflecting on life. Dove Cottage is perhaps best described by the guests themselves through comments given over the years such as: 'Without the help of people at Dove, I would not be the person I am today. I will always be grateful to everyone here. You mean so much to me.' Another commented: 'It has brought me out of my shell, and given me confidence. It is the best thing I'Ve done'. And a heartfelt' Please never close, you would be sorely missed'.

Chris and her team provide endless love and care for their guests. They all seemed to have so much time and energy to offer, and you cannot help but be caught up in this wonderful atmosphere and, even after 10 years, Chris admits that it still has a humbling effect upon her. When I asked her how does she keep up her faith and passion for Dove Cottage, she replied using a phrase that could be described as her mantra - ' failure is just not an option'. The cost of running Dove Cottage runs in the region of £50 per guest per day or around £150,000 per year. The Hospice has to find some 75% of this money and does this through holding such events as: a Fete Day, a Garden Party, an Auction, a Quiz Night, Chorale Singers and even a Knitted Easter Chick event) You can also help by making monthly contributions, or if this is not possible, but you would like to volunteer to help in other ways, then do please contact Chris at Dove Cottage Hospice.

My visit was over, and as I reflect on what I saw and heard I can only admire and applaud all those people who make Dove Cottage Day Hospice such a remarkable centre. If you haven't been, then do visit. Either log-on to their website: www.dovecottage.org or ring on 01949-860303 and check the times.

This article has been reproduced by kind permission of Mike Beckett (Village Link)