BUCKINGHAM PALACE HERE WE COME!

We were so delighted when we were asked to suggest the name of someone to represent Dove Cottage at one of Her Majesty's Garden Parties. We couldn't think of anyone more deserving than Jim & Pam Reed who have both worked so tirelessly over the years, creating and maintaining our beautiful gardens. They enjoyed a wonderful afternoon at the palace.

'It was a fantastic day' said Jim. 'The weather was brilliant and we really enjoyed ourselves. We never dreamed that we would ever receive an invitation to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party and can't thank everyone enough for making it possible.'

CHRIS'S CORNER

We made it!

After just five months, Will and his team of builders finished converting our old barn in time for our Summer Fete on 20 May. What a difference it as made. It's great to have so much more room and we are all delighted with the end product. I can't thank people enough for raising the money for this huge undertaking, it really has been well worth it. Hopefully, we shall be having an official opening in the not too distant future but in the meantime, please do feel free to come and see for yourself if you haven't already done so.

If you would like to read an article about the cottage, written by Mike Beckett (Village Link), which includes some pictures of the new extension click here.

Despite the very wet summer we have just had, we have been really blessed with sunny weather at all of our events. The sun shone brightly for the summer fete, it was brilliantly attended and raised nearly £4,000 with another £1,000 raised through sponsorship, received on the day.

You may remember earlier in the year we were all busy knitting Easter Chicks. Amazingly this campaign raised £1,000. Well done everyone who either knitted or sold chicks for us.

For the first time this year we hosted our own Tea @ Three Garden Party. Once again the sun shone for us and we were privileged to be entertained by the Ratcliffe Chorale Singers who were just wonderful. We all enjoyed delicious cream teas and managed to raise £500. Many thanks to everyone who supported this event. Hopefully we will be able to do something similar again next year.

The last summer event of the year was our ever popular BBQ. It was a perfect summer's evening, in our delightful gardens, once again raising over £500.

It still humbles me how generous people are in supporting us in so many different ways. I know it can be hard work keeping the money coming in but when you understand the difference the work of Dove Cottage makes to so many people, it really is worth it. I recently read the following that one of our guests had written 'I have been attending Dove Cottage for some time now. I have enjoyed every minute of it and were it not for Dove and the excellent staff and volunteers, I would not have the confidence and self-belief that I have today. They have helped me through so much in my life and I have laughed and cried a lot but it is a place where you can really be yourself. You can let go of all of your concerns and fears, safe in the knowledge that there will always be someone there to give you help, support and comfort when you need it the most. It is also a place of fun and laughter where even the guests who know they do not have long to live, can come and be safe and above all very happy in their final days.'

That's the reason why we do it, why we have been doing it for the past 10 years and why we must always make sure that we have the resources to keep doing it for many more years to come. So once again, many thanks for your support - keep it up!

Chris Gatfield, Registered Manager

A Decade Of Trust Part 2 of a trustee's memoirs (continued from previous newletter)

It was a sunny afternoon in July when we met our first benefactor lan Jesson, Trustee of the Braithwaite Gospel Trust, outside a rather sorry looking grey outbuilding. I knew this building, it had housed the office of my former pastor alongside an assembly of paint pots, old filing cabinets and a host of dust covered objects that had been accumulating over the years. As we hauled ourselves up into the building, there being no steps to the side door, a blanket of dust rose into the air and danced in the sunlight streaming through the windows. It was one of those defining moments when you know your life is taking a different direction. As we wandered through the derelict building a secure confirmation settled into us and our spirits began to rise and dance like the dust in the sunlight. We left there with Mr Jesson's words stirring our hearts "You can have the building at a peppercorn rent and the Trust will do the renovation and put down a driveway". That was proof of God's word. He would provide for what he had called into being. We had a building on a 100 year lease for a mere peppercorn!

The dream of having our own building had become a reality and with that green light we knew it was time to organise ourselves into a charity and recruit the people who have truly been the backbone of Dove Cottage. First we needed to find some more Trustees who would run with the vision that Chris carried. Businessmen John Walker, Wayne Tomlinson and Alan Turner signed up with us to establish the charity we all know as Dove Cottage Day Hospice. I might mention that none of us had any experience of anything like this before but as we met together for the first trustees meeting in my front room, we formulated a business plan and devised a plan of action for going public.

What an amazing evening when sixty or more people responded to our little notice in the Melton Times and crowded into our local church building to view our presentation. An even bigger surprise came the next day when we were headline news in the Melton Times and the Grantham Journal. Around forty volunteers signed up on that memorable night and a number of them are still with us today serving tirelessly in the lounges, the kitchen, the garden, and driving our guests to and from the hospice. But what were we to do with them then when we had no physical hospice and still no money? We needed to keep their enthusiasm alive! How do you train and enthuse people with no resources? Answer, have a jumble sale and invest the money raised to bring in the professionals.

The sale went well and we all got a new wardrobe out of it, although we fell a few pence short of the hundred pounds but not bad really as it was only advertised locally. I had hoped God would make sure we hit our target, but never mind we could top it up out of our own pockets. As we cleared the hall later that afternoon a lady popped back and dropped some coins into the basket. We had the hundred pounds! That was a great lesson to us that God made sure we would not lack even a few pence to realise the vision of Dove Cottage and there were many more instances of his provision to come. A few weeks later the first volunteer training course was launched with the support of our first Macmillan contact nurse. What a lot of fun those early courses turned out to be, hoisting, manoeuvring and feeding each other. We were well into our journey now. We had got our charity registration number, we had a building under renovation and we had an enthusiastic band of volunteers training up. Only two things still missing...nurses! "What a striking young girl" I thought when Chris said "Ruth, this is Sharon and she is interested in a nursing job with us".

To be continued in the next newsletter

DIARY DATE Sunday, December 2nd 2.30pm

On Sunday 2 December @ 2.30 p.m. at St Mary's Church in Harby we shall be holding our annual Candle Service but with a difference. We are inviting people to Light up a Life in celebration or memory of a loved one. There will be a chance to display a 'light' on our Christmas tree in memory of our loved ones, whether or not they were associated with Dove Cottage.Click here for a printable form which gives further details.

DO YOU USE A COMPUTER ?

We have a really simple way of raising money which doesn't cost anyone any time or money with www.everyclick.com

If you use a computer at home, work or school, you can set your search engine to www.everyclick.com/uk/dovecottagedayhospice then every time you search for internet web sites you raise money for Dove Cottage.

It does not cost you a penny and will take less than five minutes of your time but will raise money for us every month from now on. All you have to do is go to www.everyclick.com/uk/dovecottagedayhospice and click on the 'make home page' link so that you can help us every time you search the web or shop and bank online. Please tell other members of your family, colleagues, friends etc. so that they might support us as well - the more people that register and use this site the more money we get. We would be happy to register you or help you with any questions or problems. Please e-mail denise@dovecottage.org or phone 01949 860303.

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD - TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT

www.everyclick.com

Have you ever asked yourself the following? What is the point of life? What happens when we die? Is forgiveness possible? What relevance does Jesus have for our lives today?

Then why not consider coming on an Alpha Course. Alpha is a great way to check out the Christian faith or renew a lapsed one. Telephone Chris Gatfield on 01949 860303 or e-mail chris@dovecottaqe.org for more information.