hot! Hot! HOT!

One Short Walk Can Change A Life

What would you think if you were told that by walking just 20ft you could pay for nearly a whole day’s care from a Hospice Care Nurse? A Nurse who could care for up for five patients during that day, and provide emotional support for their families too. By taking on Phyllis Tuckwell’s Firewalk challenge, you could do just that.

The Firewalk will take place on Sunday 19^th September at Farnborough Business Park, and will raise money to help fund the vital care which Phyllis Tuckwell offers to local patients and families who are living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer. By taking part and raising the minimum £150 sponsorship money, you could fund the care of one of its In-Patient Unit Nurses for six hours.

Many of Phyllis Tuckwell’s patients are cared for at home, by a team which includes Doctors, Nurses, Therapists, Counsellors and Welfare Advisors, who support them and their families through the most difficult of times. Others stay on the Hospice’s In-Patient Unit, where they can receive 24 hour medical and nursing care. Wherever they are, the support they receive is so important, not only to the patients themselves, but to their families too. Knowing that their loved one is being given the best end of life care possible allows them to focus on spending precious time together, without having to worry about their loved ones’ care needs.

“From the moment he entered your care he was treated with love, dignity and compassion. You were always there for him,” said the relative of one patient, while another commented “We could not have asked for better care for her. We cannot praise you all highly enough.”

As well as supporting patients and their families, signing up for Firewalk offers you the chance to take on a new challenge, teaching you empowering life skills which will stay with you forever. It is run by Time4Change (T4C), a training and events organisation which draws upon motivational psychology, neuro-linguistic programming and the martial arts to tap into inner resources of fearlessness and self-belief. Before the walk, you will attend a training seminar run by T4C instructor Cliff Mann, who has safely guided thousands of people over hot coals and is recognised as the most experienced Firewalk instructor in the UK and Europe. You will then be taken outside to walk across a 15-20ft fire lane, which will be made up of red-hot pine, ash and oak embers.

“Hospice Care means a huge amount of support for patients to live their last days as best they can,” said Julie, one of Phyllis Tuckwell’s Nurses. “For their families, it’s somewhere they can come for support. Spending time with our patients at their bedside can be very special, when we’re just sitting holding their hand. It gives them great comfort. I don’t think you really have to say anything at times, you just need to be there.”

To find out more or to register, visit www.pth.org.uk/hot-foot-it-firewalk. Registration is £30 and Phyllis Tuckwell asks that you raise a minimum sponsorship of £150. Participants must be age 16 or over. The Firewalk can be done with full social distancing if required, and Phyllis Tuckwell will be adhering to the government’s guidance at the time.