The first registration day for the Midnight Walk for The Hospice of St Francis was a great success. The stall drew much attention from all the students at The Hemel Hempstead School.
Our excellent House Captains were out and about all lunchtime recruiting students and generating interest. Thanks must go to them for the commitment they have shown to this event.
Prior to this promotional event, 16 House Captains visit The Hospice of St Francis - which proved to be a thought-provoking experience.
Tess Askins, a House Captain from Flaunden House, has written the following article on the visit and the impact it has made on her.
In all honesty I approached the trip to The Hospice of St Francis with some trepidation as many of the other Sixth-Form Students and I believed that it could be a sobering experience - however I am pleased to say that I was extremely surprised by the overall feel of the Hospice.
We were driven past a beautiful arrangement of flowers displaying the logo of the Hospice, and were greeted at the door by a lovely guide who gave us a tour.
The first thing that struck me was the atmosphere – there was a real sense of calm and the staff were very welcoming and approachable.
We were shown some of the rooms in which residents are given the best of care and it was amazing to be shown the various pieces of equipment that make the Hospice so successful when it does not charge a single penny to those who stay there.
We were then made aware of a beautiful Japanese style garden which is used by the residents to be a place of relaxation; the view of the garden was breath-taking and when we asked whether it was difficult to manage, we were informed that every Thursday, 30 or so volunteers come to tend to the garden completely free of charge. The number of volunteers working to keep the Hospice thriving is amazing.
We were then introduced to several members of staff whose prime objectives are to fundraise for the Hospice, and to ensure that it can continue to offer free support to those in need of it.
There was not a single face which looked as if it didn’t want to be there, and several of the sixth form students were discussing how homely The Hospice of St Francis felt.
We were surprised to discover that there was also a well-equipped therapy and massage room.
When led outside, we were treated to an area of the garden in which several residents were partaking in a physical activity, right in front of a picturesque view of the countryside.
The team at The Hospice of St Francis expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the energy and commitment that the school is dedicating to this worthy cause.
This visit has motivated us further in our campaign to raise money for this wonderful place through the School’s House Charity Challenge devoted to the Midnight Walk on the 25th of June.
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