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Jessie May Children’s Hospice at Home announces Bristol City Women’s Football Club as Their First Team Ambassador

March 9, 2024March 9, 2024AdmireAdmin

Jessie May Children’s Hospice at Home proudly announces a partnership with the Bristol City Women’s Football Club. This collaboration marks a significant step forward, celebrating some amazing women and advancing the Jessie May mission of providing support to children and families in need.

As part of this exciting partnership, the Bristol City Women join as the first team ambassador for Jessie May, A group of highly talented and motivated women dedicated to making a difference in their communities. This partnership is sure to blossom, with a presence at Ashton Gate Stadium, engaging in social media appearances, and participating in fundraising challenges to support Jessie May’s work.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Bristol City Women’s Football Club as our first team ambassador,” said Daniel Cheesman, CEO at Jessie May Children’s Hospice at Home. “Their commitment to excellence both on and off the field resonates with our mission to provide exceptional care and support to children with life-limiting conditions and their families. We believe this partnership will create endless possibilities for raising awareness and vital funds to support our charity, and we are honoured that they have accepted our invitation to join us.”

The partnership between Jessie May and Bristol City represents a great step forward, highlighting the importance of community engagement in driving positive change.

“We’re delighted to be ambassadors for Jessie May,” said City wing-back Jamie-lee Napier. “When the team and I first went to visit the charity not many of us knew much about it but we were immediately inspired and wanted to know more when we met the amazing nurses, staff, and everyone involved. Hearing about what Jessie May is all about and the work they do behind the scenes with the families is truly incredible. We especially loved it when some of the families came to our game at Ashton Gate. It was amazing to meet them and hear their stories and just talk and get to know one another.”

Jessie May Welcomes Philippa Brownjohn as Honorary President

March 8, 2024March 8, 2024AdmireAdmin

“To be invited back feels like coming home. Jessie May is where I belong” Philippa Brownjohn

Jessie May Children’s Hospice at Home was first established by Chris and Philippa Purrington following the death of their baby daughter, Jessica May Purrington. This spring, on the 12^th of May, Jessica would have turned 30 and to add to this poignant landmark Jessie May welcomes Philippa back to the charity, as their Honorary President.

©Barbara Evripidou/FirstAvenuePhotography.com

The Jessie May Trust was set up by Chris and Philippa after they realised the at-home care they received during Jessica’s end-of-life diagnosis was not available in the Bristol area. Jessica was able to be cared for at home throughout her illness until she died in her father’s arms, with dignity, surrounded by love.

Philippa and Chris were determined to make this sort of care accessible, with the launch of Jessie May in 1996 allowing for children with life-limiting conditions to be supported by a trained nurse in their own homes and be given the chance to die at home when the time comes.

It was so important to Philippa that Jessica experienced as much as she could in her short lifetime; she wanted a sense of normality for her daughter. When taking her to the hospital in Bristol, Philippa was taken aback to see a baby boy alone crying who had nobody with him. She later found out that he had a life-limiting condition and that his family was unable to be with him. This deeply affected Philippa, as she recognised that he needed to be with his family and not isolated in a hospital room.

And so, the Jessie May Trust was born.

Jessie May CEO Daniel Cheesman is delighted by the news,

“We are incredibly proud to announce Philippa as Honorary President for Jessie May. It feels like a full-circle moment but also incredibly poignant as 2024 marks what would have been Jessica’s 30th birthday. Philippa’s vision has helped create the charity that we are today and means that we can support the hundreds of Jessie May children, young people and their families that we do today.”

In Jail for Jessie May

February 7, 2024February 7, 2024AdmireAdmin

On Wednesday 7^th February six brave Jessie May Children’s Hospice at Home supporters will go to jail for the charity. The idea behind this fundraiser is that in order to leave jail, bail will need to be reached via fundraising.

Participating in the event are local businesspeople Tom Selman of Panoramic, Gemma Przytocka of Pear Tree plus five world snooker stars. Tom is both a trustee and long-time supporter of the work Jessie May do, and Gemma’s company Pear Tree are regular fundraisers. From the world of snooker players Jamie Jones and Stuart Bingham are joined by commentator Rob Walker and Matchroom Sports President Barry Hearn.

Jessie May Childrens Hospice at Home work in the southwest of the UK providing specialist palliative nursing care at home for children with life-limiting conditions. Jessie May nurses give expert care throughout a child’s life, extending their support to provide bereavement care for families following the death of a child.

“We are delighted that we have six brave volunteers willing to be jailed for this fun event that will raise vital funds. We rely on the generous support of our supporters to enable us to care for more young people and their families” Kim James-Coggins, Partnerships Executive at Jessie May

You can support Jessie May and find out more here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/jessiemayjailandbail2024

Snooker Stars Arrested!

February 7, 2024February 7, 2024AdmireAdmin

…..in the name of charity.

This morning saw the arrest of four of the UK’s known faces of world snooker. Snooker players Jamie Jones and Stuart Bingham are joined in jail by commentator Rob Walker and Matchroom Sports President Barry Hearn.

Fear not, it’s all in the name of charity. The chosen charity is Jessie May Children’s Hospice at Home and the idea behind this fundraiser is that to leave jail, bail will need to be reached via fundraising. Bail is set by a volunteer judge and must be reached to ensure release.

Jessie May Childrens Hospice at Home, work in the southwest of the UK. The charity provides specialist palliative nursing care at home for children with life-limiting conditions. Jessie May nurses provide palliative care throughout a child’s life, extending their support to provide bereavement care for families following the death of a child.

“Hopefully we’ll get dozens of donations to get us out as I’d rather not stay in a cell for too long! Jessie May is a fantastic charity and the important thing it to raise much-needed funds for them. With Stuart, Rob and Jamie in the same room I’m planning to have some fun as well! Please give generously.” Barry Hearn OBE

You can support Jessie May and find out more here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/jessiemayjailandbail2024

HR Dept Celebrates ‘HR Dept in the Community’

October 9, 2023October 9, 2023AdmireAdmin

Throughout September, The HR Dept took part in ‘The HR Dept in the Community’ campaign to raise money for a local charity close to their hearts. Nationally, HR Dept franchises chose local charities to support.

HR Dept Central Office partnered with The HR Dept Bristol and The Health & Safety Dept Bristol to fundraise for Jessie May Trust, a charity based in the South West that cares for children with life-limiting conditions in their own homes.

They created an itinerary that included fundraising activities throughout the month, including an indoor cycling challenge that covered 688 miles, a team walk up Pen Y Fan, cake sales and a charity quiz night and raffle.

The team raised a brilliant £1500 for Jessie May, which will go towards supporting their palliative care nursing teams.

Felicity Kenny is the Managing Director of HR Dept,

“As a national franchise network, we wanted to find a way to support charities close to our hearts. It was great to see so many of our HR Dept business owners get involved in their local area, for what we hope will be the first year of many HR Dept in the community months.”

Celebrating Jessie May (Barbara Evripidou)

Jessie May starts an external evaluation of children’s hospice care at home

October 1, 2023October 1, 2023AdmireAdmin

Jessie May has commissioned an external evaluation company to undertake an outcomes and economic evaluation of the impact of Jessie May in providing children’s hospice care in the home. The charity is aiming to grow its services in the coming years and as such It is important to measure the impact of their work to ensure that they continue to support Jessie May children and families.

Specialist research and evaluation company Apteligen has been chosen for this project.

Apteligen works with the public sector and charities, helping them to research and design new ways of working, measure outcomes, and tell compelling and robust impact stories.

John Newman is the Director at Apteligen,

“Apteligen is delighted to be working with Jessie May to undertake an independent outcome and economic evaluation of their Children’s Hospice Care at Home service. As a specialist research and evaluation company, working with public sector and charitable organisations across sectors, we are very much looking forward to working closely with the families that Jessie May supports, the team delivering the service, and others working to provide palliative and end of life care across the wider health and care system so that we can build new insights and learning about Jessie May’s impact. We hope that this will help Jessie May to deliver the best possible support to many more families in the future.”

CEO of Jessie May, Daniel Cheesman is looking forward to working with Apteligen,

“It was clear to us that from the bid they submitted to carry out this evaluation, they have an understanding of the importance that Jessie May has to the children and families that we support and are sensitive to the work that we do. We are keen to learn more about the impact that we have as a charity and how we might offer more to those we support.”

Apteligen will work with Jessie May for six months, starting in September 2023, with a final report due in spring 2024.

Admire PR unveils a new look to take them into the next stage of their business growth.

August 8, 2023August 8, 2023AdmireAdmin

Admire PR is pleased to unveil a new look that will take them through the next years of business.

The agency, well known for their work with sport, B2B and charity, has been on a steady growth trajectory for two years and wanted to future-proof the brand.

Founder of Admire PR, Andrea Bristol, chose to work with branding expert Danny Matthews for this project. Danny comments,

“Having watched Admire PR grow at the impressive hands of Andrea, I was excited to work with her and the Admire team. It’s clear that as they have grown, larger clients from all over the world could see the value in what she does, and together we aligned in wanting to see their identity match their values and maturity in their sector. I knew that by taking them through the Brand Confidence® process, it would give them what they needed to communicate who they were in the best possible way. They have a bold and bright future ahead.”

Andrea started Admire PR when she became disillusioned with the way some practitioners in the PR industry treated their clients and their staff. She felt that PR needed its own PR.

“We pride ourselves on being the ideal ‘backing singers’ for our clients, the stars. Producing effective work for our clients, as well as providing a safe and enjoyable place to work that enables new talent to discover working in PR. I’m proud of the team we have built over the past year and am looking forward to the next steps in our company’s growth. The new branding work by Danny will support our ambitions. I am looking forward to the future.”

How to do a great holiday handover

July 23, 2023July 23, 2023AdmireAdmin

By Sue Tumelty, https://www.hrdept.co.uk/

Waves washing over your feet, breathing in the cool mountain air, enjoying a cocktail on a warm continental evening…

Whilst annual leave is a well-deserved break, it can be difficult to deal with holiday handovers before any time off can begin. This is also applicable to team members who are also planning holidays; and those that are left behind and have to keep the show running.

A good holiday handover means you can benefit from your downtime without worrying about business. It will also take away much of the anxiety from the people you ask to step into your shoes.

Make it a great holiday handover, though, and it will empower your team – allowing them to develop new skills and experience, and possibly grow into future leaders.

The HR Dept has some top tips for your personal holiday handovers, enabling a smooth progression from the 9-5, to unwinding. These tips are also applicable to any employees who are also taking a break, as well as business leaders.

Plan early

Let key people know when you are away in good time so that responsibilities are not sprung on them. This also acts as a failsafe to ensure that holiday absences do not clash, leaving no-one at the helm. There needs to be an understanding of what will need to be done while you are away, in particular identifying any essential tasks or deadlines. Prioritise everything in order of importance and choose who to assign responsibilities to. Think about the workloads of everyone remaining in the business while there is an annual leave absence.

Think strategically about learning and development

You’ll want to choose an adequate person for the job but think also if there is the opportunity to help someone grow into a leadership role. A two-week spell with more responsibility could be the perfect dress rehearsal to see if a junior member of staff is ready for a promotion. They are placed a little out of their comfort zone and given a chance to shine. They will learn new skills and get a feel for what extra responsibility feels like. Even if it turns out they are not ready to permanently level up, they will be a step closer to it thanks to the experience.

Train where necessary

If your deputy will be taking on new tasks for which they are unfamiliar, provide them with some training so they can hit the ground running. Reinforce this with written notes which they can refer to when you are away. Shadowing you may work well for certain tasks, so they can see how you tackle them. This may be particularly apt where it involves meeting other people, say clients or suppliers, so that you get the opportunity to introduce them as well. Also, ensure they have access to the resources they need to perform your role – whether it is user-permissions within software, or physical access to tools and equipment.

The return handover

Don’t forget the debriefing when you return. Offer praise for a job well done, and mentoring and support in areas where they need development. Review how the business coped whilst you were away and consider what may need to be put in place in the future to make future spells of annual leave even more successful.

14 Runners raise more than £22,000 for Jessie May

May 1, 2023May 1, 2023AdmireAdmin

14 fantastic runners raised more than £22,000 for Jessie May tackling The London Marathon last weekend.

Jessie May is a charity that provides free specialist nursing, respite and bereavement care for terminally ill and life limited children and their families. They can give care in a family’s own home, where they feel most safe.

£22,000 will provide nearly 400 hours of specialist nursing care for the children Jessie May support.

Lloyd Kembrey, who ran the London Marathon in aid of Jessie May as part of his 12 challenges in a year, has raised more than £8000, and it’s only April! In addition to his running success, he has also done a triathlon and an ice marathon.

James Toft is proud to have completed the challenge.

“I knew the training would be a challenge, but didn’t realise how much it would take over my life… It’s been very demanding, but occasionally rewarding.… I managed to run [The London Marathon] and it was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life. It’s been an amazing experience, and I’d like to thank all my friends and family that have supported me along the way.”

Emily Dye from long-time Jessie May supporters Blackstar Communications got her place in The London Marathon in 2023 through the ballot.

“It was my fourth year of entering, and I nearly fell out of my chair when I found out I was in. I knew right away I wanted to run for a charity.

I know Jessie May through my employer, Blackstar Solutions. We have looked after Jessie May’s telephony needs since 2016. We like to be involved with the charities we look after, through fundraising and volunteering. Huge thanks to my colleagues at Blackstar for their support through sponsorship, sharing my fundraising story, and well wishes. This was especially motivating in the gritty miles, when all I wanted to do was stop.

Running the London Marathon for Jessie May was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s an emotional day to begin with, but even more so knowing every step you’re taking is helping families in your area. I was nearly in tears running down The Mall into the finish. If you haven’t entered the ballot for 2024 yet – do it!! It was a bucket-list experience, made all the better by being part of Team Jessie.”

Kim James Coggins, Community Engagement Fundraising Officer for Jessie May, was in London to support them:

“It was a chilly damp day, but as soon as I saw our runners charging past in their Jessie May tops with enormous smiles on their faces, I forgot the weather. I know each and every one of our runners have their own reasons for supporting our wonderful charity, and I admire them so much for what they have all achieved. It took them months of training and sacrifice for them to be ready for the London Marathon 2023. We were all in tears when they made it over the line. Thanks guys, we are so proud of you!”

“Our amazing runners are already thinking about their next sporty challenge in aid of Jessie May in 2024. That is such dedication, we can’t wait to see what they all do next year!”

Baltimore Consulting announce partnership with Bristol Hippodrome

March 6, 2023March 6, 2023AdmireAdmin

Baltimore Consulting, a leading niche recruitment provider to the public sector, has announced an exciting new partnership with one of Britain’s most renowned theatre companies – The Bristol Hippodrome.

Extending its membership with The Bristol Hippodrome, Baltimore Consulting will include an additional box to be used exclusively for children’s services and schools within Bristol. This will allow disadvantaged children and young people the chance to attend the theatre for the first time.

The recruitment provider has committed to sponsoring one of the theatre’s career insight sessions later this year. Each session will give young people an understanding of the various career opportunities available in theatre, such as sales, marketing, administration, programming, maintenance, sound, electrical, costume, automation, and carpentry.

By sponsoring a career session, Baltimore Consulting are supporting 30 young people and allowing them to explore 21st Century STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts & Mathematics) skills and roles in the theatre industry. The consultancy, which works with vulnerable young people and children with special educational needs, has also announced plans to work with local children’s charities in a bid to grant “final wishes” for terminally ill children who want to visit the theatre.

“After successfully launching in 2019, the career insight sessions are part of the theatre’s creative learning programme, which aims to deliver excellence in all educational and community engagement initiatives that it offers,” said Ben Phillips, Theatre Director at The Bristol Hippodrome.

“As part of the theatre’s continuing commitment to the community, the tailored career sessions are an effective way to help inspire a diverse audience and future workforce whilst helping more and more young people to access performing arts, whether they are interested in a career on or offstage.”

The partnership will bring together the best of both worlds, helping Baltimore Consulting provide children with opportunities to visit and learn about careers in the theatre and the chance for Bristol Hippodrome to nurture the next generation of the industry’s workforce.

“After 10 years of successfully supplying staff into vulnerable subject areas within the public sector, we’re absolutely delighted to announce our partnership with The Bristol Hippodrome,” said Charmaine Vincent, Owner and CEO at Baltimore Consulting. “We’re extremely passionate about making a difference to people’s lives within the community.

“Our additional pledge this year to supply a theatre box to disadvantaged children and young people, as well as sponsoring a career insight session, demonstrates our commitment to increasing our local community footprint whilst being fully aligned with our values, business intentions and responsibilities as a small and medium-sized enterprise in children services. Small acts of kindness make such a big difference.”