St Luke's Hospice Plymouth

11/12/2025

Our teams will be there for you, through rain, wind and snow.

You may not be able to count on the weather, but you can count on us.

This winter our Urgent Care service will be out on the roads responding to people at home, ensuring that they receive the specialist treatment and support they need to avoid any unnecessary admissions.

Our care teams not only bring their expert end of life support to people’s doorsteps across Plymouth, but they also go the extra mile to the remotest rural areas to bring their knowledge and support exactly where a lot of people want it – in their own homes.

Learn more about our urgent care service here: https://bit.ly/2I8SQYF

11/12/2025

Start your engines for a festive Tractor Run in aid of St Luke’s! 🚜

Every December, the heart of Saltash lights up with more than just festive cheer - it glows with generosity, community spirit, and the dazzling sparkle of Christmas-clad tractors. This year’s annual Tractor Run, takes place on Sunday, 14 December.

They will be raising money for St Luke’s, Little Harbour (Children's Hospice South West), and South West Blood Bikes - Serving Devon.

All times are approximate:
18:45 - Leave Tamar View Garden Centre (not open to the public)
18:50 - Up to Hatt Roundabout and proceed back towards Saltash
19:00 - Carkeel to Burraton Traffic Lights
19:20 - Saltash Fore Street (via North Road)
19:25 - Onto Callington Road
19:30 - Church Road
19:40 - Long Park Road → Beatrice Avenue
19:45 - Spencer Gardens → Lynher Drive
19:55 - earde Road → Tower View → St Stephens Road
20:05 - Fairway and Tincombe
20:10 - Maybrook Drive
20:15 - Oaklands Drive → Yellow Tor Road
20:20 - Yellow Tor Road → towards Liskeard Road
20:30 - Pass The Ploughboy → Burraton Traffic Lights → Return to Garden Centre

Find out more and donate:
https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/11740/saltash-christmas-tractor-run-2025-14th-december/

Saltash Christmas Charity Tractor Run 2025

10/12/2025

Walk together. Talk together. Make a difference.

St Luke’s Men’s Day Out returns for 2026 - and it’s more than just a walk.

On Saturday 14 March, hundreds of men will take on a 12km route through Plymouth, starting and finishing at Plymouth Albion Rugby Club. After the walk, enjoy a well-earned pasty, a refreshing drink, and cheer on Albion in a match to remember.

Men’s Day Out is about connection, remembrance, and support. It’s a chance to honour loved ones, raise vital funds for hospice care, and remind ourselves that no man should face grief alone. Last year, 2,500 men smashed records - and this year, we want to go even bigger. If every walker raises £100, together we could fund care at home for 300 local people.

Registration is £35, covering your T-shirt, refreshments, rugby ticket, and event costs. But it’s your fundraising that makes the real impact.

Sponsored by JEM Scaffolding Ltd, Men’s Day Out is more than banter and beers - it’s about walking for a cause that matters.

Because when life hits hard, talking helps and walking heals.

Places go fast - sign up today and make a difference that lasts: www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/mensdayout

09/12/2025

Have you visited our new furniture store at Charles Cross yet...also known as the largest charity shop in Plymouth?

This spacious new shop is packed with quality second-hand furniture as well as pre-loved clothing, books and bric-a-brac - perfect for your Christmas shopping!

✅ 15 minutes FREE parking right outside for easy drop-offs and collections.
✅ Open 7 days a week: Mon- Sat: 9am - 4.30pm | Sun: 10am - 4pm

We can't wait to welcome you in.

Thank you to Gary Evans for the footage.

08/12/2025

The festive season – and Christmas itself – can feel challenging when you are going through bereavement.

This week is National Grief Awareness Week (2-8 December) an opportunity to highlight the support available and normalise conversations around grief. Please know you are not alone and that there are many in your community who understand how you may be feeling because they too are missing someone special who has died.

Clare Bouvier is part of our Urgent Care team. In her work, Clare draws alongside patients nearing the end of their lives and their families preparing to say the hardest goodbye of all. With a listening ear and a hand to hold, she is also there to support individuals and families after their loved one has died.

Claire has shared some coping strategies for getting through the season:

✨ Talk to friends and family about how you feel
✨ Include your loved one in some way - light a candle, raise a toast, listen to their favourite music
✨ Give people permission to talk about the person
✨ Enjoy the company of others without guilt or spend time alone
✨ It’s alright to change your plans if you need to - grief comes in waves
✨ Be kind to yourself - self-compassion is important

Claire adds: “Of course, everyone is different so some of these strategies and tips may work for you, while others may not. Above all, remember that it is both healthy and normal to grieve, cherishing our memories of those we have lost.”

We invite you to join us to remember, and celebrate, the lives of loved ones at our annual Light Up a Life services taking place at 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30 pm on Tuesday 16 December at The Minster Church of St Andrew, Plymouth.

"Our Light Up a Life services give people the opportunity to pause and reflect during the busy Christmas period,” says Claire, “with a dedicated time and space to remember their loved ones while feeling a sense of connection with others who are also bereaved."

Click here to read the full post on our blog: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/blog-coping-at-christmas/

07/12/2025

Darite Primary Academy near Liskeard brought the festive cheer to the moors with their amazing Rudolph Run!

From Reception to Year 6, every child loved decorating their antlers, getting active in the fresh air, and raising money for a cause close to their hearts.

Supporting St Luke’s means so much to this small but mighty school community, where families know first-hand the compassionate care we provide for loved ones at the end of life. Their energy and enthusiasm remind us why these events matter - not just for fun and fitness, but for making a real difference.

It’s not too late for your school to join the Rudolph Run! Sign up today and help us spread festive joy while supporting vital hospice care.

We can’t wait to visit these schools in the coming weeks:
Holy Cross Primary
Boringdon Primary
Horrabridge Primary
Pilgrim Primary
Morley Meadow Primary

Find out more and get involved: https://bit.ly/3MIWKde

Kindly sponsored by Delt Shared Services Ltd

Read more on our blog: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/blog-running-for-care-darites-festive-dash/

06/12/2025

Take part in St Luke’s Christmas Raffle - not just for the chance to win £2,000 cash, but to help us continue giving the gift of personalised, compassionate care to those who need it most.

Christmas can be a deeply emotional time for families facing the death of a loved one. But with your support, we can help make it a little gentler. A little more peaceful. A time for creating precious memories in the place that means the most.

By buying a raffle ticket for just £2, you’re helping ensure that no one faces the toughest time of all without the warmth, kindness and sensitivity they deserve. Your generosity brings comfort not only to our patients, but to their families too.

Prizes:
1st Prize - £2,000 cash
2nd Prize - £100 hamper
3rd Prize - £50 cash

Register for your tickets online or buy some in any of our shops: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/raffle/

Enter our Christmas Raffle to win £2,000, all to raise money for a great cause, helping deliver end of life care in the Plymouth community.

06/12/2025

Make this Christmas a pre-loved one and choose to shop with St Luke’s.

Whether you are looking for fillers for an advent calendar or stocking, or a toy they have put on their list, make sure to come and pay a visit to one of our shops this Christmas as you never know what you may find.

We have a vast selection of good quality toys, books, homeware and bric-a-brac on offer, so make sure to put St Luke’s on your shopping list this festive season.

Buying from a St Luke’s shop is one of the easiest ways to show your support to our compassionate care.

Find your local store here: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/shops/

05/12/2025

Today is International Volunteer Day, celebrating volunteers around the world and recognising the priceless impact they have.

There’s no doubt St Luke’s depends on the kindness and generosity of our hundreds of amazing volunteers. The time they give means our compassionate care can be there for patients and families when they need it most.

Volunteering at our Saltash charity shop plays a big part in the lives of Dan and Luke who are not only proud to help others but enjoy being valued members of the St Luke’s team and the opportunities it gives them to develop their skills.

“I like helping the boss [manager Hayley] – it gets me out of the house, keeps me busy and makes me feel useful,” says Luke, who volunteers four days a week and enjoys chatting to all the regular customers.

Dan has been volunteering for 15 years: “I get to see people every day, I steam and hang clothes, use the till, sort out Christmas cards and my favourite thing is making everyone cups of tea and coffee.”

So today we salute Luke, Dan and all the brilliant team of people who choose to give their time to St Luke’s and say a massive thank you to volunteers across the globe for making the world a better place.

Want to join our team? Click here to find out more: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/volunteering/

05/12/2025

Today is International Volunteer Day, the chance to shine a light on our amazing volunteers and the important work they do.

Here at St Luke’s, we have 489 retail volunteers. From working on our shop floors, to helping in our e-commerce and retail distribution and management teams, in the lead up to Christmas they have been working extra hard keeping our retail arm of our charity running.

32-year-old Nicola Chislett from Budeaux, is one of our volunteers working in our new Charles Cross store which opened last week.

Having spent the last three years volunteering at our Western Approach store, she has been excited to help open up the new store.

“I love the new furniture store at Charles Cross, it’s such a lovely environment to work in, everyone has been really positive and friendly. It’s been so enjoyable working alongside the staff and other volunteers and of course meeting all the customers.

Living with rheumatoid arthritis since being diagnosed at just 18 months old, and also managing autism, Nicola has faced lifelong challenges and undergone numerous operations. Despite this, she’s found a supportive environment at St Luke’s.

“St Luke’s have been really supportive of my disabilities and make adjustments to enable me to do my role. I feel I can support customers who are also in wheelchairs and have disabilities, and it’s something we can talk about and share our experiences,” she explains.

“I feel very proud to volunteer for St Luke’s, I know what I am doing makes such a difference to those families going through the toughest of times. I feel a real part of the St Luke’s family, I even went to the staff and volunteer Christmas party last weekend.”

Thank you to Nicola and all our wonderful volunteers making a difference across St Luke’s. ⭐

If you are interested in joining them, we would love to hear from you: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/volunteering/

04/12/2025

A sprinkling of Christmas cheer has brightened up our specialist unit this week.

A group of kind-hearted volunteers from HM Land Registry Plymouth Office volunteered their time to decorate the Christmas trees that have generously been donated to St Luke’s by Endsleigh Garden Centre, part of The Blue Diamond Group Ivybridge.

The team spent the day adding touches of tinsel and baubles to the entrance, reception and on the wards, bringing some festive joy to not only the people staying with us, but their families, visitors and all our staff and volunteers.

Andy Kerslake, Capability Manager at Land Registry - who are based at Derriford - explained how they ended up helping: “All government departments are able to do volunteering as part of being a civil servant. You get days to go out and help in the community and do things.

“We got a call a couple of weeks ago just to say, ‘Can you help?’ So a few of us rallied to the call and came out. It’s a great way of getting out into the community, helping the local community.”

For Andy, it was his first time in a hospice, however it was not at all what he had expected.

“It’s my first time at a hospice…I've done a lot of things for St Luke's before and Children's Hospice Southwest as well, but not actually visited one of the sites. So, it's good to come here. It's a lovely place. It's really welcoming and it's got a nice feel about it.

“I know definitely one, if not more of my former colleagues have had end of life care with yourselves in the past. So it's nice to be able to give something back to come and help a little bit.”

For many of the families we support, Christmas can feel like a particularly difficult time, so the team were glad they could play their part in bringing a bit of Christmas cheer to the building.

“Hopefully it might just bring a bit of joy, some lightness to what can be a dark time,” Andy adds. “It's been really nice to see the effect we've had already. Even a little bit of decoration makes a big difference to the feel of the place and hopefully, families and people who are here receiving care will enjoy it.”

Read more on our blog: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/blog-decking-the-halls-at-turnchapel

04/12/2025

This December, we’re opening our doors at Turnchapel to host a gentle, meaningful Christmas event for families currently or recently supported by St Luke’s.

It’s a chance to share comforting moments in a space filled with care and understanding.

If you and your family are currently, or have recently been supported by St Luke’s, either at home or at our specialist unit, we invite you to join us on Friday 12 December from 5pm to 9pm at our Turnchapel base.

The evening will include Santa’s grotto and a visit from the man himself, along with craft activities for children, letters to Santa and a Post box, reindeer hot chocolate and reindeer food gifts, refreshments, a raffle and a performance by the Burraton Boys (Male Voice Choir)

Please RSVP by Wednesday 10 December at the latest to: christmas2025@stlukes-hospice.org.uk

If your child would like to visit Santa and receive a present, please include their name and age. 🎅