Ty Olwen

In June this year, Nicola, Mark, Rhian, Laura, Josh, Rich H, Dan, Rich, Kelly and Ian undertook the ‘Welsh Three Peaks Challenge’ (Climbing 10,000 feet, walking 20 miles and driving 180 miles all in one day) to raise money for Ty Olwen in memory of Elaine Hinder. Family and friends have come together to raise awareness and money for a charity close to their hearts. They have raised (with Gift Aid) £2495. Why? The family take up the story.

“Ty Olwen is especially close to our hearts as we spent some time there in the summer of 2015 when Elaine (my Mum) was ill. The care and support Elaine received whilst she was there was immeasurable. Elaine was made comfortable and felt safe and it was a relief to know she was secure with every need attended to. Even though the cancer was too much in the end we know she had the best possible care in the last weeks of her life. For this we will be ever grateful. Such work doesn’t come cheap! Ty Olwen will always have our gratitude and support and we will give as much support as we can.”

16 year old Olchfa School pupil Jack Triggs recently ‘braved the shave’ to raise money for Ty Olwen in memory of his ‘lovely Nan’ who was under our care last year. Thank you to Eric Owen, Manager of the Hen Dderwen in Sketty Park for hosting the event. Helen Murray met with Jack, Eric and Jack’s mother Maxine to say thank you and receive an incredible £1000 in her memory.

Thank you to St  James Church in the Uplands for their continued support and holding a further Coffee Morning for Ty Olwen this year. They raised an enormous £1026-64.

Swimming 750 metres, riding a bike for 32 kilometres and then running for 5 kilometres seems extreme for the average person but for 19 year old Cory Norman he took it in his stride and completed the Mumbles Triathlon in June this year.

Not only taking on that challenge he decided to raise money for a cause close to his heart – Ty Olwen. Cory said on his Just Giving page –

“Ty Olwen provided amazing care to my Granddad and Uncle in their time of need coming to the end of their battle against cancer and it’s my mission to try and give something back. Any donations even of the smallest amount would help me achieve my goal and I would be very grateful.”

Ty Olwen Chair Helen Murray recently visited Cory at the family home in Kingsbridge to collect the remaining sponsorship money and was able to admire the medal he received for completing the event. Cory raised nearly £1000 in sponsorship for Ty Olwen and at a time when young people are often receive bad press and with Cory just starting a new job, Helen reflected “It was refreshing to meet such a nice young man with a sense of purpose in his life.” Everyone associated with Ty Olwen wishes to thank Cory for his efforts.

A wonderful evening of ‘Flowers at the Opera’ at Langland Bay Golf Club took place on Midsummer Evening. The talented Jonathan Lloyd Davies provided the Flower Arranging and the beautiful Adele O’Neil, accompanied by Geraint Williams, the Opera. The evening was organised by St. Teilo’s Church, Bishopston to raise money for church funds and Ty Olwen and was attended by over 100 people. Thank you.

 Congratulations to our Chairman Mrs Helen Murray on being awarded an MBE in the 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to Ty Olwen and Palliative Care in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot.

A special day for Swimming Instructor Shirley Briskham who has returned to Ty Olwen almost a year since her mother died. She was joined by some of her over 60’s swimming group who had arranged a ‘Swimathon’ in her mother’s memory and were able today to present a total of £1600 to Ty Olwen. Unit Receptionist Delyth Gough received the cheque on behalf of the staff.  I am grateful to Beth Carlisle for taking the photographs and for her contribution to the event. She said “I managed over £650 which was nearly as exciting as swimming 32 half lengths as I don’t do deep end yet.” Thank you to each and every one of you for your amazing effort.

An enormous THANK YOU to Blue Watch at Morriston Fire Station who came to the rescue today at short notice. A malfunction with the filter in the pond in the Ty Olwen garden caused water to runaway over the weekend and the level to drop by about 18″. Blue watch quickly arrived to save the situation and all at Ty Olwen were grateful that they didn’t have to spend the day carrying buckets!

Members of AMBU’s palliative care and chaplaincy staff have teamed up to mark Dying Matters Awareness Week which runs until Sunday.

They manned special information stalls at Morriston and Princess of Wales hospitals to promote the week and its theme this year, The Big Conversation – the importance of encouraging people to talk about bereavement.

Death touches us all at some point and Dying Matters is a coalition set up to promote public awareness of dying, death and bereavement. Thinking and talking about what you would want to happen at the end of your life makes the chances of it happening much higher and helps those you love and are left behind know they honoured your wishes.

Specialist palliative care consultant Beth Birch, who is helping to organise ABMU’s events, said: “Talking about death is really the last taboo. People worry that somehow by talking about it you’ll make it happen or that it is in some way disrespectful to someone’s life.

“We would like to encourage people, if they can, to feel able to have that conversation – to know that often it is something that people do want to be able to talk about openly. Once it’s in the open then often you can start to talk about what and who is really important to you and concentrate on living every moment.”

Knowing – whether you are a health care professional or a friend, carer or family member – that it is OK to talk about dying and how you might be part of that conversation is hugely important, added Beth.

“It is part of a much bigger picture about caring for those at the end of their lives and how we as a society try to take steps to make sure everyone has a ‘good death’ because we all deserve that.”

Dr Elizabeth Birch, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, together with Jason Tugwell, Hospital Chaplain, manned the stall in the main foyer at Morriston Hospital on Tuesday 10^th May 2016, offering guidance and advice to staff, patients and the public.

Dr Elizabeth Birch explained “The photos are of the ‘bucket board’ we had, and the aim was to try and get people to start talking about what is important to them in their life and what they want to accomplish before they die with friends to help start the conversation about end of life.” One of the many visitors welcomed was former Welsh International Rugby Player Ian Gough.

Ty Olwen Trustees were delighted to be associated with the events and also wish to thank

LBS Builders Merchants who gave the materials for free for making the ‘bucket board’.