Volunteer news

As it is the month of love, we would like to celebrate our volunteers by wishing you all a Happy Voluntine’s Day. We love what you do and it is always a great honour to meet you and to see you so passionate about the truly amazing work you all do.  A big love heart thanks to all of you, no chocolates with this newsletter I’m afraid! 

With winter still on the doorstep, we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you that have ventured out and continued to provide an outstanding service in every part of what we do.

You may recognise Carol Hanna, a long-standing and passionate supporter of LOROS, someone whose tireless fundraising has raised tens of thousands of pounds for the hospice. Since 2019, Carol’s dedication has inspired a whole community to come together, all driven by gratitude for the compassionate care LOROS gave her family at the most difficult of times. 

Fast forward just over 5 years and Carol has hit an incredible £40,000 of fundraising! Carol’s goal was to reach this figure in line with LOROS’ 40th birthday and she succeeded! A huge thank you to Carol and all of her family and friends who have contributed to raising a fantastic amount of money for LOROS.  

Here is Carol’s story in her own words. 

“My name is Carol Hanna, and I’ve been raising money for LOROS Hospice since the summer of 2019, after they cared for my dear mum. 

Mum was diagnosed with her fourth cancer in March 2019 – oesophageal cancer, one of the most aggressive. She deteriorated rapidly, losing over three stone in just a few months. In May, doctors told us as a family that we needed extra support, and Mum was admitted to LOROS. 

From the moment we walked through the doors, everything changed. They took over with such compassion and care. Mum had her own room and bathroom, which was so important as she was registered blind and needed to learn her surroundings. Her room opened onto a beautiful garden, where on difficult days she could be wheeled outside in her bed, listening to the birds and breathing in the fresh air. 

Within just two hours of being there, after speaking with the doctors, Mum was eating a bowl of soup. She hadn’t eaten or drunk properly for weeks. It was incredible – and from that moment on, we never looked back. 

As a family, we were able to stay with Mum all day, from morning until night. My dad stayed constantly, and LOROS even provided his meals. When Mum was very poorly, they allowed him to stay overnight so he could comfort her. That meant more to him – and to all of us – than words can say. 

We knew Mum wasn’t there to be cured, but to help us understand, accept and approach the end of life with dignity and positivity. LOROS supported not just Mum, but our whole family – especially my dear dad, who lost the love of his life after 66 years of marriage. He was with her right until the end. 

Mum sadly passed away in July 2019, just 16 weeks after diagnosis. Watching someone you love suffer is heart breaking, but LOROS guided us, supported us and stood by us every step of the way. 

LOROS is truly run by angels without wings. They gave my mum an extra two precious months of life, and for that we will be forever grateful. The doctors, nurses, volunteers, cleaners, catering staff, chaplains, hairdressers, massage therapists – and especially Pete, Mum’s guardian angel volunteer who checked on her daily – were simply amazing. 

After Mum passed, my family wanted to give something back. My son-in-law Ryan completed a mud run, raising around £1,000. My daughter and Ryan did a cancer walk and raised another £1,000. We held a charity night at our local Indian restaurant and raised £1,200. 

Then 2020 arrived. I had two more events planned… and then COVID hit. Everything was cancelled. I was devastated and kept thinking, what can I do to help LOROS? 

One Sunday afternoon, I played around with some fabric and made a face mask. This was right at the start of the pandemic, before masks were even mandatory. I shared a photo with friends, asking if they’d buy one for £2 for LOROS. Everyone said yes – and the rest is history. 

My masks travelled to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Scotland, across Britain and all over Leicestershire. The donations kept growing into the thousands. I’m still sewing and fundraising today. 

I couldn’t have done any of this without my amazing team. My husband Patrick posted masks daily and helped by cutting elastic and threading them ready for sewing; my daughter Charlotte, a primary school teacher, managed orders, messages and emails before and after school and sewed at weekends; my 90-year-old dad, my rock, came every day to help turn, cut and prepare masks; and a wonderful group of friends supported me with cutting, elastics and order picking. That’s what I call teamwork.  

The support from customers was overwhelming. The generosity speaks volumes about how much LOROS means to people. I could sew for the rest of my life and never repay what they did for my mum. 

Along the way, I was interviewed by the BBC, nominated for a Pride of Britain Award, and reached the final four out of thousands. I didn’t win – but to me, I already had, because of the money raised and the awareness created. 

As life slowly returned to normal, I moved on from masks to crafts: peg bags, tote bags, lavender bags, Christmas items, felt flowers – and now knitting chocolate orange hats and sweet bags, which have been hugely popular at Christmas markets. 

It’s hard to believe that this all started with one yellow mask. Today, Carol’s Crafters for LOROS is a community of sewers and knitters of all ages – bringing people together, reducing loneliness, sharing skills, and raising vital funds for a hospice that any of us may one day need. 

I’ve also had the honour of being invited to LOROS for the Green Canopy tree planting for the Queen’s Jubilee and meeting the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire – a truly special moment. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has bought a mask, bag, chocolate orange hat or craft, donated money or materials, or supported me in any way. I’ve met wonderful people, heard heartbreaking and joyful stories, and made friends for life. 

My mum is with me every day, driving me forward. She would be so proud.”  

Carol’s Crafters are busy now creating lots of adorable Easter accessories – Easter chicks and rabbits!  

A huge thank you for your continued efforts! 

Calling all knitters- we need your help!

Is there anyone out there who can help knit or crochet Christmas Chocolate Orange covers to raise funds for LOROS? We would love to support Carol Hanna, who along with her trusty team every year, raises much needed funds by selling these cute covers via Pubs, Restaurants, Farm Shops, Garden Centres, Schools and Xmas Fairs.  

Patterns are available on line, but if required can be provided together with yarn. These are so much fun to knit and you can let your imagination run wild. If you are able to help, please email JuneStuart@loros.co.uk with your name and telephone number, and we will pass on your details to Carol. 

2025… what a year it’s been! It’s certainly been one of the most challenging years for Enterprises, but it has also been a year full of positivity, progress, and incredible teamwork. Through every change and challenge, our brilliant Enterprise staff and volunteers have continued to go above and beyond, helping to raise vital funds to support hospice care across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We are so grateful for the energy, commitment and community spirit shown throughout the year. 

Along the way, we faced some significant hurdles, including the fire at our Oadby shop, which meant the store was closed for nine months, and essential roof replacement works at Biggin Street, closing that shop for three months. We also made the difficult decision to close two shops that were no longer financially viable. Despite this, there have been plenty of highlights too.  

We are trading really well and we have increased our profit contribution! We have held some really successful end-of-line £1 sales at our Centre of Excellence, generating extra income from stock that would otherwise have gone to recycling merchants. Moments like this show just how creative and determined our teams are in making the most of every donation. 

We no longer offer a furniture collection service or have dedicated furniture shops. Uppingham Rd furniture shop has permanently closed, and Welford Road now offers a selection of small furniture items alongside a huge range of clothing, Bric, electricals and linens.  

 Thank you to everyone who has supported Enterprises this year – together, we’ve achieved so much and we’re looking forward to an exciting year ahead. 

Jamila Khalfan Head of Retail 

Graham is one of our Volunteer Patient Transport Drivers, he joined LOROS just almost 2 years ago and has a lovely story to share! 

Meet Neddy — a century-old rocking horse about to begin a brand-new adventure, all in support of LOROS.  

Neddy has been part of Samantha Cree’s life since childhood. Growing up in Mountsorrel, she and her sister spent hours rocking, singing and playing on him, describing him as “a source of complete enjoyment and escape.” Wanting to see him loved by a new generation, Samantha and her husband, Paddy Cree, recently took Neddy to a local repair group, hoping for a simple freshen-up. 

But once experts took a closer look, they realised Neddy was no ordinary toy. Dating back to around 1920–1930, he turned out to be a rare vintage rocking horse — a classic Sportiboy model made by the now-defunct British toy company Lines Bros. 

That’s when specialist rocking horse restorer Peter Rix, from Derbyshire, stepped in. Valuing Neddy at around £2,000, Peter generously offered to restore him free of charge, with proceeds from his eventual sale going to LOROS. Over the coming months, Neddy will be carefully brought back to his former glory, being repainted, having its saddle replaced and hair retacked. 

Paddy has been a LOROS volunteer since April 2024 as a volunteer driver. He said: "My father was looked after by LOROS when he became ill prior to Christmas 2023 and although his stay was short, it was a huge comfort to the family knowing that he was spending his final days getting the best care possible. Last year, a best friend of mine unfortunately became ill and was given the opportunity to stay with LOROS too. 

Neddy would have just collected dust, so if it brings some joy to somebody and helps with LOROS then that's great. They do such a great job around the county." 

Watch this space to see more on Neddy's journey! 

The LOROS Centre for Excellence exists to improve palliative and end of life care, not just within our hospice, but far beyond it. 

While LOROS does such an amazing job caring for patients and families today, the Centre for Excellence focuses on improving the care of tomorrow, helping to ensure that more people receive compassionate, empathic and equitable care at the end of life. 

The Centre for Excellence is a hub for research and education. We design and deliver high quality training for health and social care professionals, equipping staff with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to care well for people at the end of life.  

This includes nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, care home staff, and those working in community and primary care settings. By sharing LOROS expertise more widely, we help ensure that excellent palliative care is not limited to hospice walls. 

We also have a partnership with the University of Leicester Medical School. We complement their training by supporting medical students before they become resident doctors, helping them develop the skills and confidence to care for patients approaching the end of life. 

Our research focuses on three key themes that reflect some of the biggest challenges in palliative and end of life care today. 

First, we work to improve palliative and end of life care in the community, supporting primary care and community services so that people can be cared for closer to home. 

Second, we focus on tackling inequality and inequity, addressing the unfair differences in who can access good end of life care. 

Third, we seek to improve care for people living with frailty and multiple long-term conditions, where needs are often complex and easily overlooked. 

The Centre for Excellence also has an important role in championing and advocating for palliative and end of life care. We use learning from our education and research to influence policy, shape practice and give a strong voice to the importance of high-quality end of life care locally and nationally. 

This work is captured in our jigsaw logo, made up of four connected pieces. Education and research feed into influencing and, ultimately, lead to real improvements in practice. Each part depends on the others, reflecting how progress in end of life care relies on shared learning, evidence and collaboration. 

We are also pleased to be able to offer the Centre for Excellence as a space for meetings, training days and small events. It provides a calm, professional and welcoming environment, and any income generated helps support our education and research activity.  We actively encourage it for a base for community groups to hire too.   If you could help us spread the word that would be fantastic 

Importantly, the Centre for Excellence is funded through training and research partners. This means it does not draw on charitable funds, except for internal staff training. In this way, the Centre strengthens LOROS’s mission while protecting donations for direct patient care. 

Together, LOROS and the LOROS Centre for Excellence are on the same journey — caring for people today, while building better end of life care for the future. 

Volunteers’ Q&A Sessions  with Camilla Barrow CEO 

This is a chance for volunteers to learn more about LOROS and ask any questions directly with Camilla. 

Please confirm your attendance by emailing Rebeccastevens@loros.co.uk 

Recognition of patient and carer psychological needs courses

Please see below links to the posters for the 1 day course and the 6 day course coming up soon.

There are plenty of spaces to attend especially the 1 day course which is an excellent introduction to learning about how to hold people in their distress and be able to look after yourselves whilst caring for others.

• Wellbeing Hub Volunteers- come and join us on the last Tuesday of every month in our Day Hospice- supporting activities with our team of volunteers 

• School speakers- We are still on the look out for volunteers to help us with school assemblies talking about LOROS and our support (but aimed at young people). 

• Admin volunteers- we have varying tasks in the hospice and at different levels of skill. Please get in touch if you would like to help our back office teams! 

Greystoke Primary School- LE19 2GX

Date – 14th March 2026

Time – 9am – 3pm

To run a LOROS stall at a family fun day. The stall will be full of table top games and a tombola to attract the local community to get involved. This is a fundraising event and will need 2 volunteers. All items and equipment will be provided and will need to be collected from the Hospice the day before and then returned back to the Hospice. This is a fun and engaging way to connect with the community and raise funds for LOROS.

Melton Vale Sixth Form Careers Event- LE13 1DN

Date – 18th March 2026

Time – 11am – 1pm

To manage a LOROS stand where there will be lots of information about who we are and what opportunities we have including career vacancies and volunteering opportunities. This is a great opportunity to speak to the community about who we are.  All equipment will be provided and you will be required to collect the items and also return them back to the Hospice.

Braunstone Community Primary School Family Fun Day

Date – 18th April 2026

Time – 11am-3pm

To run a LOROS stall at a family fun day. The stall will be full of table top games and a tombola to attract the local community to get involved. This is a fundraising event and will need 2 volunteers. All items and equipment will be provided and will need to be collected from the Hospice the day before and then returned back to the Hospice. This is a fun and engaging way to connect with the community and raise funds for LOROS.

SB FEST - LE12 5RD

Date – 3rd May 2026

Time – 1pm – 5pm

SB FEST is held in Sutton Bonnington in the university grounds. It is ran by the students and is a fantastic, family festival, featuring all-day live music, great entertainment, farmers market, food stalls and plenty of fun for all ages. We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make this special event a success while supporting LOROS Hospice.

Sileby Redlands Community Primary School Family Fun Day

Date – 13th June 2026

Time – 11am-3pm

To run a LOROS stall at a family fun day. The stall will be full of table top games and a tombola to attract the local community to get involved. This is a fundraising event and will need 2 volunteers. All items and equipment will be provided and will need to be collected from the Hospice the day before and then returned back to the Hospice. This is a fun and engaging way to connect with the community and raise funds for LOROS.

Fullhurst Community College- LE3 1AH

Date – 20th June 2026

Time – 10am – 2pm

To run a LOROS stall at a family fun day. The stall will be full of table top games and a tombola to attract the local community to get involved. This is a fundraising event and will need 2 volunteers. All items and equipment will be provided and will need to be collected from the Hospice the day before and then returned back to the Hospice. This is a fun and engaging way to connect with the community and raise funds for LOROS. This will be an outdoors event.

Rawlins Academy- LE12 8DY

Date- 25th June 2025

Time - TBC

Year 10 Careers day. You will have the opportunity to speak with a range of students to help them prepare for an interview. You will take part in mock interviews and all information will be provided from the school closer to the date.

Natfest 2026

Date: 27th June 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Sileby

Natfest is a fantastic, family-run private festival held in Sileby, featuring all-day live music, great entertainment, and plenty of fun for all ages. We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make this special event a success while supporting LOROS Hospice.

What you’ll be doing

Volunteers will help with a variety of tasks throughout the day, including:

• Helping with event set-up and pack-down

• Selling LOROS merchandise and running funfair-style games

• Selling raffle tickets

• Talking to visitors about LOROS and the work we do

• Taking tickets on the door

• Helping direct and park visitors’ cars

You don’t need to have previous experience — just a friendly attitude and a willingness to get involved. Tasks will be allocated on the day, and there will be support throughout the event.

Farndon Fields Primary School Family Fun Day

Date – 27th June 2026

Time – 11am-3pm

To run a LOROS stall at a family fun day. The stall will be full of table top games and a tombola to attract the local community to get involved. This is a fundraising event and will need 2 volunteers. All items and equipment will be provided and will need to be collected from the Hospice the day before and then returned back to the Hospice. This is a fun and engaging way to connect with the community and raise funds for LOROS.

Ash Field Academy Family Fun Day

Date – 4th July 2026

Time – 11am-3pm

To run a LOROS stall at a family fun day. The stall will be full of table top games and a tombola to attract the local community to get involved. This is a fundraising event and will need 2 volunteers. All items and equipment will be provided and will need to be collected from the Hospice the day before and then returned back to the Hospice. This is a fun and engaging way to connect with the community and raise funds for LOROS.

Badgerbrook Primary Family Fun Day

Date – 12th September 2026

Time – 11am-3pm

To run a LOROS stall at a family fun day. The stall will be full of table top games and a tombola to attract the local community to get involved. This is a fundraising event and will need 2 volunteers. All items and equipment will be provided and will need to be collected from the Hospice the day before and then returned back to the Hospice. This is a fun and engaging way to connect with the community and raise funds for LOROS.

Birch Wood School Family Fun Day

Date – 26th September 2026

Time – 11am-3pm

To run a LOROS stall at a family fun day. The stall will be full of table top games and a tombola to attract the local community to get involved. This is a fundraising event and will need 2 volunteers. All items and equipment will be provided and will need to be collected from the Hospice the day before and then returned back to the Hospice. This is a fun and engaging way to connect with the community and raise funds for LOROS.

On behalf of Dr Chris Williams

Dear volunteer colleagues,

We are looking to develop practical recommendations to help us avoid LOROS being in difficult financial positions in the future.  The review is intended to be positive and constructive, identifying strengths and weaknesses in our systems, processes, governance, communication, culture, resource management and ‘ways of working’ to reduce future risks. 

I am very pleased to formally open the review process and to ask for your help.

How can I help?

We are launching the first stage of stakeholder engagement.  We want to gather reflections from across the LOROS community. This will allow us to:

1. Build a timeline of key events; and

2. Capture the perspectives of staff, volunteers, trustees, partners, patients and families/carers about the issues they feel are most important.

The easiest way to contribute is by completing the online form here:
https://forms.office.com/e/xqHp29FQfE

You can participate anonymously; but I would encourage you to consider sharing your contact details (if you feel able to do so) so that I can contact you confidentially to check or clarify anything. You can submit reflections on behalf of your team or a group of colleagues. We welcome contributions from all parts of the LOROS community, and we will use robust methods to ensure all perspectives are considered during our analysis.

If you cannot use the online form, you are welcome to email any thoughts or reflections to me at chriswilliams@loros.co.uk; you can also contact me if you need any support to share your reflections.  This will be open until Friday 27th February 2026.

What are the next steps?

In the week commencing 9th March, we plan to share:

• A draft timeline; and

• Emerging themes from this initial stakeholder engagement;

There will then be further opportunities for colleagues across LOROS to share further thoughts and comments as we begin developing our analysis and recommendations.

Finally

The review will only be as strong as the information that our colleagues share.  If you think someone who may have a valuable perspective, please encourage them to participate. All contributions are welcome, and will be treated sensitively and with respect.   We hope this work will help us build a stronger and more resilient organisation for our patients, families, and communities.

Thank you in advance for your support. It is a privilege to facilitate this process, and I am very mindful of the responsibility it brings. I hope you will feel able to contribute, and that together we can provide meaningful learning and recommendations for LOROS’s future.

Best wishes,
Chris Williams

chriswilliams@loros.co.uk

FAQs

What about confidentiality and data handling?

Confidentiality is extremely important. Data collection will be facilitated by the LOROS Centre for Excellence, and we will apply the same rigorous standards of anonymisation used in our research practice.

• You may contribute anonymously.

• If you choose to provide your contact details, these will not be shared—even within the review team.

• We will take great care to avoid sharing any reflections that could identify individuals or teams, even indirectly.

• If you have concerns about confidentiality, please contact me before submitting your reflections.

Can I share this invitation externally?

Yes. The form will work for colleagues outside of LOROS.  Pleas share this information with colleagues outside LOROS—including external partners, patients, and families/carers—if you believe they may have helpful insights. 

How will my data be stored?

The review data will be stored within LOROS’s IT systems.  Your personal details will only be visible to me (as Chair of the review) and I will anonymise all contributions before they are shared with the review team.  In addition, we will not share any insights in our reports that would allow the contribution of individuals or teams to be identified.  However, as the review data is not part of our clinical systems, please do not include any patient-identifiable information.