The placement's over - but the project's not...

So that’s my World of Difference placement at Strathcarron all over. It seems like no time at all since I was sitting in a conference hall in Newbury being inspired by Simon Weston’s presentation as he reminded us that ‘every person has value’ and invited us to ‘be brave enough’ to make a difference. Did I manage to do that?

As part of my finishing process, today I presented a reflection of the ‘Myriad of Music’ project to a varied group of Strathcarron staff members. Not only was this a tidy way to conclude my placement – presenting a brief overview of what had been achieved - but it also provided an ideal opportunity to gather more feedback from a cross-section of the Hospice team, and helped me to definitively answer the above question!

In summarising what the project’s achieved, I explained that I’d fulfilled my commitment to: provide the hospice with enough MP3 players to allow for patients to have their own music players at their bedsides for the duration of their stay in the hospice; introduce and implement the idea of helping patients choose personal playlists to load onto their music players; show that talking to patients about music that’s meaningful to them can be a valuable therapeutic tool; help facilitate a method for patient’s to hear their own music ‘piped’ into the newly refurbished bathrooms; build up a digital music library that’s accessible to patients; introduce more in the way of live music to the hospice;  raise awareness and break down barriers by bringing members of the community in to perform for patients; and raise money through a fundraising live music night. I also showed a couple of videos that I've made during my placement. So, in conclusion, I think I can safely say that the project has been a success. I’m proud to have made a difference.

However, I also pointed out that I hadn’t achieved everything I set out to. I didn’t manage to facilitate a system whereby performances could be broadcast onto the ward televisions (which would’ve incorporated a ‘wildlife’ camera, bringing the outside in) and I haven’t left things set up in such a way that an organised group of volunteers can take over the mantle. Oh dear, I guess that means I’ll just have to stay on, as a volunteer, and help keep things ticking over......

I’m actually hoping, with the hospice’s support and backing, to source more funding so that I can continue to develop and build on everything I’ve introduced over this past four months. And that will include involving more of the hospice’s fantastic volunteers and making basic music therapy something that becomes a standard, integrated part of the care package at Strathcarron. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that Complementary Therapy was an ‘extra’ service provided only by volunteers and it’s now facilitated by a mixture of employed and voluntary therapists. My hope is to see the same sort of progression for basic music therapy at the hospice – and my intention is now to focus on combining my counselling training with the development of this type of very basic – but very effective - therapy. In the meantime, I’ll be proud to be swapping badges again and look forward to being part of the incredible team of volunteers at Strathcarron.

Sourcing more funding won’t be easy, but I’ve got to keep remembering that when I applied to the Vodafone Foundation, I only had an idea. Just a simple idea. And I had no evidence to show that it would work. That it would make a difference. I’m in the much stronger position now of having oodles of evidence that it does work, and that it does make a difference. Taking on board how well the patients have responded, along with the extremely positive comments and feedback I received from staff today (and throughout my placement), I can make funding applications armed with evidence that using music at its simplest level as a basic therapeutic tool really does work - and really does make a difference to the lives of people with life limiting illness. I’m under no illusion that it’ll be easy to source funds, but I’ll be giving it my best shot.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this project such a successful one: so many of my lovely friends for all of your support; Annie and Jane for creating the Heart of Scotland Choir and reminding me how powerful music can be; the incredible bunch of school children, local musicians and singers who gave up their time to perform for patients so willingly; the amazing staff at Strathcarron for making me feel so welcome - and embracing both me and the project with such enthusiasm; my wonderful family for their support - and patience – while things like housework, my 'real' job in our own wee business, remembering to pick up my son from school, buying milk and being able to talk about anything other than the project were practically abandoned during the past 4 months. Lastly, but most especially, I'd like to thank the Vodafone Foundation, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me this fantastic opportunity in the first place.

So, that’s it, my placement’s over – but the project’s not. After all, there’s so much more of a difference still to make....

Simply lovely

I mentioned in my last post that I was waiting for a patient's permission before I published a collection of snippets from the last school pupils' visit. I'm delighted to now be in a position to share this footage. The last little section, at the end of the video, sums up what my placement has been all about; using music, in its most basic form, to make a difference. Pupils Andrew, Viktor, Lauren and Mirren made the Day Care patients' day by playing and singing beautifully - and one of Day Care's lovely patients, Dorene, made the pupils'  day by joining in....:

Trying not to feel sad!

It makes me feel sad when I say out loud that I only have four more days of my placement left at Strathcarron so, instead of saying that, I’ll focus on some of the great things that have been going on over the course of this past week or so!

Following a previous successful visit from pupils from Wallace High School, the music teacher was more than happy to bring another small group of pupils along to the hospice. This time, they were given a tour of the Strathcarron by one of the lovely Day Care nurses and it was truly heart-warming to hear the kids chatter animatedly on their return about how ‘cool’ the hospice was! Just as their peers had done a few weeks ago, these talented young musicians and singers then went on to entertain and wow the patients – not only with their musical prowess, but also with their impeccable behaviour, beaming smiles and amiable banter! I have a few snippets of them on video, but I'm waiting on permission from a patient - who has a starring role - before I post it; watch this space!!

It’s understandable when school pupils are a little nervous about coming along to the hospice; unless they’ve had some previous experience of visiting Strathcarron, they just don’t know what to expect. Even with good preparation beforehand, until they’ve actually been in to see the hospice for themselves, and met the staff and patients, they’re likely to feel a little bit apprehensive. However, coming along with a group of pals from school somehow makes the task in hand a little less daunting!

So, it would have been totally understandable if 14 year old Laura Carson had been a tad nervous about coming along - on her own - to play guitar and sing for the patients.  Unlike the other youngsters who’ve performed on their own during my placement, Laura had no previous experience of Strathcarron until she visited last Thursday. She doesn’t have a relative who works in Strathcarron and none of her relatives have been patients in the hospice. However, after hearing all about the music project from her mum (who’s a friend of mine from the Heart of Scotland Choir) Laura asked if she could come along and do something to help. I was so impressed by this lovely young lady’s attitude and her fantastic performance for a very appreciative group of Thursday Day Care patients:

 

Speaking of lovely young ladies, I’ve also enjoyed seeing my own daughter, Gemma, volunteering at Strathcarron recently. She only managed to fit in a few shifts between the end of term at University and the start of her summer internship, but I’m proud that she’s helped keep up our family tradition of helping out at the hospice! (My mum’s been a volunteer on the ward reception for around 13 years and my uncle volunteers as a Bereavement Support worker.)

Another thing that I’ve enjoyed doing over these past few weeks is spending some more of the money that I’ve raised to buy equipment for the hospice. The list so far includes: 19 Sony Walkman MP3 players;  lots of wires, plugs, chargers and other mundane – but essential – accessories; storage containers; 16 sets of speakers; a docking station and speaker set (for Day Care); a projector with a built-in DVD player; a portable projector screen; a laptop/projector trolley and shelf; a fund for music downloads and 3 Toshiba laptop computers. There were various other things that I’d hoped to donate to the hospice, and it’s been one of my placement disappointments that they didn’t happen. One of the ideas that just didn’t work out, for various reasons, was a camera system for broadcasting and recording performances, and for ‘bringing the wildlife in’ to the hospice. Unfortunately, a package of enthusiasm, passion and funding isn’t always enough to take some proposals forward in an organisation like the hospice; there are many other things, such as practicalities and other complex issues, which have to be taken into account. I am, however, delighted with everything that has been bought for the hospice , thanks to the many, many people who made a donation to my fundraising efforts; either by buying a quiz sheet, or by coming along to my ‘Music from the Heart for Strathcarron’ night or by making a general donation to my Just Giving page. My heart-felt thanks goes to you all.

I’ve not spent as much time with patients as I’d have liked over this past wee while as I’ve been busy putting plans in place to make sure that music remains a regular part of the day-to-day scene at Strathcarron. I’m delighted to have found a young lad who’s offered to help out on a regular basis and I’m meeting soon with another young volunteer whom I’m hoping will take on some of the work too. Some of the ward reception volunteers will soon also be helping out; I’m hoping that keeping basic music therapy going at the hospice can become an integral part of these volunteers' normal duties, when time allows.

I've also been spending a wee bit of time preparing for a presentation I've to deliver next week. This placement has been such an incredible experience for me, and I'm chuffed - and passionate - about everything I've done. However, I'm also extremely nervous about standing up and presenting an overview of my project to staff members, but that's exactly what I'll be doing in the hospice next Tuesday. I'm trying to think about it logically; if I managed to overcome my nerves to stand up and sing my first wee solo part with the Heart of Scotland Choir in the middle of my  fundraising night, then surely I can stand up and deliver a short presentation to a bunch of lovely staff members - many of whom have become my friends over this past four months?! Surely!

Helping to raise awareness

I'm grateful to the Vodafone Foundation for giving me the opportunity to work at Strathcarron Hospice; mainly because of the help with funding, but also because of the opportunity to help raise awareness. Every charity needs to keep itself in the public eye as much as possible, and Strathcarron is no different.

The hospice must raise over £65,000 every week to continue providing free palliative care to its community. I've, therefore, tried hard to do my wee bit to help raise awareness of the fantastic job that Strathcarron does for its patients and their families. I've also been keen to raise awareness of my project and how beneficial music can be – on so many different levels - to people with life-limiting illnesses. So, I was delighted when the World of Difference site ran this wee feature last week: http://wod.thisissecure.net/news/archives/12379.

Every little bit of awareness raised helps - so many thanks are due, once again, to the fantastic World of Difference initiative and the helping hand it's offered in helping me to raise awareness of such a special place.

Breakthroughs and being blown away

It’s such a privilege to see so many of the patients reaping the benefits of the whole ‘personal playlist’ thing at the hospice. This past week has been particularly rewarding as I’ve been working with two patients, who have varying degrees of cognitive difficulties, with some really positive results. It's incredible to witness even the slightest breakthrough with a patient who's finding it difficult to communicate. I think it’s worth mentioning here, again, that I’m not a trained or professional music therapist. I’m simply using my basic listening skills along with an understanding of how therapeutic music - even at its most basic level (such as listening to a favourite song) - can be. It’s definitely the aspect of the project that I’ve enjoyed the most; spending time with patients then using music to make a difference to their day.

It’s an added bonus when that music is sung or played live. A few weeks ago I invited Lauren McKinney along to sing for the patients. Lauren - whose mum, April, is a Complementary Therapist at the hospice - is 15 years old and would normally be at school on a Tuesday afternoon. However, thanks to the Diamond Jubilee holiday, she spent her afternoon blowing us all away at the hospice with her incredible voice instead! Lauren came along first to sing for the patients in Day Care, then was happy to hang around till later to sing on the ward. As you'll see, my videoing skills haven’t improved much while I’ve been on my placement, but here’s a wee snippet of Lauren doing her thing anyway. I cannot get away with the fact that this voice is coming from a fifteen year old, and a lovely one at that!:

In the ward, Lauren stood in one of the open spaces so that her voice could be heard through all of the rooms. During her repertoire, I walked round the beds to make sure that everyone could hear OK. The patients were all so appreciative and were thoroughly enjoying every moment of this talented young lady’s performance. One person in particular, one of the patients I mentioned earlier who has cognitive difficulties and who has truly been reaping the benefits of using the MP3 player, motioned for me to sit with her while Lauren sang. I knelt down beside her, laid down the video camera and took hold of her hand.  I didn’t realise until later that the video camera was still recording. I’m afraid you can’t see Lauren in the clip but I felt it was worth sharing with you; the song reduced both me and my lovely patient to tears! It’s simply beautiful. So, close your eyes and enjoy - just as many people did at Strathcarron last Tuesday - this awesome performance by Lauren:

Looking ahead with a very special tune

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the end of my placement at the hospice. One month to go. Booo! So, as well as continuing with - and building on - everything that I’ve put into place over this past three months, I’ll be using some of my remaining time to ensure that patients continue to benefit from music in Strathcarron long after my Vodafone Foundation placement ends.

I’m meeting with a volunteer soon who’s interested in taking over the ‘bringing live music’ into the hospice side of things, and I’m hoping we can work together over the coming weeks, before she takes over the role completely. I’m not looking forward to handing over ‘my baby’, but that was always part of the plan and I’m sure the volunteer will be just as enthusiastic and excited about using local musicians and singers to make a difference as I am!

I definitely intend carrying on with some of the project work myself - but I definitely can’t afford to keep putting in anything like the hours per week that I’ve been dedicating over this past few months! Just like most of the World of Difference placement winners, I’ve worked way more than the 15 hours per week expected of me. So, I’m trying to figure out exactly how many hours I can afford to continue to give as a volunteer, and how much additional help will be required.

I’ve been touched by some of the comments made by staff recently during discussions about the fact that my placement sponsorship is coming to an end. Not only were they complimentary about the work I’ve been doing and the difference it’s made to patients and their families – but also about the difference it’s made to their working day. It’s been suggested that I should think about seeking out the necessary funding to allow me to carry on doing what I’ve been doing for a while longer, as opposed to setting the role up for a few volunteers. “It’s not just the music and the performances and the MP3 players that are making a difference, it’s you. Your personality and enthusiasm’s what we want to hold on to!” I was deeply touched by this comment made by one of the nurses and I felt, as I often do at Strathcarron, truly valued. There’s nothing I would love more than to keep on doing what I’m doing and I’m seriously considering seeking out some other source of funding for it (only if the hospice management support the idea of course!)

In the meantime, I’ll continue to feel incredibly lucky to be part of the Strathcarron team, and I’ll keep on treasuring the moments that I spend with some very special people. One of those special people sadly died earlier this week, but he'd managed to hold on long enough to hear a very special piece of music that was written by his grandson and played especially for him on the radio last weekend. I’ll never forget the twinkle in his eyes as he talked about it during our last conversation together.

And, if you click on 'A very special tune' below, you'll hear a recording of that piece of music that meant such a lot to one very proud grandfather...

A very special tune

Raising awareness, raising a smile, raising the roof and raising somedosh!

I’ve been itching to write a blog post every night for this past week, but just haven’t had the time. And now that I’ve found the time, there’s too much to include in one post! So, I’m not even going to attempt to cram it all in. Here are just a couple of highlights:

Last Wednesday one of my friends from choir, Paul McKeever, came into the hospice to play guitar with a patient. This particular patient’s been both an in-patient and Day Care attendee for several years. He’s found, in recent years, that learning how to play the guitar helps to take his mind off other things but he’s really lacking in confidence. So, I figured he’d enjoy having someone with a bit of patience, a big friendly smile and a mutual love of guitar-playing to come in to the hospice and ‘jam’ with him – and Paul was absolutely perfect for the job! The staff said to me later that they’d never seen the patient so ‘energised’ and animated. A little bit of music and a big heart goes a long way. Thank you Paul!

Last Friday, at last, was the night of the Strathcarron fundraising event I’ve been organising and I’m delighted to report that 'Music from the Heart for Strathcarron' was a resounding success! The evening was all about raising awareness, raising cash, raising a smile and raising the roof!

Raising Awareness: This is the wee video that I used to kick off the evening. Annie, my incredibly talented Choir leader, sat under the projector screen and played piano while the video rolled above her. She was simply awesome, and a fair few tears were shed through the smiles in the hall:



Raising Cash: I’d hoped to raise around £2000 for the hospice, but I’d been a bit wary about setting myself a target; just in case I was disappointed! However, I needn’t have worried as the final total came to over £3000! I was absolutely delighted, and I’m extremely grateful to everyone who contributed; either by giving up their free time to perform, or by buying a raffle ticket, or by coming along on the night, or by taking part in the tombola, or by giving me moral support and encouragement or...ocht, there are too many things to mention (let alone thanking all the individual people who helped out!) I just feel very lucky and very privileged to have had the overwhelming support that I had.

Raising a Smile: 130 people bought tickets and came along to The Golden Lion Hotel, so the hall was practically full. I was so moved by some of their lovely, warm comments and I was delighted that they all seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. I saw loads of smiles on Friday night, but mine was probably the biggest.

Raising the Roof! A whole host of fantastic musicians and singers helped to do just that. First, we had superb buskers - Paul and Drew - at the entrance to the hotel as guests were arriving (the very same Paul who came into the hospice last week – thank you Paul!) Then, there was Cara and Eoin, entertaining the guests as they arrived in the ballroom with their beautiful folk music. Then there was Annie playing piano to accompany the video. Gorgeous. Then Annie moved her piano to the other side of the hall in preparation for the Heart of Scotland Choir. Aw man, I can’t tell you how much I loved singing with the choir at my own fundraising event. I was so chuffed that so many members came along to support the night and it’ll go down as one of my very favourite choir gigs.

There was the small matter of me singing my first solo part too (I don’t think I’ve felt that nervous since I sat my driving test...), which made the whole thing even more memorable for me personally. Following on from the choir came Gordon’s band ‘A Turtle Called Shelly’. They were fantastic! I felt quite guilty as I’d not expected them to be quite so good! I think it was when Gordon told me that his pal Martin would be playing the melodica that the doubts started to seep in! I was actually immensely proud of all three of my kids on Friday night. They all helped me in so many different ways, both during the event and during the weeks leading up to it. Ross was the perfect host, chatting to folk as they tried their hand at the tombola (pick out ‘The Beatles’ or ‘Queen’ and you win a prize, pick out ‘Justin Bieber’ and you win nothing!). And Gemma, well, her turning up completely unexpectedly to surprise me (she had a Uni exam the next day and we’d agreed that her studies had to come first..) was one of the many highlights of my night. As for Alex, well, I simply wouldn’t have been able to do it all without him. I’m so very lucky.

Completing the live music line-up was the fabulous GT’s Boos Band. Their front man and absolutely brilliant vocalist Greig is a popular member of our choir and, together with John Boos (the amazing guitarist who came in and played for a patient not long after I’d started my placement), Iain Donald (an AMAZING bass player) and the talented Simon Pooley (better known as Cymbal Simon) on drums, they produce a sound that is '100% Bona Fide Rock and Roll!'

A couple of my friends from choir, Paula and Carrie, also joined the Boos Band as guests to sing a few more fantastic songs - and that was the line-up complete. It was such an honour to have so many super-talented musicians and singers perform at my fundraiser for Strathcarron - there certainly was no shortage of Music performed straight from the Heart!

So, the night was a resounding success, and I've now got some free time back on my hands. Hmm, let's think now.......

School pupils and film-makers

The hospice placement is about so much more than just the music, and yesterday provided another great   example of that. I had arranged for a group of school pupils to come along, this time from Wallace High School in Stirling, to perform for the Day Care patients. And they were just brilliant!

Not only were they brilliant on their respective instruments - the xylophone, guitar, piano and oboe – but they, and their lovely teacher, were also brilliant with the patients. After they’d finished performing, they wandered around the room, chatting to the patients and playing some more tunes – but this time on a much more personal level. I think the patients - and staff - enjoyed the chit-chat just as much as they enjoyed the music. And the pupils certainly seemed to think it was a great way to spend a Wednesday afternoon!

The hospice has the services of an Arts Council funded ‘Film-maker in Residence’ at the moment and Amy Hardie and her team happened to be filming in Day Care yesterday. There are several aspects to Amy’s remit at the hospice. One is to make a documentary about Strathcarron, but another is to facilitate more personal film-making. I think one of the most valuable skills that Amy has to offer is in teaching people - either patients or family members - how best to use a camera to create something that could become a really important keepsake in the years ahead. Bearing in mind that many of Strathcarron’s patients are cared for in the community, and that many of the patients do go home after a short spell in the hospice, the film-making project can have far-reaching benefits, especially for some of the patients’ children. Anyway, I'm digressing! On with yesterday's story, when Amy and her team were filming footage, I think, for the documentary.

Now, as regular readers will know, my film-making skills are limited; a wee video taken using my phone is about as professional as it gets on this blog! I had a nerve-wracking time at the hospice recently when, in Amy’s absence, I was asked to film a wedding – but that’s something I’d like to write about another time. I only mention it to preface the fact that I’m definitely no professional when it comes to filming! So, it was an interesting experience to watch the professionals at work yesterday. Although I didn’t take my phone out to record the pupils while they were performing (I'm hoping to blag some snippets of that from Amy!), I did want to capture some of the special wee moments that followed their 'official' performance. So, sitting opposite 12 year old Lewis as he entertained some of the men in the hospice with his banter and oboe playing, I hit the ‘record’ button to capture the moment. However, as this little bit of footage shows, it seems that amateur capturing of moments don't count in the professionals books! It was all great fun, and really added to the pupils' experience - showing yet another wee group of youngsters that their local hospice is very much a bright and cheery place and, more importantly, full of bright and cheery people.

Rewarding and feel-good moments

I was full of good intentions of publishing a post on this blog every week during my placement at Strathcarron. Oops.

Being busy is my only excuse and I’m delighted to report that things are still going really well; music is definitely making a difference! Here's just one of many examples: A patient’s partner said to me last week, “As I was walking towards the room, I thought I could hear singing. ‘He must have his music on’, I thought. As I got closer, I realised that he did indeed have his music on; playing through the wee speaker you gave him. But that wasn’t the only thing I could hear. It was him. Singing. I’ve not heard him sing for such a long time. I can’t even begin to tell you how good it made me feel.”

It was another example of the far-reaching benefits that go hand-in-hand with making music part of the patients’ lives in the hospice; this particular patient had really enjoyed spending time making up their playlist and chatting with me about some of the music that’s meaningful to them. But his partner had also benefitted by taking some comfort from the fact that her loved-one’s spirits had been lifted enough to sing along to those favourite songs. It might sound like a simple thing, but it was one of many such rewarding moments.

The fifteen hours per week allocated for the placement simply isn’t enough to fit everything in, so I’m doing all of the fundraising part of the project in my own time. It’s now less than two weeks till my ‘Music from the Heart for Strathcarron’ fundraising night and I’m really enjoying pulling it all together. If I’m totally honest though, I’m getting quite nervous about it too; what if something goes wrong on the night, what if people don’t turn up, what if the people that do turn up don’t enjoy themselves etc etc! However, as soon as I start to think like that, I give myself a good shake and go write another begging letter for a raffle prize, or post another request on Facebook for friends to please buy tickets for the night! And, while I’m doing that, I remind myself that if it all went wrong, it would certainly be disappointing but, in comparison to the challenges that face the lovely patients that I have the absolute privilege of getting to know at the hospice, it really wouldn’t be that big a deal.

I’m obviously extremely hopeful that nothing will go wrong and that it’ll be a great night! I’m chuffed to bits that so many fantastic singers and musicians are giving up their Friday evening to come and perform; some of my friends are going to ‘busk’ for the guests as they arrive at the hotel, one of my choir friends and her partner are going to provide the background music as the guests arrive in the function suite and my choir leader – who’s also an incredibly talented pianist – is going to play a lovely classical piece while a short DVD (which I’ve yet to put together – eek!) introduces the guests to the hospice and the project. The evening’s proceedings will then really get going when the fantastic Heart of Scotland Choir take to the (very small!) stage at 8pm.

Following on from the choir, I’m giving a young, new band the opportunity to play for a little while (and it just so happens that my son’s the lead singer..!) and then the ‘headline’ act will take over proceedings for the rest of the evening. GT’s Boos Band has an ever-growing fan base in Scotland and I’m delighted that they’re providing most of the music for my night (with the added bonus of a few special guests).

In amongst all of that, a buffet will be laid out and a raffle will be drawn. I’m so grateful to the local businesses and friends who’ve donated prizes – from bottles of wine to a week’s holiday in a 3 bedroom luxury lodge – every single one of the donations has been extremely gratefully received. I’m still on the hunt for more prizes as I’ve decided to split them up into the main raffle and a sort of ‘lucky dip’. The main raffle draw will include the big prizes and the lucky dip – which can be set-up sort of like a tombola stall - will include the smaller gifts. That’s the plan at the moment anyway!

So, if you’re reading this and you live within travelling distance of Stirling, and you’re at a loose end on Friday the 18^th of May, why don’t you come along to The Golden Lion Hotel for what promises to be a great night of live music – with a wee buffet, a bar, great raffle prizes and a dance floor all thrown in for good measure.  And, simply by buying a ticket and coming along, you’ll be supporting a fantastic charity that supports so many people in its local community.

If you’d like more information, here’s the link to the public event page. I’d love to see you there as, hopefully, it'll be an evening full of feel-good moments.

Half way there

Friday, I’m sure, would’ve been a sad day for many of my fellow World of Difference winners as it would’ve been the final day of their placement. We were all given the option of working for 2 month’s full-time or for 4 month’s part-time and, as we’ve now reached the 2 month stage, it marks the end of some of the winners’ World of Difference journey.

I’m working part-time so have reached the half-way mark and I’m delighted that I still have another 2 months to go! Things on the ‘coal-face’ are going really well with the project; patients are clearly benefitting from such things as having their own music on tap in the hospice, chatting about music and the memories it evokes, and watching musicians and singers perform. I’m also progressing well with organising the fundraising music night, though that’s all being done in my spare time and not under the auspice of the hospice! I’ve hit a few stumbling blocks with some aspects of the project, but I think that probably comes with the territory.

So, the next couple of months will be all about doing more of the same – using music to benefit the patients and wider Strathcarron community – and making sure that everything I’ve set up (and have still to set up) is sustainable. The second half of my placement is going to be just as busy and full-on as the first; I still consider it an incredible privilege to have been given the opportunity to carry out this work and I intend to carry on doing my best to ‘make a difference’ with every hour I spend amongst the lovely staff and patients at Strathcarron Hospice.

It's not all about ticking boxes...

Every day I arrive at the hospice with a list in my diary of ‘Things to do’. I don’t think I’ve once managed to tick off even half the items on the list! Now, that’s not because I’m sitting on my ass all day; it’s simply because things rarely go to plan! This is a potted version of what my list looked like by the end of the other day:

Buy big plastic boxes - √

The containers I’ve been using for the MP3 players etc at the patients’ bedsides are too small. I left home earlier than usual and took a detour to Tesco on the way to work. The boxes have to be approved by the Ward Manager then properly labelled before they can be used......

Visit Patient 1 - X

Tried throughout the day but patient was either sleeping or being attended to by medical staff every time I was in the ward.

Visit Patient 2 - √ 

Spent some time with this patient, whom I'd first visited over 2 weeks ago. We've had some lovely chats about thier favourite music and their special songs. Sadly, their condition had deteriorated over the weekend.

Visit Patient 3 – X

Patient was sleeping every time I visited ward, but I did manage to spend a good bit of time with the patient’s partner. Was nice to have feedback on how comforting both the patient and the family were finding the personal playlist.

Attend Home Care meeting – √ 

Gave a short presentation. Seemed to go well and project was met with enthusiasm and some great suggestions.

See Director of Operations re adaptors for bathrooms – X

First refurbished bathroom is almost complete. Need to test out the cable and adaptor so that patients can listen to their own music while in the bath. DoO was busy in meetings all day.

See IT Manager re laptop I'm hoping to donate – X 

Met briefly in corridor between meetings, but not long enough for proper chat.

Write up cross care notes – X

Ran out of time and had problems getting access to a hospice computer. The office that I work from in Strathcarron is small and very busy. The Patient and Family Support Team staff, quite rightly, take priority as far as space and access to computers is concerned, and there isn't enough space for me to have my own desk. Sometimes it’s easier for the team if I bail out and find somewhere else in the hospice to work from, sometimes using my own laptop. That’s not a problem at all, but I do waste a bit too much time just finding a suitable place to park myself and all my gear!

Update music player log – X

Ran out of time

Drop in session - √/X 

Did hold session but didn’t see many members of staff. However, I made good use of time by updating the music library.

Reply to emails - √/X

Two out of an intended ten.

Phone calls – X 

Ran out of time

Added extras:

1. Was asked to visit Patient 4 by member of nursing staff. Had good chat, downloaded long list of music onto MP3 player, gave player to patient and demonstrated how to use it.

2. Was asked to visit Patient 5 by Occupational Therapist. After a brief chat, spent a while trying to put one of their audio books onto MP3 player without success. Nearly threw computer out of the window. Will consult IT experts (ie my kids) and hopefully return with player duly loaded up with book. Did manage to compile a list of favourite songs and leave that with the patient.

3. A hug from the lovely Frank Curran!

So, it was a day of ups and downs and - as with most days at the hospice - I didn’t manage to tick everything off my list. However, this placement isn’t all about ticking boxes and - as with most days at the hospice – I came away feeling satisfied that I’d made the very most of the time that I had available. I drove home, made a cup of tea, opened my diary at tomorrow's date and wrote: ‘Things to do.....’

A perfect illustration of the power of music!

Some of my Facebook friends have pointed me in the direction of a couple of video clips that've been doing the rounds recently. I absolutely love them! They kind of sum up what the very essence of my project at the hospice is all about. The people in the clip aren't typical of the patients that I've been working with at the hospice as they're elderly residents in an American nursing home; but the principle of using music to help reduce anxiety as well as 'awaken' emotions, memories and that very basic 'feel-good' factor is very much the same. Parts of the script could've been lifted straight from my original pitch to the hospice and the Vodafone Foundation!

I've read a lot about the 'quickening art' of music, but this is a really lovely illustration of that art in action. It's at the very heart of what my project is all about; using music - sometimes in its most basic form - as a therapeutic tool to make a difference to the lives of Strathcarron's very special patients. I hope you enjoy the clips as much as I did:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5S_hADV30&feature=autoplay&list=UUWSW0VyPUvG8dfJc9VtFQRg&lf=plcp&playnext=1[/youtube]

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyZQf0p73QM&feature=relmfu[/youtube]

 

Getting the volume right!

One of the things I’m enjoying most about my placement is the opportunity to meet some really lovely people. The evening that Leah came in to the ward to sing, I was aware of one visitor in particular who was clearly appreciating Leah’s lovely voice – and clearly enjoying singing along! I wasn’t properly introduced to Frank till the next day. I was heading out of the ward, after helping one of the patients set up a playlist of her favourite songs, and bumped into Frank in the doorway. After complimenting Leah he told me that he had a lifetime’s experience of entertaining people with his music. It turns out that Frank has his own Big Band and, after I briefly explained that I was trying to introduce more in the way of music to the hospice he, without hesitation, offered to come in to play for the patients.

And play he did! Along with two of his band members, Frank gave up his own free time to entertain the day care patients, their visitors and some of the staff yesterday afternoon. A few of the patients from the ward managed to come along too, and I’m pretty sure that that alone made Frank’s day. His form of entertainment was very different from that of the school pupils – and neither will have been to everyone’s taste – but it was clear that many in the appreciative audience really enjoyed the visit from The Frank Curran Trio!

I’m learning all the time during my placement and one of the things I learned yesterday was to be a wee bit more careful about the volume when musicians are in the hospice performing! Frank had brought along a full kit of amps, microphones, drums, keyboard and bass guitar so the music was pretty loud. That was totally my fault though and certainly no reflection on Frank and his friends. Anyway, it turns out that there was a rather important committee meeting going on in an adjoining room and I gather it was, em, interesting for them to have Matt Munro and Nat King Cole classics belting out in the background! Ocht well, hopefully no harm done and hopefully I’ll be allowed back to Day Care with more performers soon. Possibly some that are just as talented as Frank’s trio, but maybe just a little bit quieter....!

First month done already!

Well, that’s the first month of my placement done. The time’s flown by but I’m really pleased with everything that’s been achieved so far. I’m loving working at Strathcarron and I know already that I’ll be gutted come the end of June. Never mind; I’ll just have to make the most of every minute of the remaining 3 months! I’m really pleased with everything I’ve managed to cram in so far; I've raised a fair amount of money (with more to come) and I’m delighted that the project is making a difference to some of the patient’s lives.

One particular patient that I’ve visited several times over the course of this past week has particularly benefited from having the MP3 player by their bedside. Insomnia is a common problem but it’s one that can be improved, for some patients, by having music of their choosing on tap throughout the night. Not only has this patient been managing to sleep better, they’ve also been enjoying sharing their love of a particular type of music with some of the other patients on the ward during the day. It turns out that the little speakers, bought with some of the funds raised through the music quizzes, have been useful on the ward as well as in the private rooms!

Another patient - who finds it difficult to communicate - seems to enjoy not only listening to playlists of their favourite kind of songs, but also the time we spend using music as a catalyst to open up a dialogue.

Some of the patients who don’t particularly like music are still benefitting from having access to the music players. I’ve ripped a whole load of the hospice’s relaxation CDs onto the MP3 players and some of the patients are simply enjoying not having to change the disc in the CD player. They can listen to one CD after another without any interruptions; so, the sounds of the sea can follow seamlessly on from the sounds of the Complimentary Therapist's soft voice talking through specific relaxation techniques. A patient told me yesterday that they’d listened to over two hours of their ‘Relaxation’ playlist the previous night and had “just felt transported out of themselves for a wee while”.

Feedback such as that, to a simple “Ocht, that fair cheered me up dear!” from one of the Day Care patients (after watching a performance by a lovely group of Stirling High School pupils last week), is giving me a clear signal that the project is making a difference to some of the patients. And, now that I’ve got things properly off the ground – and most of the boring ‘preparation’ work is done – I’m thoroughly enjoying this phase of my placement. Spending a lot more time with the patients, using the therapeutic effects of music in many different ways, liaising more with the staff and starting to think more about leaving a sustainable set of practices in place when my placement’s finished are all at the very heart of what my work at the hospice is all about. And I’m just loving that work. I'm also in the throes of organising a fundraising social night, but I'm doing all of that in my own time.

I think it’s worth mentioning here that I’m just a very tiny cog in the massive wheel of everything that makes Strathcarron the special place that it is. The medical, social work, admin, fundraising, management, IT, education, physiotherapy – and many more – departments are there doing things, day in day out, that consistently make a tangible difference to patient’s lives. I’m humbled by many of these amazing people and am determined not to lose sight of the fact that my project is just one of many that have passed through the hospice’s doors over the years. Making sure that my activities in the hospice, and whatever I leave behind, work hand-in-hand with the staff and volunteers is something that I consider to be vitally important.

Something else I’m hoping to achieve with the project is to help with the building of bridges between local schools and the hospice. So, as I mentioned before, I arranged for a group of pupils from Stirling High School to come in to the Day Care unit last week to perform for a small group of elderly patients. I started with my own kids’ school, simply because I’m familiar with it (and because I know that the music department is fantastic!).  My daughter Gemma happened to be in helping out at the hospice for the first time that day (and it also happened to be the day that my Mum volunteers! It was a three generation take-over!) as she’s home on holiday from Uni at the moment. I loved that Gemma was at Strathcarron the same day that Pat Scullion, her old Head Teacher, was visiting! Pat couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about the idea of bringing pupils along to perform for patients ...and perform they did – brilliantly! Here’s just one of the many highlights:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dHjfajFzY[/youtube]

Few of the pupils had any idea what Strathcarron is all about, and neither really did Mrs Scullion. I’ve mentioned in a previous post that it’s a challenge for the hospice movement in general to raise awareness of the fact that hospices are not dark, dreary places full of ‘people at death’s door’ (as someone rather tactlessly said to me recently). Hopefully the pupils – and their head teacher - will all have gone home that night and started to spread the word to their friends and families that the hospice is a lovely, friendly place to be. (The pupils have also seen exactly where their hard-earned fundraising money will go – which can be no bad thing for a charity which has to raise over £3.5 million each year!) In return, the patients benefitted from a feast of young talent that really did ‘fair cheer them up!’ It’s a win-win situation – and one that I’m really keen to facilitate more often. I just need to find some more hours in each day and I’ll be laughing.....!!

Here's another of the talented pupils doing his thing for the small, but extremely appreciative, audience:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyJuix3LZ5I[/youtube]

 

More than just the music

Sometimes you find yourself in just the right place at just the right time. And that was definitely the case for me and Leah recently. Leah happens to be at school with my son and her mum happens to be a member of the nursing staff at Strathcarron. I’ve heard Leah sing at various school performances over the years, so I happen to know that Leah has a beautiful voice! So, I was delighted when she agreed to come along to the hospice and sing for the patients on the ward one evening last week.

The ‘ward’ at Strathcarron is made up of several single rooms and a few four-bedded rooms with open spaces in between. So, singing in the ward involved moving around, finding the most suitable spots for the patients, their visitors and the staff and, well, singing. No big fanfare, no big audience, no accompaniment, just Leah and her lovely voice. We visited some of the single rooms – where Leah sang for patients on their own or for patients and their visitors – or we stood in the open spaces and Leah just let her voice travel through the ward. It really was just lovely.

And, for one particular family, we happened to be in just the right place at just the right time. They asked me if Leah could sing an especially meaningful song at a particularly meaningful moment and - even though Leah wasn’t sure of the words or the tune - she managed to find the song on the internet on her phone then stood and sang it beautifully. It’s a moment I’ll never forget; knowing that a family were deeply touched by Leah’s song, watching such a young girl conduct herself with such maturity and compassion and feeling humbled and reminded that this placement is about so much more than just the music.

Here's Leah early on in the evening:

So, what's it all about?

I’m aware that I’ve not really told you much about Strathcarron Hospice itself, so I guess now’s as good a time as any! For the full picture, the Strathcarron website is excellent; there’s really far too much to the hospice for me to get across in my wee blog post. Instead, this is just my very general impression of what this very special place is all about:

I grew up in Cumbernauld and the hospice was (and still is) a popular choice for fundraising events in the local community (such as sponsored walks with the Brownies or sponsored silences in class). When I was in my early twenties, I moved from Glasgow to Stirling and Strathcarron was (and still is) a popular choice for fundraising events in the local community (such as a 10k road race or a Ladies Lunch). My mum was a District Nurse and cared for many patients in the community who'd also received different forms of care from Strathcarron. My mum’s retired now, but has been volunteering at Strathcarron for over 12 years.

So, 'Strathcarron Hospice' is a name that I’ve grown up with and a name that has always been very familiar to me. But, until I started volunteering there myself – when I was in my forties – I didn’t have a Scooby what Strathcarron was actually all about! I imagined it to be a depressing, slightly eerie place - like a hospital with its lights dimmed - where people simply went off quietly to to die. And I don’t imagine that I’m the only person who’s ever imagined that about their local hospice.

Well, nothing could be further from the truth. For a start, it looks nothing like a hospital. You walk through the front door - from the gorgeous grounds - to a beautifully decorated, modern reception area and are greeted by a cheery volunteer sitting behind the desk and an even cheerier ‘employed’ receptionist. And that kind of sets the scene for everything else about Strathcarron: the staff and volunteers are warm and welcoming; the physical surroundings are light and bright; the wards and single rooms – although all geared up for the best possible patient care with some similar equipment to that which you’d find in a hospital – are cosy and homely; the patients mostly wear their clothes and not their jammies; nobody wears a white coat; and it’s probably one of the friendliest places I’ve ever had the privilege of spending time in. It provides a positively enriching environment, not only for its patients but for their families, visitors, and the staff alike.

Strathcarron is a place where adults - of all ages - with life limiting illness (such as cancer, neurological disease, respiratory and heart conditions) go, but it’s certainly not a scary place and it’s definitely not a place where people only go to to die. In fact, over 40% of patients go home from the hospice after having benefited from the specialist support, in such things as pain control and emotional distress, that Strathcarron has to offer. And, the majority of Strathcarron’s patients are treated at home or in the community. The list of services the hospice provides is endless, and best delved into on the website. I think the main point I’d like to get across is that Strathcarron offers so much more to its local community than a caring, specialist environment for its patients. It reaches out to the families of those patients and caters for their needs – be that in helping them with practical or emotional issues – it also reaches out to clinicians and other caring professions outwith the hospice environment and educates them in a vast range of topics surrounding life-limiting illness, it reaches out to schools and educates staff about the special needs of some of their pupils who might have lost someone close to them, it reaches out to Universities and local hospitals and helps with research projects and palliative care training, and it reaches out and enhances the lives of hundreds of people in the local area who benefit from all that volunteering at Strathcarron has to offer.

As the website says: “ Hospice is not a place, it is a philosophy of care that values each individual..”. Giving value to people’s lives - no matter whether they’re being treated at the Lymphodoema clinic, receiving emotional or practical support from the Patient and Family Services team, being treated at home by one of the Clinical Nurse Specialists, attending the day care hospice for specialist treatment (or just for the banter with fellow patients), benefiting from one of the many complementary therapies on offer, having improved mobility after a session with the physiotherapist, being able to go home after help from the Occupational therapist or, indeed, receiving the gentlest of palliative care in the last few days of life – that’s really what Strathcarron’s all about; valuing people’s lives. No matter what stage those people are at in their life.

Ocht, there's so much more to it than that - but I think I'll leave it at that and encourage you to check out the website for lots more information. It really is an amazing place, and I had another great day there today.

It may sound like a bit of a cliche, the old volunteer's mantra; "I'm getting lots more out of this than I'm putting in", but it really is true! Today was a case in point for me when I handed over my first music player to a patient. After spending a good bit of time last Friday, listening to them chat about their favourite music, I'd loaded up the Walkman with a bucket-load of their special songs. It was so rewarding to see the smile that spread across the patient's face this morning when they pressed 'play' and heard their favourite Scottish fiddle music drifting out through their headphones. I know it sounds like such a simple thing, but it was another lovely moment where I was lucky enough to witness my project making a bit of a difference to someone's day. And that certainly felt good!

Getting my poster just right

I'd hoped to organise a fundraising 'sit down and appreciate' concert during my placement, but I've opted instead for more of a social event; an evening of live music with a buffet and dance floor thrown in! The venue's booked (a large ballroom in a local hotel), the live music line-up's been arranged and I've made a start on asking for raffle prize donations.

So, I spent about 4 hours in front of my computer last weekend trying my best to design a poster for the event. Much of that time was spent swearing at my laptop; I'm absolutely hopeless at that kind of thing. However, I eventually produced something that resembled a poster and was so chuffed with the result that I stuck it up on our fridge door. My two eldest children were home for a visit from their respective Universities at the weekend and, as per usual on their arrival, we were all gathered in the kitchen blethering and catching up: "What d'you think then kids?", I asked my 20, 18 and 16 year olds. A very long pause was followed by "Yeh, em, it's, em, it's really good Mum. Well done!" Another long pause was followed by, "I could always give you a wee hand with it Mum..." Humph. However, a wee while later, my daughter produced this for me:

m delighted with it. Next, I need to think about designing and printing off tickets for the event........wonder if Gemma's got any free time on her hands this week....?!

Bloody brilliant!

I just couldn't think of another title for this post that better summed up how I felt as I left work at 5pm tonight. As I've said before, much of my time so far has been spent preparing the groundwork for actually working directly with the patients, but last Friday a member of the medical team suggested a patient that might benefit from a chat with me and asked if I would see them fairly soon. I was more than happy to do that and visited the patient later on that morning. As a result, I feel that I really properly got my placement off the ground on Friday and started doing what I've been really looking forward to doing most at the hospice; giving patients time to talk, using music as a catalyst, and hopefully finding some way of helping them as a result of our chat. Now, I obviously can't go into any details, but I can tell you that the person desperately misses playing their beloved guitar.  After discussing whether or not they would find it too upsetting to listen to a guitar being played, the patient was delighted when I suggested that I'd try to arrange for a guitarist to come into Strathcarron to play for them.

I contacted a friend of a friend, someone whom I've seen perform live locally and know is amazing on guitar, and asked if he would consider giving up a bit of his time to play for the patient. The result was that this afternoon the lovely John Boos sat on a chair at the side of my first 'placement patient's' bed and, amongst other things, played this:


A difference was made to that patient's day by John's generosity in giving up his time and by his incredible musical talent - and that made me feel, as I headed off for home, bloody brilliant!

One week down already!

Nearly a week has passed since I officially started my placement, but I've crammed so much in that I feel as though I've been there for much longer! Much of my time has been spent being introduced to staff, familiarising myself with ward etiquette, spending sooo much time investigating the legal side of sharing music files and storing copies of music, in meetings, on the phone or on the computer. But, it's all been really productive and, although I've not had the opportunity as yet to spend much time with the patients, the ground work has been well and truly laid.

I'm delighted with the deal struck with The Sony Centre to supply the MP3 players at a very reasonable price and I'm looking forward to collecting the first 10 Walkmans on Friday. I've opted for Sony Walkmans for various different reasons but mainly because they're not touch-screen (so easier for the patients to handle), they're quite chunky and they're so much cheaper than ipods. (Except for the ipod shuffle, but that's no good as the patients can't see their playlist or choose specific songs). I'm also hoping to pick up docking stations, along with some other accessories. Nothing is being rushed into as I want to make sure that every pound is well-spent and that not one of the pennies that people have so generously donated is wasted.

So, soon I'll really be getting the project off the ground by spending time with some of the patients; chatting to them about their favourite music, or songs that mean something to them, and compiling personal playlists for them. I'm so looking forward to that. I've been touched by the reaction of the staff to the whole concept and I'm fair excited about the opportunity to liase with them when they feel that specific patients would benefit in more specific ways from the therapeutic effects of music.

I've arranged a meeting next week with the rector of one of the local high schools as I'm keen to bring school choirs and musicians into the daycare area - and the ward where appropriate - as soon as possible. I'm aiming to use this project as an opportunity to raise awareness in the wider community that hospices aren't scary places. So, not only will the patients benefit from being entertained by the kids, the pupils will benefit by gaining a much better understanding of what the hospice is really all about. I'm also excited about the prospect of some members of my choir performing for the patients - there's such a wealth of talent in Heart of Scotland and I'm hoping to tap in to it shamelessly!

An aspect of my project that'll require a lot of funding is the provision of cameras and a system to enable 'broadcasting' of live performances; I've not got a clue what sort of money's involved as yet, but I've set the ball rolling by fixing up a meeting for next week with a technical expert to give me some ideas.

So, plenty to be getting on with! Next post I'll tell you a bit more about the hospice itself. For now though, bed methinks!

The winner!

I've been selling music quiz sheets for the past few weeks to help raise money towards buying equipment for my Myriad of Music project. I've been overwhelmed by the response and, after hoping for a couple of hundred pounds to get me started, I've managed to raise over £1000! Fundraising is only a small part of the work involved in my placement, but it's vital component as much of what I manage to achieve in the hospice will depend on how much money I can pull in.

Anyway, back to the quiz sheets. Entries closed last week and tonight at my choir practice I asked Annie, our choir leader, to pull one of the 'top marks' entries out of a bag. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the name on the winning sheet - Linda Sterry; my friend that I wrote about in my last post, the same friend that inspired me to apply for this placement!! I'm absolutely delighted that she won - and I'm relieved that a full choir were witness to the fairness of the draw!!

For any of the readers of my blog who entered the quiz, the answers can be found on my JustGiving page.

 

A dedication to the wee boy who made it all happen

I wouldn't be familiar with the World of Difference Scheme, let alone be working on a placement funded by them, if it wasn't for Linda. We met just over a year ago, when we started Module One of the COSCA Counselling Certificate together. Round about the same time, Linda was announced as one of the WoD winners, with her chosen charity being The Scottish Cot Death Trust. Linda chose The SCDT as she'd experienced, first hand, just how vitally important the support that this small organisation offers is. In Linda's own words, from one of her own early blog posts on this site:

"my son died suddenly and unexpectedly aged two, no illness no warning, one day he was running around softplay, painting with his brother and friends the next day he had died.   It IS every parent’s worst nightmare and it is one I have been living with for the last two years.   But I guess my point is that the reason I am here is that I am inspired by my son’s strength of character, lust for life and the imprint he made on so many people (some who knew him, some who didn’t) in just two tiny years that it has made me take life by the horns and aim to do something meaningful… Gregor is without doubt my inspiration for being here today and wanting and needing to ‘make a difference’"

Today would've been Gregor's 5th birthday. I, unfortunately, never had the pleasure of meeting him - but I do feel as if I know him as the essence of Gregor is kept very much alive by Linda, her husband and her other son Ben (whom I adore!).

So, I just want to take this opportunity to say a special Happy Birthday to Gregor. A great wee lad who inspired his mum to do something positive for other people, and whose mum, in turn, inspired me to have a go too. Our chosen charities are pretty different, but our objectives are pretty much the same - to do something meaningful and, of course, to make a difference.

Singing Staff!

I've found my first act to perform for the patients at the hospice! There we were this morning, me and Kirsty (my line manager), working away on our computers in the office, when we were interrupted by a knock on the office door.

"We've come to sing for you!"

Next thing, the door burst open and in piled a bunch of the ladies from the kitchen - all of whom I'd met for the first time yesterday.

"We just think this music thing's a great idea, so we're here to show you what we can do!"

Aw man, it was absolutely brilliant! And, those lovely ladies totally summed up the spirit in which - I'm delighted to say - my project's been welcomed by the staff at Strathcarron. Enjoy!

Wearing a new badge, and why!

Well, today I worked at the hospice for the first time wearing this badge:

rather than this one:

 And, it felt so good!

I’ve not really gone into any detail about my placement on this blog so, before I go any further, I think I should explain what it’s all about.

When I was thinking of a project that would make a difference to the hospice, I focussed on two of the things that I like to do best; listen to music and listen to people. By doing that, my ‘Myriad of Music’ idea started to take shape. It’s pretty simple, but often the simplest ideas are the most effective, and it basically involves bringing the therapeutic effects of music to Strathcarron in as many different ways as possible.

It’s common knowledge that listening to music, or singing along, can lift our spirits and help us to relax; especially if that music is meaningful to us. So, there lies the first part of my project; I’m going to spend a bit of time with patients, asking them about their favourite music (which should be a therapeutic process in itself) then make up a personal playlist of their favourite songs, or the music that’s most meaningful to them. The patient will then be supplied with their own MP3 player – after I’ve loaded it up with their personal playlists - for the duration of their stay at Strathcarron. With the patient’s permission, the playlist could be transferred onto a CD as a special keepsake for their family.

The single rooms in the hospice will also, hopefully, be provided with docks and speakers. I say hopefully because much of this part of my project is dependent on how much money I can raise, and how many donations I can pull in. I started fundraising a few weeks ago and, again, often the simplest ideas can be surprisingly effective. I made up a music quiz sheet, set up a Just Giving page, and sold the quiz sheets for £2 a go. I’d hoped to raise a couple of hundred pounds - which would’ve been enough to get me started with a number of MP3 players and some other accessories - but I’ve been overwhelmed by the response and have managed to reach a total of £970 so far. I’ve also been given, free of charge, a brand new Walkman by a local supplier - The Sony Centre in Bridge of Allan – and I’m hopeful that this proves to be the beginning of a partnership that’ll help me put more of my Myriad of Music ideas into practice.

I’m also going to be looking into the possibility of getting music ‘piped’ into the hospice’s bathrooms. I mean, what better way to relax is there than a good soak in the Jacuzzi bath with your favourite music playing over the bubbles?! And another thing I’ll be researching is a method by which patients who can’t leave their rooms can still feel a part of the things that are going on in and around the hospice. For instance, the second part of my placement involves bringing live music into Strathcarron. There’s a lovely area in the Day Care section which lends itself beautifully to wee groups of singers or musicians performing. However, many of the patients aren’t well enough to sit in Day Care so, to make everyone feel part of the experience, I’m hoping to facilitate the provision of CCTV cameras or camcorders that could ‘broadcast’ the performance to TV screens in the patients’ rooms. The system could also be used for things like watching the wildlife outside in the hospice's beautiful grounds – in fact, I’m sure there’ll be a multitude of different uses for such a system.

But, all of this costs money so – as much as my placement is not primarily about fundraising – the last part of the project should hopefully bring in enough cash to help put some more of these ideas into practice. And, what better way to raise money than a music event featuring the best rock and soul choir in Scotland?! A venue to host the night, starring my beloved Heart of Scotland Choir, has been booked for the eighteenth of May. Now I just need to leave myself enough time to get it properly organised, along with everything else I’m hoping to achieve while I’m working at Strathcarron! Yup, it’s going to be a really busy 4 months, but I simply can’t think of a better cause to be busy for!

Inspired and Raring to Go!

I finished my last blog post by saying that I hoped to leave the World of Difference Winners’ Induction Day both inspired and raring to go. Well, what actually happened was that I left the World of Difference Induction Day INSPIRED and RARING TO GO!! In the spirit of my block capital shouty blog title up there (which I’m hoping the WoD team will change soon...), that just seems the most apt way to describe how I feel about that very special day in Newbury.

I had a smile plastered on my face right from the very start; I mean, you couldn’t fail to be amused by the very high-tech system that the Vodafone Foundation used for attracting us to the appropriate stand to collect our ‘goody bags’ ....

 After chatting to a few of the other 499 winners, the day began with an introduction by Vodafone’s Head of Communications. A couple more presentations (including an encouraging and uplifting spiel by Gok Wan), some photo sessions, a little lunch and a kind of ‘open learning’ session took us up to my favourite part of the day; four presentations by four fantastic speakers. Two previous winners and two people that are well-known for their fights against adversities. The whole point of the WoD scheme is to ‘Make a Difference’ and the whole point of these presentations was to provide us with the inspirational message that anyone - anyone at all - can add value to their lives by enhancing the lives of others. All four were shining examples of how, by making a difference to other people’s lives, we can enhance our own. If we realise the extent of our own potential we can become more fulfilled and, generally, happier people!

I thought a lot about my own family during these sessions. My kids are practically all grown up now, and I’m incredibly proud of all three of them. I thought a lot about how important it was (and still is) to me and my husband to provide our kids with as much love, security, encouragement and - most importantly - fun as possible while they were growing up. I like to think that in doing so, we’ve made it possible for them to venture out into the big wide world with confidence, curiosity and a sense of ‘there’s always a bright side’ to hopefully pull them through everything that life throws at them. Sometimes it’s really hard to see the sun for the rain, but it is always there.

My kids were just babies when Lisa Potts hit the headlines. The nursery teacher, who saved many children’s lives when they were attacked by a machete-yielding paranoid schizophrenic back in 1996, suffered horrendous physical and emotional injuries when she was just 21 years old. She spoke candidly about the whole horrendous experience, and told us how difficult it had been to regain her confidence and find a purpose in life. You could’ve heard a pin drop in the hall as she told us her story. But the message she really wanted us to take away was the fact that she has gone on to do some incredibly fulfilling work – mostly helping Romanian children and deprived inner city kids in the UK – that she’d never have tried if that truly horrendous experience had never occurred.

My kids weren’t alive during the Falklands War, so they weren’t very familiar with Simon Weston’s story. They didn’t know that he’d suffered horrific injuries when the Sir Galahad was destroyed and that he’d spent almost five years on a hospital bed, undergoing many, many painful surgical operations and procedures. I remember both the Falklands War, and Simon Weston well and his talk on Monday was probably the most inspiring I’ve ever heard. He reminded us – with enthusiasm, humour and a great deal of humility - that just because ‘shit happens’ in our lives, we shouldn’t write ourselves off. He told us poignantly about the day the army told him he was ‘unemployable’, in other words, worthless. ‘Every single person has value’. And he really did go on to prove that - and some! He made me laugh and he brought a big drippy tear to my eye. It was an absolute privilege to shake his hand at the end of the day and thank him personally. The word ‘hero’ is banded about quite recklessly these days; Simon Weston is a true hero in my book, in every sense of the word.

I’m very lucky never to have suffered in the way that Lisa and Simon have. But I do know that looking for the good stuff makes the bad stuff just that wee bit easier to cope with. It’s something I’ve been writing about for the past year in my other blog. Grabbing every opportunity by the balls and making the most of it seems to be the way to go; even if the end result isn’t what you'd hoped for, you’ll have learnt something along the way. I’ve come to this scheme with a simple desire to do something a wee bit different to help an incredible local charity. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to give it a go.

So, I'm all fired up and raring to go tomorrow when my placement officially starts. I’m feeling very excited – and more than a little nervous! But, with the words of Simon Weston ringing in my ears – “Be courageous enough to enjoy this” – I’ll have a smile on my face and will genuinely be making the very most of every minute of this fantastic opportunity.

Myriad of Music project here I come...! :)

Welcome to my new blog!

Hello!

And a very warm welcome to the new blog; the one that's specifically dedicated to my World of Difference placement! Many of you reading this will already be familiar with the Vodafone World of Difference scheme, but please bear with me while I very briefly explain what it's all about for the benefit of those who aren't.

Every year, the Vodafone Foundation provides funding for 500 people, from all over the UK, to work on a short-term placement for a charity of their choice. Thousands of people apply as it really does provide a brilliant opportunity; not just for the applicants, but also for the many beneficiary charities involved. I've been a volunteer - just helping out on the reception desk - at Strathcarron Hospice for the past couple of years and I've grown to love the place. Strathcarron provides the most incredible palliative care - along with other family services - both in the hospice itself and throughout the communities of the Forth Valley region of Scotland. With overwhelming warmth and encouragement - along with an openness and willingness to try  a variety of new therapeutic processes - the challenge to provide the best possible environment for people with life-limiting illness is always met head-on. I love working there on a voluntary basis.

However, I can only afford to dedicate a few hours per week to the voluntary jobs that I do. So, I decided to apply to the Vodafone Foundation scheme, in the hope that I could give more of my time to the hospice in the form of a specific project. This way, the hospice benefits from a part-time employee bringing something that will 'make a difference' to the charity, at absolutely no cost to Strathcarron itself (as the Foundation funds each placement). The application process involved coming up with a proposal, pitching it to the hospice then - after Strathcarron had approved my idea - submitting an entry to the 'World of Difference' selection team. One written application, one video submission, one interview later and here I am!

I'm just as excited now as I was a few weeks ago when I was first told that my application had been successful and I cannot wait to get officially started next week. My project involves bringing a 'Myriad of Music' to Strathcarron; I'll leave the details for a later post, but basically I'm going to bring a variety of different forms of music therapy to the hospice. For the purposes of my project, the term 'music therapy' is used loosely - it represents many different ways in which music can be used to benefit the patients, their families and the wider community - and encompasses the simplest of pleasures that can be derived from listening to a favourite song, to the help that can be provided by trained music therapists offering professional treatments.

Although I don't start - officially - till next week, the ball's already well and truly rolling! I've set up a Just Giving page and I've been selling music quiz sheets (a steal at only £2 a go!) so that I can raise enough money to buy MP3 players. I've been delighted with the response and will definitely be able to buy the personal music players, along with a variety of accessories that really will make all the difference to the patients.

Anyway, I intended keeping this first post short!! So, I'll sign off for now. I'm really looking forward to the Winners' Launch Day down in Newbury on Monday. I'll meet the other 499 placement winners and - on the word of my very good friend and 2011 WoD winner Linda Sterry (check out her blog here) - will leave the day inspired and raring to go! (And, I might even meet Gok Wan!! He does the most incredible job as ambassador for the WoD scheme!)

Can't wait! :)