I have been the Admiral Nurse Clinical Lead at the Douglas Macmillan Hospice in North Staffordshire for over four years. I highly value the professional support and education that Dementia UK provides to all Admiral Nurses, which is why I host an annual Time for a Cuppa event to raise vital funds for families affected by dementia.
Why I became an Admiral Nurse
I became an Admiral Nurse at the hospice in 2017 to ensure that families living with dementia are given information and support around end-of-life care. This is a challenging and stressful period for many families, and my role is to support them and help them come to terms with this upsetting stage. I make sure that carers receive vital emotional support, and the person with dementia receives the right care. It’s a great honour to help families through one of the toughest health conditions they will ever experience.
One of the great honours about being one is helping people to cope, while dealing with one of the toughest health conditions out there.
We help people to understand how the person with dementia might be feeling, to help them identify if they are in any pain, and to give them the tools and the confidence to communicate with other healthcare professionals, such as those working in a care home, to make sure that the person’s wellbeing and best interests are always being looked after.
Throughout my role as an Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK has done a huge amount to support me through monthly supervisions and training sessions so it was really important for me to give something back – Time for a Cuppa seemed like an ideal opportunity.
Holding Time for a Cuppa at the hospice
Last year, we held a Time for a Cuppa at the hospice. Each department baked a cake and entered them into our cake competition. The prize was afternoon tea for two at a popular local venue. People made donations for slices and we played games, such as guess the bear’s name and the number of sweets in a jar, to raise funds and to get people chatting.
We invited everybody: hospice staff, patients, visitors and volunteers and many attended; catching up with them all was my favourite part of the day.
How we fundraise at our Time for a Cuppa events
I have taken part in Time for a Cuppa three times. Last year I held my event in my local cricket club and invited guests through social media, WhatsApp groups and word of mouth. I also invited people with dementia and their carers who we know through the Admiral Nurse service.
As well as selling tea and cakes, I asked if anyone would like to have a table at the event for a small donation to Dementia UK. We had stalls selling books, craft, gifts, toys and beauty products, and a hairdresser putting coloured strands in people’s hair. A supermarket kindly donated some mince pies to go alongside our bakes, and we also held a raffle and tombola, which are always highlights – people love to have a go. As a result, our Time for a Cuppa event raised a fantastic £1378.10.
I would encourage anyone considering taking part in Time for a Cuppa to just go for it! You get to raise awareness and funds for such an important cause. The free fundraising pack from Dementia UK gives you lots of ideas to make the day a success – and everyone loves cake, so you can’t really go wrong!
I’ll definitely take part in my fourth Time for a Cuppa event to support more families facing dementia.
Wendy’s top three fundraising tips
- Be organised and plan ahead. I planned a raffle and tombola in advance to boost my fundraising and add more fun to the day
- If people offer to help you, let them, especially if they want to help with baking – you can never have too much cake!
- If you have a personal connection to dementia, tell people your story. It really makes a difference