Bury Hospice nurses are seeking support for a new campaign helping them to care for patients facing life-limiting illnesses and assist their families.

The Rochdale Old Road hospice has launched its new Sponsor a Nurse campaign to raise funds for the vital nursing care it provides.

Inpatient unit clinical lead Nellie Savory has shared her story about how she started working in palliative care to help launch the scheme.

She said: “I joined Bury Hospice on August 1, 2022, as the clinical lead for the inpatient unit.

"Prior to this I had worked at Airdale Hospital, leading the specialist palliative care team.

“I wanted to be a nurse from the age of about three.

"My mum was a healthcare assistant and my inspiration. I watched her care for and look after people all through my childhood and I wanted to be just like her.

"I remember bandaging my dolls with her at the weekend and making them better.

“My passion for palliative care was ignited whilst I worked on an intensive care Unit, it was really important to me that patients and their loved ones had voices and choices in their care, especially when we knew the outcome wasn’t what anyone would have hoped for.

“I believe that working with people at the end of their life and being chosen to care for them is an honour and privilege.

"It is so important to remember that the person before illness is still there and it is them that must define how they are cared for, not the disease.

“I take pride that my team spend time really listening to their patients and treating them as a person, not just a patient.

"Every patient who comes through our door is unique and so their care must be too.

"We always make sure to spend time listening to the families and supporting them as they navigate their time with us."

Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the Bury Times morning newsletter as well as our breaking news alerts

She added: “Bury Hospice is a place of warmth, yes there are moments of sadness, but they are outweighed enormously by love and contentedness.

"Families become families again as we take over the role of carer and memories are made, to give this to people every day fills us with pride gratitude.

“As a hospice the care we give is person to person. From giving out medication to taking a patient for a gentle stroll through our gardens, our nursing is not only about the physical and medical care, but also the compassionate and holistic support patients and their loved ones need.

“I have the best job in the world, helping my patients live their best life for as long as possible.”

Supporters of the campaign are invited to make a monthly donation to support the cost of providing specialist nursing care and training new nurses so that care can be provided for more patients.

Director of clinical services Sarah Machin said: “There are more people than ever in need of our specialist care, and having recently expanded our services to meet this demand, we need help to grow and maintain a team of nurses with the specialist clinical skills and compassion that hospice care needs.

“From January 2023 to January 2024, we cared for 137 patients on our inpatient unit, there were 267 new referrals to our outreach team who provided 1,801 face to face visits and 1,201 telephone support calls during this 12 month period.”

Sponsoring a nurse starts from a minimum donation of £10 a month, which makes a difference in helping nurses provide care, hope and support for patients and families.

A £10 monthly donation could help a nurse to give a relaxing bubble bath to a patient while £15 a month could support a nurse to sit and create a memory box with a patient to leave behind for their children.

The hospice said £25 a month could support a nurse to be with a family in their home so that their loved one can stay at home as long as possible.

Anyone who sponsors will receive a special Sponsor a Nurse pin badge as a thank you.

To sponsor a nurse visit www.buryhospice.org.uk/sponsor-a-nurse or call 0161 797 1748.