Livewell Foundation and The Rank Foundation Grant Event Jess and Michelle were delighted to attend an event and cheque presentation recently at Market Hall recently hosted by Livewell Foundation Livewell Southwest and The Rank Foundation to celebrate grant giving to reduce loneliness and social isolation in the Plymouth area. The funds donated to Hearts Together by Livewell Foundation were pivotal in helping us to launch the onsite and remote counselling service at Hearts Together Hospital Hotel , providing the opportunity to initially trial a 6-month pilot back in 2021, which supported over 146 individuals with 100% reporting that speaking to someone helped. For over 20 years the staff team at Hearts Together informally supported guests as best they could through challenging times. However, as part of a revised strategy in 2021, it was agreed to provide a structured and comprehensive wrap-around service to support guests during their stays and to support the staff team in their roles. We were delighted to have been given the funding from Livewell and The Rank Foundation to initiate the pilot program which was a huge success and provided the backing to go ahead and launch our full weekday service in March 2022, engaging 5 qualified counsellors. . "It’s so helpful to have somebody to reach out to when you are in those raw, early stages of shock and grief” This service has continued to grow and become and invaluable resource for many families and patients, a service readily taken up by guests, with many stating that they did not think they needed to talk to someone but found that they hugely benefited by having the opportunity. Service we provide: On Site Counselling : Here at Hearts Together It is not at all unusual for our guests to experience very difficult times during their stay with us, particularly in cases where their loved ones are receiving end of live care or when a friend or relative has been rushed into hospital as an emergency admission. That why is is imperative to have a consistent and reliable support service, which guests can freely access, both informally and on a more formal basis. Meeting the needs of our guests at their level and working with them to support in a way that is most beneficial for their wellbeing. Remote Counselling: The transition away from the continuous medical care or help with everyday tasks can be really overwhelming, especially for Individuals who may find themselves becoming full time carers for the first time or those grieving the loss of a loved one. In these cases, the support we also offer remotely has been invaluable in helping to hold guests during the transition back home, lessening the feeling of loneliness and helping to process, the often overwhelming realisation, of having to get ‘back to normal’. Feedback from users of our counselling service has been that there is a sense of safety in being supported by both the team at Hearts Together and the Hospital. We are really encouraged by what has been achieved and how many people have benefited from this service in a short amount of time. This evidence informs us that this service is not just a ‘nice to have’ it is a ‘must have’ , making such a positive difference to so many peoples lives. Thank you to Livewell Foundation for supporting this service and helping us to support so many individuals through really difficult times. Check out our 2022 impact for this service : Manage Cookie Preferences