Connaught Freemasons Visit Dorothy House Hospice

In the morning of Saturday 25 July, accompanied by Rich Gilson, Pete Kuzemka, Dave
Sherborne and Matt Burt along with his young daughter Delilah-Rose, I visited the Dorothy
House Hospice at Winsley to present our cheque for £500, that was complimented by a
further £250 from the Province of Somerset’s Masonic Charity Relief Chest, in support of
their 50 th Anniversary Appeal. And in that fifty years they have cared for more than 75,000
people, both young and old.

Prior to the cheque presentation we were given a very comprehensive tour of the hospice by
Community Fundraiser, Katherine Bowhay. I’m sure we all know what a hospice does but
never having visited one before I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I have to say I was
blown away. Not only by the exceptionally high standard of the décor considering the age of
most of the buildings, but also the extensive range of facilities available for patients and their
families, and daft though it may seem, the place felt quite cheerful and uplifting. And I know
from comments made, the rest of us felt the same. The immaculate extensive gardens with
features such a fireflies that automatically light up at dusk and the tulip garden that hardly
ever sees a tulip because as soon as they bloom the local deer feast on them, and the
interactive nature trail, are just as impressive as the interior of the buildings. Everything is a
testament to their army of volunteers.

One interesting point though is that now 95% of their work is carried out in the community
with only a small number of beds actually in the hospice itself, and our £750 funds four home
shifts delivered by skilled hospice staff. It doesn’t sound a lot in itself but as Katherine said, it
costs £19 million per year to run all the services of which £15 million is raised by the support
of the local community, so every donation whatever the size is always gratefully received. As
part of their fundraising ventures there is a calendar of events running throughout the year,
including their Autumn Lightshow that we were told should be well worth seeing.

If interested to know more about the hospice, or wanting to assist in any way, go to their
website: dorothyhouse.org.uk.
Overall, a most enlightening morning for us all.
Chris James, Worshipful Master & Charity Steward