Choosing to Support Garden House Hospice: A Journey of Appreciation
It’s been almost a year since I chose to work with Garden House Hospice Care in Letchworth, and it’s been an incredibly meaningful journey. After my first visit to the hospice, I was deeply moved by the warmth, dedication, and compassion of the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to provide comfort and care. It struck me that while my keepsake work could help raise much-needed funds, I also wanted to find a way to directly recognise the hard work, love, and commitment that the staff pour into their roles every day. That’s where the idea for the ‘Nominate a Hospice Hero’ campaign was born—a way to not just support the hospice financially, but to truly celebrate the people who make such a difference behind the scenes. It has been an honour to collaborate with them and to highlight these incredible individuals through this campaign.
During this blog I wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look at the journey of creating this amazing campaign as it has been a true passion project for me— as any solo business owner knows, bringing a campaign to life involves a lot of planning, creativity, and a fair bit of elbow grease! Baring in mind this is also on top of my actual task of creating those precious keepsakes from your sentimental items of clothing.
So, let me take you through the process step-by-step and show you the work that went into making this campaign a reality.
The Seed of an Idea: Where It All Began
It all started with a simple idea. I’ve always been in awe of the incredible work being done by those at Garden House Hospice Care—whether they worked on the medical team, maintaining the grounds or cleaning the hospice I wanted to create something that would allow our community to recognise these wonderful individuals. After many cups of tea and plenty of brainstorming, I settled on the idea of running a community-driven campaign where people could nominate their very own Hospice Heroes—those remarkable people who make a genuine difference in the lives of patients and their families.
Once the idea was in place, it was time to roll up my sleeves and get down to business!
Getting Organised: Turning the Vision into a Plan
With the idea firmly in mind and speaking with my contacts at the hospice to get the go ahead (needless to say they were as excited as I was to see his campaign come to life), the next step was to figure out exactly how this campaign would run. As a one-woman band, it was important to keep things streamlined and manageable, so I sat down to map out a clear plan. I had to think about every detail, from the campaign’s duration and nomination process to how I would manage the influx of nominations (a good problem to have, I hoped!).
Here’s a peek at what I focused on:
Campaign Timeline: I decided on a month-long campaign to allow plenty of time for nominations and to keep the excitement alive!
Nomination Criteria: I drafted some straightforward guidelines to help people know who to nominate and what sort of stories we were looking for—heartfelt, genuine, and impactful.
Recognition for the Heroes: I wanted to make sure our Hospice Heroes would feel truly celebrated, so I planned to create a special keepsake bear to be presented that had been carefully crafted from an item of uniform, (I of course had to put my skills to good use).
Building the Hub: Creating a Nominations Webpage
Once the planning was sorted, it was time to bring the campaign online. I knew I needed a dedicated webpage where people could easily nominate their Hospice Heroes. So, I put my web-building hat on and got to work designing a page that was not only easy to use but also inviting and clear.
The page included all the key information—how to nominate, what the timeline looked like, and answers to any questions people might have. I kept the nomination form simple and straightforward, making sure it would only take a few minutes to fill out while still allowing people to share those all-important stories in their own words.
Spreading the Word: Marketing on a budget
Once the webpage was up and running, the next challenge was getting the word out there. As a solopreneur, I rely heavily on social media to reach my audience, so I set to work creating a series of engaging posts and stories to promote the campaign. I wanted each post to capture the essence of the campaign—uplifting, inclusive, and community-focused.
From crafting eye-catching graphics to writing heartfelt captions, I poured a lot of effort into creating content that would resonate with people. I of course had the support from Garden House Hospice to help reach more of their supporters, staff and volunteers.
Tapping into Local Media: Getting Some Press Coverage
Knowing that local press coverage could really help amplify the campaign, I set about reaching out to local newspapers, radio stations, and community websites. I spent a fair bit of time crafting press releases and personal pitches, and I’m pleased to say that my efforts paid off! When our local newspaper The Comet shared my story helping me to reach out to the wider community who maybe wasn’t on social media.
The press coverage not only helped spread the word but also gave the campaign an extra bit of credibility. It’s amazing what a bit of local support can do!
The Outcome: A Heartfelt Celebration of Heroes
As the campaign went live, I was overwhelmed by the incredible response. Nominations came pouring in, each one filled with touching stories of kindness, compassion, and dedication. Reading through these nominations has been a deeply moving experience—it’s a reminder of the incredible impact that hospice care can have on people’s lives.
Now, I’m gearing up for the next stage: carefully reviewing the nominations and getting ready to announce that all important Hospice Hero!
The Joy of Recognition: Presenting the Keepsake Bear
One of the most rewarding moments of the entire campaign was the day I got to present our Hospice Hero with their keepsake bear in front of a crowd of 50 people at the Hospice’s local community hub. This special place is more than just a venue; it’s where individuals come together to share company and combat loneliness, making it the perfect setting to celebrate a hero who has given so much to others. The excitement in the room was palpable, and it felt incredible to honour this amazing person in front of so many members of the community. Seeing the look of surprise and joy on their face as they were crowned our Hospice Hero was truly heart-warming. The keepsake bear, created to commemorate their selfless dedication, was a small token of the community’s appreciation but it also symbolised so much more—the love, compassion, and countless acts of kindness that make a real difference in people's lives. It was a deeply emotional moment, one that I’ll never forget, and a beautiful reminder of why I’m so passionate about doing what I do.
Jeannette Farrow was crowned our Hospice Hero on Friday 13th Septemeber 2024. If you'd like to see her reaction when she found out watch it on TikTok . Jeanette has been working at the hospice since November 2017, her role was to develop the community service to try and combat loneliness and social isolation. Currently the service has 639 active matches which means 639 people are feeling less lonely and/or socially isolated.
One nomination read “Jeanette's warmth, energy and enthusiasm is infectious, and to see the joy she brings to our community members when she pops in to the Wellbeing Hubs is truly heart-warming. Compassionate Neighbours is the huge success that it is because she is part of it. Jeanette is a breath of fresh air, bringing positivity not only to staff and patients but to everyone she encounters”
And to shout about it even more our local press covered the story too, you can read the article featured with The Comet.
With so many more exciting things in the coming months why not follow me on your preferred social media platform whether it be my Facebook community group, Instagram or Tiktok it’s a great way to stay in touch and here all about what i'm getting up to. As well as seeing some of the beautiful keepsakes my customers ask me to create.
If you haven’t already why not subscribe to my newsletter to ensure you don't miss any future posts, and whilst you're here why not have a look at what I have available to offer. I look forward to working with you in the near future and preserving those precious memories for you and your family.
Tracy xx
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