Delvin Hospice celebrate three decades and €500,000 raised

Jayde G Forde

The community of Delvin gathered in St Patrick’s Hall on Friday to celebrate a remarkable 30 years of fundraising and care by the Delvin Branch of the North Westmeath Hospice.

The evening began with a Mass read by Delvin Parish Priest Fr Seamus Heaney, accompanied by Delvin and Killulagh Church Choir, and continued with a social gathering in the hall, where the committee, volunteers and supporters reflected on three decades of volunteering and fundraising over refreshments and baked goods supplied by the committee and friends.

The Delvin branch of the North Westmeath Hospice was established in 1995, part of a wider voluntary movement of providing specialist palliative care services across Westmeath. The aim of the hospice is to provide comfort and care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and conditions, while offering support to their families and carers.

From the start in 1995, the branch was supported by the goodwill and hard work from the volunteers, families and local organisations who gave their time and talent to the hospice and those in need.

“We started in 1995 because Westmeath was the last county in Ireland to have a hospice home care service. In Delvin, we had seen evidence of people who couldn’t avail of the service, it really inspired us to go and do something about it,” said Mary Cully, one of the original Delvin Hospice Committee members.

When the committee was first put together, there were five committee members: Mary Cully, Alice Reilly, Angela Rice, Pauline Brady and Maura Drum. More than 30 people attended the first general meeting, and some of the original members are still among the 25 members on the current committee.

Patricia McGrath said: “A lot of the committee are here because everybody has experienced loss in some way, and every family has experienced a serious illness, and we all know somebody who have used a hospice service.”

Delvin Hospice has five nurses employed at present and is substantially funded by the North Westmeath Hospice Committee. As part of the palliative care service, the North Westmeath Hospice has two palliative care beds at the St Camillus Nursing Centre in Killucan and two dedicated in-beds at the Ciuín suite in Mullingar Hospital.

Over the 30 years of fundraising in the Delvin branch, the committee have hosted fundraising events such as coffee mornings, raffles, bring-and-buy sales, cake sales, tractor runs, golf classics, furniture auctions, bike runs and community nights, all carrying the same message: no one faces illness or end-of-life alone.

The Delvin Hospice was enthusiastic from the start, starting with small coffee mornings, to people participating in the mini marathon. Mary Cully said: “It got to the stage where we had two buses instead of one, going to Dublin to do the mini marathon.” The total raised since the start in 1995 is €510,788, and the success of the Delvin hospice fundraising is built on the dedication of the committee and volunteers over the years, such as Barney Ivory (chairperson), Patricia McGrath (treasurer), Margaret O’Shaughnessy (secretary) and many others.

Funds raised play a major role in expanding the hospice services in Delvin, and the support means patients have access to specialist palliative care, whether they are at home or in the care of the hospice. The funds also mean reassurance for family members that their loved ones are cared for with dignity and compassion.

In honour of the 30 years, Alison Beattie from The Farm Wardrobe donated T-shirts to the Delvin Hospice Fundraising Committee. (Farm Wardrobe located at Ballin House, Delvin, specialise in agricultural clothing.)

Patricia McGrath said: “We’re so grateful for their generosity and support – local businesses like that make such a difference in our community.”

The cake on the night was made by Lizzy Farrington, and sponsored by an anonymous donor, the cake topper was sponsored by Crafty Things by T and flowers on the night were sponsored by Louise Elliot and Sion Hill.

Director of North Westmeath Hospice, Theresa Collentine, attended the celebration on Friday provided an update on the plan Level 3 hospice for the midlands, to be built at Arden Lane, Tullamore. She Said the HSE have proposed approximately 73 staff for the 20-bed unit.

The members of the Delvin Hospice Fundraising Committee expressed heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined them celebrating 30 years since. “Friday’s Mass and gathering was a special occasion, a time to give thanks, to remember, and to celebrate three decades of kindness, generosity, and community spirit,” said a spokesperson.

• Delvin Branch members: Barney Ivory (Chairperson), Mary Cully, Patricia McGrath, Teresa Feery, Margaret O’Shaughnessy, Angela Rice, Maura Drum, Kay Gaffney, Alice Reilly, Biddy Milligan, Breda McHugh, Dolores Gaffney, Elaine Revington, John Ayres, Kathleen Gilroy, Maeve Murphy, Mary Fox, Pauline Brady, Philomena Melligan, Richard King, Rosie Leonard, Sophie Doyle.

• The next Delvin Hospice fundraising event is a coffee morning on Friday coming, September 26, at Gaffney’s Lounge, Delvin, at 9.30am.