Garden Party 2025
What a lovely afternoon at Great Jackleigh Farm!
Thank you to everyone who came to our fundraising Garden Party. With your generosity we have raised over £1,800. All the proceeds will go to our end of life care service- Axminster Hospice at Home.
Thank you to Mervyn and Jacqui Symes for the invitation to use their garden, our Trustees and volunteers for the afternoon tea and running the stalls, the Windy Bowers for their musical performance and everyone who donated plants, cakes and tombola prizes. Also thank you for the support from local businesses Tesco, Bradfords, Symonds and Sampson and Scott Rowe.
Open Garden 2025
Axe Vale Show 2025
In the middle of a heatwave Axminster Hospital League of Friends went to the Axe Vale Show and won the 'Charity Stand of the Year 2025'. This year we were accompanied by Ian and the 'Dementia Bus'. This gave visitors an idea of what it might be like to have dementia. The bus evoked some strong reactions from people but everyone who went on the bus said it was worth doing. From the Grandson whose Granny had just been diagnosed and carers who might understand a little more about dementia. One visitor said 'Everyone should do this' as she left the bus.
We had some fabulous prizes in our Raffle - congratulations to all the winners!
Open Farm Suday
Over 300 people visited Dennings Down Farm, near Axminster, at the weekend in order to experience their annual open day.
Visitors were treated to long country walks, cows & calves, ewes & lambs, sheep shearing, wool spinning, pumpkin planting, pond dipping, imagining life in the soil, forest school with a campfire and lots more. The League of Friends provided refreshments and magnificent amount of £1200 was raised.
Eyes down for BINGO
It was a full "HOUSE" at Thursday's Bingo!
With eyes down and all looking in, some 90 people enjoyed a fabulous Bingo evening at Cloakham Lawns on Thursday 20th February, hosted by Liz and Steve Goff, in aid of Axminster Hospital League of Friends. Liz and Steve have now run over 30 Bingo nights in aid of charities across the area and have raised in excess of £12,000. This evening brought in their biggest total raised for charity so far of £1,085, and is donated to support Axminster League of Friends Hospice at Home service which is due to be implemented later this year. This service will be funded by the League of Friends to provide palliative support for people in their own homes. Community Nurses from Axminster supported the event and organised the raffle with prizes donated by both themselves and a number of local organisations being - Costa Coffee, Otter Brewery, Complete Meats, Archway Bookshop, Dillies Florist.
The League is extremely grateful to Liz and Steve for their sterling work and to everyone who came alone to support the evening.
Quiz
Axe Vale Show 2024
Open Farm Sunday
What a wonderful day at Dennings Down Farm. Open Farm Sunday was a great success. The weather was kind and the tea and cake was very popular. The money we raised will go towards paying for a new Axminster Hospice at Home service.
Photo courtesy of Suzie McFadzean.
Exeter Male Voice Choir
Annual Open Meeting May 2024
Our invited guest speaker was Ned Brown, General Manager Community Care Group, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. He explained that Community Care was a priority for the Trust. There was an emphasis on how to support people in their own home and how technology could be used to achieve this. Ned talked about the priorities for community care and a Trust strategy for improving community based care. He stressed that Axminster Hospital is, and will continue to be an important part of this provision.
We were also able to share the news that The League of Friends had reached an agreement with the RDUH NHS Foundation Trust to begin an Axminster Hospice at Home Service. The service will employ dedicated palliative care nurses, supported by our Community Nursing Team to provide care to any patient registered with Axminster Medical Practice with 12 months or less to live.
Saxminster
Annual Open Meeting July 2023
It was standing room only in the Bradshaw Room of the Heritage Centre for our Annual Open Meeting. We enjoyed an interesting presentation from Dr Rachel Wachsmuth, Consultant Dermatologist, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and her colleague Claire Parkinson who provides a dermatology surgery list at Axminster Hospital.
We were also able to share news about our ‘Big Goal’. We are aiming to raise enough money to fund a palliative care and end of life nursing service for the people of Axminster and the surrounding area.
Exeter Male Voice Choir
Open Garden Socks Orchard
On the first weekend in July, Hilary and Michael Pritchard, kindly opened their beautiful garden, Socks Orchard, as part of the National Garden Scheme. Although the weather was a little challenging at times, visitors enjoyed the one acre garden with its specimen trees, over 200 roses, shrubs, dahlias, alpines and succulents. The tea and cake also proved very popular. Our thanks go to Hilary and Michael who kindly donated a little over £2000 to the League of Friends.
