PRESS RELEASE - Mobile Lymphoedema Clinic in Dorset continues operating, thanks to Walk the Walk

Posted on July 23, 2021

Breast cancer charity Walk the Walk grants £21,000 to Lewis-Manning Hospice Care

Mobile Lymphoedema Clinic in Dorset continues operating, thanks to breast cancer charity Walk the Walk

Lewis-Manning Hospice Care is the latest charity working on the frontline to be awarded an Emergency Covid Grant by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk.

Earlier in the year, Lewis-Manning Hospice Care launched a new Mobile Clinic to support and treat cancer patients in Dorset with lymphoedema. This is a painful side effect of a patient’s cancer treatment, which occurs when the body’s drainage system doesn’t work properly. It can often lead to severe swelling in the arms, legs, feet and other parts of the body, causing mobility problems, acute pain and potentially infections.

The mobile clinic is part of the hospice’s plan to bring its services closer to people’s homes, a particularly important issue for vulnerable cancer patients during the pandemic. A £21,000 grant from Walk the Walk has meant that the mobile clinic will be able to continue for a further three months, until the end of August 2021. Support has also been shown by AFC Bournemouth, who have allocated space for the unit to park up each week in the car park at the Vitality Stadium.

Clare Gallie, Chief Executive of Lewis-Manning Hospice Care said:

“We are delighted with this support from ‘Walk the Walk’. The pilot has been a great success for Lymphoedema patients over the last 2 months, bringing treatment and services closer to home and giving patients the ability to get to their appointments more easily and receive their vital treatment in a relaxed and stress-free environment. The extended pilot will allow us to support even more people closer to their homes.

“The clinic is open every Thursday from 9am to 5.30pm at AFC Bournemouth car park at Kings Park in Boscombe, with plenty of free parking for patients, meaning local people do not have to deal with the stress and costs of travelling to the hospice which is based in Poole.

“We also offer huge thanks to the football club for their generous support in hosting the mobile clinic, it makes a real difference to the lives of our patients and their ability to access our services with ease.”

Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk said:

“We are delighted that our grant awarded to Lewis-Manning Hospice Care will allow them to run an extended pilot study on their mobile Lymphoedema Support Unit for June through to August. During these very uncertain and worrying times, this charity’s role in providing support “Close to Home” for cancer patients in Dorset is absolutely crucial – lymphoedema can be one of the most painful side effects of cancer treatment. Grants like these are very exciting news for Walk the Walk’s wonderful fundraisers, who have continued taking part in virtual walking events throughout the pandemic. Thanks to these fantastic people, we can continue helping to make a difference where we can, and where it is needed most”.

Amy Marks, Partnerships Manager at AFC Bournemouth said:

“We are so pleased to have the mobile unit on our site as we had heard about the fantastic services that the hospice is bringing out in the community to patients, it’s a real pleasure to host every week.”

To find out more about Walk the Walk and to sign up for Virtual Challenge, go to www.walkthewalk.org

Download free to use images here (zip file)

IMAGE DETAILS

Image 1 (feature image above) Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s Mobile Lymphoedema Clinic parked at AFC Bournemouth. Left to right: Esmarie Jones and Maria Wyatt (both Lewis-Manning Hospice Care), Jennifer Broh (Walk the Walk), Amy Marks and Kyle Taylor (both AFC Bournemouth), Linda Sjollema (LMHC), Zeno Ibsen Rossi (AFC Bournemouth), Clare Gallie (LMHC), Jimmy Glass (AFC Bournemouth)
Image 2 Left to right: Amy Marks (AFC Bournemouth), Jennifer Broh (Walk the Walk), Esmarie Jones and Clare Gallie (both Lewis-Manning Hospice Care)
Image 3 Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s Mobile Lymphoedema Clinic parked at AFC Bournemouth
Image 4 Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s Mobile Lymphoedema Clinic parked at AFC Bournemouth.
Image 5 Left to right Clare Gallie (Lewis-Manning Hospice Care) and Jennifer Broh
Image 6 Left to right, Lewis-Manning Hospice Care nurses Linda Sjollema and Esmarie Jones
Image 7 Left to right Linda Sjollema (Lewis-Manning Hospice Care), Jennifer Broh (Walk the Walk), Clare Gallie (LMHC), Amy Marks (AFC Bournemouth), Esmarie Jones (LMHC)

For more information contact:

Jennifer Broh: 07974 107999 [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

Walk the Walk

Walk the Walk is a grant-making health charity, specialising in promoting the benefits of Walking as an important part of cancer prevention as well as for overall mental health and physical wellbeing
Walk the Walk raises funds by creating and organising a variety of walking and trekking challenges across the world
HRH The Prince of Wales is the official Patron of Walk the Walk
During the restrictions placed on events due to Covid-19 Walk the Walk has been forced to look at creating alternative and exciting Virtual events in order to keep people walking and healthy, as well as raising vital funds. This includes the first Virtual MoonWalk London and Virtual MoonWalk Scotland
The MoonWalk is Walk the Walk’s flagship event, held in London, Scotland and Iceland, with women and men taking on their overnight walking challenges wearing brightly decorated bras to raise awareness.
Walk the Walk has raised more than £134 million since it walked its first challenge in 1996
The funds raised are granted to charities and organisations across the UK where it can achieve the most good, as well as funding Walk the Walk’s own projects.
Evidence now shows that being active and lifestyle choices are important factors in prevention against cancer and other diseases.
At this time funds are granted to research into secondary cancers and to also support frontline services and the impact that Covid-19 has had on those living with cancer
Visit walkthewalk.org for updates about all Walk the Walk’s virtual fundraising events and to make a donation.

Lewis-Manning Hospice Care

Lewis-Manning Hospice Care is a charity established 29 years ago, providing extraordinary care to patients and their families facing a life-limiting illness across Poole, Purbeck and East Dorset. The charity offers a range of free hospice care services aimed at helping people to live well through their illness, closer to home.

These include:

Day hospices, virtual and in person
Creative arts and wellbeing support
Lymphoedema clinic for cancer patients
Better breathing clinic
Bereavement and family support

Every year Lewis-Manning Hospice Care supports nearly 500 local people and develops new services, based on patient need and identified gaps in the area.

To do this, Lewis-Manning Hospice Care needs to raise over £1.6m every year. Without these funds the charity could not exist.

The charity’s important work increases people’s physical and social well-being, reduces isolation and loneliness, supports people to stay in their homes longer, and alleviates the huge pressures on family and carers.