On 13 January 2013 eighteen-year-old Jonathan Whiffin, a young person at Central Baptist Church, Chelmsford, died on 13 January 2002, after suffering many years from a life-limiting illness. He died in a general ward, surrounded by a group of old men, a number of whom were groaning and shouting out. His mother, Denise, was so distressed by the conditions in which he died, that she resolved to found a hospice for young adults, which she subsequently did and it was called the J’s Hospice, after Jonathan, with the aim of helping young adults to live their life to the full, however short. I became a patron of this charity supporting young adults with life limiting conditions. On Saturday 12 October 2013 I dyed my hair blue to raise funds for the J’s hospice. I shall never forget how amazed the Sunday School children were to see their minister with blue hair! It proved quite a talking point.
Now in 2024 I have decided to dye my hair shocking pink to raise funds . This time it is for Farleigh Hospice, the hospice for adults in Chelmsford. I am doing so partly in memory of my friend Caroline Stringer, who after receiving care from Farleigh died on the 8 December 2023. I conducted her funeral on 15 January 2024. Now along with other members of my Rotary Club, of which Caroline’s husband, Tony, is our president, I am raising money for Farleigh Hospice, which interestingly was founded by another member at Central Baptist Church. Glenda Lance was had been so distressed by the death of her friend Audrey Appleton, that she was determined that there should be a hospice in Chelmsford. This she did in 1982.
Farleigh is one of 200 hospices across the UK, who in total care for about 300,000 people each year. Although Farleigh is not the largest hospice in the country, it is still a very busy hospice. In the past year some 207 people were cared for in their specialist inpatient unit. However, the vast majority of people, over 90% indeed, are cared for in their homes. Last year 1,570 were cared for at home, with the hospice at home staff making 14, 424 visits. In addition 355 physio and occupational therapy sessions were provided. As for counselling and pastoral services, 777 adults were referred to ‘The Circle’ adult bereavement service; 285 adults received specialist counselling; 225 bereaved young people between the ages of 4 to 18 years old, were referred to their ‘Yo-Yo’ service; and 411 people were supported by their spiritual care team which includes a Christian chaplain.
Such care does not come cheap. It costs over £21,271 a day (over £7.7 million a year) for Farleigh to provide their serves. Although Farleigh is now part-funded by the National Health Service, it still very much needs the support of people in Chelmsford and beyond to help raise vital funds to continue providing care completely free of charge to those who need after care. It is in this context that I am will be dyeing my hair. I have written to my neighbours, to my Cathedral fellowship group and to other friends in the Cathedral. I have also written to former members of Central Baptist Church, who remember the occasion when I dyed my hair blue. In addition I have written to many other friends who live in Chelmsford, almost all of whom either live in Chelmsford or have connections with Chelmsford. In total these I have written to several hundred people. Now through this ‘Church Matters’ blog which will come out on Thursday 10th October I am reaching out to my many readers, who are spread throughout the English-speaking world, I am reaching out to a much wider audience, in the hope that some of you might wish to sponsor me, and help me raise even more money.
So what precisely am I going to do through this somewhat bizarre stunt of an eighty-year-old man who still has a decent head of hair, dyeing his hair pink? On Saturday 19 October 2024 I will turn up to a performance by the well-known Christian theatre company Riding Lights theatre which will be performing that evening at Chelmsford Cathedral at which people from other churches or none will be present. Then on the following morning, as usual I shall attend the 9.30 morning service at the Cathedral, when the Dean will point to me and encourage people to sponsor me.
So, if you would like to support me, then to my JustGiving page. The good thing about a JustGiving site is that in the UK taxpayers are able to add whatever they might have been taxed. When I first set up my JustGiving page, I thought I would aim to raise £1,500. However, I quickly realised that if I really worked hard in contacting my friends to tell them about what I proposed to do, I could raise substantially more. From gifts and promises already made, I have received just under £3,000. I am hopeful that I will raise £4,000 and maybe even more and will be directing my many friends to my Justgiving page.