KEMP Hospice in Kidderminster is looking for more people,both lay and ordained, to join their chaplaincy team. The hospice is alsocurrently recruiting for a Spiritual Care Co-ordinator to head up the team.
The hospice was started in 1969 by a prayer group inWolverley and KEMPs name came about as an acronym which originally stood for KidderminsterEcumenical Mission Project.It is a dayhospice, seeing between 14 16 patients each day, but also supports many morepeople through its family bereavement support service, which can be accessed byanyone in Wyre Forest. Day Hospice Team Leader, Pip Nicholson said: We arelike a family here at the hospice. It can be quite a fearful time for peoplewho come to us, but KEMP not a sad place its a place of peace and sanctuarywhere there is hope, love, support and laughter.
The chaplaincy team is a key part of hospice life, attendingmorning meetings and supporting the spiritual care needs of both the patients andstaff, regardless of their faith. Its part of our initial assessment to findout what makes our patients smile and brings joy to their life, continued Pip.We want to ensure prayer and spirituality are right at the heart of thehospice.
Karen Coles, Head of Care at KEMP, said: We are a strongteam of staff and volunteers here and we welcome anyone who wants to come andwork with us, whatever time commitment they can give. They just need to comewith an open heart and open eyes, embracing all faiths and none as well as arange of cultures. Were looking forward to having new volunteers who willbring new ideas and who will help people when they are at their mostvulnerable, a time when they start to question everything.
The Revd Alex Vaccaro is Associate Chaplain at the hospice.She said: We have lots of different activities for the patients here werecelebrating harvest and National Hospice Week at the moment and other themedweeks include the seaside and the circus. Chatting over the craft activitiescan often stimulate interesting conversations. Patients feel safe at thehospice and will ask questions they might be frightened to ask anywhere else.Theres also a place for traditional chaplaincy lighting candles and sayingprayers with patients. When someone dies we always hold an act of remembrancefor the staff, volunteers and other patients, providing spiritual care for thewhole hospice family.
Anyone interested in volunteering as a Chaplain isencouraged to contact the hospice to arrange an informal chat with Alex.Details of the Spiritual Co-ordinator post are available on the Hospice website.
