KATHY WRITES…

My involvement with James Hopkins Trust began approximately 12 months after the Trust was founded when I answered an advert in the local paper asking for qualified nurses. At that time the Trust employed their nurses through the British Nursing Association. There was no purpose built building, just a room and an office in Jordan’s Brook House.

I provided respite care for 3 children during the time I worked for the Trust. The first meeting with the family was extremely important. It gave both the family and nurse the opportunity to see if they felt comfortable with each other and could work together in the best interests of the child. As well as general nursing and medical care and respite in the home I was able to take the children out to various activities and accompany parents to medical appointments if necessary. If a child was ill I would provide overnight respite care in the family home to be able to give the parents a well-deserved nights rest.

Everything changed when the new purpose built centre was built with the benefit of all the facilities it had to offer. So much thought and consideration was given to the planning and ongoing provision for the children and families who use the Centre.

One exciting episode for me was being involved in Wales and the West TV filming of ‘A day in the life of a James Hopkins Nurse’ for Children in Need. Not only did they show the nursing aspects they also interviewed a family who were able to explain to the viewers the value of the Trust’s reliability, caring and ongoing support, which, in turn, raised the profile of James Hopkins Trust.

When retirement came along I joined the ranks of the volunteers, continuing to support such a worthy charity, which is unique to Gloucestershire and fulfils the needs of those families whose precious children need specialised care. For me, working with James Hopkins Trust has been an amazing experience, a privilege and a very important part of my life.