Words by Smiley Team
A hospice which launched a virtual cafe to connect people and beat isolation during the pandemic has been praised as a ‘ray of sunshine’.
Many of the people who relied on Treetops Hospice for care and support before the Covid-19 crisis were asked to shield, and found themselves battling isolation and loneliness as well as their ongoing health conditions.
But the introduction of a Virtual Wellbeing Cafe, connecting hospice users for a cup of tea and piece of cake online via a video call, proved to be a huge success.
The weekly drop-in, for those with life-limiting conditions and those who’ve been bereaved, became a vital source of companionship for many of the regulars, including Helen van Bueren, 74.
Helen was introduced to the hospice, which serves communities in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, as a singer when she performed there with her choir. But when in 2014 she became seriously ill with leukaemia and lupus, and both her husband and best friend died unexpectedly, she turned to them for support.
When the pandemic hit Helen began to shield, and all the community groups and activities she was part of suddenly stopped.
Helen said: “I used to have something to do every day of the week and cram a lot in. The pandemic stripped me of everything.
“I like my own company but since the lockdown, I’ve hardly seen anyone for over a year. My conversations were limited to a checkout worker once a fortnight.”
Helen began to attend the Treetops Virtual Wellbeing Cafe every Thursday morning, and found her mental health and wellbeing improved considerably. She said: “The café has been a ray of sunshine for me. You can forget about all your troubles and afterwards I feel so much better. It gives me contact with others that I wouldn’t have otherwise and I feel very lucky.
“The atmosphere is so kind and welcoming. Everyone is very open, friendly and caring. Nothing is too much trouble. You don’t have to explain about your condition and health. It’s such a nice feeling.
“More people should know about Treetops and their care. There’s nothing like this anywhere else. It’s a very special organisation.”
As restrictions are lifted Treetops also hopes to reopen its Wellbeing Café on site, on an appointment-only basis.
Treetops costs £4.2 million a year to run, and provides all services free of charge. To find out more visit their website or follow them on Twitter.
