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The Cicely Saunders Society is open to all keen to be a part of a global community to better understand our founder’s work in its historical context as well as its relevance to the care of the dying today and in the future.
Part of the Connect with CARE series
The little book Watch with Me was described by Dr Robert Twycross at Cicely’s memorial service, as her ‘autobiography’. Five short pieces written over as many decades take us through Cicely’s preoccupations with the care of the dying and the importance of belief in guiding her ideas and practice.
Professor David Clark will explain how the book came to be published in 2003 and then we will hear from some of those who have been responsible for translating Watch with Me into no less than seven languages (to include: Professors Carlos Centeno and Augusto Caraceni; Drs Isabel Neto, Irena Švab Kavčič, Franklin Santana Santos and Martina Holder; Rev Bente Bramming).
Join us to discuss together Cicely’s famous BBC radio broadcast of January 1994 in which she selects eight pieces of music she would choose to have on a desert island, along with one book and one luxury. In conversation with presenter Sue Lawley, Cicely explains her varied choices and the stories behind them.
Facilitated by music therapist and hospice Chief Executive, Nigel Hartley, we will then share our thoughts on the music and what it reveals about Cicely’s life and work. Participants in the event will need to listen in advance to the original broadcast of about 30 minutes, which can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0093qyn
‘David’ Tasma is foundational to Cicely’s dedication to the care of the dying and to the story of St Christopher’s. First encountered by Cicely in 1948, when she was working as a hospital almoner, the Polish emigre ‘David’ was to die only months later in the London Hospital, feeling his life had been a failure.
In the intense weeks before his death they spoke deeply about faith, love and new possibilities for care at the end of life, leaving Cicely with an intense feeling of loss, but also some memorable phrases that she frequently used thereafter as well as an abiding interest in Poland. Professor David Clark pieces together the story of how ‘David’ came to be in London and what we know about his life.
For everybody with an interest in Cicely, her life’s work and increasing good end of life care around the Globe and any health and social care professional working in palliative and end of life care
Webinar presenters:
Heather Richardson works as one of the Joint Chief Executives of St Christopher’s Hospice, London. She has previously held the role of National Clinical Lead for Hospice UK, and worked as Clinical Director, then Strategy Advisor to St. Joseph’s Hospice in east London prior to her move to St Christopher’s.
Heather is a registered general and mental health nurse and has worked in hospice/palliative care since 1988. She has a PhD, her research concerned with users’ experience of day hospice. More recently, she has developed a research interest around public health and end of life care. She currently serves as an honorary professor in palliative care at Lancaster University.
In the past, she has received the International Palliative Nurse of the Year award issued by the International Journal of Palliative Nursing and other awards related to her role in innovation in healthcare.
Andrew Goodhead joined St Christopher’s as Chaplain in January 2005, completing his doctoral research in 2007. He is a Methodist Minister with 14 years Church based experience gained in several localities throughout the UK, both urban and rural. In his role at St Christopher’s Andrew is concerned to ensure that all End of Life Care professionals have the skills and confidence to offer spiritual assessment and ongoing support to all patients and their families.
He has a particular interest in the concept of spiritual pain as a way of understanding spiritual need. For patients with faith needs Andrew is developing the pastoral and religious role of the Spiritual Care Lead. Andrew graduated in 2014 with the King’s College, London, MSc in Palliative Care. His dissertation explored the experiences and attitudes of community clergy in caring for dying people.
He is currently on a secondment at St Christopher’s to the Patient and Family Services Department as Deputy Manager.
If you have any questions about this or any of our other courses, please contact the Education team who will be happy to help
At St Christopher's, a registered charity, it is important for us to maximise any surpluses to reinvest in the objectives of the charity.
Unfortunately, the manner in which we undertake our training currently means we are not able to invest as much of our surplus as possible, therefore from the 1 December 2017, St Christopher’s Education Centre will charge VAT at the standard rate on our training courses, the reason for this change in pricing is twofold:
i) We want to be able to reinvest any surpluses made from training back into all of our charitable objectives rather than only Education
ii) We want to be able to reclaim the VAT on costs relating to developing and running the training courses