Popular South Tipperary Hospice Movement fundraiser returns

A popular fundraiser for the South Tipperary Hospice Movement is to make a welcome return.
The annual concert was always a feature on the social calendar prior to COVID-19 and is now making a return.

A Movies & Musicals show will take place on Friday, November 1 at Hotel Minella which has staged some memorable concerts for the Hospice over the years.

The concert will feature the Clonmel Concert Band with special guests Andrea Ruth, Emmet Donlan and Sinead O’Donovan and the compere will be Niall Carroll from Lyric FM.

“It has always been a very good night's entertainment and very well supported and we are delighted the concert fundraiser is making a return,” said STHM board chairman Sean O’Donovan.
The chairman explained that the fundraiser was always a very important event to raise awareness about the important work being carried out in supporting so many families throughout south Tipperary and generating funds to maintain and develop those services.

“As a board and staff we want to ensure STHM is able to provide families that are coping with serious illness with the best practical help we can give,” said the chairman.

Sean O’Donovan explained that the remit of the STHM has been broadened to allow the organisation support families that are dealing with end of life palliative care for cancer and other conditions but also for families dealing with a serious illness.
“We are now not only a group that supports families with palliative care concerns but we can now offer support much earlier when serious illness strikes and we can be there to give support during that health journey at a much earlier stage,” said Sean O’Donovan.

The STHM provides support to families by providing carers to go into homes to assist nurses, the group organises drivers to bring people to appointments for care, offer a professional counselling and bereavement service and provides complimentary therapies.

The STHM is providing financial assistance to two level two palliative care projects in Tipperary Town and Clonmel.
A unit in Cluain Aran in Tipperary with two level two palliative care beds are being upgraded at the moment and STHM is providing financial support and backing the project.

The group is also providing financial support for the provision of three level two palliative care beds at St Anthony’s in Clonmel.

The STHM is also exploring new initiatives to support families.
This includes looking at ways in which music therapy can be integrated into the suite of services supported by STHM.
At the moment the group are talking to well-known tenor Joe Roche on how music therapies could be introduced and how they could best benefit people who are coping with serious illness.

The STHM is also about to build on the professional counselling and bereavement service that is already in place.
At the moment there is one councillor providing this service for the STHM and a second councillor will be on board in the next few weeks to cope with the demand that is out there for such a vital service.
The STHM board and staff are also availing of the expertise of Dr Aine Ni Laoire, Consultant in Palliative Care Medicine and the nursing palliative team, who have been providing a crucial service for over three decades, in their desire to develop existing services and introduce new ones to support families.

“A number of meetings have already taken place with Dr Ni Laoire and the nursing palliative care team and the STHM are delighted that they are guiding us in providing the best possible support to families.
The people having to cope with serious illness and their families are our number one priority and we want to do all we can to offer our support through the generosity of so many communities throughout south Tipperary,” said STHM Chairman Sean O’Donovan.

Tickets for the show are €25 and are available at the STHM office on The Quay in Clonmel, Eldon's and at Hotel Minella. They are also available on the gr8events website.