Annual Nelson Tasman Hospice Trees of Remembrance Fundraiser Begins This Week – A Time For Reflection

Just in time for Christmas, Trees of Remembrance are popping up around Nelson Tasman again.
As the hectic festive season rushes towards us, these trees offer an opportunity to support Nelson Tasman Hospice and to also take time to remember and honour a loved one who is no longer there to share Christmas with family and friends.

Trees of Remembrance are already proudly on display at Farmers stores in Nelson and Richmond and will remain in place until Christmas Eve. People can support the Hospice by donating or by purchasing a specially designed hand painted bauble for just $10. Although this is part of a national hospice fundraising campaign for Farmers, all funds raised locally, stay locally.

In addition to Farmers stores, Nelson Tasman Hospice also has community trees at New World Stoke & Nelson, Richmond Mall, Mapua Wharf and at House of Travel Motueka from the 2nd – 9th of December.

A huge number of volunteers help with the community trees, including individuals and members of service organisations & businesses such as Lions Club Richmond, Whakatu Maori Womens’ Welfare league, Hamish Fletcher Lawyers & Network Tasman.

The Trees of Remembrance campaign is an important fundraiser for Hospice, and also gives many people a chance to write their own special personal message in memory of a loved one. When the trees come down, all the cards are carefully gathered, blessed in a small ceremony and cremated, with the ashes spread on Hospice grounds.

Nelson Tasman Hospice provides free specialist palliative care services for people of all ages with all life-limiting illnesses, supporting them, their whānau, through illness, death, and bereavement. Their services are available throughout the Nelson Tasman region and are provided in the home, in aged-care facilities, in hospitals, and in the purpose-built Specialist Palliative Care in-patient unit (SPCU) in Stoke. Nelson Tasman Hospice are funded to approximately 52% of their operational costs by Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough, leaving around $3.5M a year (or around $9,600 a day) to be raised by the community.

Employing a team of around 60 clinical colleagues, Nelson Tasman Hospice provides care for around 240 people each month with life-limiting illnesses supporting them and their whānau. This interdisciplinary team includes Doctors, Registered Nurses and Allied Health professionals including Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, Social Work, Physiotherapy, Pastoral Care and Bereavement support and business support colleagues. In a rural context this care is provided in collaboration with District Nurses. The Nelson Tasman Hospice team works collaboratively with these teams and their patients providing clinical oversight, direct specialist care, specialist equipment in homes and professional development.

As part of the service, Nelson Tasman Hospice provides free specialist equipment into the homes of hospice patients, when needed, to support them and their carer/s. Palliative Care Education is also on offer, where educators offer a wide range of education for health professionals, community health workers, carer/s and groups increasing their knowledge on palliative care for the benefit of our community.

Nelson Tasman Hospice is a Charitable Trust whose work touches many individuals, whānau and organisations throughout the Nelson Tasman community.

Keep an eye out for the Trees of Remembrance in the lead up to Christmas this year and take a moment to remember a loved one.

Trees will be in the following locations.

LOCATION STORE DATES (incl)

Nelson Farmers 17th Nov – 24th Dec
Nelson New World 2nd – 9th Dec
Richmond Farmers 17th Nov – 24th Dec
Richmond Richmond Mall 2nd – 9th Dec
Stoke New World 2nd – 9th Dec
Motueka House of Travel 2nd – 9th Dec
Mapua Mapua Wharf 2nd – 9th Dec