Colten Care's 25 Years of Support for Oakhaven Hospice

Colten Care's support over 25 years has generated £325,000 for Oakhaven

Colten Care’s founding members, John Colwell and Adrian Otten, established a strong partnership with Oakhaven Hospice over two and a half decades ago. Since then, Colten Care has contributed over £325,000 to support the provision of complementary therapies.

In addition to sponsorship and fundraising, the Colten team volunteers at Oakhaven’s Family Fun Day each June and participates in the annual Oakhaven Golf Day.

Colten Care’s support has enabled Oakhaven to offer complementary therapy to hospice patients, free of charge. Complementary therapies are gentle non-invasive treatments which complement traditional medical treatments, helping to improve emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Treatments offered at Oakhaven may include aromatherapy, reflexology, massage, reiki, and Indian head massage.

The Oakhaven Complementary Therapy team comprises two employed staff members and eleven volunteers, who are trained to provide relaxing hand and foot massages. The team supports patients as outpatients, at home, and in the Inpatient Unit. The Comp Therapy Coordinator also organises several well-being workshops at the Coates Centre, such as “Managing Insomnia,” “Stress Management for Wellbeing,” and “Learning a Hand Massage.”

Elaine Farrer, Chief Operating Officer of Colten Care, visited Oakhaven in late August to receive an update on the complementary therapy and to observe firsthand the ongoing refurbishment of the hospice’s Inpatient Unit.

Andrew Ryde, Chief Executive of Oakhaven, expressed, “We were delighted to welcome Elaine during her visit to Oakhaven. Colten Care has made a substantial impact on Oakhaven Hospice over the past two and a half decades, facilitating the commencement and ongoing implementation of our Complementary Therapy offering.

This offering significantly enhances our holistic approach, enabling us to prioritise wellbeing, relaxation, and independence by providing a diverse range of therapies and treatments that are meticulously tailored to each patient’s unique needs. We extend our sincere gratitude to Colten Care for your unwavering generosity over the past two and a half decades.”