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News

Yodare: Talk at Royal Lymington Yacht Club in aid of Oakhaven Hospice

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Circumnavigating the islands of England and Wales...

...in a very tiny dinghy!

On Thursday 8th February, Ken Fowler will be giving a talk at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club about his circumnavigation of every island in England and Wales in an RS Aero dinghy.

Runner-up "Sailor of the Year" in the 2023 British Yachting Awards, winner of the 2018 Old Pulteney Maritime Hero of the Year Award and recent RYA Watersports Show speaker, Ken Fowler, is a local 58-year-old dinghy sailor and recently retired Air Traffic Controller.

Having learnt to sail only fourteen years ago, he and his “bathtub sized” RS Aero named Yoda have been busy raising money for Oakhaven Hospice over the last few years by taking on extreme sailing challenges.

Ken Fowler sailing in a dinghy

Ken will be sharing the story of his attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate all the islands in England and Wales. The talk is full of great onboard film footage and amazing wildlife photos, along with tales about the islands and the adventures that each one brings.

Tickets for the talk are priced at £5 each and can be purchased by emailing jill.west@oakhavenhospice.co.uk or by calling 01590 613039. All proceeds go to Oakhaven Hospice.

Come along and enjoy a sailing adventure tale unlike any other, whilst helping raise funds for Oakhaven Hospice…. welcome to “Yodare”.

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New Year, New Challenge! Register now for the Oakhaven Walk

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The Oakhaven Walk

Looking for a challenge for the New Year?

Join us for The Oakhaven Walk on Saturday 18th May 2024*. Choose to walk one of three distances to Oakhaven Hospice, along beautiful seafront coastal paths: approximately 26 miles from Sandbanks, 14 miles from Mudeford or 8 miles from Barton-on-Sea.

Registration is now open - with Early Bird prices fixed until 31st January...

REGISTER NOW for The Oakhaven Walk
  • 26 miles from Sandbanks to Oakhaven: £18
  • 26 miles from Sandbanks to Oakhaven including coach transfer: £30
  • 14 miles from Mudeford to Oakhaven: £15
  • 8 miles from Barton on Sea to Oakhaven: £12

For children aged under 16 a £5 discount will apply.

Your registration includes a technical T-shirt to wear on the day, snacks and drinks for all distances, lunch for those walking 26 miles, a glass of fizz at the finish line (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and food at the finish line.

We ask that each entrant commits to raising a minimum of £100 in sponsorship or donation for Oakhaven Hospice. Funds raised will help us to continue to provide palliative care and support to patients and their families throughout the New Forest, Totton and Waterside. Our support is provided free of charge, both at the hospice itself and in patients' homes, helping local people at the most difficult of times.

The Oakhaven Walk provides a great way to start 2024, by challenging yourself to complete a fun, scenic experience event whilst supporting a wonderful local cause. We do hope that you'll be able to join us.

Click here for more information about The Oakhaven Walk
* Permissions pending.

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Oakhaven Volunteers Awarded Room to Reward Prizes

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Room to reward award winning Oakhaven volunteers

Special recognition for seven of our volunteers

Seven Oakhaven volunteers have been recognised by the national charity, Room To Reward.

In June, Oakhaven Hospice held the Oakhaven Volunteer Achievement Awards to recognise the contribution of some of our volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their role. The awards were linked to the Oakhaven values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Empathy. There was an additional award for Individual Achievement.

The seven volunteers who received the awards were:

  • Jane Chislett-Bruce and Helena Dickens - Award for Compassion
  • Lyn Poulton - Award for Accountability
  • Alison Proudman - Award for Respect
  • Kirit Adalja - Award for Empathy

Keith Young and Peter Binding were presented with awards for Individual Achievement.

Andrew Ryde, Chief Executive of Oakhaven, said: "In addition to our Oakhaven Volunteer Achievement Awards, we also nominated all seven winners for another award, with Room To Reward - and I'm delighted to announce that all seven have been recognised. Congratulations and thank you for being hidden heroes for Oakhaven."

Room to Reward is a unique volunteer-recognition charity created to say ‘thank you’ to their hidden heroes – inspirational volunteers who give up their time to make a difference to those who need it most. Room to Reward partners with several hotels across the country to offer complimentary one or two-night stays to nominated volunteers.

Many congratulations to Jane, Helena, Lyn, Alison, Kirit, Keith and Peter - and to all our volunteers who make such a difference to Oakhaven.

Our volunteers are simply amazing: they give their time and energy to support Oakhaven, bringing a wealth of experience along with their commitment in wanting to help others and make a difference. We are always looking for new people to join our team - click here to find out more about becoming part of the Oakhaven volunteer family.

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Remember Gift Aid when completing your Self Assessment Tax Return

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Gift Aid is a scheme that enables UK taxpayers to enhance their charity donations.

Every time you say 'yes' to Gift Aid, each tenner you give becomes £12.50 for the charity at no extra cost to you. And if you’re a higher or additional-rate taxpayer you can later claim tax relief (which you could donate too!).

Gift aid form

If you are in the process of completing your Self Assessment Tax Return to meet the 31st January deadline, giving to a charity such as Oakhaven Hospice Trust and supercharging that donation with Gift Aid will make a big difference to the charity - and (depending on your personal tax situation, could benefit you too.

What is Gift Aid - and how does it work?

Gift Aid is a government scheme that lets charities and 'Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) claim tax relief on the donations that you make to them. The idea is that you're usually making donations from your post-tax income. The charity then takes your donation, and – if you've agreed to Gift Aid – claims your basic-rate (20%) tax back from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Gift Aid means that we can claim from HMRC an additional 25p for every £1 you donate, which makes a huge difference in funding our work.

New Forest accountant, Jan Willis of Cloud Eleven Accountants, explains, "Gift Aid provides tax relief for the charity and also for the donor. Under Gift Aid, a charity may claim a tax refund when it receives a donation payment from a taxpayer who is an individual (Gift Aid relief does not apply to donations made by companies). 25p will be refunded for every £1 donated using Gift Aid. The individual donor must have paid sufficient Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in order to cover the grossed-up amount of the donation made, otherwise, they will have to repay HMRC the tax refunded to the charity."
To claim Gift Aid on your donation, a charity needs your name and address, your declaration that you pay tax in the UK of an amount at least equal to the donation you are making (those who pay no tax shouldn't use the Gift Aid scheme), your signature (or a box ticked if it's online) and the date.

Tax relief for the charity

A donation made under Gift Aid is treated as if it has been received by the charity net of basic rate tax. The charity is then able to reclaim the basic rate tax credit.

For example, if an individual taxpayer donates £100, the charity can reclaim an additional £25 (£100 x 20/80) from HMRC.

Tax relief for the donor

A donor who is a basic rate taxpayer will receive no further tax relief as a result of making a donation.
A donor who is a higher and/or additional rate taxpayer will be able to claim tax relief, via their tax return or their tax code, on the difference between the higher/additional rate tax and the basic rate on the grossed-up donation.

For example, an individual taxpayer donates £100 and the charity can reclaim an additional £25, giving a grossed-up donation of £125. Where the taxpayer is a 40% taxpayer, £25 (40%-20% x £125) can be reclaimed, giving a net donation cost of £75. Where the taxpayer is a 45% taxpayer, £31.25 (45%-20% x £125) can be reclaimed giving a net donation of £68.75.

What form of donation qualifies for Gift Aid?

Gift Aid applies to qualifying money donation payments, made by individuals who have made a Gift Aid declaration. Providing certain qualifying conditions are met, payments for subscriptions, memberships or sponsorship may also be Gift Aided.

Gift Aid is restricted where the donor receives a valuable benefit as a consequence of making a donation. The acceptable benefit limits are set out in the Income Tax Act 2007.

Loan repayments and refund waivers may qualify under certain circumstances.

For full information about Gift Aid, go to Gov.UK.

How to donate to Oakhaven Hospice Trust

Only around 11% of our running costs are covered by statutory NHS income. For the remaining 89% we depend on funds raised by our charity shops, by our social enterprise Oakhaven Care Limited and by the generous donations and legacies made by our supporters to help us provide specialist care and support to those who need it in our community.

Your support means that we can provide compassionate care and support to patients and their loved ones throughout the New Forest, Totton and Waterside at a time when they need it most, free of charge. Last year Oakhaven cared for 1,394 patients and their families at the hospice and in homes throughout the area - and around 3,200 people visited our Coates Centre to benefit from wellbeing support.

There are several ways to donate to Oakhaven - online or by cheque to 'The Oakhaven Trust'. Click here to find out more or simply click the donate panel below.

However you choose to get involved, you can feel good knowing you’re making a difference.

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Lymington Town Tours raises £1,000 for Oakhaven Hospice

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Lymington Town Tours presents a cheque for £1,000

Many thanks to Lymington Town Tours for a generous donation!

Our thanks to the Lymington Town Tours team, whose volunteer group has presented a cheque for £1,000 to Oakhaven Hospice. The funds have been raised from donations made during their guided history walks, which run from May to October each year. Micheal Lee and a group of ladies from Dorset Women's Institute presented the cheque to Jeremy Payne, Trustee of Oakhaven Hospice.

From one short walk in 1986, Lymington Town Tours now offers a repertoire of eleven guided walks in Lymington and Milford on Sea. Each leisurely walk is run by a volunteer and provides a fascinating insight into different aspects of life in and around the town.

From the Iron Age to the Normal Conquest to modern times, each walk will tell you about the town’s history, buildings and people. Where is Donkey Cottage? What is a crinkle crankle wall? Who exactly was JH and why do his initials appear in the Angel Hotel yard? Find out more about Lymington Town Tours at lymington-town-tours.co.uk - there’s no need to book, just turn up at the start, find the guide and walk!

Lymington Town Tours also offers private walks throughout the year and has a series of illustrated ‘armchair walks’ which can be booked for private functions and meetings.

The funds raised will help Oakhaven Hospice support local people throughout the New Forest, Totton and Waterside areas at the most difficult of times. As well as caring for patients in the Inpatient Unit and at the Day Hospice, Oakhaven helps patients with life-limiting illnesses in their own homes - around 300 at any time. Last year, Oakhaven cared for 1,394 patients and their families and loved ones, with around 3,200 visiting the Coates Centre to benefit from wellbeing support.

Only 11% of Oakhaven Hospice’s running costs are covered by statutory (NHS) funding. The remaining 89% is raised by donations, gifts in Wills, Oakhaven’s charity shops, the social enterprise Oakhaven Care Ltd and by fundraising events and activities. To make a donation, please visit oakhavenhospice.co.uk/how-to-donate

Lymington Town Tours in front of Lymington Town Station

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Oakhaven Santas Brighten A Soggy Sunday

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Oakhaven Santa Dash start 2023

Santa and Festive Friends Fun Run around Lymington

On Sunday 3rd December 2023, nearly 900 people dressed up to take part in the ‘Santa and Festive Friends Fun Run’ organised by Oakhaven Hospice.

The 3km ‘Santa dash’ around the streets of Lymington starts and finishes in the High Street outside event sponsor, John D Wood & Co.

Now in its 14th year, Oakhaven’s festive charity fundraiser is known fondly by many as the ‘unofficial start of Christmas in Lymington.’ Whether dressing up and taking part or cheering on the Santas as they dash past, Oakhaven’s fun run puts a smile on everyone’s faces, come rain or shine!

Melanie Stone, Head of Fundraising, said, “We were delighted that so many Santas and festive friends dressed up and joined our fun run on such a grey and rainy day. It was great to see so many happy faces as everyone dashed, scooted, jogged and walked around town.

“We would like to thank everyone who supported the event - including everyone who took part, The Gym Tin for doing such a great warm-up and for starting the race, all the volunteer route marshalls, the supporters who lined the streets to cheer on the Santas and our event sponsor, John D Wood & Co.”

The total raised so far by this year’s Santa Dash is just over £13,000 with sponsorship funds still being submitted. To donate please visit oakhavenhospice.co.uk/how-to-donate

All funds raised will help Oakhaven Hospice support local people throughout the New Forest, Totton and Waterside areas at the most difficult of times. Did you know that as well as the ten beds in the Inpatient Unit, Oakhaven helps patients with life-limiting illnesses in their own homes - around 300 at any time? Last year Oakhaven cared for 1,394 patients and their families and loved ones, with around 3,200 visiting the Coates Centre to benefit from wellbeing support.

If you know someone affected by a life-limiting illness, who is a carer, or who is living with a loss, support is available at the Coates Centre. Visit oakhavenhospice.co.uk/wellbeing for more information.

Oakhaven Santa Dash 2023

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