A POOLE hospice is hoping to dispel some of the myths surrounding its role, when it takes part in a national awareness event.

Representatives from Forest Holme Hospice, part of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation will have a stand in the dome at the hospital on Wednesday, October 10 as part of national Hospice Care Week.

The event runs from October 8 to 12 and sees more than 100 other hospices across the UK joining forces to create a better public understanding and recognition for their work.

This year's theme is Heart My Hospice and Forest Holme will be asking members of the community to share their experiences of what hospice care means to them, and help increase awareness about the range of care available in different settings.

Forest Holme provides palliative and end-of-life care both within the Poole-based hospice itself and out in the community across a wide-geographical area covering Poole, Wimborne and the Isle of Purbeck.

Charity manager Anne Currie said: "Forest Holme doesn’t just care for patients, it ensures that it is there for their loved ones too. Although Forest Holme is an NHS hospice, it is reliant on charitable donations to ensure that it can continue to provide the best possible care for patients when they need us most.

"The charity supports all aspects of the hospice including; the 12 bedded in-patient ward, the purchasing of specialist equipment, the funding of educational posts, development nurse posts, complementary therapies, plus counselling and bereavement support to patients and their families.”

Sammy-Jo Stanley, 24, has first-hand experience of the extended care Forest Holme offers to family and loved ones, and has subsequently helped raise nearly £9,000 for the charity as a thank you.

She said: "Forest Holme for me was a place I first turned to when my Nan passed away from cancer in October 2009. At 15 I really needed guidance on how to deal with the grief and the hospice counselling team pulled me through, helping me to come to terms with the grief process."