Dragonfly Scheme South Tees Hospitals

04/04/2026

04/04/2026

Please be aware that opening times for our Friarage hospital shop differ over the Easter weekend and will be as follows:

Fri 3rd - Closed
Sat 4th - 10am - 4pm
Sun 5th - 12pm - 4pm
Mon 6th - Closed

We will reopen as usual Tues 7th at 9am. From all of us at Friends of the Friarage have a very happy Easter! 🐣

04/04/2026

04/04/2026

After a bereavement, grief doesn’t just impact us emotionally.

It can affect everyday life, including energy bills and the cost of keeping a home warm and safe. But you don't have to face that alone.

If you’re grieving and worried about your energy costs, support is available. Find out more about available support on our website ⬇️

https://www.cruse.org.uk/energy-support/

04/04/2026

Congratulations to the Friarage urgent treatment centre for marking six years since achieving its permanent status in April 2020.

The centre has been treating patients for minor illness and conditions 24 hours a day seven days week for patients in North Yorkshire and beyond - with more than 145,000 patients seen so far since being made permanent.

The UTC has become a lifeline for local residents who want to be cared for without having to travel far away to either Middlesbrough or Darlington.

Thousands of patients from different age groups have benefitted from having a modern treatment centre in the heart of Northallerton over the past six years – which has been cited as a ‘huge relief’ for some.

Urgent treatment centre manager Geri Wilson said: “Guided by our team vision, ‘compassionate care, always there’, we are proud to have treated thousands of patients with care, compassion, professionalism and kindness.

“We as a team in the UTC continue to grow and adapt to meet the evolving needs of our patients.”

Read more: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/compassionate-care-always-there-friarage-utc-marking-six-years-since-its-permanent-inception/

04/04/2026

"Living with a cancer that people don’t talk about opened my eyes to the shame that can creep in. I’ve seen the awkwardness, the whispered tones. And I’m determined to change that.

"I was diagnosed with a**l cancer in 2020. I was lucky to have a GP who didn’t hesitate when I shared my symptoms. That swift response changed my outcome and things moved very fast from there.

"I was incredibly lucky with the people who carried me through it. My GP was and still is a lifeline. My Clinical Nurse Specialist was my anchor. She held so much of my fear, explained things when my brain wasn’t taking anything in, and somehow brought calm into the hardest moments.

"Their care stayed with me. It’s a big part of why I’ve since gone on to work at Macmillan, so I can bring the empathy, stubborn hope and love of connection I’ve picked up along my own journey to help support others.

"Today, I’m incredibly grateful to have clear scans and no evidence of recurrence but I do suffer from late effects following treatment. It's the time after treatment I want more people to talk about, without shame, so that others going through it feel a little less hidden and a lot more human.

"A**l cancer remains one of the least spoken about cancers, even though cases are rising and treatment can have profound long-term effects. And so, on Saturday 21st March, I was part of a team that hosted the world’s first a**l cancer awareness event at Belfast City Hospital, where I received my own treatment.

"We called for a dedicated Late Effects Clinic for the hospital, to help people with the long-term consequences of treatment. That day, we weren’t whispering about a**l cancer, we were breaking the silence together.

“I couldn’t find the fire within me for all of this without my children and grandchildren, they are my daily reminders of joy and resilience. And, after 15 years with my partner Mark, we’re finally getting married this May. He’s been my constant through everything, and I feel very lucky.”

If you’re worried about cancer, please visit your GP. You can find more information about a**l cancer on our website - https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/bowel-cancer/a**l-cancer

04/04/2026

When your adult child dies, your feelings can be complicated by the fact that your child is likely to have had a life that was separate from yours; there may have been aspects of their life in which you weren’t involved and they may have had their own family.

See our resource for guidance when your adult child dies: childbereavementuk.org/when-your-adult-child-dies

04/04/2026

Feeling unwell this Easter? Choosing the right NHS service can help get you the best advice - and often more quickly too.

💊 Think pharmacy first
📱 NHS111 online for medical help and advice

🚨 Keep A&E and 999 free for life threatening emergencies

Help reduce pressure on A&E and 999 so they can help those who need it most.

04/04/2026

04/04/2026

Looking for the perfect plans this April? 🍺

Join us at the Guisborough Charity Beer Festival for a fantastic weekend of great beer, live music and fundraising, all in support of Teesside Hospice 💜

With up to 18 different beers to sample, food stalls and a brilliant atmosphere across both daytime and evening sessions, it’s the perfect way to catch up with friends and try something new in Guisborough this spring!

🎟 Get your tickets today:
https://loom.ly/NXmyQso

02/04/2026

This Dying Matters Week, we want to get Teesside talking - will you join us?

Dying Matters Week is a national campaign run by Hospice UK, which this year is aiming to open up a conversation that is so important, but not always easy to have. In a bid to get Teesside talking about death and dying, we're hosting two special events this May:

💜 Dying Matters Conference
We’d love to welcome all members of the community to join us for our very first Dying Matters Conference, which will take place on Tuesday 5th May at Teesside University Students Union. We’ll be joined by local funeral planners, solicitors, celebrant, Teesside Hospice teams and more to get Teesside talking about dying and how we can prepare while we’re still here. The event is free for anyone to attend - register now at https://loom.ly/GDCDKnE.

💜 Teesside Hospice Open Day
On Friday 8th May 2026, we’re opening our doors to offer you the chance to find out more about your local hospice. We want to bust the misconceptions around hospice care and show that while it’s important to talk about death and dying, we’re so much more than that. Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/yqrqqFg