New relatives’ room for Dunkery ward officially open after fundraising campaign

In the early hours of Christmas Day 2023, Mandy Brightman was given the devastating news that there was nothing more that doctors could do for her mum.

Mandy’s mum, Sue, was brought into hospital with a bleed on her brain and was being cared for on the Dunkery stroke unit at Musgrove Park Hospital when she sadly died.

With no suitable relatives’ rooms on the ward at that time, it was in a sad-looking, unsuitable room where Mandy and her sister Jo were told the news about their mum.

“Mum was brought into hospital on Christmas Eve with a bleed on her brain, and at 1am on Christmas morning we were called into a meeting with a doctor, who told us the news,” says Mandy.

“I remember the room vividly as it was at the entrance to the ward, and was clearly not being used for anything. It simply had a single plastic chair and a rusty old fridge in it, and it felt an awful place to hear the news about mum.

“As I came out of that room, I remember speaking to a nurse called Jess, and I said to her that I’m going to fundraise for a new room for you – and we did!

“Our fundraising began at mum’s funeral, where we raised over £1,000, before we held a music concert with Wellington-based John Walker’s JW3 Band, from which we raised £700.

“The Milverton Music Club dedicated a whole evening of music to the cause, where they gave us all of the takings, and the clients of Aubrey House, which is a chiropractor in Taunton, donated around £100.

“Other fundraising activities ranged from a group of retired employees of the old electricity board donating from raffles and the West Somerset Singers, who mum sang with, donating from one of their concerts, to customers at my own hairdressers giving money and 10 Radio advertising all the events for us too.

“In the end we raised an incredible £5,500 for the room in about five months’ of fundraising, which really blew me away.

“Mum had done so much for so many in her lifetime, so this room will be her legacy which will hopefully help people to find comfort during difficult times.”

The artwork in the new relatives’ room was donated by the trust’s Art for Life programme, and came with a special connection for Mandy.

“I know the artist, Tess Armitage, through my previous job in education and have always loved her artwork as it’s so calming and pretty,” she adds.

“The new room is truly beautiful and I’m glad that nobody else will need to hear sad news in the environment I did.

“The care my mum received from colleagues on Dunkery ward was incredible, so in many ways this fundraising was for them too, as I wanted them to have access to more appropriate facilities to break bad news.

“The Love Musgrove charity team have been amazing and they held my hand every step of the way through the fundraising – I want to say a huge thanks to them.”

Becky Halley, ward manager on the Dunkery Stroke Unit, says: “I can’t put it into words how grateful we are for all the dedication, hard work and effort Mandy and her family have put into their fundraising efforts.

“We’ve never really had a specific area on the ward before for families to give updates, have difficult conversations, or for families to simply have an area on the ward they can go for a reprieve when they’re here visiting loved ones.

“Previously we’ve had to use our occupational therapy kitchen and the doctors’ office to have those difficult conversations with families, which were far from ideal, especially as we’d often get interruptions.

“It’s great to have this new space, as we can close the door and it just makes things a lot more comfortable for families.

“It’s also very useful for those who’re visiting loved ones, who may be coming to the end of their life and they need to just have that space away from the hustle and bustle of the ward – it all makes such a difference.

“I want to say a huge thank you to Mandy and the fundraisers, they’ve been amazing and it has just turned things around here.”

Zoe Steer, head of fundraising at Love Musgrove, adds: “We are incredibly proud to have created this room for Dunkery Ward for relatives to have the quiet space to reflect during difficult times. This will make an enormous difference.”

Emma Quick, art and design officer for Art for Life, says: "We were very pleased to work with Mandy and her family to support the creation of the relatives’ room on Dunkery Ward.

“The beautiful artwork by Tess Armitage complements the calm, welcoming colour scheme and provides a space for relatives away from the busy ward.

“Thanks to Thea Plant, from our trust’s capital projects team, for organising the refurbishment work, and congratulations to Mandy and her family for all their hard fundraising work, supported by our trust’s charity team, that has allowed this project to happen."