Community nurse inspired to provide end-of-life comfort for families

'LITTLE BOX OF LOVE AND HUGS' CREATED

- By DEBORAH HALL

A COMMUNITY nurse who noticed a “gap” in provision of end-of-life services has launched her own initiative with the help of funding and caring volunteers.

Hannah Jones set out with a pilot plan for her “Little box of Love and Hugs” scheme.

The boxes contain a mix of community-sourced items that those coping with loss can use to commemorate their loved one. The contents include a hand-knitted heart, a fingerprint kit and plant seeds.

Hannah, who has been a community nurse for almost 20 years and is also a Queens Nurse working in North East Lincolnshire, has seen the initiative grow from the initial 50 boxes she trialled. Now she has applied for further funding so that more little boxes can be created and potentially rolled out to other teams working in the community.

Hannah, who works for Care Plus Group and is based at Cleethorpes, said: “During my time as a community nurse, I have noticed a gap in provision of end-of-life services in my local area.

“I had noticed that bereavement boxes are given out routinely in child and baby loss and in hospice care; however, I had not seen anything locally for community nursing.”