SWAN end of life Girl Guide comfort bags recognised by the Queen

Girl Guides have won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to UK volunteer groups, equivalent to the MBE

Local Girl Guides have won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to UK volunteer groups, equivalent to the MBE for making up comfort bags for relatives staying with end of life patients.

The idea for introducing the comfort bags at hospitals was championed at the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) by Assistant Director of Nursing Fiona Murphy MBE who worked closely with a team of volunteers and the Girl Guides on the idea.

Fiona Murphy MBE said: “Congratulations to all the Girl Guides who work so hard making up comfort bags for relatives staying with our end of life patients in our hospitals in Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester.

"It is hugely important that we celebrate this award given to the Girl Guides for the comfort bags they make for us. What a fantastic achievement, and thoroughly deserved.

“The comfort bags make a massive difference to relatives who have a much-loved family member nearing the end of their life."

The Swan model of end of life and bereavement care is used to support and guide the care of patients and their loved ones that we care for at the end of life and after they have died.

Swan offers dedicated support to patients in the last days of life and to their families into bereavement and beyond.

The Swan scheme is a national scheme which is present in 47 trusts up and down the country. It was set up by Assistant Director of Nursing, Fiona Murphy MBE.

Swan Comfort bags contain travel size toiletries and essentials for end of life patients, their relatives and those important to them.

Recognising that relatives and friends may not want to leave their loved one to freshen up, these bags are gifted as a gesture of compassion at a difficult time.