January 2024 Newsletter

Here’s an update on the last year at Flynne’s and a look at what’s in store for 2024.

As the short winter days begin to lengthen into the new year we’re preparing for a busy 2024 at Flynne’s Barn. We opened the barn doors back in 2022 to a range of different visit models, welcoming young couples, families caring for a young person with cancer, bereaved family members, and even an 18th birthday weekend. These visits proved to be hugely beneficial, providing a space for families to be together, get active, or just relax and soak up the scenery.

Our focus in 2023 has been to run residentials for young people with a cancer diagnosis to come together for group stays. This was always our main charitable objective. We have continued to develop our networks, making links with a variety of organisations working in the field. We were delighted to partner with Teenage Cancer Trust and welcome groups of young people from Scotland and the Northwest, together with their support staff. Two models of residential have evolved:

Flynne’s Barn Stays: Groups of up to 10 young people with a cancer diagnosis. Visitors are supported by our Flynne’s Barn staff and volunteers.

Partnership Stays: Groups of up to 10 young people who stay in the barn with staff from partnership organisations. Flynne’s Barn staff are also on hand to support and lead on activities.



Feedback from young people and visiting staff has been really positive – it’s heartening to know that we’re on the right track. The benefits of young people coming together in a safe and beautiful space, where they feel well looked after and listened to, is tangible. This is enhanced by the beauty of the surroundings and range of activities on offer.

“For me, Flynne’s Barn is a precious place because it’s more than just a beautiful retreat. It’s a carefully sown place of nurturing, shelter and friendship. A place where both cancer and the young person behind the illness are accepted… Flynne’s Barn showed me that my life could grow again instead of shrink. A friend I made there summed it up, she said: “her stay had made her realise that there is a good life after cancer.” – Chloé Etheridge

In 2023 we supported 80 visitors through Flynne’s Barn and Partnership Stays. We see that it’s not just the young person who benefits but also their support network of family and friends. During one stay we had a phone chat with a young man’s mum who thanked the Flynne’s Barn team and said she hadn’t seen him so happy in a very long time.

Partners and networks

We’re looking forward to a full calendar of residentials booked in for 2024. Our network of partner organisations continues to grow. In 2024 we anticipate that we’ll support 200 young people. We’re expanding on the number of Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) teams we partner with and are also excited to be planning two residentials with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. We will be hosting our annual stay for families with the wonderful Spread a Smile team this summer and look forward to welcoming under 18’s through our partnerships with Nottingham TCT, Great Ormond Street and Manchester Children’s Hospitals.

In February 2024 we’ll be hosting our first specialised Creative Residential. Tom Bailey, a great friend of Flynne’s Barn who works in theatre, will lead on workshops to explore different kinds of creative expression in the natural environment in response to cancer. Tom also supported and lead on nature-based activities during our most recent residential in October 2023.

Our online community group, which evolved after the October 2022 residential, has continued. We meet once a month. This is a peer support group, but it is also developing into a lived-experience user group that helps to inform our work.


Counselling

We’ve had a steady flow of referrals and are moving towards our 100th referral to the service. With over 50 people having now completed a course of counselling, we are planning an external evaluation of the service. We run a Continued Professional Development (CPD) programme for the team. The most recent focus was on Health Anxiety, whilst previous sessions have explored Dignity Therapy and Understanding Oncology Treatments.

The counselling feedback is a real testament to the valuable work of our skilled counsellors, Sammy Aldridge and Andrew Barnes:

“I loved the support that I’ve received. I’ve always felt so listened to … It’s been amazing.”

“I felt that I had a safe space to talk and never felt any judgement. The sessions have really helped me to process my cancer journey.”
Trustees

We’ve had a few changes to the board of trustees. Anne Darlington continues to chair and guide the team. Claire Wormesly and Katherine Bonner have now stepped down. Thank you so much to Claire for all her insight and support since the beginnings when Flynne’s Barn was the mere seed of an idea.

We’re pleased to welcome four new trustees, all of whom have tremendous expertise working with young people in the cancer field, both from medical and psychosocial perspectives: Lou Andrews, Kat Indramohan, Dr Ananth Shankar and Laura Walter. We’re honoured to have them on board and are already benefiting from their wealth of knowledge and experience.

Staffing and volunteers

We are so delighted to welcome Jenny Wright to the Flynne’s Barn team. Jenny is our Youth Coordinator and will support young people during their stays. Jenny will also be developing the range of experiences we offer and doing lots behind the scenes. She is experienced and skilled in delivering outdoor adventures as well as being a qualified counsellor.

Katherine and Robin continue to manage the residentials and counselling service respectively and Harry coordinates our general charity infrastructure, accounts and fundraising.

David Jackson continues to provide our groups with delicious meals and also caters for our fundraising events – he is the magic ingredient!

We’ve introduced Relaxercise classes to the range of activities we provide. Eni Ottlakan leads the groups through gentle exercises which are inclusive and tailored to individual needs. They’re proving to be very popular, especially when the Borrowdale weather permits us to go outside and relax in the meadow.

We continue to develop our working relationships with local outdoor activity providers and to foster an understanding of the varying needs both physical and emotional of the young people coming to Flynne’s Barn. We’re excited about bringing therapy ponies (miniature Shetlands) into the mix this year! The alpaca-walking has proved to be so popular with all our visitors – the ponies are sure to be a hit as well!



We’re developing a Volunteer Programme, as most of our visitors are keen to return and support Flynne’s Barn. In October 2023 Chloé joined a group in a volunteer capacity. Chloé has helped us with social media, attended and spoken at a fundraising event – it’s wonderful to have her on board. It’s hugely beneficial to have returning young people with lived-experience of cancer supporting new groups, and we’re grateful that others are taking up this role too.

The groups have also benefited from the support of other volunteers. Aoise Haran and Jem Housden bring their music and camaraderie, and Tom Bailey brings his artistic and expressive skills, and all with willing pairs of hands and a wonderful enthusiasm for the project. Thank you!

Fundraising and Events

We’ve been touched by the number of people organising original and creative fundraisers. It’s particularly heart-warming that young people and their families want to support what we’re doing so that others can benefit from a stay.

A massive thank you to all our 2023 fundraisers:

Borrowdale Fell Runner’s Glaramara race; Ruth Corney art card sale; The Isherwood family Curry and Cocktails; Steve Isherwood birthday fundraiser, Juliet Robertson poetry month, Rob O’Hara print sale; The Pineapple Pub fundraiser; John Thorne retirement and Emperor Penguin gig; Tiff Young and Oliver Mile a Day; Amber Rogan & Julia rowing challenge; Lokita Neille 30 miles 30 days; Sarah and Haam Hackney Half Marathon; Blooming Skull Coffee Shop; Frank’s Charity Track Race; Memorial funds for Harry Peace; Sheila Bland and Jean Green.

Thank you also to Noah Jones for sourcing equipment; Debs Toupayani and Marg Millington for sewing soft furnishings, Lee Howard for painting the barn and Tim Bradford for his artistic input and great event posters.
London Barnfest

In September 2023 we held our first Barnfest fundraising event in London at the Sebright Arms pub in Bethnal Green, London. This was organised by the wonderful Kathy Walton and a team of volunteers and was a brilliant gathering of friends old and new. It was on the hottest September day with the hottest musical performances ranging from Kathy Walton’s Meitheal Cheoil St Patrick’s Troupe to an intimate set by Ellie, Joel and Theo of Wolf Alice. The love and friendship at the event was palpable and a huge amount was raised too – thank you to everyone who came, volunteered, played, sang, and generally had a great time.

In June we held a more intimate musical folk session in the Tipi at Flynne’s Barn curated by Ryan Wood from Folk Cumbria. We enjoyed foot tapping jigs and heartfelt ballads round the fire and a delicious feast cooked up by David Jackson.


Theatre in the barn

We have an annual tree-planting weekend at the beginning of December each year. In 2023, we were treated to a theatre performance in the barn by Tom Bailey. Tom’s performance of his piece, Vigil, was intensely moving, starting with a playful exploration of the variety of endangered species on the earth. It developed into a harrowing cry for the tragedy of mass extinction.

We also enjoyed music from Aoise and Coral Haran and Pete Leeson and Ang Wakefield. It was a wonderful weekend where our faithful crew of volunteers worked hard to boost nature in the valley and raised funds for Flynne’s Barn. We supported Dan Simpson from Seatoller Farm to plant up tree cages on the fellside near the barn and shall look forward to seeing them flourish.

The site

The barn itself is proving to be very popular with our visitors. The space is working well and although we have the capacity to sleep 14 we tend to keep our residential groups to 10. We’re committed to maintaining the quality of our provision and carefully curate our residential stays. We offer ‘something for everyone’, whether young people want to chill out, relax, enjoy each other’s company or challenge themselves with more adventurous activities. A stay at Flynne’s Barn is tailor-made for each group.

We’re planning to build an outdoor, sheltered fire pit and cooking area that can be used all year round and in all weathers. We hope to build a couple of traditional pizza ovens for our popular pizza nights and a structure for hammocks (we do get warmth and sunshine in Borrowdale!). The challenge will be finding a quiet time to do the groundworks in the spring!

Friends of Flynne’s Barn

Thank you all for your continued support and belief in what we do. It’s immensely gratifying to see the Flynne’s Barn family grow; to hear of increasing confidence, more positive outlooks and of the lasting friendships which have been made here.

We are fortunate to have a very special team of people getting involved and supporting our work in a variety of ways. We’re grateful to you all, especially to the inspiring young people who have taken a chance on Flynne’s Barn and shown resilience, courage, hope and often a great sense of humour too in difficult times.

We’re looking forward to 2024 and all that the year will bring. Sending our best wishes to you all for the new year.

Katherine and Robin x

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