Helen's Trust

  Helen's Trust is a charity located in Derbyshire, England which helps people with an incurable illness to stay in their own home. The Trust endeavours to fund whatever necessary to achieve this aim, for example: palliative care, help running a house, care for others living in the home, specialist equipment or complementary therapy.

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This help is available to anyone registered at one of five practices in the Hope Valley: the surgeries based in Baslow, Bakewell, Eyam, Hope and Tideswell.

History Of Helen's Trust

Helen Lyon was nursed through the final stages of cancer by friends, relatives and her GP in her own home in Derbyshire. Helen wanted to stay in her own home as she felt safe and comfortable in familiar surroundings.

After Helen’s death her husband decided to start a charity in her name. Helen would not have been able to stay in her home without support of her friends and family. As this support is not available to everyone, it was decided to set up a charity to ensure that others would have the option of staying at home in the terminal phase of their illness. The charity was announced at Helen's funeral; donations made at that point were used to start the charity.

Initially the charity aimed to fund the extra care needed to enable anyone registered at Helen's local GP practice with terminal cancer to stay in their own home in the later phases of their illness. The charity soon realised that funding was needed for equipment hire as well as sitters and specialist nursing care. As the committee was formed and funds were raised the remit of the charity was able to extend such that not only those with cancer but also anyone with any incurable illness were eligible. Initially only covering the practice where helen was a patient, the geographical scope charity has been gradually extended to its current size. Most recently complementary therapy has been added to the services available.

Helen's Trust is still entirely voluntarily run, it is therefore unlikely to expand without having take on paid staff. The Trust's logo was inspired by a hand written letter, received from four young girls, who raised £20.71 by carol singing and donated it to the charity.