FACE to FACE – with John Macaulay, Volunteer

Over a coffee, we caught up with John Macaulay MBE, who volunteers for FACE, a cancer fund, part of NHS Lothian Charity.

It was back in the 1990s the first FACE annual trip to Lapland took place and last year saw John lead the 31st trip to Lapland to meet Santa Claus.

Unfortunately, his mobility is no longer as good as it once was and John took the decision to step back from this role, as the planning for this year’s trip to Lapland gets underway.

So when we met, the first thing to do was thank John for all he did to organise the trips, bringing everything and everyone together through his enthusiasm and connections. Dedicating his time, energy and compassion to help people affected by cancer experience the magic of Lapland.

Leading 31 wonderful trips to visit Santa in Lapland is an amazing achievement. Thank you John from everyone who has travelled with you.

The Lapland Trip has been a wonderful experience for all the children and their families impacted by cancer and bereavement.

John’s dedicated service to the community, through work in the police and with voluntary organisations, was recognised when he was awarded the MBE in 1995.

We asked John about his involvement with FACE and to find out a little more about the trip to Lapland and how else FACE have helped over the years.

The Lapland Trip – 31 years – wow – what an achievement – what are your reflections?

I remember when I was in the police and involved with Radio Lollipop at the Sick Kids, we fundraised to create special days for children. In the winter of 1994, I first thought about taking children impacted by cancer to Lapland, and as a volunteer with FACE we made it happen. While I am proud of all FACE have been able to do for people impacted by cancer, the Lapland Trip has a special place in my heart. It is such a wonderful day and to see the smiles and read the kind notes we receive makes it all worthwhile.

Travelling to Lapland to meet Santa has helped so many children and their families as they go through a difficult time. FACE has had such wonderful feedback from families and individuals who have travelled with us. The cherished memories, the moments of joy during difficult times, the opportunity to share the experience with others who have been impacted by cancer and bereavement. And it is lovely when someone who travelled with us, sometimes many years ago, stops me to say hello and reminisce about their wonderful day. How it helped them get through a real sad and difficult time. While the trip is now to help children and families cope with bereavement, for many years we took children who were being treated for cancer. This meant we had to have in place special care and over the years the FACE team who look after everybody has been brilliant, as have organisations including Canterbury Travel, Jet2 and Edinburgh Airport. I have made so many friends and connections along the way, many who have kindly donated money to FACE and make the annual trip possible. Thank you to all who have been part of a FACE team travelling to Lapland and making it a magical memory.

You represent FACE when pupils are in touch about the Young Persons Initiative (YPI) – can you tell us a bit more about this?

I have really enjoyed this. I was a community policeman and support assistant in a secondary school, I know first-hand how kind and thoughtful young people can be. It is so nice when pupils hear about FACE and want to link in with us on their YPI project, where they can win £3,000 for a good cause. When I meet them, they know a bit about FACE from information online or word of mouth. Often, they know someone who is being treated for cancer or has sadly passed away after being treated for cancer.

Without going through all FACE helps with, the main things which interest them are the work we have done (working closely with the Green Health team at NHS Lothian Charity) on improving the green spaces around the Edinburgh Cancer Centre (ECC). I take them to the FACE Garden (which we built back in 1999 and are in the process of redesigning it now) and Amanda’s Garden (which we help maintain and funded the slate centrepiece, new benches). They like how FACE provided funds to buy foldable wheelchairs so family and friends can take their loved ones out of the hospital and perhaps sit in one of these gardens. The chance to spend time outside the ward and connect with nature is so good in terms of improving everyone’s wellbeing. They smile when they learn FACE provides free ice lollies to help with the side effects of treatment or how we put an image of Princes St Gardens over a window in a patient room, to cover over the view of a brick wall directly outside it. It goes without saying the trip to Lapland is also part of the conversation, as the team of pupils put together their presentation.

One of the things often mentioned is how the ‘little things’ can make a real difference – how important is this to FACE?

It is really important to all of us at FACE. When someone asks if we can help in some way, it’s often for items that people assume are already available to patients. Whilst they are not extravagant or expensive, but they sit outside standard NHS budgets and cannot always be provided from NHS resources alone. That’s where NHS Lothian Charity and FACE come in, helping to fund the additional comforts and practical extras that go beyond clinical treatment and help make the patient experience better.

Over the years there have been so many ‘little things’ we have provided, which have helped patients going through treatment for cancer. These examples come to mind. The disposable blue towels for when the nursing staff care for a patient and there is excessive bleeding. Handheld fans for patients, which they can keep, to help them cool down. Eye masks to help patients to relax (especially in shared rooms). Heat pads to bring comfort during treatment. Fresh flowers in the treatment areas. Free turbans or bandanas for patients, who have lost their hair during treatment.

Is there anything else FACE does to help patients on their cancer journey?

One of our aims is to help make the time spent in hospital as comfortable as possible, and the environment and experience as positive as it can be. We do what we can to improve a patient’s wellbeing as they go through treatment. We often get asked by nursing staff if we can help refresh rooms which have seen better days or help support specialist equipment. Not just for the patients but also their loved ones and the nursing staff who care for them. This has included redecorating rooms and fitting them out with new furniture. We have purchased special adjustable beds to make patients more comfortable and to help staff care for them. We have provided shower reclining chairs, so patients with poor mobility are able to take a refreshing shower. The wards in the ECC, thanks to FACE, now have access to a Hovermatt Air Transfer Mattress and Hoverjack , which is revolutionary new technology to help staff move patients more comfortably in and out of bed. We know through feedback how patients value the comfort and relief they get through access to complementary therapy, which FACE has supported since it started many years ago.

And in the event a loved one passes away, can FACE help loved ones through such a sad and difficult time?

Aside from the trip to Lapland, there a number of things we do to help patients as they near the end of their life and support their loved ones as they go through such a sad time. I mentioned before how FACE has helped redecorate and refurbish rooms, and this includes single rooms for end of life care. FACE created and keeps replenished a ‘wedding box,’ for patients and their families if their special day needs to be in hospital. FACE supports the ‘Making Memories Matter’ initiative by providing bunnies and books, acknowledging memories can provide a real comfort to individuals facing a loved one receiving palliative care or nearing the end of their life. We created and provided a hessian type bag with a thistle logo on it, for return of the belongings of someone who has sadly passed away.

It sounds wonderful what FACE has done over many years, what is the secret?

There is no secret. I am just one of a small group of volunteers who have supported FACE for many years and are passionate about how we can make a difference for cancer patients, their loved ones and the nursing staff who care for them. All of us have been directly or indirectly impacted by cancer in some way. We are as passionate now about making a difference as we were in the 1990s, even if some of us are not as sprightly as we used to be. And we have only been able to help over so many years thanks to all those who have kindly donated money to and raised money for FACE through fundraising events. We get such lovely feedback and notes to say how something FACE provided made a difference. We are so grateful to everyone who supports FACE in some way and has done for many years. And it always nice to catch up with folk who we know well at our Christmas Fairs, Winter Fairs, Afternoon Teas, quiz nights or when we took the FACE Santa Sleigh out into the community.

It was great to catch up with John. We wish him all the best as he steps down from leading the Lapland Trip but stays very much involved in all FACE do to help cancer patients, their loved ones and nursing staff.

FACE is a cancer fund, part of NHS Lothian Charity. FACE was established in the 1990s and is based at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Western General Hospital (WGH), Edinburgh.