Coinciding with the recent Dignity Action Day, Lewis-Manning in Poole is delighted to announce that actress, campaigner, film maker and inspirational speaker, Amanda Waring, has become a Patron for the hospice, which supports over 650 local people living with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.
Following the death in 2001 of her mother, the acclaimed actress Dame Dorothy Tutin (OBE), who in Amanda’s words was treated with “dismissive contempt that amounted to cruelty” by nursing staff during her final illness, she has become renowned as a passionate campaigner for older people’s rights, focusing particularly on dignity and respect within care settings.
Amanda first visited Lewis-Manning last year when she was invited to talk at the hospice’s ‘Ladies Lunch’ by CEO, Elizabeth Purcell, whose is a close friend and whose connection to Amanda and her family actually goes back over 60 years.
Elizabeth, elaborates, “Amanda’s mother Dorothy Tutin was a student at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) with my parents, Lionel and Eileen Jeffries, and it seems such a great coincidence that this friendship now continues with their daughters, with myself and Amanda being both colleagues and friends.”
In 2005 Amanda sold her own flat to help fund her powerful award winning awareness raising film ‘What Do You See?’, which she produced to “re-enforce person centered care and the expectation of treating others as you would wish to be treated no matter what age, race, colour, creed or disability.”
Subsequently she has been invited to speak around the world with her film as an inspirational and motivational speaker and workshop leader and has also appeared at numerous conferences focusing on dignity and respect within care settings.
Amanda Waring comments, “To care for another human being is sacred work and the ability to cherish nurture and restore someone’s self worth particularly at end of life is so important. I am delighted and honoured to be a patron of such a wonderful Hospice, lead by such a passionate team. I look forward to all the future developments to come.”
Amanda has starred as Gigi in the acclaimed West End Musical playing over 500 performances and has sung at the Royal Variety show for the Queen. She has also played the lead in the musicals, television and theatre, including ‘For the Love of Chocolate’, a one woman show that premiered at the Edinburgh Festival.
She has appeared on many television and radio programmes about her campaign including the Today Programme, Woman’s Hour and BBC Breakfast News and given many newspaper interviews.
Elizabeth Purcell, CEO at Lewis-Manning added, “I am so delighted that Amanda Waring has kindly accepted the board’s invitation to be a Patron. Amanda brings a wealth of professional and life experience to her new role here which will really contribute to the provision of care. The extraordinary connection of her beautiful late mother being at RADA with my wonderful parents only adds to this very special connection that has been picked up by Amanda and me, like a thread across all the years.
“To mark the recent Dignity Action Day we held a ‘Digni-Tea’ event in Day Hospice and her profoundly moving new film was shown to the visitors and team. Amanda has learnt from very painful personal experiences as to how dignity in care is the essential element and has spent time and her own money helping others in care put it high on the values we all hold dear.”
Lewis-Manning Hospice will begin opening its 15 en-suite bedrooms on the ground floor, all with their own private terrace offering respite, rehabilitation and end of life care in May.
