Hello! My name is Jodie, i am a 29 year old, registered nurse, mother and fiance!

I started working at St Ann's Hospice in August 2020 after the height of the first wave of the current pandemic. I have been a qualified nurse for over 7 years, and have worked in healthcare for over 12 years. I have always known that i wanted to work in palliative and end of life care. It is the area of nursing that i thrive in and find so rewarding.

I have always been a creative person but had not practiced my skills for a long time, until February 2020, where i picked up a paintbrush again and created some watercolour paintings of lavendar and bees. These then became little gestures that i sent out to all of my nearest and dearest when we couldnt see eachother during lockdown. My friends and family encouraged me to set up an instagram page to showcase what i had been creating (Search: @jodie.illustrates) 

I then started experimenting with different materials. One thing rolled to the next, I picked up a nib and ink and started doing calligraphy quotes, to drawing on my windows and it got noticed quite quickly from my local community. My business has flourished in such a short space of time. So much so that i have worked with WH Smith in helping with their back to school campaign and even being on multiple wedding shoots, with lots more exciting things to come in the future! Being a nurse, i never imagined having two careers, but Jodie Illustrates has unintentionally taken off big time and i am proud to be a nurse, as well as a female small business owner! 

This year, due to covid, St Ann's Hospice are unable to have many, if at all christmas decorations due to health and safety reasons. I have therefore volunteered to put my skills to good use and illustrate christmas into the Hospice at the Heald Green site where I work, in order to still bring that warm, lovely christmas cheer to the patients, their relatives and everybody who works there and i'd like you to sponsor me please! This will be taking place on Saturday 21st November and full coverage of the day will be periodically uploaded on the day to my own and St Ann's media platforms!

Your amazing support enables St Ann’s Hospice to provide care to people and their families living with a life-limiting illness in the Greater Manchester community. We provide a range of free services to patients, carers and their loved ones from three sites as well supporting patients in their own homes. St Ann's Hospice need £20,000 just to run for one day. Any contribution is so appreciated by all of us who work there, the families and patients we look after. Join Team St. Ann’s today to ensure we’re always there – wherever and whenever we’re needed.