Kidderminster couple delivering hugs to vulnerable

Revd Canon Alex Vaccaro and her husband Fil have been busy producing handmade Hedgehugs including fridge magnets and hanging plaques for those at KEMP Hospice.

The idea comes from the popular Hedgehugs book series where Horace and Hattie Hedgehog find ways to overcome their inability to hug each other because they are too spiky.

Alex is an ordained priest for the Church of England’s Kidderminster West team and Associate Chaplain for KEMP Hospice and Fil is part of KEMP’s Spiritual Care Team which provides support to the Wyre Forest charity's patients and staff.

Alex said she was initially going to send the Hedgehugs to friends in isolation before Toni McEvoy, Creative Therapist at KEMP, got in touch.

Alex said: “Toni said we are looking to send something tactile to patients, so I thought why don’t we make a bigger batch of Hedgehugs.

“Half of them are fridge magnets and the other half are hanging plaques that people can pop wherever they want so they can see them.

"Hugs are very important and they are one of the things people are missing due to lockdown.

“Although we can’t give them a hug, we can at least give them something to touch rather than us just sending a virtual hug down the phone.

“Not doing that is really difficult but it’s been quite a refreshing challenge in many ways to work out what we can do and the Hedgehugs are one of those ways.”

The day hospice on Mason Road is temporarily closed but Alex and Fil are now helping to deliver meals to patients' homes.