Beth Davy-Day
Richard House Children's Hospice 2k Penguin Waddle
Fundraising for Richard House Trust
Story
Richard House Childrens Hospice, based in East London, provides support to families caring for children and young adults with life-limiting, life-threatening and complex healthcare conditions.
They accompany families during the child or young person’s journey through life to death, creating positive experiences along the way which become good memories for the future.
But what is most important at London's oldest childrens hospice, is that they concentrate on living rather than dying. Their aim is to help families create positive memories in a fun and homely environment.
Children are able to undertake a range of activities from arts and crafts to music therapy and pamper sessions to multi-sensory suite visits; they can even create their own movies.
Richard House understands how important it is for its children to have the same experiences as
their peers, especially the teenagers and young adults.
To help with this, the hospice has a specialist Young Adults Group that allows the youngsters to
enjoy activities such as going to the theatre, the pub, on holidays with just their friends and the
care staff, or just having the chance to sit in
with their mates and enjoy a pizza and a
movie.
Long term hospice user and young adult,
Harry Singh, said: “Families would be lost
without the hospice as it gives support and
unconditional care.
“If I could sum up Richard House in one
word it would be ‘freedom’.”
Richard House needs to raise £3.1 million a
year in order to provide these valuable
serviceBut whats so important is that the childrens hospice, which is Londons oldest, concentrates on living rather than dying. Nurses and play and care workers focus their work on helping families create positive memories in a fun and homely environment.
Care is given on a one-to-one basis and there are a variety of services on offer including daycare, respite breaks, end-of-life care, family support, bereavement services and a siblings group.
During their visits to the hospice, children and young people are able to undertake a range of activities from arts and crafts to music therapy and pamper sessions to multi-sensory suite visits; they can even create their own movies.
Richard House understands how important it is for its children to have the same experiences astheir peers, especially the teenagers and young adults.
This is why the hospice has a specialist Young Adults Group that allows the youngsters to enjoy activities such as going to the theatre, the pub, on holidays with just their friends and the care staff, or just having the chance to sit inwith their mates and enjoy a pizza and amovie.
Long term hospice user and young adult, Harry Singh, said: “Families would be lostwithout the hospice as it gives support andunconditional care.