Noah's Ark Children's hospice explain the objectives of their Building the Ark Appeal.
A hospice building for children and families in North London
Our Building the Ark Appeal is raising funds to construct North London's only children's hospice building. Complementing our sector-leading 'hospice at home' and community-based services, a hospice building will allow us to offer a complete hospice service for the 1,086 children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in our catchment area.
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice provides clinical, emotional and practical care and support to children and young people (from birth) with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. Our central aim is to enable these children and young people to live life as fully as possible, regardless of cognitive or sensory ability.
Working across Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington, we also support families during their child’s life and help them face the future with hope throughout bereavement.
In 2015, Noah's Ark provided 6,803 hours of care and support. We will continue to grow our existing services but there are important care provisions which can be provided only through a hospice building.
The hospice will be built on an eight-acre nature reserve on Byng Road, close to Barnet town centre and will offer a unique place of peace and sanctuary with easy access to local amenities. It will be a 'home from home' for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, a safe environment where they will be given the time and space to be children and not just patients.
Why North London needs a children's hospice building
There are 1,086 children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions living in Noah's Ark's catchment area but there is no children's hospice building in North London.
The hospice building will offer a range of children's palliative care services that are not currently available in North London through the specialised and supportive setting of a children's hospice, including:
- Delivery of 24-hour end-of-life-care in a family-led setting, including specialised care for newborn babies
- Post-death care, including 24-hour family access to their child's body and bereavement counselling in a dedicated bereavement suite
- Overnight respite stays for children, giving them and their families valuable time to recuperate and recharge
- Toddler and preschool groups, crèche facilities and homework clubs
- Sensory, music, art rooms and a den for teenagers
- Room of reflection - a place for quiet contemplation
- Specially designed gardens and surroundings to provide sanctuary and peace for children and families
A hub for children's palliative care in North London
Noah's Ark's hospice building will be a hub for children's palliative care services in North London, acting as a training and volunteer development base for Noah's Ark's care team and our partners in the sector. It will provide a platform to promote and deliver our care to a greater number of children and offer support to their families at a truly challenging time, when they are often at their most vulnerable.
