A children's hospice which cares for children in Enfield is planning to expand the number of children it can support at one time.
Haven House Children's Hospice, based in Woodford, East London, was set up in 2003, since when it has provided care and support for more than 600 families in North and North East London, West Essex and East Hertfordshire.
"Vision 2020", Haven House's ambitious expansion plan, would see its capacity increase from just over 300 to 500 children a year. However, even this expanded capacity is small compared with an estimate produced by the University of Leeds, whose research suggests that that there are more than 2,000 children living with a life-limiting condition in the Haven House catchment area, many of whom would benefit from hospice care.
Mike Palfreman, Haven House's Chief Executive, says that many families do not realise how they could benefit from the hospice's services:
“This may be due to a lack of awareness of the range of services that we offer, or because families are afraid that using a hospice is an acceptance that their child will not outlive them. Yet hospices are here to support children as well as parents, siblings and the wider family.
“Parents need to know a significant proportion of the care that we provide is respite; it is not predominantly about death and dying.
“Haven House families often tell us that accessing our services has made a substantial improvement to their lives and that is why expanding care is a key aim for Vison 2020.”
Get involved with Haven House
Haven House Children's Hospice supports families and cares for children and young people from birth to 19 with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in Enfield and across North and North East London, West Essex and East Hertfordshire.
From our beautiful home located in Woodford, on the borders of Essex, we provide a range of services to families to support them through the most difficult circumstances imaginable.
These include planned respite, short break and end-of-life care, as well as services designed to improve emotional and physical wellbeing.
Since opening in 2003 Haven House has supported more than 600 families but we can only continue to grow and help even more life-limited children and families with your support and generosity.
We rely on volunteers to help in the hospice, shop, and administration offices and of course, helping out in the community at public collections and other fundraising events. We are always looking for new volunteers and we have something to suit most people.
Each year it costs £3.6 million to fully resource Haven House and the majority of our income comes from voluntary donations whereby individuals and groups raise funds through exciting and inspiring ways.
Whether you choose to fundraise on your own, with family, your school or a group of friends or colleagues, there are lots of ways you can raise money for Haven House whilst having fun at the same time! Get involved today and you can help to make a real difference.
To find out more about supporting Haven House Children's Hospice please contact Lindy Hunt on 020 8506 3630 or email .
