CHSW Newsletter 2011 Autumn

Registered Charity No. 1003314

Autumn 2011

Images: Dalecherry.com

Making the most of short and precious lives across the South West

We are thrilled to introduce

Little Harbour

Welcome from EddieDear Friend,

This year we have seen the culmination of 20 years of hopes, dreams and overwhelming support, to bring accessible hospice care for life-limited children to the whole of the South West. In December we will open our doors to our first families at Little Harbour, our third and final hospice in St. Austell. This opening will begin a new era for Children’s Hospice South West, the organisation is now the biggest it has ever been and able to support more children and families than ever before. It is with absolute sincerity that I say we would not have been able to achieve this without you, our very special supporters.

To mirror the growth of the organisation we will be changing how often we write to you in 2012, with smaller more regular newsletters packed full with information to show the difference you continue to make.

I am thrilled to introduce you to Little Harbour in this newsletter and would like to personally invite you to come and take a tour to see for yourselves what you have helped achieve.

With very best wishes

Yours sincerely

Eddie Farwell

Co-Founder and Chief Executive

What’s in this issue?

Making the most of short and precious lives across the South West2

Page 3 : Get involved today

Page 4-5 : Little Harbour news

Page 6-7 : Little Harbour fundraising

Page 8-9 : Charlton Farm news

Page 10-11 : Charlton Farm fundraising

Page 12-13 : Little Bridge House news

Page 14-15 : Little Bridge House fundraising

Page 16 : Corporate focus

3Visit us at www.chsw.org.uk

Get involved todayMemory Walks

Children’s Hospice South West have partnered with local solicitors from leading law firms to offer a discounted Will writing service for our supporters.

In an exclusive partnership with three law firms from across the South West you (and your husband/wife/partner) will be able to make your basic Will(s) with a solicitor in your area, at a reduced cost. For each Will written a donation of £5 will also be made to us at no cost to you.

For further information on the CHSW discounted Will writing scheme please get in touch. We can send you a questionnaire and provide you with the relevant contact details for each firm.

Please call Rob Emery at Little Bridge House on 01271 325270 or email [email protected] to find out more.

Discounted Will writing scheme

CHSW does not endorse businesses

There is still time to register for one of our Memory Walks in your local area. Ladies why not join us in Exeter on 24th September for a night walk under the stars? Or Join us in Barnstaple for an early evening walk suitable for the whole family on 1st October. Whichever walk you join you will be helping us raise vital funds whilst celebrating the memories of those you have loved and lost. Visit www.chsw.org.uk to register today.

Dedicating a Memory Star helps us to continue to help our families make the most of the precious time they have together.

Our Memory Star Appeal is a way for you to remember someone special at Christmas. This might be someone who has died, or someone you can’t be with at Christmas, or perhaps you might dedicate a Memory Star in lieu of giving a gift.

To request a pack please call 01271 325270. You will receive two stars for you to write your special message on, then simply post one back to us at Little Bridge House with your donation and hang the other star on your Christmas tree. We will hang your special star on one of our memory trees for the festive period.

Memory StarSantas on the runSleigh-loads of Santas will be descending on a town near you in a series of sponsored fun runs throughout December. These short festive runs are an excellent way to keep trim in the run up to Christmas whilst supporting your local children’s hospice. Adults and children of all ages are invited to dress up, take part and raise money for a good claus! Santas on the Run is a national series of Santa themed fun runs and is a collaboration between Children’s Hospices UK and children’s hospices across the country to raise awareness and much needed funds. Your entrance fee includes a free Santa suit! Visit www.chsw.org.uk/santas to find the fun run nearest you!

FOR

SALE

Support our new shopsOur shops have always been great places to find good quality items ranging from designer clothes and handbags to books and bric-a-brac. Our two newest retail ventures are a change from our usual shops as we introduce ‘Little Steps’ at Tinners Court, Truro offering new and preloved items especially for under 5s and ‘CHSW Home’, at 92 Cornwall Street, Plymouth offering furniture, white goods and soft furnishings for your home. If you have any items in good condition you’d like to donate to us, we would love to hear from you. Either drop your items in, or for larger items for ‘CHSW Home’ simply call 01726 221990 or for ‘Little Steps’ call 01726 871800 we will ask you about the items you have to donate and arrange a time to collect them for free!

Christmas Draw If you have requested to receive our Christmas draw tickets you will find them inside your Newsletter. You can also request further tickets by calling 01271 325270 or popping into one of our hospice receptions.

Why not pass on any spare tickets to friends and family or if you don’t wish to use them please simply recycle them at home.1st prize £2,000, 2nd prize £500 and 3rd prize £250 Good Luck!

“When our beautiful children, Katie and Tom, were diagnosed with a life-limiting condition, my late wife Jill and I had to travel from our home in North Devon to Oxford to receive respite care at Helen House children’s hospice. Our vision when we founded Children’s Hospice South West was that no other family in a similar situation should have to make such a long journey. This dream has become a reality as families from across our region have access to a local hospice where they can receive the support they so desperately need”

Eddie Farwell

Our third hospice in the region completes our network of special care and means that no family in the South West will need to travel for longer than ninety minutes to access our wonderful services.

Little Harbour, in Porthpean near St. Austell, will primarily serve families from Plymouth and Cornwall, offering them all the fantastic facilities we have at Little Bridge House and Charlton Farm but closer to home.

Little Harbour news

Here’s a look at some of the rooms that make up our new homely hospice:

A look at Little Harbour

The SanctuaryThis wonderfully peaceful room is called ‘Karensa’ which is Cornish for love. It offers a sanctuary for family members, a place where they can collect their thoughts, contemplate the future, or say a prayer. When the time comes, families will be able to use this beautiful space for their child’s funeral service, we will also hold special remembrance services and uplifting Christmas Carol services here.

JacuzziAptly named ‘Starfish’ the spa room is the perfect place to relax, relieve muscles and joints, or just have a good splash around! Here we can offer hydrotherapy sessions to children who need them, a peaceful place to float around. Mums and dads can unwind here, spending quality time together, in the knowledge their children are being cared for by first class professionals.

Multi-sensory roomMany of the children using Little Harbour may have vision or hearing impairments. This special room, called ‘The Lighthouse’ is designed to stimulate all senses so they can enjoy new experiences, find new ways of expressing themselves, or just enjoy deep relaxation in this tranquil environment. Here our children can benefit from therapy sessions, wonder at the range of colours and lights, explore different sounds, textures, and sensations, and maybe even find a comfortable position in which to have a little sleep.

Soft playLocated in the play barn, which is just a small covered walkway away from the main house, we’ve called our soft play room ‘The Lobster Pot’. This safe, fun, and stimulating play area is a great place for our children and their siblings to let off some steam and enjoy themselves. The unique design includes a balance surf board and giant ball pool complete with slide. No doubt this room will frequently be filled with the sound of laughter!

Messy PlayA big thank you to our friends at the North Devon Mini Register for funding this room of organised chaos. A favourite with the children in our other hospices, we expect to find siblings getting stuck into a range of different activities here. From arts and crafts to baking yummy cakes there will be plenty for children to get stuck into, under the guidance of our dedicated sibling team and care team.

StarbornThis is a very special room in our hospices. It is here where children can lie after their death, and allows for a very private space for families to say their goodbyes. The room is comforting and peaceful and can be personalised for each child by being filled with their most loved toys, or with their favourite music playing. It is overwhelmingly sad to lose a child and we are here to support families every step of the way, helping them through bereavement and beyond. Many find this room, where a ‘star is born’, an important first step in the grieving process.

With a cosy lounge, beautiful dining room, and stunning ‘Rockpool’ conservatory - which was kindly funded by the Leats Pre-School Playgroup Committee - there are so many lovely spaces for families to relax and find sanctuary.


Our sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to our Precious Lives Appeal. We would love for you all to come and visit Little Harbour and see what you have helped build. We will be holding tour days throughout September, October and November - please contact our administration team at Little Harbour on 01726 871800 to book a date for your visit.

As we look forward to making the most of short and precious lives at Little Harbour we still need your ongoing support. It is only with your kindness and generosity that we will be able to raise the continued running costs for Little Harbour and our other two hospices and provide vital care and support for the many families who need us. Please stay with us and help raise a smile for the future.

“I have spent the last five years as a Diana Nurse in Cornwall

caring for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in the community. I have met some truly inspirational children and families, some

of whom will be using Little Harbour. I loved the job I was

doing, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to work and be part

of Children’s Hospice South West. I have heard over the years so many parents sing the praises of Little Bridge House and have visited many times myself.

The one part of being a Diana Nurse that I always found so difficult was having to tell a family that their very sick child may not survive the long journey to Barnstaple. I would then wait anxiously to know that they had arrived safely. Having Little Harbour in Cornwall now means that children from Cornwall and Plymouth will be so much closer and we can reach even more families that would previously have been unable to make the journey.

As a parent, I understand that sleepless nights are part and parcel of being ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’, but most children eventually sleep through the night by the age of five. However, for some families those sleepless nights continue for eighteen years or more; they either have to re-position their child, check on their medical equipment, give an overnight feed, or just make sure that their child is still breathing.

At Little Harbour, families will always be welcomed with a smile, giving them vital time to relax and re-charge knowing

that their child is receiving the best care possible with oodles of fun and laughter. Little Harbour is about building precious memories and supporting the whole family. We want everyone to look forward to returning before they have even left.

There is no escaping the sad fact that some of the work we do is heartbreaking but just like at our other hospices, Little Harbour will be a shelter and a safe haven where joy and tears go hand in hand.

We have been privileged in this project to have been the beneficiary of such inspirational and touching dedication from the local and business community.

The fact that we are now able to prepare to welcome our first families in December is down to the incredible generosity of people from all over Cornwall, Plymouth and much further afield.

Our contractors, Midas Construction Ltd have been busily fundraising whilst literally laying the foundations for our support and care to begin. We have been able to use local people and local materials where possible in the project with stained glass from Scilly, a beautiful oak staircase from a joiner in Plymouth, granite from over the hill from Little Harbour, and many other local suppliers.

It is an honour to be part of bringing such an important service to this far corner of the region. I know how much the care Children’s Hospice South West provides means to parents and siblings and I am so proud to be involved. I can’t wait for the first families to walk through our doors at Little Harbour to begin their very special journey with us.”

Tamsin Lewis, Little Harbour’s Head of Care, looks forward to opening the doors of our new hospice

“I am still in awe at the hospice which the kindness of people has enabled us to build for our families

who are having to cope with the impossible reality of their child’s death.”

“The building envelopes you as you enter, the light, bright space is a

haven for our families and really is like nothing else in healthcare.”


Little Harbour fundraising

Star fundraisersThe newest Friends Group for the Little Harbour area is a bit different from any other so far! Members of the Southern Troopers ST Friends Group double as Star Wars characters and are planning to raise galactic amounts of money at their appearances as Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker and all the other much loved Star Wars characters. May the force be with them!

Employees at the Marks & Spencer store in Lemon Quay, Truro have raised over £12,000 to help Little Harbour as part of a year-long in-store fundraising marathon. Staff went to various lengths to raise funds - from bag packing days for local schoolchildren, customer cake sales, raffles and charity auctions in collaboration with the local Starbucks and in store

collections from our Truro Friends Group with some help from

Mr Fowley. The fundraising drive was part of the M&S Plan A initiative which is committed to supporting its ongoing partnerships with local charities.

Cornwall Truck Show Committee gear into action!

Post and present supportChildren’s Hospice South West is honoured to have had the support of the Cornish and Devon Post since the beginning. As we celebrate our twentieth year as a charity, so the Post held their twentieth Gala Evening this year to raise much needed funds. It is a wonderful evening and an annual feature of our events calendar we always look forward to. Over the years, the Post Gala has raised over £120,000 to help make the most of short and precious lives. A truly staggering amount, thank you!

Making their mark

Cornwall’s first ever Truck Show in 2010 was such a resounding success that the Cornwall Truck Show Committee decided to hold another one in support of our cause this year. The fun family event, held on the last weekend of July at Stithians Showground, proved a fantastic couple of days again, taking the total raised by the two shows for Little Harbour to a fabulous £6,000. What a lorry money that is!

Little Harbour helps Little Harbour In just over a year, an amazing £4,025.10 has been raised in public donations from people enjoying this beautiful garden feature in Chegwyn Gardens, St. Agnes. The ‘Little Harbour’ garden was the creation of the late Pat Pickard and is a fitting legacy to a wonderful supporter who, despite his own major health problems was determined to see his vision become a reality. It is now cared for by a fantastic team, with George Mannell tending the garden, Audrey Miller dealing with the donations, and help from Iris Pickard and other wonderful volunteers. Do take the time to visit the miniature harbour and help our own Little Harbour when you are next in St. Agnes!

Pirate partnersA very special thank you to Pirate FM, our official media partners, for being with us for so much of the journey. Here’s presenter Neil Caddy braving the heights of the cherry picker to place the last slate on the roof of Little Harbour back in May!

Lions roar into actionOur thanks to long term supporters the South West Lions who have taken Little Harbour to their hearts, raising thousands to fund the nurses’ station, furnishings and equipment.


The Tanner brothers are renowned for their great food, now they have also helped cook up vital funds for our cause. The fine dining experience of Tanners’ Restaurant in Plymouth was enjoyed by hundreds of guests as part of the celebrity chefs’ CHSW Charity Lunches initiative earlier this year, raising a tasty £1,910. We are thrilled the popular lunches will be returning this Autumn, from 4th October to 3rd December – call Tanners Restaurant on 01752 252001 to book.

Tanners have recipe for success

When it comes to charity every penny counts and all donations, small or large, can help make a difference. Five year old Emily Rose Griffiths, from Redruth, has been doing her bit to help poorly children. She visited our fundraising office earlier this year to proudly hand over the £3 she had raised for Little Harbour by collecting all her pennies. It was a delight to

meet this thoughtful young fundraiser.

We hope she has fun filling her next collection box up!

Every penny is preciousEighty-five year old Toddie Irving, from the Launceston area, showed youngsters a thing or two when she took on the ‘Tree Surfing’ challenge at Gullworthy and raised over £700 to help Little Harbour! Although happy to be safely home afterwards, Toddie enjoyed an exciting afternoon of tree top adventures, including climbing ladders, walking wires, crossing wobbly stepping stones, and zip wiring back down to earth again. What a high flyer!

Toddie takes to the trees!

Fans of the much-loved animated characters Wallace and Gromit were able to see the plasticine models close up and help St Austell Brewery raise vital funds for our new hospice in the process. Tickets for the Brewery’s special fundraiser sold out so quickly, that a second event was held the following morning to allow as many people as possible to attend! ‘My Life with Wallace and Gromit’ with Merlin Crossingham was a fascinating insight into the Aardman Creative Director’s adventures with the animated stars and the unique animation process, and raised a cracking £1,220.

More cheese Gromit!Despite temperatures peaking at close to forty degrees at their base in the Middle East, the crew of 814 NAS Culdrose enjoyed taking part in an afternoon of fundraising activities. From uni-hock to volleyball, tug-of-war to cardboard camel racing, much fun was had by all! Supporting Little Harbour from half way around the world, these fundraising forces raised a fantastic 349 Omani Rial – that’s around £563!

Fundraising forces

Students studying for the Society, Health and Development Diploma

at Heles School in Plympton put on a fantastic Easter fair and table top sale for our appeal

to build Little Harbour. Supported by their tutor, these young ladies, who

had never done anything like this before, organised a hugely successful event

that raised £1,100. Congratulations all and thanks

for your wonderful support.

Fair fundraisersIn 2011, ourtwentieth anniversary year, Falmouth based Marnick Builders Ltd also celebrate twenty years in business. To mark this they have taken part in many fundraising activities over the last year with their subsidiary companies Marnick Joinery, Marnick Roofing and Woodstock and Bickland Properties. From tackling our CHSW Corporate Challenge to hosting a fabulous firework display, their year has really gone off with a bang! Congratulations to the Marnick team for raising a phenomenal £14,766.70 towards building our special new hospice.

Building something special


Our family story

Charlton Farm news

For us as parents, being at Charlton Farm means we can enjoy Charlie without the pressure of having to explain his condition. Because Charlie looks like any other 8 year old other people see his erratic behaviour as misbehaviour, they don’t know about his condition. Here at Charlton Farm we don’t need to explain, Charlie is accepted for who he is.

“We started using Charlton Farm in 2008 after our paediatrician referred us. Our son Charlie was diagnosed at 11 months old with a rare metabolic condition called Niemann-Pick Type C, he is one of only a few children in the UK to suffer with this condition. It is often referred to as childhood Alzheimers, as the symptoms are similar. Charlie is 8 years old now and we have noticed he is deteriorating. We know that eventually he will lose all the functions we take for granted, walking, talking and feeding himself.

He is so happy here, as parents we can relax and enjoy time as a family, without the mundane pressures of family life – they do our washing and cooking so we can concentrate on being together. If Charlie wants to make a cake or roll around in the garden, the dedicated staff will do just that and he loves the attention! Coral, Andy, Harry, Tom and Charlie

When Charlie was diagnosed it was mind-blowing and when it was suggested we could benefit from using a children’s hospice we were very reluctant to even come and have a look, the word ‘hospice’ conjures up images of places you go to die. However, as Charlie firmly describes it -

“It is not a hospice, it is Charlton Farm!”

“Harry gets the chance to be a normal brother

and the sibling team are there to talk to Harry

about Charlie’s condition, if he wants to.”

Knowing your child will die is heartbreaking, but we know that when that time comes, we can come to

Charlton Farm, a familiar place, a place he loves and with people who know him and a place where we all feel safe.”

We have 2 older sons Harry 13 and Tom 19.

When we are in hospital with Charlie, Harry and

Tom sometimes feel pushed aside, whereas at Charlton Farm

they care for the whole family. Harry gets to play football or

relax in the teenage room and there are always people there if he

wants to talk.


Staff and children were delighted when a gorilla came to visit Charlton Farm as part of Bristol Zoo’s ‘Wow Gorilla’ campaign!Of course it wasn’t a real gorilla but a statue sponsored by Jelf Lampier, a Bristol insurance broker who provided the statue for the children to decorate and keep at the hospice.Bristol Zoo presented an interactive workshop to the children and families with lots of things to touch, see and hear.Annie Anderton who is one of the sibling workers at Charlton Farm said, “This was a great day for the children. They all thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get messy and paint the

gorilla, and the workshop from Bristol Zoo was brilliant and allowed the children of all ages and capabilities to get involved.”The decorated gorilla has been transferred to our Nailsea shop as part of the ‘Wow Gorilla Trail’. At the end of the campaign it will return to Charlton Farm to live in the gardens!

Not just monkey-ing around

A right royal to-doCharlton Farm threw its own Royal wedding party to celebrate William and Kate’s big day!

The day before the wedding was a day of preparation with many marvelous wedding hats being created in messy play, one of the children made a hat especially for Prince Charles!

On the morning of the wedding the lounge was decorated with bunting and banners and everyone in the house, parents, children, care staff, housekeeping and kitchen staff gathered in the lounge to watch the events unfold. Some of the little girls were especially impressed with Kate’s dress as we saw her come out of the hotel. One little girl went away to our dressing up store and returned dressed as a beautiful princess bride to watch the wedding!

Of course a good wedding isn’t complete without great food and the families enjoyed their street party themed evening meal with scones and cream, little cakes, triangle sandwiches and Pimms!


Although the fields of bluebells bloomed early this year there were still plenty on show for walkers to enjoy as nearly 500 participants

strolled through the beautiful bluebell woods and countryside around Charlton Farm for our first

sponsored Bluebell Walk.This special family walk

included a country-style market, with food and

drink stalls, along with jewellery, plants,

sweets and more.The atmosphere was great and a

huge thank you to all who took part in

making the day so special!

Charlton Farm fundraising

The beginning of spring was welcomed by Paragon School in Bath as a group of classmates planted bluebell bulbs in their school field. A cheque presentation followed the planting ceremony as 120 parents associated with the school had celebrated its centenary year with a ball and auction raising £15,000. We were especially delighted as the children themselves had chosen CHSW as the recipient of this wonderful gift.

A carpet of bluebells

The stars come out for Charlton FarmSelf-confessed ‘girlie girl’ Katie Sidwell from

Filton in Bristol swapped her hair straighteners for hiking boots on a trip to Thailand in memory of her brother and father.

Trekking across Thailand

When Daniel Rawlings decided to book an oversea’s trek to walk the Great Wall of China, his mum Katherine was a bit more supportive than most would want to be as she had to accompany him due to his tender age - 16! The whole family spent many weekends bag-packing at Tesco stores and with donations from family and friends and matched funding from Katherine’s work, over £5,000 was raised! The

Dan’s on top of the world

A blooming marvellous success!

Starlite Productions from Bristol have been producing fun-filled family entertainment for the past 10 years and in that time have raised a startling £35,000. Their main attraction is an annual pantomime, which continues to be enjoyed by children of all ages! Producers Amanda Love Williams and Andrew D Ford are grateful to their supportive cast, crew, families and audiences who work behind the scenes to put the shows together – they are all superstars to us!

Members of the Social Club based in Bristol held a rally in memory of Brandon George Francis who sadly died in July 2009 aged 5 years 8 months. The family wanted to say a big thank you for all the help and support received from Charlton Farm during George’s young and precious life. Together the bike clubs raised a roaring £1,000.

Katie fundraises tirelessly in their memory and this year she undertook a number of challenges in total raising £2,850.98. Keep on trekking Katie!

family duo enjoyed the experience so much they have already booked their 2012 adventure!

Thank you and well done to you both!

Scroundrels Rally Social Club


Brean Golf Club members raised an incredible £6,000 through a series of events held throughout the year. Gordon Bleaken was on par to receive the monies and thanked the members for their sterling fundraising work. Brean may only be a small golf club but they certainly have a big heart as year on year they manage to raise significant amounts for us!

£6,000 on par

Corporate supporters, Cadbury’s in Keynsham donated a beautiful statue of Peter Pan to Charlton Farm. The statue has sat in the Somerdale site since 1930 after the employees bought it as a gift to a company ‘that would never grow old.’ With the factory’s imminent closure, the employees chose to give ‘Peter’ to CHSW for children, who like him, will never grow up. The installation of Peter Pan proved just how generous local businesses could be with Wates Construction staff donating their time to install the statue.

Naomi Reed set up the choir alongside her friend Brenda Painter and have been fundraising for us since 1995.Nomine is a well established four part choir which meets in the East Bristol area, and is directed by Naomi.The choir supports CHSW through beautiful music, as their high quality concerts are usually free of charge and donations are invited following the concert. Over the past few years Nomine has raised a huge £10,302.72 and their fundraising efforts are still going strong this year. We are grateful to Nomine for their sweet sounding fundraising!

A Wispa from Charlton Farm

Nomine Music

A chain of North Somerset hair salons have shown their support this year by choosing us as Charity of the Year across their 5 branches close to Charlton Farm. Staff and customers from Broad Street Hair Salons have taken part in Wear Your Wellies, Santas on the Run and have organised a cycle ride between the salons! A great example of companies having fun and raising money at the same time!

Hair-larious fundraising

Russian food and entertainment were on the menu at Weston College. The dinner has been organised for the past 5 years by Weston Friends Group member Astra Brand, who sadly died last December. Astra’s husband, Arthur, completed the organisation of this year’s fantastic bond themed event with help from the theatrical arts students. The college generously provides everything for the whole evening including the students to cook and serve the food! Eddie Farwell and many friends gathered this year in honour of Astra. A wonderful £3,964 was raised, making the total raised, since Astra started in 2007, a staggering £16,668 as everyone celebrated all that Astra had achieved for CHSW over many years - she will be greatly missed.

Russian food and James Bond - in one night!

Brian and Mary Curtis from Street, organise the annual Brimar Classic Car Rally which this year made an amazing £4,442 with a raffle and an entrance fee! More than 150 beautiful and interesting cars gathered at Dobbies in Shepton Mallet before making the run to the Haynes Motor Museum in Sparkford. Luckily for all the open top cars it was a sunny day this year!

Classic Rallying

Martin Bennett, an employee from corporate supporters Edwards, took part in the Bath Half Marathon in style this year. Martin set a fundraising challenge for his sponsors; the person who sponsored him the most on his online page would choose the outfit Martin would wear for the race! He crossed the line dressed as Geri Halliwell in a fantastic 1hr 30 mins, raising £330 for CHSW!

A unique way to ‘Spice Up Your Life’


Time for all the family

Many parents often find it difficult to let go of the care of their child when they come and visit us and to just enjoy some well deserved rest and time for themselves, Marie is no different.

Aysha’s older brother Daryl also enjoys his time at LBH, he can have fun alongside other siblings and with the support of the dedicated sibling team there is always a lot of fun to be had.

Climbing, clambering and hilarious balancing acts were the order of the day on Daryl’s last visit as Little Bridge House took on the style of the popular TV show to create its own ‘wipeout’ course.

Daryl set up an extreme obstacle course to prove the dexterity of the staff! Members of staff were timed to the second as their strength, skill, balance and bravery were tested on a course to find the wipeout champion.

In the end, Facilities Manager Gary Hatch was crowned the ultimate winner in a very tight race against the clock!

Daryl who is 10 encouraged his mum to leave Aysha

“I was concerned about using the hospice because the word ‘hospice’

seems so final, but it couldn’t have been more different to what I imagined, it is

like part of our family now.”

“I struggle to let go and hand over the care of Aysha, although I have been

coming to Little Bridge House for many years it was only on our last visit that I

left Aysha’s full care in the hands of the care team and went out for the day. It was hard but I will certainly do it again.”

“Despite everything, Aysha and I have a special bond, Daryl and I love her to bits

and would not be without her, which is why the care and support we all receive

at Little Bridge House is so vital!”

“I said to my mum, we have to make a deal, you spend all your time looking after Aysha, you need some time on your own, she will be fine. I was very pleased when

she went out and had a break.”

Marie from Bridgwater has two children Daryl aged 10 and Aysha 9, she also sadly lost a son, Lloyd, when he was just 2 years 5 months old. Marie and her family have used Little Bridge House for respite care for the past 7 years as Aysha has a life-limiting condition.

Marie sums up her feelings


Little Bridge House news

From small seeds great things growNick Oliver from St. John’s Garden Centre in Barnstaple made a very generous donation of 30 beech trees for the chapel of rest garden at Little Bridge House. The gardens are a big part of the home-from-home appeal of Little Bridge House and have been designed in such a way as to be attractive and accessible to every member of the family during their stay. We know the beeches will flourish from shrubs to trees under the dedicated love and care of our maintenance team.

On a hot day in April, an excited group set off from Little Bridge House to Exeter to meet players from the world of rugby – the Exeter Chiefs. The group made up of youngsters, parents and care staff visited Sandy Park on a day organised by Ashford Solicitors. They were treated to a once in a lifetime VIP experience with the Chiefs, which included the chance to meet a number of the first team squad, the opportunity to see behind the scenes at the club and pose for photographs and autographs with the team and staff. All agreed that the day certainly scored with our families!

Families meet the Exeter rugby team Surf’s up at Little Bridge HouseNick Thorn from Woolacombe likes a challenge as much as he likes raising money for CHSW. In 2010 he stepped into the waters off Lundy beach and swam over 20 miles back to Woolacombe beach in just 6 hours and 26 minutes! His recent challenge saw him ‘paddle’ on a 16ft open water racer from Hartland to Croyde via Lundy. Nick took time out from his training sessions to meet the children at LBH, resulting in a dry land surfing lesson! More fun was had on Woolacombe beach when parents, teenage siblings and brothers and sisters aged as young as 3 got to don a wetsuit, rash vest and hop on a board under the watchful eye and expert tuition of Nick and his team. This was a rare opportunity for these families to experience a day out together, at the beach. One mum and dad who enjoyed the day with their two youngest children explained “we could never come to the beach with our son, having the opportunity to come and try surfing is just brilliant and we know he will be having a great time at Little Bridge House.” At the end of the day the families were all surfed out.


Fields of Sidmouth to grow CHSW funds

Russ Smith and Liz Hayman from Sidmouth along with their trusty four-

legged companion Fizzy set off to walk the South West Coast Path from Minehead to Poole, a journey of over

600 miles. Russ and Liz cooked up the idea over supper one evening and

completed the walk in a record 8 weeks.

2 walkers, one dog, over 600 miles

Members of the Devon Professional Golfers Association raised the magnificent sum of over £3,000 at their annual ‘Captain’s event’ held at Saunton Golf Club hosted by Stuart Disney. Tim Shobrook auctioned many generous donations from various golf equipment companies including a set of golf clubs donated by Mizuno! Thank you to everyone that chipped in with a pledge on auction night.

Devon PGA Annual Captains event a resounding success

Mole Avon Trading Limited recently presented David Butt with a cheque for over £1,800. Staff and customers at its three retail branches in Crediton, Okehampton and Axminster and the staff at the Head Office in Crediton, raised the money as part of our annual Wear Your Wellies Week. A welly good success for all!

Mole Avon staff don their wellies

Staff at the Exeter branch of Jardine Lloyd Thompson had a right royal day to celebrate the Royal Wedding. Everyone was encouraged to dress down and wear a homemade hat. The staff are also planning office board game tournaments, Halloween fancy dress and guess the baby competitions. We can’t wait to see the photos of that one!!

Mad as hatters

Little Bridge House fundraising

Ellie’s right on trackAt just 12 years old singing star Ellie Castle has shown enterprise and community spirit by recording a CD of her best loved songs. Ellie appealed for donations of blank CDs to record a compilation of tunes by her favourite singers. Ellie visited Little Bridge House and described it as ‘very welcoming and homely’ and is hoping to sell 100 of her CDs to support us. The talented youngster from Brixham certainly is a star in our eyes!

One of Devon’s finest independent Department stores, Fields of Sidmouth, are supporting CHSW as their charity of the year through activities in store and in the community of Sidmouth. Their fundraising exploits include raffles, cake sales and seconds sales which are sure to keep staff and customers alike very busy indeed!


Mark Knibbs - Wheelchair Challenge

A long way down

A new playground

Mark from Fremington took on the challenge to race from Barnstaple railway station to Bideford old railway station in his wheelchair. Mark was supported by the Barnstaple Hotel who helped him train and at the event was accompanied by his close supporters, staff and friends of CHSW all cheering him on. Mark successfully completed the challenge in record time raising over £700!

Bridget who is a member of Chulmleigh Friends Group, took her fundraising efforts up high when she abseiled off the 100ft drop of Princesshay car park in Exeter and raised £765! What an Abseil-lutley great achievement!

A piece of Little Bridge House’s treasured gardens went through a transformation in April as a play area for all the family was created. The project saw the garden space transformed into an interactive and challenging new place to play. The area now boasts new bespoke swings, including a nest swing and a wheelchair swing. Sensory totem poles for sound, hearing, touch, movement, sight, colour, taste and smell experiences. Plus a bespoke wheelchair accessible clatter bridge.Grass safety matting was laid to ensure that the area is fully accessible for children of all ages and safe for families to enjoy. A willow tunnel will be planted in the summer to complete the transformation. The Northbrook Community Trust generously awarded a grant of £10,000 towards the project.

The play area has certainly been given the thumbs up by children and families since its creation. Excited children play around the totem poles, fly through the air on the swings and race over the clatter bridge. The new area of the garden will be greatly enjoyed by children and their families visiting the hospice for years to come and we are truly grateful to The Northbrook Community Trust for their support towards this project.

Petroc College in Barnstaple formed our first college based Friends Group. The Health and Social Care students have taken on various fundraising activities including a miming display, bag packing and collecting, car washing, abseiling, swimming, and walking! This amazing effort has seen over £2,000 raised, by these dedicated students.

Petroc - best of friends


Children’s Hospice South West (Head Office) Little Bridge House Redlands Road Fremington Barnstaple Devon EX31 2PZ Tel: 01271 325270

Children’s Hospice South West Charlton Farm Charlton Drive Wraxall North Somerset BS48 1PE Tel: 01275 866600

Children’s Hospice South West Little Harbour Porthpean Road Porthpean St.Austell Cornwall PL26 6AZ Tel: 01726 871800

Contact us

www.chsw.org.uk or [email protected]

Corporate focusWe are proud to run some fantastic events across the South West at CHSW raising over £365,000 for the charity every year. That’s £1,000 every day! There are many ways to get involved with CHSW that align to your core business objectives so that they bring value not only to CHSW but can also provide tangible benefits for your company. Whatever your line of business, our experienced partnerships team could work with you to find a corporate partnership that works for you.

Ask us about

• MakingCHSWyourcharityoftheyear• Employeefundraising• Volunteering• Matchedgiving• Prizesforprizedrawsandauctions• Providinggiftsinkind• Employeepayrollgiving• Eventsponsorship

We would love to hear from you if you would like to get involved in sponsoring an event. Could you show your company support to one of our Memory Walks in 2012 or Santas on the Run? There are different levels of sponsorship for events across our three hospices. Event sponsorship could bring strong branding, marketing and PR benefits to your company. Associating your company with a local event and by partnering with CHSW you could enhance your position as a socially responsible company, improve your reputation amongst existing and new customers and local communities as well supporting local families.

For more details of how you can be an event sponsor or can get involved in any of our partnership opportunities, please get in touch with your local corporate fundraising team or email [email protected]

Sponsor our Events

On a wet and windy Saturday in June, 17 teams competed from across the region in Children’s Hospice South West’s 4th annual extreme event!

In a day of team building and camaraderie the teams endured appalling weather conditions on Devon’s most extreme landscape of Dartmoor National Park. We were delighted to hand the Corporate Challenge Cup for the Extreme Level to ‘Midas Marauders’, the team behind the build of Little Harbour. Bristol based Grant Thornton Public Sector were crowned winners of the Challenge level marking a significant point in the company’s charity of the year support.

To find out how your business can be involved in the 2012 event please contact [email protected] or visit www.chsw.org.uk/corporatechallenge

Corporate Challenge

Making the most of short and precious lives across the South West

Documents

CHSW Newsletter 2011 Autumn