ONE of Huddersfield’s biggest companies has given the town’s children’s hospice a massive boost.
Huddersfield-based nursery goods supplier, Mamas and Papas, yesterday formed a partnership with The Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice that will help it over the long-term.
The new hospice in Brackenhall provides vital support to children with a life-limiting illnesses and their families.
Mamas and Papas staff visited the brand new hospice and are hoping to help furnish the building.
The hospice has been built at a cost of £2.5m and will need the same amount of money annually to run it.
Luisa Scacchetti, a founder of Mamas and Papas, toured the building yesterday with husband David, who works on the commercial side of the business, and their daughter Olivia Robinson, who heads creative and retail marketing.
Olivia said: “We chose to support the hospice because it is local and out of all charities, it is something that will really bring something different to this area; it is the only children’s hospice around here.
“We have a large amount of customers most of whom are parents and we aim to reach them or at least make them aware of the children’s hospice.
“We hope to provide rockers, chairs, blankets as well as raising large amounts of money in this long-term partnership.
“We run focus groups so we can understand what parents want. This hospice has been so expertly designed to meet the desires of families.
“We are really excited about the partnership and are amazed at how wonderful the hospice’s facilities are. They have thought of everything.”
Hospice chief executive Peter Branson, said: “We have launched a partnership with Mamas and Papas and are extremely excited about the fact that they have chosen us to be their charity.
“The partnership also makes a great deal of sense as we both support children and their families.
“It is really important for us and it’s great that it is a local family that also has international scope.
“At the hospice we know there are some things we cannot change. We can’t change the fact that this child will die young and we can’t change the fact that they have a life-limiting illness.
“But there are things that we can change for them.
“The hospice will allow parents to come and be parents instead of carers and give children the chance to be themselves.”
Yesterday was the first time visitors were allowed to see the new centre and over the next few months they will be working hard to furnish it.
Head of care, Margaret Wordsworth, has visited other children’s hospices around the country to see what specifications they believe were necessary.
She said: “Two years ago I had a blank piece of paper and now we are standing in this facility.
“We have been so grateful for the support from the local community but the real work starts now. We need to make sure we have the money to keep this hospice running.
“Within the facility we have catered for not just the children with life-limiting illnesses but their parents and their siblings.
“Mamas and Papas have sponsored the Forget Me Not suite, a room which is specifically designed as an end of life suite.”
The suite can be privately accessed and features a parents room, kitchen, family area, bathroom and a low-temperature room to allow grieving families to say goodbye to their loved ones.
