More space in the Mermaid Suite
There is a larger bedroom downstairs in the hospice’s Mermaid Suite, with a second bedroom for parents and a large bathroom in between so children can use a hoist to easily move through from their bedroom into the bathroom and into their parents’ room. The new rooms have new names too – Lighthouse and Beach Hut – to reflect the seaside location and plenty of bed spaces for the whole family. This more spacious layout will enable families to have their own private space to be all together and have the closeness they need when they are being supported at the end of their child’s life.
Nat adds: “Before we started work on the new rooms, we shared our plans with the parents whose children had stayed in the Mermaid Suite and invited them to visit before the room was changed as it is a significant memory for them. That was really important to us.”
With its own private entrance, this bigger space will also be used for overnight stays which the children and young people love and means they can have sleepovers too, just like their friends and siblings, as Julia’s House nurses and carers are there to provide the clinical care they need.
A community project
The extension has been fully funded by a one-off Government capital grant and contributions from a number of capital trusts, so has not impacted the ongoing costs of providing care. The improvements were designed by architects, Corstorphine & Wright, who provided a significant amount of their time as a gift in kind. Local commercial design and refurbishment specialists, Jade Aden Interiors, long-time supporters of Julia’s House, undertook the refurbishment project on site.
“We were able to access a one-off capital grant from the Government and a few generous capital trusts to build this incredible new extension to ensure our care continues to adapt to meet the changing needs of the families we support – the great response and positive feedback from the children and families has been so great to hear. We are also so grateful for the support of Corstorphine & Wright and Jade Aden Interiors who have been so generous with their time and skills – it is a real community project that we have been able to deliver without taking funds away from staffing the vital ongoing care,” said Mike Bartlett, Julia’s House deputy CEO.
Andrew Barneston, Contracts Director at Jade Aiden Interiors commented on their involvement in the project: “It was a real honour to have been able to play a key role in delivering such a fantastic project that will provide such valuable facilities for the families that come to the hospice. It was also a pleasure to work with such a dedicated team of professionals who deliver such incredible care across the Julia’s House sites in Dorset and Wiltshire. We are all really looking forward to seeing the hospice in use and hearing from the staff and children that will be using it each day. We really hope that the improvements help with delivering unique, first class care in an exciting new setting for the children and staff alike. Thank you for letting us be a part of that journey.”
We receive just 8 per cent ongoing Government funding and continue to be reliant on generous donations and fundraising from local people, businesses and organisations to provide our vital care. With other local respite care services being reduced or closing, Julia’s House is even more of a lifeline for families so they can take a break from caring around the clock for their seriously ill child.
