Chestnut Tree House The children's hospice for Sussex and South East Hampshire
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Chestnut Tree House The children’s hospice for Sussex and South East Hampshire
Who we are
What do you think of when you hear the word outings during the holidays for
‘hospice’? Death, sadness and grief are some of the children and their siblings.
the emotions usually associated with a hospice.
The house has its own
However, Chestnut Tree House near Arundel
hydrotherapy pool, a multi-sensory room,
in Sussex is a place full of fun, laughter and
music and computer rooms, and space for art and play
happiness.
therapy. It is a noisy and buzzing environment where the
The children’s hospice for East Sussex, West Sussex children have a lot of fun, but there are also quiet areas for
and South East Hampshire, Chestnut Tree House, offers contemplation and relaxation.
specialist palliative care to children and young people
When a child or young person dies, whether at home, at
suffering from life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses.
the hospice or in hospital, families are offered the use of
Life-limiting means that the children are not likely to
our bereavement suite, Stars. There is a cool room where
reach adulthood and includes disorders such as Muscular
the child can remain for as long as the family wish.
Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, multiple disabilities,
cancer and progressive genetic disorders. Chestnut Tree House offers families a home-from home
environment; it is a place of love, understanding and caring,
The hospice also provides support for the whole family,
a place of fun, laughter, hope, friendship, and, yes, sometimes
offering psychological support, care following bereavement,
sadness.
end of life and respite care, and sibling support.
But most of all, Chestnut Tree House is a place
Our skilled nurses and care support workers provide care
for living!
at the hospice or in the home. Families can stay in the
special family accommodation at Chestnut Tree
House or leave their children in the
capable hands of the Care Team
while they take a few days’
break. There are
also activity
days and
D id y ou k n ow?
We currently provide care for
over 280 children and young
people in Sussex and South
East Hampshire.
D id y ou k n ow?
We are supporting
91 bereaved families.
What we do
Overnight short breaks The Community Team offers assessment, specialist advice,
support, liaison and teaching. Specially trained staff visit
We have six bedrooms where we provide care for our
families in their own homes to care for the sick child
younger children – from newborns to 12-year olds. Each
or young person. This enables parents to take a much-
room is decorated to appeal to children and has a range
needed break – to pop out to the shops or have a
of entertainment and special equipment. Our Young Adults’
relaxed meal. It also means that parents can spend time
Wing consists of four bedrooms and the ‘Common Room’,
with brothers or sisters who often get forgotten and need
all designed to appeal to the young people we support. We
time and attention. The community staff not only provide
understand that older children need their own space and
short breaks but organise fun activities for children, young
facilities to help foster their own identity and independence.
people, brothers and sisters in the house and day trips to
We have eight family bedrooms with en-suite facilities, exciting places.
plus a fully adapted bathroom equipped for disabled use.
End of life care
Families have their own lounge and kitchenette, as well as
the superb decked balcony overlooking the garden. A stay We provide 24 hour support for children requiring care
at Chestnut Tree House gives them the opportunity to rest in the last stages of their illness, in conjunction with other
and relax in the knowledge that our Care Team is looking healthcare professionals, either in the child’s own home or
after their child downstairs. at the hospice. When a child or young person dies, families
are offered the use of the bereavement suite, ’Stars’. There
Community care
is a cool room where their child can remain for a period
Our Community Team is the first point of contact for of time. Support is offered whilst planning a funeral and in
families wanting to use Chestnut Tree House and provides a saying their goodbyes. Continued support is offered by our
vital link between families and the hospice. Bereavement Team.
Molly’s story feeds a day and twice daily chest physio to ensure she is
able to clear her lungs of secretions.
“A few years ago, her Health Visitor spoke about Chestnut
Tree House but I couldn’t bear the connotations of the
word ‘hospice’ – I couldn’t admit that Molly might die. The
In her short life, 10 year old Molly Green has had 60 Health Visitor suggested we come to one of the hospice’s
admissions to hospital for pneumonia and 12 intensive care Open Days, which we did. I imagined it was going to be
admissions, each one being life-threatening. Here, Mum, like an intensive care ward but it wasn’t so scary after all!
Nichola, describes what it is like to provide specialist care It’s like a beautiful house and it doesn’t smell like a hospital.
for a very sick child while still being a Mum to Molly and
“We came for a day, and loved it. We call it ‘Molly’s
her twin sisters, Phoebe and Emily, aged six.
special place’ and we all come together and stay. Molly
“Molly was born prematurely and didn’t feed properly loves swimming and cooking and Phoebe and Emily love
from the moment she was born. She spent three months coming too.
in hospital and had lots of tests before we discovered she
“For me, there is nowhere else that offers the kind of
had Bulbar Palsy. We were told she couldn’t swallow and
care we need. When we come to Chestnut Tree House,
would later have global development delay. A nasal gastric
everything is taken care of – I don’t have to do the
tube was put in and we had to learn how to resuscitate her
mundane things like cooking and cleaning. I love the fact
because she kept stopping breathing. She was on oxygen,
Molly is cared for by the nurses and I get to be Mum to her
heart monitors, SATS monitors – it was awful. We went
and her sisters.”
home with all that, plus an ambu-bag and mask, and this tiny
little mite and just carried on caring for her ourselves.
“The first few years were difficult, made harder by the fact
that my husband, who was Molly’s main carer while I
worked full time, passed away after a short illness
when she was four and the twins were just six
months old.
“Initially, the doctors said she would never
walk or talk but she started talking when she
was seven and she can walk with assistance.
She has stabilised in the last couple of
years, although her chronic lung disease
is still classed as life-threatening and she
gets poorly very quickly. Molly needs five
D id y ou k n ow?
The Community Team made
1,509 home visits during 2011/12.
How to get involved
updates and annual invitations to visit the hospice. To join,
please call 01903 706329.
We are incredibly lucky to have supporters
throughout the area who help us in so many Pay For a Day
different ways. Sadly, due to lack of funding, we It costs £6,850 to provide all of our care services for one
are still not reaching all the children and families day. Why not choose a day special to you, your family, your
who need us. Families are never charged for company or organisation and fundraise to pay for a day?
their care. It costs over £2.5 million each year to You will be invited to the hospice on or close to your
provide our care services, both at the hospice and chosen day and your generosity recognised at the House
in the community, yet only 8% comes from central and on our website. To find out more, call 01903 871836.
government funding. With your help, we continue
Leave a Gift in your Will
to raise awareness of our service and the vital
funds we need to keep our doors open. Leaving a gift to Chestnut Tree House in your Will is a
wonderful way of continuing to support the charity, as well
Here are just a few ways you can get involved and really
as an effective way of minimising the inheritance tax your
make a difference:
estate will pay. For information, call 01903 706330.
Make a Donation
Volunteer
The cost of our highly specialised care is high. We need
Chestnut Tree House relies on volunteers. We need people
donations of all sizes to buy specialist equipment, support
to arrange and promote fundraising activities or to help at
our running costs and pay our nurses. If you can help, please
our events. At the House, we need to staff the reception,
call 01903 871820.
make repairs and tend the garden. To find out more, call
Join our Lottery 01903 706326.
Just £1 per week will enter you into our lottery. As well as Donate goods
the chance to win a weekly top prize of £1,000, you’ll be
Our shops in Arundel, Billingshurst, Brighton, Eastbourne,
helping the children at Chestnut Tree House.To join, call
Havant, Hove, Seaford and Worthing, always need good
01903 871841 or sign up online at www.chestnutlottery.org.uk.
quality clothing and bric-a-brac to sell and the profits
Become a Room Sponsor directly support our work. We can arrange collection of
From just £15 per month, you can sponsor one of the larger items from your home, just call our Retail Team on
children’s rooms at Chestnut Tree House. Choose which 01903 275660.
room to sponsor and we will send you updates about Employee Fundraising
what’s been happening in your room and in the House, plus
Many companies encourage their staff to fundraise; it’s good
priority invitations to talks and events. For information, call
for your company and an excellent team-builder. To discuss
01903 706329.
the opportunities call 01903 871820.
Join our Circle of Friends
Please make sure you tell all your friends, family
A regular gift of £3 or more per month allows us to plan and colleagues about out work and encourage
and budget for the year ahead. You will receive regular them to get involved too.Thank you.What it costs How you can help
Please use this form to show us how you
would like to get involved with Chestnut
Tree House.Thank you.
Please send me details on:
It costs over £2.5 million per year to provide our Joining the Lottery
Volunteering
care services, but only 8p in every pound comes
Leaving a gift in my Will
from central government funding. For the rest we Becoming a Room Sponsor
rely on the generosity of the people of Sussex. Joining the Circle of Friends
Paying for a Day at Chestnut Tree House
• £6,850 will pay for one day of all care services provided Employee fundraising
by Chestnut Tree House. I would like to make a donation:
I enclose a cheque for £ payable to Chestnut Tree House OR
• £1,923 gives a child a three night break at Chestnut Tree
Please debit my credit/debit card the amount £
House, allowing them to enjoy the hydrotherapy pool,
relax in the multi-sensory room and join in with a host of Card type:
activities, whilst mum and dad get the chance to “recharge Card no:
their batteries.” Valid from: / Expiry date: /
• £226 gives a child the chance to visit Chestnut Tree 3 digit security code: Issue number (Maestro only):
House for the day and enjoy a range of activities. Signature(s): Today’s date:
• £157 allows a member of our Community Care Support / /
Your personal details (Please use CAPITALS)
Team to care for a life-limited child in the child’s home
Title First Name
• £40 will cover the costs of a session with our
Bereavement Counsellor Surname
Address
• £35 will enable a child to experience a magical hour in the
multi-sensory room with a specially trained member of staff
Post Code
• £4.75 pays for one minute of our care services at
Tel No.
Chestnut Tree House
Email
Please return this form to: Freepost RSLL-CHXE-
CGZR, Chestnut Tree House, 2 Titnore Lane,
Goring-by-Sea, WORTHING, BN12 6NZ
For every pound that you donate to St Barnabas
House we can collect 25p from the taxman.
Registered charity no. 256789
To help us raise more funds, please tick, sign and date below.
I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax
for each tax year that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities I
donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes
such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand Chestnut Tree House will
reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give.
D id you k n ow?
I am not a UK tax payer Date: _____ / _____ / ________
Your details will be held on our database and whilst they will not be passed on to any other party
(in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998), we may contact you ourselves. If you would
DCHLFT
Last year, we provided prefer not to receive future mailings from us and would like your details removed, please call the
Database Administrator on 01903 706327.
897 day care sessions. Funds raised will be used in accordance with the aims of the charity as set out in its governing
document, namely to promote the relief of sickness and suffering.Chestnut Tree House Dover Lane Near Arundel West Sussex BN18 9PX Telephone: 01903 871800 Fundraising: 01903 871820 www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk Registered charity no 256789 Follow us on Twitter @ChestnutSussex Find us on Facebook Chestnut Tree House © Chestnut Tree House June 2013
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