Bank staff get busy to help complete new baby hospice

Zoe’s Place, which is run from an an office in Mill Street, is hoping to open the new centre in Coventry at the beginning of July, from when it will provide short-term respite care to babies and toddlers under the age of five who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

And thanks to a team of volunteers from Barclays Bank branches in the area who recently helped to paint fences, put up signs and carry out gardening work, the journey towards ending the building project is almost at an end.

Fundraising officer Kirstie Nichols said: “There is such energy in the volunteers - it’s wonderful to get them involved and a way in which they can work together as a community. We’d like to thank the whole team for their hard work, which impressed us all.”

As well as an indoor space with specialist equipment for smaller bodies, furniture, blackboards and toys, the hospice will include a sensory garden which will have wind chimes and a water feature in a green space.

Up to six babies and toddlers will be able to stay at the hospice at any one time, whether just for a day or for up to two weeks.

Ms Nichols said: “We want as many families as we can to benefit. The hospice has has been set up in a bespoke way for babies and toddlers.

“They need a lot more attention and a different type of care to older children because they may not be able to communicate in the same way. We also have equipment such as hoists and slings which are specific to that age group and our nursing staff are trained to deal with children of that age bracket.

“This one, together with our centres in Liverpool and Middlesbrough, are the only baby-specific hospices in the country. That’s important to a lot of people because it’s a bit more secure and friendly for babies and toddlers than an adult hospice might be.”

She added: “We don’t receive any fundraising and the running costs could be in the region of £800,000 a year so even though we are almost finished building the hospice, we are continuing to fundraise all the time.”

Zoe’s Place does not have a catchment area so any families able to travel whose babies or toddlers require respite care are welcome to apply for a place.

To find out more about the charity, go online or call Ms Nichols on 02476 361675. The organisation’s next fundraising event will be a ‘ladies’ luncheon’ at the Restaurant in the Park in Jephson Gardens on October 6. Details about how to buy tickets will be available nearer the time.