Naomi House reopens after £4m state-of-the-art refurbishment
Children and families attend opening ceremony
A CHILDREN’S hospice which has been providing care and support to families across Berkshire and the South East for the last 18 years has reopened following a £4m refurbishment.
Naomi House has been closed for more than a year while the upgrade was carried out, with new accommodation, a sensory room and a new bereavement suite among the improvements.
While the centre was closed, children were housed in specially converted rooms in Jacksplace, the charity’s sister hospice for young adults located next door.
And now the refurbishment is finished, local children will be able to receive respite, emergency, end-of-life and bereavement care in what the charity says is one of the world’s most modern and technically advanced hospice facilities.
Keith Wilson, marketing manager for Naomi House and Jacksplace, said: “While we may have modernised the entire building, and equipped it with a vast array of the latest technology, it doesn’t feel cold or clinical in any way – the design has preserved that welcoming and homely feel that Naomi House always enjoyed.”
The hospice launched its Caterpillar Appeal in 2014 to raise the £4m needed for the refurbishment, and has seen businesses, individuals and events across Newbury, Berkshire and the rest of the South East help it reach its target with fundraisers and donations.
The 10-bed hospice was declared open by patron of the Caterpillar Appeal, Alastair Stewart OBE, on Monday morning, with the help of three-year-old Mikey Strachan from Hampshire and other children who will be using the new facilities.
The children and their families were then invited on a tour, along with around 100 supporters of the charity.
Following the tour, Mikey’s dad, George, said: “It’s an amazing change.
“I don’t know what to say to be honest.
“There’s so much more space and the upgrades to the rooms mean it’s going to be a lot better for Mikey.
“He absolutely loved the sensory room, we couldn’t get him out of there to continue the tour.”
Families will once again be able to be housed in the hospice from the end of September, with work putting the finishing touches to the new rooms set to begin this week.
Keith Wilson added: “Our unveiling marks the point at which our care teams can gain full access to the new hospice and start moving items like beds, toys and play equipment from Jacksplace.
“This will also signal the start of a period of intense training in our new equipment and generally ‘living’ with the building for a while to bed-in our processes and practices in advance of the first families staying with us towards the end of the month.
“Our carers, nurses, doctors and family support teams are itching to get into the new building and start delivering their exceptional standards of care in a hospice that is fully fit for purpose.”
After opening in 1997, Naomi House has been providing care and support to life-limited children across Wiltshire, Dorset, Berkshire, Hampshire, West Sussex, Surrey and the Isle of Wight and aims to raise £7m each year in order to run a full service and deliver its plans.
For more information and to make a donation, visit www.naomihouse.org.uk
