Make every moment count at Children's Hospice

It is often said when talking about Martin House, that the focus of hospice care is not on dying, it is on making the most out of living.  At Martin House, amidst the critical emergency care and symptom control that is provided round the clock, the care is centred on family-led memory making.

For example, every week the children are treated to a visit from Nuzzlets – a local animal sanctuary which rehomes a wide variety of small animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens - to create fun and stimulating experiences for our children and young people to take part in. 

£300 could cover the cost of 10 visits from our Pets as Therapy (PAT) provider, Nuzzlets Farm, as well as a trip out to their home - the farm! These visits allow children and their siblings to meet a variety of animals including rabbits, dogs, guinea pigs and ponies and have the sensory experience of interacting with them. Our Care Team say the children’s faces light up when they feel the animals’ soft fur. For some children this may be the first and only chance to interact with animals in a safe environment, something that is invaluable for the child and their family.

The care Martin House Children’s Hospice provides goes above and beyond medical care; we care for the child and young person in both the mental and physical entirety. 

This means that we use a wide range of therapies to give the children and families the chance to express themselves, be creative and have fun together.  Our team of music and art therapists work sensitively with each child, both intimately in a one-to-one session, in which the child can interact with something so simple as the vibrations of a single guitar string, and through group sing-alongs where everyone gets an instrument and joins in. 

Our young people particularly enjoy creating their own music in our Music Studio, which is packed full of instruments, equipment and enthusiasm! During a recent group session, the teenagers in the Hospice broadcasted their own radio show throughout the Hospice, much to amusement of the chef who received the group’s dinner order over the airwaves!

One of our resident therapists, Cathy, spoke about the benefits of music therapy: “It gives the child a space to relax, to not just be that poorly person, but a creative person. It’s about giving the child control and letting them know they are being listened to.”

A donation of £50 would pay for a single session with one of our therapists, to give the child the chance to communicate, have fun and be creative, building special memories in the process.

It is often said when talking about Martin House, that the focus of hospice care is not on dying, it is on making the most out of living.  At Martin House, amidst the critical emergency care and symptom control that is provided round the clock, the care is centred on family-led memory making.

For example, every week the children are treated to a visit from Nuzzlets – a local animal sanctuary which rehomes a wide variety of small animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens - to create fun and stimulating experiences for our children and young people to take part in. 

£300 could cover the cost of 10 visits from our Pets as Therapy (PAT) provider, Nuzzlets Farm, as well as a trip out to their home - the farm! These visits allow children and their siblings to meet a variety of animals including rabbits, dogs, guinea pigs and ponies and have the sensory experience of interacting with them. Our Care Team say the children’s faces light up when they feel the animals’ soft fur. For some children this may be the first and only chance to interact with animals in a safe environment, something that is invaluable for the child and their family.

The care Martin House Children’s Hospice provides goes above and beyond medical care; we care for the child and young person in both the mental and physical entirety. 

This means that we use a wide range of therapies to give the children and families the chance to express themselves, be creative and have fun together.  Our team of music and art therapists work sensitively with each child, both intimately in a one-to-one session, in which the child can interact with something so simple as the vibrations of a single guitar string, and through group sing-alongs where everyone gets an instrument and joins in. 

Our young people particularly enjoy creating their own music in our Music Studio, which is packed full of instruments, equipment and enthusiasm! During a recent group session, the teenagers in the Hospice broadcasted their own radio show throughout the Hospice, much to amusement of the chef who received the group’s dinner order over the airwaves!

One of our resident therapists, Cathy, spoke about the benefits of music therapy: “It gives the child a space to relax, to not just be that poorly person, but a creative person. It’s about giving the child control and letting them know they are being listened to.”

A donation of £50 would pay for a single session with one of our therapists, to give the child the chance to communicate, have fun and be creative, building special memories in the process.