CHILDREN and workers at an Ipswich hospice are enjoying a bright start to the New Year after a kind hearted company handed over toys and supplies worth £1,000.The generous gift, which also included quilts, curtains and tableware, was made to East Anglia's Children's Hospices' (EACH) Walker Close centre.
CHILDREN and workers at an Ipswich hospice have enjoyed a brighter start to the New Year after a kind hearted company handed over toys and supplies worth £1,000.
The generous gift, which also included quilts, curtains and tableware, was made to East Anglia's Children's Hospices' (EACH) Walker Close centre.
The donation was made by soft furnishings firm The Dunelm Mill Group and Annette Thurbon, corporate fundraiser for EACH, said: “We are really grateful for Dunelm's support as we rely on voluntary contributions to keep the hospices running.
“This year we have to find £4.7 million to fund the three hospices in East Anglia and 90 per cent will have to come from donations.
“It is very important that we get funding so that we can continue to offer different therapies to the children such as music therapy, art therapy and sensory rooms.
“These facilities are crucial for the children's wellbeing, communication, self-expression and self-esteem.”
The hospices provide much needed care for terminally ill children from birth to 21 years as well as respite for their parents and community care.
Jenny Weston, Dunelm Mill Group's head of charity, said: “We felt that the Children's Hospice at Ipswich was a particularly worthy cause.
“We hope that these items will not only be useful for the hospice but will also help cheer up the young patients.”
The Leicester-based Dunelm Mill Group has a store on the Suffolk Retail Park in London Road, Ipswich.
EACH's other two hospices are at Quidenham in Norfolk and Milton in Cambridgeshire.
Weblink: www.each.org.uk
The Ipswich hospice cared for its first child in May, 1999.
The centre was opened following requests from parents for hospice services in the town.
It offers day care, overnight stays and an after-school club.
The hospice is a large bungalow with four bedrooms for children and one room for families to use for overnight stays.
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