Grace’s Place achieves 2017 goal

Photo: Mask Creative

HRH Princess Beatrice spent time with children and families at Grace's Place

Grace’s Place has achieved its goal to start caring for children with life-limiting conditions in Bury, Rochdale and Oldham, in time for the new year, thanks to the generosity of people from Greater Manchester.

Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice took over Grace’s Place in Radcliffe in July 2017. Since then, the charity has been busy working with local groups, businesses and individual supporters to meet its first Kickstart campaign target of raising £60,000 by the end of 2017 in order to allow them to start offering care through their Hospice at Home service.

From sponsored motorbike rides and gardening stunts to business donations and school fundraising events, the last five months have seen a flurry of activity as people from the local community have rallied together to support the children’s hospice and help it reach its first fundraising milestone.

Before Christmas, the charity’s royal patron, HRH Princess Beatrice, visited the children’s hospice to meet local families who will be able to benefit from the services the charity offers. As well as looking around the children’s hospice, which will open for in-house care next year, Princess Beatrice spent time with the families and charity supporters during a unicorn-themed afternoon tea party.

There are 650 children with life-limiting conditions in Bury, Rochdale and Oldham, but currently no local children’s hospice provisions. The £60,000 raised will pay for four nurses to start providing a Hospice at Home service to some of these families.

There are already nine families signed up to this service, and referrals are now open to families in Bury, Rochdale and Oldham areas who would benefit from clinical care, counselling, therapies and practical support in the comfort of their home.

Kirsty Franks, general manager of Grace’s Place, said: “We made a very clear promise that we would be caring for children and families by the end of 2017 and thanks to the hard work of all our supporters we’ve been able to make some magic happen for local families.

“So much has happened since we got the keys to Grace’s Place, but there’s still so much more to do. We’re now working hard to finalise the facilities available at Grace’s Place, creating a new wing and making sure the bedroom suites are suitable for visiting children and their families. With continued support from the local community and businesses from across Greater Manchester, I’m confident we’ll be able to make more magic happen and open the doors of Grace’s Place to families by autumn this year.”

As part of Forget Me Not’s fundraising drive, it is opening two charity shops early in 2018 in Rochdale and Royton, with more planned for later in the year.

To find out more about how you can help Grace’s Place say yes to children and families visit:

www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/gracesplace