CHaL
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CHaL or Children’s Hospices across London is a registered charity and a collaboration between the 6 children’s hospice services that cover all of London and much of the home counties – the members are Demelza, ellenor, Haven House, Noah’s Ark, Richard House and ShootingStar. You can read more about us on www.chal.org.uk and through that website, you can also view the websites of each of the 6 members who are geographically dispersed across Greater London.
Though our services differ to a degree depending on local needs and demographics, nonetheless many of the services offered are similar. The hospices that form CHaL care for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and provide support and respite for their families. We tailor the care we offer to the needs of the individual child, focus on enhancing quality of life and giving support to the whole family from the point of diagnosis, through life until death. We also support families during the bereavement process. Many of the conditions faced by the children we support are genetic and extremely rare; and some of the children may live for many years through into adulthood.
Our hospices offer end of life care and specialist symptom management, practical advice and clinical support from paediatric palliative nurses and specialist carers, to help alleviate the symptoms of childhood illnesses, reduce hospital admissions and manage the effects of incredibly complex medical conditions and disabilities. We also provide respite and short breaks, family and bereavement support and specialist therapies such as music, physio and yoga. Many of our services are provided in the home as well as in the hospice
Children’s hospices exist to help these children live life as fully as possible. We look beyond a child’s medical needs to discover what makes them sad, what makes them smile and what makes them laugh. We want to create environments where they can be children, not just patients. Our hospices allow families to come together and create memories and precious moments.
We currently support more than 2,000 children and their families each year, so that they can live a life that’s as full as possible. We also know however from independent research that there are at least 6,000 life-limited and life-threatened children and young people across London who could benefit from what we do, so we know we have much more to do. By working collaboratively, raising awareness and funds, we are making our resources go further.
Since March, CHaL hospices have all been working in close collaboration with each other and the NHS to enable sick children without COVID-19 to leave hospital safely to hospices and to thus free up hospital beds for COVID emergencies. Our care services have generally been as busy if not busier than we would normally see across the same period of the year, and as the crisis and lockdown start to ease, we continue to work closely with the NHS and our families to ensure that all can access the support they need.
Voluntary income, however, has been a challenge for all of us. Our shops, though previously closed, are now starting to re-open, but fundraising generally has seen a significant reduction as most events have been forced to cancel and many of our supporters have their own financial challenges. The future remains very uncertain, and the support of our local communities will continue to be crucial as we move forward.
Every one of the 6 hospices has a variety of fundraising events or volunteer opportunities that may appeal – please look at our websites for any events and activities we may be putting on near you.
Together we want to ensure that every child and their family in London, has access to the care and support so desperately needed when facing a life-limiting or life-threatening condition. With your support, we intend to continue to do just that long into the future.
