Care

This September marked our first drop-in session at Shooting Star House, allowing families an opportunity to meet up with each other face to face for the first time in many months.

Last month, both supported and bereaved siblings spent the day swinging, climbing, and zipping through the trees at Wild Wood Adventure in Guildford. As the first face-to-face siblings’ days since the pandemic, our care team wanted to ensure a day out full of fun and laughter so organised a day packed with activities to be enjoyed.

Many of the children we support are clinically extremely vulnerable, so whilst most restrictions in England have ended, we’re continuing with infection control measures to safeguard those we care for. Whilst ensuring this, we are slowly beginning to hold some events in our hospice gardens, holding a memory tree day and our first face to face Chill & Chat group since the start of the pandemic.

Monday 21 – Sunday 27 June marks this year’s Children’s Hospice Week. During this special week we’ll be showcasing the care and support we have provided to families and what this support has meant.

Living with a child who has a life-limiting condition can be isolating and lonely, feelings which are only intensified during the current pandemic. With many families currently shielding and bereaved families facing grief, it’s never been more important that we’re able to offer our expertise and support to provide solace and advice to families mental health during the most difficult of times.

Three-year-old Mya has been staying at the hospice for a respite stay. During which she’s been getting creative and enjoying some super sensory fun with our care team.

We made sure the 5th of November was a night to remember for the children currently staying at our hospice with lots of firework and autumnal fun!

While the pandemic has meant we are currently delivering all our clinical care from Christopher’s and Shooting Star House is closed for now whilst families continue to shield, we have been looking at how we can use Shooting Star House flexibly to provide support. This happened for the first time last week, when we invited bereaved families to a special day of remembrance. 

We’re going virtual to ensure we can still support children with life-limiting conditions, and their families, in every way we can during this uncertain time.

Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex enjoyed decorating heart-shaped biscuits for Valentine’s Day with children and families supported by Shooting Star Children’s Hospices on Wednesday 12th February.