New consultation rooms at Christopher’s thanks to collaboration

New consultation rooms have been created at our purpose-built children’s hospice, Christopher’s, which provide a calming environment for counselling sessions with families who have a baby, child or young person with a life limiting condition, or whose child has died.  

In a collaborative effort with leading interiors and property staging company, Burbeck Interiors, a family flat has undergone refurbishment to establish these new spaces.  

Burbeck Interiors kindly designed, procured and installed a range of donated furniture to create these warm and inviting spaces for families to use; carefully selecting furniture due to their suitability in both a clinical and family friendly environment. 

Items include sofas which can convert into beds; in case families need to stay at Christopher’s at short notice.  

The need for additional counselling space has been driven by our three-year strategy; to reach every family in Surrey, south-west London and north-west London, who need us. Families of babies or children who have died suddenly, and not just those previously known to the charity, can now access the expert and comprehensive bereavement care that Shooting Star Children’s Hospices can provide to help cope with the death of a child. 

Therefore, as demand on our services increases, it’s crucial we evolve and create spaces to deliver our therapy and counselling services.  

Fiona Rankine, Lead Counsellor at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices said, “Spaces matter. They say to a person you are welcome and safe and will be looked after. This is what we want for the families who come for counselling at Shooting Star.  

“Our new rooms say all of this and more. We are so happy with how comfortable and attractive they are, and it is lovely to have a restful waiting space as well. We have already started using the rooms and families have commented on how nice and relaxing they are.” 

Ellie Constable, Corporate Relationship Manager at Shooting Star shared, “We are so incredibly grateful to have support from Burbeck Interiors with this project.  

“They have been brilliant supporters of ours for a few years now, doing some fantastic fundraising, and now using their skills and expertise to help us transform this space so that it is a safe, welcoming and warm environment for the families that we support.  

“We truly value our partnership with Burbeck and look forward to seeing how else we can work together going forward.” 

Grace Wilcocks, Head of Commercial at Burbeck Interiors said, “The work that the team do at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices is awe inspiring, they provide support to so many families during their time of need.  

“As long-term fundraisers for the charity, we are delighted to be able to use our interior design skills to furnish a space that supports their strategy to extend their bereavement services to additional areas of London, by providing them with the additional counselling space.  

“As a family run business, and as parents ourselves, it is a privilege to be able to support families who are facing the unimaginable.” 

Thank you to Burbeck Interiors for your support, enabling families to access vital counselling sessions.