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Creating magical Christmas memories

19 December 2018 chsw Care, Volunteer

An innovative photographic project that started on the other side of the world has been bringing Christmas smiles to families staying at CHSW’s Little Bridge House and Charlton Farm hospices.

The Christmas Wish project started in 2016 as part of the heART Project, a collaboration between award-winning Australian photographer Karen Alsop and a group of volunteer photographers.

The project has quickly gained worldwide attention and digital artists and photographers from Barnstaple, Portishead and Bristol have joined forces to bring The Christmas Wish to the UK for the first time.

Barnstaple

Bristol City squad spread Christmas cheer

13 December 2018 chsw Care

Players and staff from Bristol City Football Club made their annual Christmas visit to CHSW’s Charlton Farm on Tuesday 11 th December.

The players and staff spent quality time with the children and families and staff and volunteers as they posed for photos, signed shirts and autographed squad sheets. In the games room, players and children played Fifa and table football, there was plenty of fun in the soft play area, art was created in the Messy Play room and balls were kicked about in the secluded garden.

Bristol City Football Club has been supporting CHSW for the past four seasons and has

Matthew revisits CHSW on the 10th anniversary of his brother's death

09 May 2018 Anonymous Care

Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) is dedicated to making the most of short and precious lives, and the care offered is not just about medical and nursing support, but also enriching the lives of children and their whole families.

Nowhere is that more apparent than in its sibling provision. CHSW has a dedicated sibling service at each of its three hospices to provide care, support and entertainment for well brothers and sisters.

It can be hard being the sibling of child with a life-limiting condition. There are often times where parents have to concentrate their day to day efforts around the

Devon craftsman brings healing music to CHSW

30 April 2018 chsw Care
Children’s Hospice South West is delighted to be the winning recipient of a Sounding Bowl for its music therapy as featured on BBC Spotlight

Back in January, BBC Spotlight featured a story whereby an appeal was being made to apply for a music Sounding Bowl hand-crafted by Devon based Tobias Kaye, and Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) is delighted to be the winning recipient!

Sounding Bowls are extraordinary. Hand-crafted from local tree timbers, the bowls are specially designed to amplify sounds, resulting in rich acoustic responses that work exceptionally well in music therapy. The

CHSW Children’s Nurse will be riding for precious lives this summer

30 April 2018 chsw Care, Events, Fundraising

When you’ve only cycled a total of 60 miles before, taking on Children’s Hospice South West’s epic 205-mile Ride for Precious Lives event could be a massive challenge, but nurse Jo Bingham is determined to give something back to the charity.

In 2016, Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) launched an initiative to encourage nurses to return to practice and retrain as a children’s palliative care nurse. Jo was selected for the programme and joined the care team at the charity’s Little Bridge House hospice near Barnstaple in January 2017 and completed her training at Plymouth University. She has

Hazel's special reason for running the Bristol 10k

25 April 2018 chsw Care, Events
Hazel says in her own words why she's motivated to run the Great Bristol 10k for CHSW...

'Me run, never. So why did I decide to run the Bristol 10k for CHSW? That’s easy to answer.

‘My son Daniel passed away 7 years ago aged 9, he had special needs and required 24-hour care. The hospice gave respite to myself and my husband Chris so we could have some time together knowing our son was being looked after by the fantastic caring nurses and staff at Charlton Farm.

‘Not only did they look after Daniel’s needs but also ours. They were there when I needed someone to talk 24/7, I was never judged

Mum Cerwyn Taking on West Highland Way

04 April 2018 chsw Care, Fundraising

40 year old Cerwyn Burnett from St Mawes is in full preparation for her 96 mile sponsored walk across the West Highland Way in Scotland later this month and is taking on this challenge to help raise vital funds for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) which supported her family through an incredibly difficult time.

Cerwyn gave birth to two beautiful twin boys, Bryn and Reuben, on the 20th January 2008. At 27 months old the boys were diagnosed with a genetic, neuro metabolic disease, called Krabbe's Leukodystrophy. A few months after their diagnosis both boys were bedridden, had multiple

How the Rainbow Run helps families like Tayen's

29 March 2018 chsw Care, Fundraising
Last year, ‘Tayen’s Rainbow Racers’ helped raise vital funds for Charlton Farm and here’s why…

Tayen from Bridgwater is six years old and has a genetic condition called Neurofibromatosis Type 1. The condition is incurable and causes tumours to grow on nerves anywhere in her body. She has complex epilepsy, hydrocephalus and is fully blind. Tayen has already endured two rounds of chemotherapy and will need more at some point in the future.

Despite her condition, Tayen has a zest for life and enjoys spending time with her family; mum Kali, dad Kevin, and brothers Matthew, Lucus and Connor.

The

The cast of Wicked visit Charlton Farm

28 February 2018 chsw Care

Principle and Ensemble cast members of Wicked, the spectacular West End and Broadway musical, made a special visit to see the children and families currently staying at Bristol’s dedicated children’s hospice, Charlton Farm.

Helen Woolf, Steven Pinder, Kim Ismay, Emily Shaw and Iddon Jones alongside Ensemble cast members filled the hospice with music and song, took part in activities with the children, and generally raised the roof at Charlton Farm, which currently supports children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

13 year-old Emily, who is supported by Charlton Farm along with

Mortgage company to support Children’s Hospice

18 January 2018 chsw Care, Fundraising

One 77 Mortgages based in Chippenham, Wiltshire, has chosen Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) as its Charity of the Year.

Darren Walker, Head of New Business at One 77, has experienced first-hand how the CHSW helps families at a difficult time in their lives. Darren’s son Morgan was born 8 weeks premature, weighed just 3lb 10oz, and had to be rushed to the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU), where he was put on a machine to help him breathe.

After 4 weeks Morgan was finally discharged home, but had to return to hospital 4 weeks later for an MRI brain scan. Darren says, ‘The day we