CLAIRE HOUSE NEWS

Remembering Luke

In memory of her son Luke, Claire House mum Christine has raised thousands of pounds by organising bingo events at the pub she runs.

The benefits of volunteering

Kerry, who volunteers in the Claire House Hunts Cross shop, has seen the benefits of giving a little bit of time to a good cause.

“When I first started, I had some issues with my health, I was feeling really low and I didn’t talk much. Volunteering was a good way to keep me moving.

Having fundraised for Claire House in various ways since 2006, the bingo events at The Sandbank pub in Wallasey are Christine’s latest efforts to raise money. Now in their second year, including live music and entertainment, they have proven a hit. At three weeks old, Luke became seriously ill with a rare condition, listeria meningitis. Luke and his family received support from the hospice throughout his life before he passed away aged 15 in 2019.

“Luke was such a lovely happy boy and Claire House were amazing with him. They provided support for all of us.

“We’ve got more fundraising nights booked in and are going to continue fundraising as much as we can,” said Christine.

“It’s been a year now and it’s helped massively. I’m more confident, I feel happier and I’m nearly three stone lighter!

“I’m a single mum of five and know how it feels when your child is sick. That’s why I chose Claire House. It’s good knowing that I’m giving back.”

Just one hour of volunteering for Claire House can make a big difference to seriously ill children in your local area. For more information and to get involved visit clairehouse.org.uk/volunteer.

Furry Friends

Nanny Sharon’s Alpaca Farm, Prenton, and their four-legged friends have become popular visitors to Claire House.

The founder of the Alpaca Farm, Ben, has worked alongside counsellors and specialists in speech and language therapy believing that animals can bring a sense of calmness and help children open up in a relaxed environment.

Eurovision excitement

With Eurovision 2023 being held in Liverpool, Claire House was excited to feature on the BBC Handover and Allocation Draw show in January. Charities and communities across Merseyside featured as part of the show, with hospice staff and two very special young people, Noah Cunningham and Codie Ann Gibney who are both supported by the hospice, having star roles.

Along with organisations from across the city, Noah, Codie and Claire House staff collectively read a few lines of a poem written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

Mia’s amazing fundraising

Mia, aged 10, raised a total of £1,600 over the Christmas period for Claire House.

Rosie from the play team who organises these visits said: “This is a great opportunity for the children and staff to meet the alpacas, guinea pigs, rabbits and miniature goats.

“The children are encouraged to feed the animals so that’s the sensory part and the stretching of their arms is the physio part.

“It’s fun and therapeutic because the animals are well behaved and can be trusted.”

“Thank you for the invitation to take part in such a memorable occasion, we had fun recording for Eurovision, even if we did have to say ‘you’ll never walk alone’. What a privilege to be asked to be a part of a big event,” said Everton fan Noah.

On Saturday 26th November, Mia set up a stall in her local Tesco store which was full of decorations she had made. Customers were able to make donations in exchange for Mia’s decorations. Mia started fundraising in 2020, making tie-dye t-shirts. Her hard work has continued as she went on to become a Claire House Advisor, helping our fundraising team to make important decisions about new events, resources and ideas.

“I support Claire House because fundraising is a way of helping the children and families who are cared for and supported by the hospice, anyone can help make a difference,” said Mia.