To celebrate the 30th anniversary of CIBC Miracle Day, Haven House will be using funds raised by the CIBC Children's Foundation to pay for eight days of hospice care in October 2014.

A typical day at the hospice involves our nursing team caring for children with life-limiting conditions that have stayed with us overnight and are on day visits for respite care. As well as providing the specialist healthcare that our children need, we also offer a number of play activities throughout the day. This includes reading stories, going for walks in our woodland forest, music therapy, messy arts and crafts and sensory play with soft toys and light beams.

Nights can just be as busy as days at Haven House with many children needing assistance with feeding, breathing or seizure management. When children stay with us overnight, it gives their parents and their siblings the opportunity to get a good night’s sleep and know that their child is being properly looked after by specialist nurses.

Our approach also involves a close, working relationship with our parents to make sure they are happy with the care we provide and is individually tailored to the wishes and needs of their child.

The CIBC Week of Care (1-8 October) coincides with the opening of our new Holistic Care Centre which will allow the hospice to provide a broader range of specialist services to an increasing number of local life-limited children.

The new centre will provide:

  • New consultation facilities for clinicians including Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, to meet with local life-limited children, bringing care much closer to home
  • Multi-training space for staff, volunteers, local groups and Haven House Buddies (siblings of unwell children)
  • Confidential assessment areas for parents and children
  • A dedicated room for music and other therapy sessions (at present the hospice uses a sensory room for music therapy and only one activity can happen at any one time)
  • New physiotherapy and complementary therapy services

Mike Palfreman, Chief Executive at Haven House Children’s Hospice said: ‘Everyone at Haven House sends their best wishes to the CIBC Children’s Foundation as they celebrate their 30th anniversary year. It was an absolute pleasure to work with CIBC last year and we are truly grateful to their employees for supporting our children and families by paying for eight days of care at the hospice.’