Architects pledge support to SW Hospice

Exeter and Plymouth based LHC Architecture + Urbanism has pledged a year-long programme of fundraising events in aid of the Children’s Hospice South West.

image004.jpgStaff from the award-winning architecture firm voted for Children’s Hospice South West to be the company’s charity of the year, after having designed two of charity’s hospices in the past 20 years.

The charity was founded in 1991 by parents Eddie and Jill Farwell, who experienced first-hand the urgent need for hospice care for children in the South West. Children’s Hospice South West now has three hospices which serve children and families from Cornwall to South Gloucestershire.

Now in its 25th year, Children’s Hospice South West provides accommodation for terminally ill children and their families, so the children can live out their lives in comfort, with their loved ones close-by.

The charity also offers counselling and bereavement services for families, ensuring parents, siblings and others affected by a child’s illness are given as much support as possible.

LHC has longstanding links with the charity, having designed both its Little Bridge House hospice near Barnstaple and Charlton Farm outside Bristol, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

Now, the team at LHC are getting ready to fundraise for the charity throughout the whole of 2017 by taking part in a whole host of different events and competitions. Usual activities include office ‘cook offs’ and team cycle rides. Activities planned so far include one member of staff taking part in an ultramarathon in Cornwall, whilst another is running the Bath Half in March.

John Baulch, Director at LHC said: “The team are immensely excited to be supporting Children’s Hospice South West as our charity of the year. This is a charity that is close to many people’s hearts, and we hope to raise as much as possible so they can continue to enrich the lives of children and their families.

“Having worked with the charity over the past 20 years through the design of two of its hospices, it seems very fitting that we are now looking at ways to raise money for this brilliant organisation which manages to provide an element of solace for families at a very difficult time.”

Naomi Dymond, Corporate Partnerships Fundraiser at Children’s Hospice South West said: “We are always grateful to receive support from businesses and individuals and it is great that LHC have chosen to fundraise for us after having had so much involvement in the design of two of our hospices, and it’s quite apt that it has happened this year when Charlton Farm celebrates its 10th Anniversary.

“It will be interesting to see what different creative ways the team come up with to raise funds over the next year considering the different challenges they have undertaken in the past!”

Each year LHC staff nominate an organisation to be the firm’s chosen charity of the year. In 2016 LHC supported Balloons and in 2015 the firm supported both Kidney Research UK and the Dame Hannah Rogers Trust.

For more information about LHC visit www.lhc.net or follow @LHCArchitecture. To find out more about Children’s Hospice South West visit www.chsw.org.uk/