Building works start at hospice site...

Just over two and a half years after launching the Precious Lives Appeal, Children’s Hospice South West is thrilled that building work has started today (Tuesday 20th April) on the new children’s hospice Little Harbour!

The team from Midas Construction was greeted on site by the charity in what marks a new and significant phase of the appeal; the building of the Little Harbour reality.

As the diggers rolled onto the site, off Porthpean road near St Austell, it was an emotional time for CHSW’s Eddie Farwell who has dreamed of bringing a children’s hospice to Cornwall for many years. Eddie Farwell, Children’s Hospice South West Co-Founder and Chief Executive, explains:

“It has always been our vision to create a network of three special children’s hospices to serve life-limited children and their families in the South West. As well as enabling CHSW to support even more families who need us, this will mean that no family has to travel for more than ninety minutes to use our hospice facility. “

Today is a very exciting and overwhelming moment for me personally and, I suspect, for everyone else involved in the Precious Lives Appeal: the staff and volunteers at CHSW, the many individuals, groups, and businesses in Cornwall and Plymouth who have shown us tremendous support, and of course the local families who will benefit from having this wonderful facility on their doorstep.”

It is expected that Little Harbour will take around sixty weeks to build and, all being well, will open its doors to the first families by the end of next year. Like Children’s Hospice South West’s other special hospices in the region – Little Bridge House near Barnstaple and Charlton Farm near Bristol – Little Harbour will provide a range of planned respite, palliative, emergency, and end of life care for life-limited children.

But there is more to it than that. The homely Little Harbour will be a place of comfort, care and support for the whole family. It will be a loving environment in which families can forget their worries for a while and enjoy making the most of the precious time they have together. Matt Way, from Newquay, who lost his son Joe in May 2008 explains just how important having this support in Cornwall is:

“We booked to visit Little Bridge House four times with our son Joe, but had to cancel on each occasion because he was too ill to travel. The support the hospice offers is vital, so to have one just up the road would have helped immensely. It would really have given us a chance to recharge, which is something you don’t necessarily realise you need at the time.”

The Precious Lives Appeal target is £5 million and £3.5 million has been raised to date. To donate to the hospice CLICK HERE

Holiday makers gift head stone for Cornish toddler

A family from Wigan where so moved by the story of Cornish toddler Joe Way that they contacted his family to offer their services as Monumental Masons. Janet and Steve Fishwick, who run their business in Bolton and holiday at The Monkey Tree Holiday Park in Newquay several times a year, heard about a fundraising event ran by Dean Woods, the Entertainment Manager there.

Dean, who has helped the Way family with fundraising since the start of their website, knew Joe and organised events at the holiday park which has raised nearly £2000 in memory him.

Dean Woods said, “Our guests have been very generous when it comes to charity and the Fishwick family have been one of the most generous and caring families I have met. Steve has given his time, skill and put his heart into creating this beautiful headstone for Joe. I was privileged to of spent time with Joe and it still overwhelms me how people have been so touched by his story even though they did not have the opportunity to meet this unique little boy” The family visited the Fishwick's at the Holiday Park and came up with the design for Joe’s headstone.

Steve, who shaped, etched in the artwork and fitted the headstone, has been in the business for 28 years. The headstone had taken over 60 hrs to create and had the finishing touches designed by Janet. Steve and Janet’s daughter Maya, aged 9, also helped with this one off family work of art by finishing the gold gilding as she also wanted to do something special for Joe.

Janet Fishwick said, “What can I say about Joe and his family apart from it was a wonderful memorial to do as we were so inspired by little joe’s bravery and the way his family coped we thought to take some weight off their shoulders we would help with the memorial stone as this is the last thing to do for anyone when they have passed on and is a very stressing time for all the family and out of all this we have made some fantastic freinds in joe,s family and not to forget dean as he was the one who inspired us with all the fund raising he has done, in memory of little joe way who is a very special little hero to all who knew him.”

The Way family had a call from Janet late on Friday to say the headstone was in place and where bowled over by this special tribute to their son.

Matt Way said, “It’s such a beautiful tribute to Joe that you cannot help be proud of it and to want to show people how amazing it is, which does seem a little strange until they see it. We have always found his resting place at St. Mawgan to be a happy place to go and have again been overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness his story has inspired in people.”

The Fishwick family are now going to offer their services in the Southwest as they are such regular visitors to Cornwall. To speak to Janet about their services call 01942 832176 or you can look at their new website www.fishwick-monumental-masons.co.uk designed by Scott Dickinson as a thank you for Joe’s headstone

Click here for the Newquay Voice Article

New sponsored Team Rider...

Louie Mavor who has collected funds at many events for Joe Way has helped raise over £2500 for the Precious Lives appeal.

Louis aged 15 from St Agnes got involved in Joe’s charity work with his mum Allie who was Joe’s joint agency worker. Allie co-ordinated the various agency’s involved in his care as well as supporting his parents.

Riverside Holiday Park owner Paul Mills answered the call to help sponsor Louie competing in the British Longboard Union circuit this year.

Mr Mills who has also supported Joe’s fundraising was pleased to donate £200 to buy a wetsuit, rash vest and help with entry fees Mr Mills said “we are a family Park so Joe’s story has always been close to our hearts, we where happy to help Matt get Joe’s story out and about on the BLU circuit as well as supporting a young local surfer”.

Louie’s next competition is at Perranporth on the 8th and 9th of May at the first event of the 2010 circuit where he will again be flying the flag for the Joe’s story, SKINDOG surfboards and Riverside holiday Park. Louis says “I’m delighted to be involved in spreading the word about Joe’s story by participating in my favourite sport”.

To see what Riverside has to offer go to www.riversideholidaypark.co.uk to see the BLU fixtures go to www.british-longboard-union.co.uk