Devonshire Homes extends support for Children’s Hospice South West
Local independent house builder, Devonshire Homes, has announced that it is extending its support of Children’s Hospice South West for a second year, with the pledge of £1,000 to sponsor Barnstaple-based paediatric nurse, Lorraine Langmead.
Based at Little Bridge House in Fremington, Lorraine provides hospice care for children with life-limiting conditions and support for their families across Devon and west Somerset. Devonshire Homes’ sponsorship will help families, who face the most unimaginable challenges, get through the most difficult times and create happy memories to cherish long into the future.
Lorraine has been a Paediatric Nurse at Little Bridge House for over 10 years. Unlike some jobs, she can never predict what her day will entail.
Lorraine commented: “You can never assume what kind of a shift you might have ahead. You could be taking a child out for a lovely sensory trip in the sunshine, giving their parents a well-deserved rest. You may be accompanying young teenagers on their much looked-forward to shopping trip, or sadly we could be involved in keeping a child pain free as they near the end of their life.”
Lorraine continued: “Being a mother has made it even more apparent to me that there is nothing more rewarding than being accepted into these families lives, where they face daily challenges and emotions, which many describe as a ‘roller coaster journey’. So, when people say: ‘I don’t know how you do your job’, to me, as a nurse, I let them know that it is an absolute privilege to be able to care for these children and families, and if I can continue to make any kind of difference to each one of them, I am honoured.”
The sponsorship comes after Devonshire Homes raised over £10,000 last year for Children’s Hospice South West through a range of fundraising activities including skydiving, cycle challenges, fun runs and coffee mornings. The house builder also donated £50 to the charity for every open-market sale during 2017, which will continue this year.
Jane Pearce, Sales and Marketing Director at Devonshire Homes, commented: “We are delighted to announce that we’ve pledged £1,000 to sponsor Lorraine and the incredible work she does with Children’s Hospice South West. The paediatric nurses provide vital support to children and their families during such a difficult time, so it’s really important to us that we do everything we can as a company to show our support.”
Children’s Hospice South West supports and cares for both children and families providing respite and short breaks, emergency care, palliative care and end of life care. Its work ensures that children have access to a safe, happy and relaxing space that allows them to get all the help and support they need. The charity provides three hospices across the South West, which feature child friendly bedrooms with minimal medical equipment that are decorated with books, toys and DVD’s for each child who stays. This vital support extends to the whole family, into bereavement and beyond for as long as the family needs.
