About Naomi House Children’s Hospice (Wessex Children's Hospice Trust)

Naomi House children’s hospice has been caring for life-limited youngsters and their families for over ten years. Since the hospice opened in 1997, 640 children have been cared for and Naomi House is currently providing care and support to over 260 children and families across central southern England. We make a long-term commitment to each family and welcome them back, for as long as possible.

Naomi House is part of the community; built and funded by local people for local families to use free of charge. Any family living in our area can use Naomi House and anyone can tell us about a family who may need our help. The offer of palliative care including respite, terminal and bereavement care is open to people in Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, West Surrey, West Sussex and Wiltshire.

Thanks to medical advances the life expectancy of many children with life-limiting illnesses has grown and some live to become young adults. A new hospice for young people – jacksplace@naomihouse – is being built alongside Naomi House. It will be one of only four dedicated hospices for young people in the country. We already know of around 60 young people who will be eligible to use jacksplace. It is due to be completed in early 2010 and we need to raise another £3million to complete and equip the building.

One to one care for children and young people with life limiting illnesses is resource intensive and it costs over £2.5million a year to run Naomi House, with only 10% of our funding coming from government. jacksplace will need a similar level of funding. The support we get from all sorts of people - individuals, clubs, schools, businesses, churches to name only a few - is tremendous. We have lots of ideas we can share with you on different ways to raise money in the community, via challenge events, leaving a gift in your Will, donations in memory of a loved one instead of flowers or how to do payroll giving.

With your help with fundraising, Naomi House can continue to be there for the good days, the difficult days and the last days.

Our history

The Wessex Children’s Hospice Trust was set up in 1991 to raise money to build a children’s hospice, which would be a home from home for children with life-limiting conditions and their families from across central southern England.

Following a four-year, £5 million appeal, Naomi House was opened in 1997. Since then, over 640 families have benefited from having short breaks at Naomi House for respite care. The hospice also provides end-of-life care and bereavement support to families who suffer the death of a child.

Naomi House is currently supporting 260 families from Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, West Surrey, West Sussex and Wiltshire. A new hospice, jacksplace@naomihouse, dedicated to the care of teenagers and young people and adjacent to Naomi House, is currently under construction and will open in early 2010.