The hospice has undergone its much-anticipated refurbishment creating a new feel, with the help of valued supporters like Llanmoor Homes.

Over the years, Llanmoor Homes has made significant donations towards Tŷ Hafan. Tŷ Hafan is the leading Welsh children’s hospice. Its services are available throughout Wales and are free to any family that needs them.  As well as continuing to provide end-of-life care at the hospice in the pandemic, Tŷ Hafan is also running a virtual care programme to provide support to families shielding at home.     

The hospice has recently undergone its much anticipated £1m refurbishment creating a new feel and we have been delighted to have played a part in making this happen. 

Areas of the hospice are unrecognisable from how they were previously with the refurb team having managed to create a sensitively stimulating environment for the children. 

Deb Ho, Director of Care at Tŷ Hafan, said: “We’ve had some really lovely feedback from parents already and for those who have visited us in the past couple of months, their faces and expressions say it all. 

“Just a couple of weeks ago an adolescent child stayed with us at the hospice and when she came through the doors, her face lit up and her eyes were wide taking in all of the changes. She loved her new bedroom, which was great to see.”

The main care wing area has been updated including the 10 children’s rooms, social hub, cwtch and main corridor. A beach theme will be running throughout the area with rooms named after local beaches and the corridor renamed ‘The Boardwalk’. 

All the children’s rooms have been updated to provide a fresh new look with improved heating, cooling and lighting facilities allowing the children to feel comfortable, safe and at-home while they stay. Their rooms can be personalised just like their bedrooms at home and the features are state-of-the-art to make sure that the rooms are as fit-for-purpose as they are comfortable. 

The social hub living area has also had a complete makeover, providing a bright open space for children and families. This is the heart of the hospice, a place to gather and be together. 

The upstairs family area including a lounge and seven bedrooms now have a contemporary feel providing a relaxing space for families to enjoy some much needed down-time and space to be together. 

The family living room is all about providing a relaxed atmosphere where families can spend quiet time on their own, but with support never far away. 

“Respite is one of the most important services we can provide our families and this space will be their home-from-home while they are with us. This is where friendships between families can be forged, where they can discuss shared experiences and realise they aren’t alone. But if peace and quiet is what the family needs, they can find that here too,” says Deb.

The area we call ‘The Den’ is a new and expanded space within the hospice for young people to meet together and share experiences. It includes its own social and lounging area, kitchen, gaming area and a cinema room.

A fully refurbished therapy room will maximise the benefits of complementary therapies for our children as well as their mums, dads and their siblings. The calming effects of these therapies in the tailor-made environment will help to reduce stress, relieve anxiety and maximise the benefits of the respite stay. 

Deb adds: “We want our families to feel at home at Tŷ Hafan and the newly refurbished areas will really allow them to enjoy this downtime, knowing that their child is being well cared for by our wonderful care team.

“Without the generosity of our supporters like Llanmoor Homes, this simply wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you for making a world of difference.  

“Hundreds of children with life-limiting conditions and their families across South, West and Mid Wales will be cared for in our newly bright and welcoming hospice, for many years to come.”

It costs £4.5 million every year to provide Tŷ Hafan’s services to those families who need them.  Tŷ Hafan receives less than 10% of income from Local Health Boards (LHBs) and the Welsh Government.  The rest of Tŷ Hafan’s income is generated by public donations and fundraising – including community and corporate events, legacies – and its commercial activities such as its lottery and shops.   

Tŷ Hafan has reached its £1m target for its ‘fit for the future’ refurbishment project. This is funded entirely by donations, not by Welsh Government funding.  

To find out more about Tŷ Hafan, including their campaign for a Lifeline fund for fair and sustainable funding for children’s hospices in Wales go to: www.tyhafan.org