Martin House Children’s Hospice

If you haven’t heard already, we have recently launched a One Day Membership Scheme in order to say a massive THANK YOU to the lovely schools who choose to book with us year upon year.

The fantastic rewards we are offering range from a free Rock School Music workshop, to a free LIKEaBIKE, entry into our termly prize draw, and many more! But we didn’t want to stop there…

We also wanted to give something back to the wider community and help disadvantaged and less fortunate children around the world, and here in the UK. As a school climbs from Bronze, to Silver, to Gold in our membership scheme, the donation we make to your chosen charity increases as well.

The charities we have chosen to support this year vary from international, to national, and are all focused on helping children. Our charities are: UNICEF, NSPCC, Break and Martin House Children’s Hospice.

Martin House, based in Wetherby (West Yorkshire), is only minutes away from One Day’s main office, and for that reason, is particularly close to our hearts. The work this wonderful charity does for children with life-limiting illnesses is absolutely breath taking! Here’s a little information about how Martin House helps these children, and why we think they are so special…

Paulina, Hana and Alan love their stays at Martin House, where they can enjoy being a family and take part in Music Therapy sessions. Alan has severe brain damage caused by Congenial CMV. He also suffers from global development delay, epilepsy, visual impairment, and has kidney and bladder stones.

Paulina says: “Martin House is the only place where I can truly relax. At home I worry all of the time and when I am at Martin House I don’t. It is like being in a little bubble, a place where I don’t have to worry and Alan gets the care and support he needs.”

The music therapy sessions provided by Martin House encourage expression and communication through playing instruments, singing and listening. During these music therapy sessions, a safe place is created where difficult feelings can be expressed, or can be represented through music where words are impossible. For the children like Alan, these sessions can raise self-esteem, and give them choice and control.

Paulina explains the positive impact these sessions have on both Alan, herself and his sister Hana: “When Alan has a music therapy session Hana and I can join in and enjoy Alan’s delight! We are making memories that I will treasure forever. I have been told that Alan’s body will give up eventually and I know that I need to prepare for that. I know that Martin House will be there for us, no matter what the future holds.”

Since April 2014, Martin House has helped 423 children (and their families), provided bereavement support to 151 families, and has given 368 hours of psychological care.

But it is not only children that Martin House offers their support to. Their assistant stretches out to young people like Hassan Nasir, aged 22. Martin House has worked with Hassan for 15 years, and he was one of the first people to use the new teenage and young adult unit.

Hassan describes that in the teenage and young adult unit at Martin House, he can find to be himself and do what he wants to do. He says: “I get so excited the night before I visit, I can hardly sleep. I’ve made some of my best friends here at the hospice, and I love having the chance to just hang out and have a laugh.”

For many young people at Martin House, the opportunity to do normal things that many teenagers take for granted is so important.

It costs over £15k per day to run Martin House, and so any support they receive is invaluable. It allows them to continue their fantastic work with children of all ages that face life-limiting illnesses, and the families who must learn to cope and prepare for an uncertain future.

If you would like more information on how you can become a part of our One Day Membership Scheme, do get in touch. Or, if you would like to donate to Martin House independently, click here. Also, have a read of our charities blog to see who else we are supporting!

Love,

Victoria & the One Day team