Hugs Children’s Cancer Charity
Respite Home
One of the practical ways in which Hugs is able to help families come to terms with a difficult diagnosis, is by offering them a break, as a family. We do this via our respite home which is based on the South coast of Cornwall, not far from the beautiful town of Fowey.
The story behind the respite home is simple. When Henry was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, family and friends started to raise the £500,000 needed for treatment in the US.
They raised a lot of what was needed, but not quite enough. However, Henry was offered a clinical trial treatment here in the UK and when in 2018 he finally rang the ‘end of treatment’ bell at Bristol Hospital, the family decided to use the money that had been raised to buy the respite home that’s so dearly treasured by the charity today.
The property is based on a private, fully equipped, beautiful holiday development, alongside nine other exclusive properties … there’s even a shared heated pool and a hot tub for the house itself. This respite home is there to enable families that are embarking on the same difficult journey that Henry and his family undertook a few years ago.
The main objective of the respite home is simple. It’s here to make life easier for the families that use it. To give them space together away from hospital environments which can at time be difficult and pressured. But above anything else, the respite home is there to help create family memories.
Upkeep of this vital part of the charity is naturally expensive but it’s well worth it when you consider what it delivers. So, with that in mind, please think about helping us out by making a donation via our JustGiving (insert link) page and think to yourself, would my family appreciate that opportunity if we were going through such a difficult journey.
For some of our visitors these moments are short lived, but the memories last forever.
Away Days
Part of what we do at Hugs is making sure that family get to spend quality and precious time together and that doesn’t always mean time away at our beautiful respite home in Cornwall. In many instances that means spending time together as a family one of our wonderful away days. These range from everything from trips to Paignton Zoo in Devon, right through to Chessington World of Adventure and even Harry Potter World both on the edge of London.
We also arrange regular fundraising events such as the Hugs Children’s Ball, regular quiz nights and even our very own version of hugely popular TV show, Strictly Come Dancing. All of our events bring families together in a positive manner or raise significant finds for the charity, either way they serve a purpose and ultimately offer help to those that need it most. If you’d like to talk to us about any of our events, including how your company could become a corporate sponsor, please get in contact.
Additional Support
At Hugs there’s always someone here to help. If you’re going through a difficult time and need hope, help, or support, we can provide invaluable physical and emotional support to those that need it most.
Below are links to our Facebook page, Peer-to-peer Support blog, or to contact Elsbeth directly:
We help families,
through a difficult time
Henry's mum, Elsbeth, states: 'Hugs from Henry was born out of the pain we felt and the most urgent need to help others in these circumstances.'
