Chestnut Tree House: Nina’s visit and the great work they do
This week, Cardens Marketing assistant Nina went to visit Chestnut Tree House, one of the local Charities we support as part of our “One percent makes a difference” Charity commitment. Nina went to see all the great work they do for families and children around Sussex, to experience hands on their vital work with families.
Let us tell you a bit more about Chestnut Tree House and what they do:
Chestnut Tree House’s journey began in 1999 when they noticed a lack of hospice care for children and young adults in Sussex. The community in Sussex agreed and helped the charity raise £5.5 million to open their purpose-built hospice for all the children and families who desperately needed support.
Chestnut Tree House is the only children’s hospice in Sussex and cares for 300 children and young adults from 0-18 years of age. They care for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across East and West Sussex and South East Hampshire. The work they do is phenomenal and vital to the children they help and the families.
The services they offer range from neonatal care, specialist short breaks at the hospice, family and sibling support, play and creative therapy, care in families’ own homes, youth groups and counselling. Chestnut Tree House extend their care to the whole family and understand that the support is needed long term and that all the family are entitled to this.
So how did Nina’s visit go?
Nina tells us a bit about her visit to Chestnut Tree House and why Cardens supports Chestnut Tree House.
‘I first heard about Chestnut Tree House when I started working for Cardens Accountants. I knew that it was a children’s hospice and that it was close to Cardens heart. With all three Cardens partners having young children, I knew it was an organisation that they understood the importance of.
Here at Cardens we run a number of different charity events from bake sales, marathons and Christmas jumper wearing days, to quiz nights and Annual parties. We also annually sign up to ‘Pay for a Day’ at Chestnut Tree house and proudly post up our certificates up the stairs of our office. We try to raise as much money as possible to give to Chestnut as we understand the high costs of running the hospice.The hospice needs to raise £6,850 each day to provide all the care services both at the House and out in the community in families’ own homes.
When I first arranged to visit Chestnut Tree House I was apprehensive of what I might expect but it couldn’t be a more beautiful place. Surrounded by beautiful countryside- Chestnut Tree House beams light and calmness. The grounds are stunning and the staff are incredibly friendly. I was amazed at the different facilities and equipment they had available. From their mesmerizing multi- sensory room, to the state of the art interactive technology they have in their magic carpet room- there was plenty to see and do.
The walls were covered in brilliant art work and Chestnut Tree House felt like a welcoming home. The great facilities available for children were those of a state of the art hospital without feeling intrusive and impersonal. I was shown around by the lovely Alison and shown the outside grounds and gardens which were equally impressive and stunning.
It was clear to see how important the work of Chestnut Tree House is to the children it cares for and the families they equally support. It really brought home how important the donations from Cardens and other organizations are to ensuring this amazing work carries on.’
– Nina Scerri, Marketing Assistant
So how much does it cost to run Chestnut Tree House?
Chestnut Tree House is a major support to children and families around Sussex, but the reality is the care and support is expensive and Chestnut Tree House relies heavily on donations from the public.
It costs around £3 million per year to provide all of the hospice’s care services and less than 8% of that comes from central government funding. The donations and generosity from others is what allows Chestnut Tree House to do all the great things they do.
A one night stay for a child and family costs £801 and end of life care for a baby can cost £1953. All the donations made by the public fund this care and help make a difference to the families affected.
So what can I do to help?
There is a number of different things you can do to help Chestnut Tree House.
You can donate simply by visiting their Just Giving page here.
You can also take part in the Chestnut Lottery for £1 a week. You can find more information on this by visiting their page here.
You can also “Pay for a Day”, like we do here at Cardens, and pay to support the hospice for one day a year. All the information on how to pay for a day can be found here: PAY FOR A DAY.
There is lots of other ways companies and individuals can help Chestnut Tree House by donating or fundraising. For all the information on the different ways you can get involved visit their website here.
Carden’s Partners Barry Carden, Victoria Mason and Keith Hall with Chestnut Tree house representative Sarah Arnold.
