Donation Awarded:

In 2016, the Carnival was delighted to be able to present a cheque for £5,000 to Julia's House Children's Hospice.

About Julia’s House:

Julia’s House is a dedicated children’s hospice charity which supports children with life limited illnesses and their whole families throughout Dorset and south Wiltshire.

We care for around 100 children, the majority of which are unlikely to live into adulthood.  They visit the hospice for sessions and overnight stays or receive care from the Julia’s House Community Team, which consists of nurses and carers who provide life-changing support for families in their own homes.

We also operate a neonatal service for families of very young babies who are right at the beginning of their difficult journey and a transitions service, supporting and advising families of older children as they reach 18 and pass into adult care.

Julia’s House understands the strain that having a very poorly child can put on the whole family – that’s why, as well as respite care, we also organise social activities for mums, dads and siblings. Julia’s House looks after the whole family, not just the sick child.

Why we need your support:

In 2016 Julia’s House will only receive 5% government funding, compared with a national average of 17% for children’s hospices and 32% for adult hospices. This makes Julia’s House one of the worst-funded hospices in the UK in terms of government support and almost entirely dependent on public donations.

Julia’s House plans to build a children’s hospice in the heart of Wiltshire within the next 2 years. We have already expanded our south Wiltshire community care team to cope with the increasing demand from families and professionals for its home-care service.

While fundraising may be tough, it’s not as tough as the challenges facing Julia’s House families every day.

Respite care means so much to parents who are looking after a very sick child 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year in, year out. It gives them time out with their partners, their other children or simply a chance to catch up with some day-to-day tasks, safe in the knowledge their child is being looked after by people they know and trust.

The Care Quality Commission has rated the quality of care provided by Julia’s House as Outstanding. Julia’s House is one of the first to receive the top rating under CQC’s new tough approach to the inspection of care services.