Children, families and staff at EACH would like to say a resounding "Thank You!" to everyone who has supported the Treehouse Appeal to build and equip a new children’s hospice.
We publically launched the ‘Treehouse Appeal’ on March 16, 2010 and today (March 4, 2011) can announce that we have reached our £3m goal.
The old hospice in Walker Close in Ipswich opened in 1999 as a pilot project, but demand for services had grown so significantly, that the facility was unable to meet the needs of life-threatened children and their families.
To overcome these obstacles, we launched the £3m Treehouse Appeal following the donation of a four-acre woodland plot in Ipswich by a generous charitable trust. An ambitious fundraising schedule was then drawn up and we have received a fantastic amount of support from the people of Suffolk and North Essex, and further afield.
The fundraising total has grown steadily throughout the appeal, and we managed to hit our £3m target this week thanks to a number of large donations, including a cheque for £100,000 from Suffolk Freemasons.
The result of everyone’s efforts is a purpose-built hospice, which will offer previously unavailable services including hydrotherapy and separate overnight accommodation for families.
The inclusion of dedicated rooms including a music studio, contemplation room and sensory room means a higher level of care and support will be delivered, and the hospice will be available for use by families from May 2011 onwards.
Tracy Rennie, EACH Director of Care said: "Our new hospice in Ipswich has revolutionised the provision of children's hospice care across Suffolk and North Essex - allowing an even higher quality of care and support to be delivered to a greater number of local families. Facilities previously unavailable at our existing hospice, including dedicated family accommodation, a hydrotherapy room and sound-proofed music studio, will be able to be enjoyed by all who receive care at the Treehouse. Most importantly, the Treehouse will allow children and families greater choice and flexibility in the way they access our care and support services." 
Melanie Chew, EACH Director of Fundraising, said: "The ability to reach the £3m target has been made possible by the overwhelming generosity displayed by charitable trusts, businesses, individuals, schools and community groups across Suffolk, Essex, East Anglia and beyond. The community has exceeded all expectation and we would like to express out heartfelt thanks to everyone who has played a part in reaching this goal. The Treehouse Appeal has provided us with a brand new purpose-built hospice with the potential to deliver better care to a greater number of families across Suffolk and North Essex. To achieve this, we hope those who have been a part of the Treehouse Appeal will continue to support us so we can continue to deliver vital care and support to those who need us most."
From all of us here at EACH – THANK YOU!!!
