Businesses from the interior and design world have been thanked for their ‘phenomenally generous’ support in helping revamp the family accommodation at a children’s hospice.
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) recently reopened the area at its base in Milton, following major improvements. The project, which included a full renovation and refurbishment, was overseen and managed by Kelling Designs.
The three family bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen have been given a stunning new look thanks to countless generous donations.
Emma Deterding is Founder and Creative Director of Kelling Designs, as well as being an EACH Trustee and a Patron for nearly 30 years.
She said: “Everyone has got behind us, and, incredibly, this project will be worth more in terms of money spent than any three-bed smart flat we do in Chelsea or elsewhere in London.
“It’s because people and companies have given such expensive and amazing things, which we wouldn’t have been able to afford in a million years.
“They’ve been incredibly generous, and we’re lucky to work in a business where people have been so responsive. Nobody has said ‘we don’t want to give anything’.
“It’s been hugely rewarding to work with the interior design world, and so many companies have been phenomenally generous. They’ve all written back saying ‘can we give more?’ Can we do more?’
“It’s helpful I deal with them a lot, but the fact remains they’ve all chosen to give and be generous.
“Even people we don’t use as suppliers gave us items we needed to furnish the rooms, and I’ve been delighted and genuinely surprised at how generous people have been.
“For example, we approached one company and asked for an enormous amount of furniture, thinking they might give us one piece. They came back within two days, saying we could have it all. It amounts to thousands of pounds’ worth, and this is just one example of many.”
Through her work as an EACH Trustee and Patron, Emma knows what an important area the family accommodation is, providing a safe haven for families being supported at the charity’s Cambridgeshire base.
“Let’s hope the big comfy beds and five-star hotel experience is a small help and makes things that little bit more bearable,” she said.
“I’m not suggesting it changes what families are going through, but hope it helps in some way.
“The main thing I’d like to say is thank you to all the brands who have collaborated with us and given so generously.
“I’m also grateful to my team, who have shown nerves of steel in terms of the things they’ve asked for!
“I might have said ‘no, no, no – don’t ask, that’s too embarrassing’. However, they didn’t care and just kept on asking, so they need to be thanked.
“The finished product definitely wouldn’t be at the same level without that generosity, and it’s been extremely gratifying.”
Emma hopes the improvements also make a difference to the EACH staff supporting families at Milton.
“The care team came up with the idea themselves, and I was just in the best place to help them because that’s my job,” she said.
“Hopefully my vision is something they all love and enjoy and is maybe slightly more than they would have ever expected. That’s what I’m hoping.”
To see a full list of the companies that generously gave their time, donated or offered favourable rates to support the project, click here.
