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Charity centre gets a helping hand

16 October 2007

Hoist given by fund will make children’s lives easier


A CENTRE giving respite to seriously ill children and their families has been helped by generous Chronicle readers. The Rainbow Trust, who are a national charity with a regional base in the North East, run a respite home in Hexham – called Fernside – which provides support for families who have children with terminal or life-threatening diseases.

Children, together with their parents, can visit the home – called Fernstone – for holidays and be fully supported by fully-trained staff so that the family can have a relaxing holiday together. And almost half the children helped suffer from some form of cancer and the others have a variety of illnesses including muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis.

Fernstone currently has a tracking hoist in one of the bedrooms that helps put the poorly children into bed, but it does not extend into the bathroom. And that is where the Sunshine Fund comes in. The Chronicle’s charity has provided an extension to the current tracking system that will enable access to the bathroom which will allow some young people to get themselves into the bath without extra assistance.

Chris Barkin , head of fundraising, said: “The Sunshine Fund has been a wonderful support to the Rainbow Trust over the years, providing essential equipment for our children with life-threatening and terminal illnesses. The hoist will make a huge difference to our families.”

The hoist is the latest equipment provided to the respite home by the Sunshine Fund, which provided a new play area in 2005 and a hydrotherapy pool in 2001.

Sunshine Fund manager Jo Harris said: “We are delighted to once again be able to offer our support to Fernstone, which does such wonderful work for the children and their families. “Not only does it support the children who benefit from its facilities, but also their parents and brothers and sisters. “When people deal with a serious illness in children it has a traumatic effect on the family as a whole. And there can be no doubt that Fernstone and the Rainbow Trust do indeed have a huge impact on these youngsters and their families at a very difficult time in their lives.”

The Sunshine Fund distributes grants from a pot raised by Chronicle readers and local businesses. Its aim is to provide equipment which improves the lives of seriously ill and disabled children, but because of funding restrictions is not usually available from other sources. Anyone wishing to raise money on behalf of the Sunshine Fund or to apply to the charity for a grant can contact Jo Harris on (0191) 201 6289.


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