Shooting Star Children's Hospices is an English children's hospice charity (No: 1042495). The charity cares for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families, across Surrey and West London. They provide specialist clinical and holistic care to families from diagnosis to end of life and throughout bereavement. Shooting Star Children's Hospices offers bespoke support free of charge to families. This includes a comprehensive range of therapies and support groups, specialist nursing care and respite, symptom management, end-of-life care, and bereavement support. They currently support around 700 families who have a baby, child, or young adult with a life-limiting condition, or who have been bereaved. They have two children's hospices: Christopher's, in Artington near Guildford, and Shooting Star House in

Hampton, London Hampton is a suburban area on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, and historically in the County of Middlesex. which includes Hampton Court Palace. Hampton is served by two railway stations, ...

History

Shooting Star Children's Hospices was formed in 2011 from the merger of two existing children's hospices. CHASE (Children's Hospices Association for the South-East) and The Shooting Star Trust combined to become Shooting Star Chase, which later became Shooting Star Children's Hospices in February 2019. CHASE was registered as a charity on 13 November 1994 after founder Julia Lever MBE was prompted by an article in a national newspaper describing the plight of a family living with their life-limited daughter. Julia soon realised there was no comparable service in South-East England. CHASE introduced its Community Care team on 10 May 1999 and Christopher's children's hospice was opened in November 2001. In 1995, Kate Turner MBE established The Shooting Star Trust with the aim of providing a home-from-home environment offering medical and practical services free of charge to families in South-West London. The charity was named Shooting Star Trust in recognition of children with life-limiting conditions, who, like shooting stars, shine bright but are gone far too soon. In 2005, Shooting Star House children’s hospice in Hampton opened. Within the first month, the hospice had been used by 26 children with life-limiting conditions. Andrew Coppel is the current Chair of Trustees. Chief Executive Paul Farthing joined the charity in September 2021.

The Countess of Wessex Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, (born Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones, 20 January 1965) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, the youngest sibling of King Charles III. Sophie grew up in Brenchle ...

is currently Royal Patron. Other Patrons include

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of ''The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on t ...

, Lauren Silverman, Dame

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...

Tony Hadley Anthony Patrick Hadley (born 2 June 1960) is an English pop singer. He rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the new wave band Spandau Ballet and launched a solo career following the group's split in 1990. Hadley returned to the ban ...

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of ''Les Misérables'', and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in ...

and

Phillip Schofield Phillip Bryan Schofield (born 1 April 1962) is an English television presenter who works for ITV. He is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2002–present) and ''Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2014, 2018–present) alongside Holly ...

Services

The charity offers support free of charge to families, 365 days a year. They have two purpose-built hospices, designed to offer a home-from-home environment whilst also providing a specialist staff, facilities and equipment to support children with complex needs and their families. Christopher’s provides overnight care, including respite, symptom management stays, emergency respite and end-of-life care, as well as a range of therapies. Facilities include a sensory room, hydrotherapy pool, soft play, and cinema room. The hospice has bedrooms equipped with a range of specialist beds and hoists, and family flats for respite stays. There are also bereavement suites for end-of-life care and post bereavement, as well as memory and sensory gardens. Shooting Star House currently provides Outreach, Therapy and Family Support. The hospice offers counselling, complementary therapies, drama, art and music therapy, and family support sessions. Like Christopher’s, Shooting Star House has a hydrotherapy pool, sensory room, soft play, arts and crafts room and gardens for play and remembrance. Families are also able to self refer and book sessions for the hydrotherapy pool, arts and crafts room and sensory room.

Catchment Area

The charity provides its services across Surrey and the London Boroughs of Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, Wandsworth and Westminster. It currently supports around 700 families.

Funding

Shooting Star Children's Hospices receives some central government funding, but the majority of its revenue comes from donations and fundraising. The charity's flagship fundraising challenge event, the Sunrise Walk Series, takes place in the summer with walkers setting off just before sunrise for a 10k or 20k walk. The series includes a rural Guildford route through the Surrey countryside and parts of the

North Downs Way The North Downs Way National Trail is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ...

and a Richmond walk that includes

Richmond Park Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of Royal Parks of London, London's Royal Parks, and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I of England, C ...

Bushy Park Bushy Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is the second largest of London's Royal Parks, at in area, after Richmond Park. The park, most of which is open to the public, is immediately north of Hampton Court Palace and Hampton ...

and the grounds of

Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...

. The charity also has teams representing it at the London Marathon, RideLondon, the Brighton Marathon, The Royal Parks Half Marathon and the London Landmarks Half Marathon. The charity receives the support of a number of local and regional corporate partners and supporters, who hold company fundraising events, offer sponsorship and volunteering support. A large amount of fundraising is also generated through local communities, from individuals, schools and education as well as dedicated ‘Friends of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices’ groups. Shooting Star Children's Hospices also runs seven charity shops, which are located in Cobham, Godalming, Guildford, Hampton Hill, Shepperton, Teddington, and Weybridge.

References

External links

* {{Children's Hospitals in the United Kingdom Charities based in England Palliative care in England 2011 establishments in England