Tŷ Hafan is a Welsh

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

that provides holistic

palliative care Palliative care (from Latin root "to cloak") is an interdisciplinary medical care-giving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating or reducing suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Man ...

for children with life-limiting conditions and their families from throughout

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. A wide range of care and support is offered at the

hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life b ...

, based in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales, in the community, at hospital or in schools. On 14 October 2014, the Welsh charity hosted its first Research and Innovation Conference, in partnership with Cardiff University, at The Vale Resort. The event provided a showcase for the research and innovation projects of healthcare professionals and academics working in paediatric palliative care.

History

In 1988 Suzanne Goodall, a newly retired occupational therapist from

Beddau ; ) is a large former mining village (and electoral ward) situated within the South Wales Valleys Davies (2008), page 507. around from Llantrisant and from the larger town of Pontypridd in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. ...

in south Wales, felt compelled to bring a children's hospice to Wales and registered Tŷ Hafan as a charity in 1990. In 1993, the site for the hospice building was acquired from Llandough NHS Hospital. The next few years saw huge support from the likes of the ''

South Wales Echo The ''South Wales Echo'' is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Cardiff, Wales and distributed throughout the surrounding area. It has a circulation of 6,026. Background The newspaper was founded in 1884 and was based in Thomson House, C ...

'', who launched an appeal, and

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

, who became the first patron of the Welsh charity. In 1995, on request from Diana,

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

performed a concert in

Cardiff Castle Cardiff Castle () is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd-century Roma ...

to raise money for the charity. The building of the hospice started in 1996, and the completed building was handed over to Tŷ Hafan for fitting and equipping in 1997. After much hard work and with the kindness and generosity of the public, Tŷ Hafan opened its doors for the first time in 1999. In 2004, the Queen acknowledged Suzanne's achievement by investing her as an MBE in the New Year's Honours List. Beautiful Lives, a four-part

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

documentary series aired in 2011, followed the lives of the children, families and staff of Tŷ Hafan. A follow-up episode focusing on Catherine and Kirsty, teenage twins who use Tŷ Hafan's services, aired in 2012.

Events

Tŷ Hafan hosts a series of annual fundraising events, including the Welsh Three Peaks, the Rainbow Run and the

Taff Trail The Taff Trail () is a Walking in the United Kingdom, walking and cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is so named because it follows the course of the River Taff. Along much of its length, it follows the Natio ...

Cycle Challenge.

Patrons and celebrity ambassadors

Charles, Prince of Wales (later King

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

) became patron in 2001.

Catherine, Princess of Wales Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982), is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne. Born in Reading, Catherine grew ...

became patron in 2025. Celebrity ambassadors have included the actor

Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1992), ''Don't Fool wi ...

, the Welsh rugby player

Leigh Halfpenny Stephen Leigh Halfpenny (born 22 December 1988) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback (rugby union), fullback or wing (rugby union), wing for Harlequin F.C., Harlequins in the Premiership Rugby, English Premiership. Halfpenny is ...

and the television presenters and journalists Rhodri and

Lucy Owen Lucy Owen (born 18 June 1971 as Lucy Jane Cohen) is a Welsh television news reader. Early life Born 18 June 1971, in Llandaff, Owen attended Howell's School in Llandaff, Cardiff, and graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London, in Eng ...

Crackerjackpot hospice lottery

Crackerjackpot Lottery in support of Tŷ Hafan, is the largest hospice lottery in the UK. The weekly top prize is £2,000, with a rollover jackpot of £12,000.

Publications and reports

Tŷ Hafan produces a variety of publications, including ''Insight'', a bi-annual academic journal that aims to share best practice in children's palliative care, and their Annual Review, which outlines key achievements and offers an overview of the different aspects of the service Tŷ Hafan provides. An inspection report by Health Inspectorate Wales was conducted in March 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ty Hafan (charity) Charities based in Wales