We have recently unveiled our new dining room, which will benefit families from Wirral and beyond for years to come.
The renovation of the ‘heart of the hospice’ was made possible thanks to the Morrisons Building a Legacy Together Grant. The grant is funded through Morrisons partnership with Together for Short Lives.
The new dining room provides a modern, social space for children coming into the hospice for planned respite stays, day care or Family Splash in the hydrotherapy pool.
It will also make things easier for bereaved families, providing a private space and a place to get food and drink at the hospice 24/7 thanks to a new self-service area.
David Pastor, Chief Executive of Claire House, said: “Through the Morrisons grant, we have been able to create this wonderful, bright and inspiring space that is at the heart of the hospice.
“While we do say the hospice is a ‘home from home’, and that the dining room is at the centre of the family home, the experience for our children, young adults and their families at home is quite different.
“They are surrounded by big pieces of equipment and medications; they’re exhausted and living their lives in very difficult circumstances. So, it’s a real privilege to offer families a dining room they’d have at home if money was no object.
“We support babies, children and young adults and their families with end-of-life care and, from time to time, there will be occasions when this space will be the last place that families will spend real time together as a family, even if they don’t know it at the time.
“And we also care for a lot of babies who aren’t going to have a long life, and that baby may never go home, so to be here and spend that time as a family, and create those memories in our new dining room, is incredibly precious.”
David Scott, Morrisons Corporate Affairs Director, said: “As part of Morrisons’ commitment to giving back to our communities, we are proud to be funding the new dining room at Claire House through our partnership with Together for Short Lives. This is what the Building a Legacy Together Grant is all about. We are confident the new dining room will make a difference to the families Claire House support.”
Claire House staff and Morrisons Community Champions, who have fundraised in the community, gathered to watch James, 17, who is supported by the hospice, cut the ribbon as the dining room was officially opened following a six-week renovation. Hospice manager Jenni Bell said: “You can’t underestimate the difference the kitchen and the dining room make to our families. Often, they’ll talk about the food, the cake, being fed and cared for at the most difficult of times. Or they’ll remember happy moments and memory making in the dining room.
“It’s more modern, welcoming and fresher. And the table in the middle is portable so it can be removed, meaning children in wheelchairs and beds can come in and still experience this café-style dining room.”
The Morrisons and Together for Short Lives partnership started in February 2022, raising vital funds for children’s hospices and helping families make precious memories together. Together, they launched the Building a Legacy Together Grant last summer. The grant aims to help children’s hospices across the country pay for things like renovations, new outdoor spaces and therapy equipment to ensure families can be supported in a comforting, joyful environment.
Nick Carroll, Together for Short Lives CEO, said: “We are thrilled to witness the positive results of our collaboration with Morrisons, bringing about such a meaningful change. The new dining room at Claire House is a direct outcome of the Building a Legacy Grant, made possible through Morrisons’ partnership fundraising efforts. The grant has already made a significant impact on hospices nationwide, including Claire House, and we are confident the new dining room will greatly benefit the families supported by them.”
Morrisons has raised £194,569 for Claire House during their partnership with Together for Short Lives, which ran from February 2022 to October 2024.
