May 19, 2023

Harrison Foundation donates £20,000 to St Oswald’s Hospice

A hospice that provides vital care services to people across the North East has received a £20,000 donation from the Harrison Foundation, enabling it to purchase new equipment for its patients.

St. Oswald’s Hospice cares for people with incurable conditions from across the North East. They provide specialist palliative care to people of all ages, offer short respite breaks to children and young adults from 0-25 and support those going through a bereavement.

Rooted in the North East, St Oswald’s Hospice has supported local people and their families for over 35 years.

In the 20 years since the charity opened its Children’s Unit, the needs of the children they care for has changed significantly. The service was originally designed for young people aged up to 16, but medical advances now mean service users are often cared for by the hospice with St Oswald’s well into adulthood.

As a result, St Oswald’s Hospice is extending its Children’s Unit so that it can continue caring for young patients as they grow. The Harrison Foundation donation will enable the charity to purchase a state-of-the-art Arjo Rhapsody bath and lift trolley, an essential piece of equipment that will bring much joy to patients.

St Oswald’s Hospice CEO, Stephanie Edusei, said: “In 2002 very few babies needed hospice care and it was rare for a child with a progressive disease such as Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy to survive into young adulthood. Today, incredible medical advances mean that babies, perhaps born very prematurely, are surviving with very complex medical needs while many more children with life threatening conditions are living into their 20s and beyond.

“The donation from the Harrison Foundation will have a huge impact both on the service we can offer and also for our patients who will be so excited about it. Some of our patients are unable to use a bath at home so the opportunity to come here and use this new specialist equipment is fantastic. We really want to say a big thank you to the Harrison Foundation for their support.”

Harrison Foundation trustee, Daniel Harrison, added: “We’re so privileged to be able to help the team at St Oswald’s Hospice and the work they do. I know that this donation will have such a positive impact for their patients and that’s what the Harrison Foundation is all about. The work that St Oswald’s Hospice have been doing for decades is so important and I’m delighted we could step up and help them continue to support patients across the region.”