West Lancashire Freemasons are delighted to work in partnership with Lifelites, a small charity that provides innovative assistive and sensory technology to children’s palliative care services across Britain and Ireland, empowering children with life-limiting conditions to play, create and communicate.
Lifelites are supporting three children’s hospices in our Province; Zoe’s Place, Claire House and Brian House. Each hospice will receive a new technology and support package valued at around £60,000 over the next four years, which includes the assistive equipment, bespoke in-person training and full support and maintenance. The technology element costs approximately £25,000.
The planned refresh dates are Zoe’s Place 2024/25, Claire House 2025/26 and Brian House 2027/28. The CEO of West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity, Howard Lloyd, and the trustees were attracted to the technology element of Lifelites’ work and after receiving a detailed application from the charity, decided to fund the assistive technology for each service installation at a cost of £25,000 per partner, a donation totalling £75,000 over 4 years. This would see WLFC become an official Technology Champion for each children’s service in our Province,
Children with life-limiting conditions face many challenges, including chronic pain and discomfort, a cycle of clinical interventions, loss of independence and social isolation. The technology WLFC will be funding will help tear down the communication and connectivity barriers that complex conditions create for children, enabling inclusion and independence that brings families in our Province together in fun and meaningful ways, far removed from the clinical and medical interventions they face each day.
Simon Pitts, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Lifelites, said: “We cannot thank West Lancashire Freemasons enough for this incredibly generous donation and pledge of support. The positive impact this will have on our partners across the Province will be huge and make a tangible difference to the lives of the children they support and their families. Please extend our sincerest thanks to everyone at West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity and the wonderful brethren of the Province of West Lancashire”. For an overview of the technology that WLFC will be funding to empower play and creativity, click here.
Article by Malcolm Sandywell.