East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) were delighted to welcome The Duchess of Cambridge to their Norfolk hospice in Quidenham early yesterday morning.
Greeted by flag-waving children from local primary schools, The Duchess was then introduced to dignitaries and given a posy by four-year-old Nell Cork.
Her Royal Highness was then taken on a tour of the hospice by EACH Service Manager Jane Campbell, and observed children taking part in an art therapy session. You can read all the families stories here.
The second half of Catherine’s visit was spent talking to staff and volunteers who work at Quidenham and getting an update on The Nook Appeal.
The Nook Appeal aims to raise £10 million for a new purpose-built hospice at a five-acre site in Framingham Earl.
The current Norfolk hospice was opened in 1991 and, due to the increasing numbers of children with life-threatening conditions and complex healthcare needs, the hospice has now outgrown its current site.
The new hospice will help provide more families with the same facilities as those offered by the charity’s hospices for Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk.
Graham Butland, EACH Chief Executive said: “It was a pleasure for everyone at EACH to greet Her Royal Highness once again, on what was her first visit to our site in Quidenham.
“The Duchess was given a really good insight into the difficulties our staff and volunteers face as a result of Quidenham having outgrown its home, and the huge difference a purpose-built modern hospice will make to the care they can provide to so many families.
“The nook appeal will transform children’s palliative care across Norfolk and we’ve so far secured close to £5 million.
“We still have some way to go before the new hospice can be built, though, and we need continued help from individuals, trusts and events, and as much corporate and community support as possible.”
