Sir Gareth Southgate today opened a £21.9m upgrade at Martin House.
It marks the culmination of The Build, a public donations project to extend and renovate the children’s hospice at Boston Spa.
Joined by families and staff, the former England manager cut the ribbon as confetti canons popped around him.
The Build is designed to safeguard the future of children’s palliative care across Yorkshire.
It has modernised and expanded the Boston Spa hospice, creating new specialist facilities for children and young people with life-shortening conditions, and their families.
New facilities include a hydrotherapy pool, immersive sensory room, recording studio, and enhanced clinical spaces.
Alongside a new children’s wing and refurbished teenage wing, a new Education Centre will expand specialist palliative care training across the region.
Sir Gareth told YorkMix why he was an ambassador to the hospice. “I came here over ten years ago to play Father Christmas one Christmas, and you kind of get hooked.
“Because immediately you meet some of the children and you put yourself in the shoes of the parents.
“One of my first visits here, I met a family who had stayed two nights having lost their daughter, and they’ve been unbelievable in helping us since.
“You just feel that if there’s some way you can help, then you want to. Because of the job I had, the profile I could give to some of the fundraising might be helpful.
“But also I’ve loved coming here, I’ve loved informally coming down, meeting parents, meeting the kids, having lunch here.
“It’s an amazingly warm environment. It’s the saddest and the happiest of places in equal measure, so it really does have a big impact on you.”
‘We wouldn’t cope without Martin House’
Bethany Harrison’s son Thomas is supported by Martin House, with respite stays and symptom management helping to keep him out of hospital.
Thomas has a rare genetic disorder called ATR-X Syndrome, which has left him unable to walk or talk. He is fed through a gastric tube and is prone to recurrent chest infections.
Bethany said: “We wouldn’t cope without Martin House. They put you and your child at the centre, giving us that extra level of support – it’s just like another member of the family to help us.”
“Because of THE BUILD, we will have our first chance to swim with Thomas as a family in the new hydrotherapy pool. Martin House is also better equipped than ever to meet Thomas’s changing needs, with specialist facilities such as piped oxygen in every room.”
“Martin House is a lifeline for my family, and now that lifeline is bigger and better than ever.”
Every year, Martin House supports more than 550 children and young people with life-shortening conditions, and around 200 bereaved family members, across West, North and East Yorkshire. Its services are provided free of charge, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with the majority of funding coming from voluntary donations and fundraising.
Clair Holdsworth, Chief Executive at Martin House, said: “The launch event is going to be an incredibly emotional and proud moment for everyone connected to Martin House.”
