Facts & figures - Lifelites & children's hospices

About Lifelites

What does Lifelites do?
We provide a fully maintained package of technology to compliment the work of children's hospices, helping children and their families to relax together, continue their studies and communicate with their friends and families, helping them to escape from the reality of their illness and feel 'normal' for a change, just like other kids.

How much does this cost the children's hospices?
It does not cost them a penny.  Lifelites' equipment and services are provided on an on-going basis completely free of charge.

How many children's hospices does Lifelites serve currently?
All those in England, Wales and Scotland (40), with plans to move into Northern Ireland as funds permit.

How much has Lifelites donated for children in hospices in financial terms?
Since 1999, goods and services worth in excess of £5 million have been given by Lifelites to children's hospices.

What is included in the Lifelites package for children's hospices?
Computers, special accessible adaptations, computer games, digital cameras, wide screen televisions, a safe wide area network linking all the children's hospices, training, Broadband and Sky connections, maintenance, volunteer support, sustained and replaced.

How much does all this cost Lifelites?
£6,000 maintenance and connectivity every year for each children's hospice
£20,000 to equip a new children's hospice
£15,000 every three to five years to replace the equipment
£390,000 per annum to maintain 40 hospices (NB this does not include any costs for running our charity)

How can I help?
Help us promote the work of Lifelites to a wide audience.
Adopt us as your Chosen Charity
Raise funds for the Lifelites project at a children's hospice in your area (see Children's Hospices on this website)

About children's hospices
(From Children’s Hospices UK, formerly the Association of Children's Hospices ACH. www.childhospice.org)

How many children in the UK are affected by life-limiting conditions?
There are currently an estimated 20,000 children suffering from life-limiting conditions in the UK, many of whom will not live to reach adulthood.

What does this mean for the children and their families?
Many of these children still have a lot of living to do. However, caring for a child with a life limiting condition - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, over many years - can put a huge emotional, physical, mental and financial strain on the whole family: relationships can suffer, careers and work may have to be abandoned; healthy brothers and sisters can feel left out; and family activities are often impossible.

How can children's hospices help?
Children's hospice services help life-limited children and their families with the emotional and physical challenges they face, helping them to make the most of life. They welcome the whole family for a break together or time to themselves in a home-from-home environment or in the comfort of their own home. They offer a diverse range of services including specialist care, 24 hour telephone support, practical help, advice and information and bereavement support for all family members. Each service is an independent charity which relies on public support to continue their work.

How long have children's hospices existed and how many are there?
The first children's hospice in the world, Helen House, was founded by Sister Frances Dominica and opened in Oxford in 1982. There are now 40 fully operational children's hospices, four hospice at home services and one day care service. A further four are currently at the building or planning stages. All are members of the Association of Children's Hospices.

How do children's hospices work?
Children's hospices are independent voluntary organisations that work in partnership with other agencies (hospitals, GPs, social services etc) to meet the complex needs of individual children and families, thereby increasing their choices for care and support. They are all charities that rely on public support to continue their work.

Do children's hospices help people in their own homes?
Hospice at home offers all the benefits of a purpose built children's hospice but in the comfort of the family's own home. The service provides a range of specialist support including specialist nursing care, practical help and bereavement support to life-limited children and their families 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

How many children and families are helped by children's hospices each year?
Approximately 4,300 life-limited children and their families are helped by UK children's hospices each year. Children's hospice services in UK also support a further 1,900 bereaved families after the loss of their child.

How much does it cost to set up and run a children's hospice?
It costs approximately £5 million to set up a children's hospice and around £2.5 million a year to run a children's hospice. The vast majority of this money comes from the public.

Do children's hospices get any government funding?
Children’s hospices across England are about to receive a life-saving cash injection from the government. This short-term fix came in response to the financial crisis faced by children’s hospices as a result of the end of Big Lottery support. Over the past few years, children’s hospices in England have received only 2.7% of their income from the government. Although this funding increases that percentage, children’s hospices still rely overwhelmingly on public support for the vast majority of their funding. To put children’s hospices’ on a firmer footing for the future, the government has commissioned an independent review of the long-term funding of children’s hospices and other palliative care services in England. In a recent press release (issued at the end of October 2006), Barbara Gelb, Chief Executive of Children's Hospices UK said that despite this emergency funding and commitment to a long term review, “We’re by no means out of the woods yet. Children's hospices still have to raise millions of pounds from charitable donations every year, which the growing number of calls on public generosity is making harder.” She also said that Children's Hospices UK’s hopes are now “...pinned on the outcome of the long-term review. Thousands of children and families are relying on our services every day. The future sustainability of all providers of children’s palliative care depends on long-term financial support from the government.”

What is Children's Hospice Week?
Children's Hospice Week was launched in 1998 to raise public and professional awareness of children with life-limiting conditions and the unique service provided by children's hospices. The Week is also about raising much needed funds.