London children's hospice at risk of closure

"Less than a third of its funding comes from the NHS - with the rest coming from donations. The cost of living crisis has seen some of that dry up and Richard House says it is now in a position where it may soon have to turn away some families. Paul Richards, CEO of Richard House, said: "The figures are stark. We need to find 1.2m before the end of the year. "We've managed to raise some of those funds already through our own initiatives, but there's a further 338,000 to find before December. "We're at the point where we are very seriously looking at having to turn people away.""

"Jayden, who is nearly 15, has an extremely rare life-limiting condition, Lowe syndrome, which only a handful of people in the UK have. His mum Kareema Motala from Tower Hamlets says the service is vital. "Unless you have a child that is severely disabled or you know someone and you've watched it, you cannot at all appreciate the amount of need and care that is behind that. "For me, it's 24-7 care. It's literally everything that needs to be done. It has to be done by one or two carers at all times.""

Richard House in Newham has provided specialist care for children with complex life-limiting conditions for 25 years. More than 300 families from deprived London boroughs including Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, and parts of Barking and Dagenham use its hospice, gardens and play area. Less than a third of funding comes from the NHS, with the remainder dependent on donations. The combined impact of the cost-of-living crisis, the pandemic and inflation has severely reduced donations, creating a funding gap of £1.2m needed by year-end, with £338,000 still required before December. Services may be reduced and families turned away. Care needs are intensive and often require round-the-clock carers.

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