HOW WE BEGAN
The initial building costs
for the House were met by Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities Ltd, Yorkhill
NHS Trust and the National Lotteries Charities Board, together with assorted
fundraising activities and voluntary contributions.
Although the House
works closely with the hospital, as an independent charity, receiving no statutory
funding, we are totally reliant on donations and fundraising
initiatives for all of our running costs – currently in the region of
£300,000 per year.
WHAT
WE PROVIDE
In the Main
House
We have 26 family bedrooms,
each with bathroom and direct telephone link to the child’s ward enabling
parents to be contacted day and night. As we are less than a minute
from the hospital, in emergencies parents can be at their child’s bedside
immediately - a tremendous comfort for both parents and patient. The
communal areas in the House consist of three sitting rooms, a library, a spacious
dining kitchen with child’s play room and a laundry. In these areas,
families can meet others in similar situations to their own. By sharing
experiences than can be difficult for families and friends at home to comprehend,
confusion and pain are often replaced by understanding and friendship.
Our lovely garden offers outdoor space to relax in and a safe space for children
to play - and with parking in the area very limited, our private car park
is a great help.
The
Family Flats
Since we opened, thanks to the generosity of our many supporters, we have
been able to purchase five flats adjacent to the House. Four of these
can either be used to accommodate large families or alternatively two sets
of parents who are anticipating a long stay at the hospital. The fifth
has been converted to provide short term accommodation for three families
with children in the Intensive Care Unit.
