Haven House Children's Hospice: A charity so dear to our hearts

Haven House Children’s Hospice cares for seriously ill babies and children across North-East London, West Essex and Hertfordshire. The team provides round-the-clock care in families' homes as well as within their hospice in Woodford Green. The charity offers day care, overnight stays, end-of-life care and bereavement support as well as life-enriching activities such as sensory play, music therapy and physiotherapy. In 2022 and 2023, they delivered 25,180 hours of care. Meanwhile, parents, siblings, and anyone else impacted by a loved one’s illness benefit from support groups, buddy systems, and stress-reducing resources.

“Being told that your child is seriously ill is devastating,” says Paola Noto, a representative for Haven House Children’s Hospice. “Our support is as unique as every family. We are here from the time a diagnosis is made to enhance quality of life and to provide 24/7 support at the times when it is needed most. We enable those we support to enjoy life as children, rather than as patients, and as families, not just as carers. Together, we help families create happy memories and make the most of every moment.”
 

The hospice needs £5 million per year to run, which is why Winged Boots and our parent company Ocean Holidays are a proud and active corporate sponsor. Only 26% of the charity’s costs are government funded, meaning Haven House really relies on corporate sponsors and community fundraising initiatives to keep going. From office bake sales and sponsored skydives to a 24-hour cycling challenge and online raffle, we have organised many fundraising events to support Haven House. Winged Boots has attended the annual Haven House Charity Gala with customers for the past two years and has raised valuable funds at its annual clay pigeon shooting day.

£50 could pay for an hour of specialist play therapy while £500 funds an entire day of music therapy. It costs £1,000 per day to have two specialist nurses provide end of life care and emotional support within a child’s home while a 24-hour in-house stay for a baby or child with intense medical needs costs £3,250. And £5,000 could fund a hoist within the hospice. Aside from donating money, there are a range of events which you can attend, where 100% of the proceeds fund the charity. Or, you could take part in a sponsored activity, organise a bake sale, or simply donate your unused belongings to one of the hospice’s charity shops to help support their incredible service.

 

Haven House has a special place in Ocean Holidays' heart as our Co-CEO Harry Hastings' son Rudy uses the centre. 

At just 11 weeks old he was diagnosed with Epilepsy and hypotonia. Now three and a half years old, Rudy struggles to hold his head up, sit up and roll. It's unclear at what age he might stand or walk; if at all. All known sufferers of MCAHS-1 are also non-speaking.

Mum Nicola says: “Our goal is to enrich Rudy’s life and enable him to achieve his maximum potential. It’s hard to know what life is going to be like for Rudy, but having no real benchmarks to compare him to means the sky is the limit with what he could achieve.

"To us Haven House is exactly that: a haven. It is somewhere we can take Rudy for respite and know that he will be safe, happy, and expertly cared for.

“At Haven House, Rudy is in the safest hands, with more one to one care and better access to play than we could ever give him at home."

Follow Rudy's story on Instagram @rudysw0rld

 

OVER £100,000 RAISED
Ocean Holidays has raised more than £103,000 through a series of staff and customer events.

WINGED BOOTS' SHOOT DAY
Across four annual events, we have raised more than £55,000 in association with Maddox Gallery.

RUDY'S RAMBLE
The annual family walk in honour of Rudy Hastings has raised more than £21,000.

STAFF SKYDIVING
In 2022, six brave Ocean staff members jumped out of a plane and collectively raised £2,348.

HERE TO HELP DAYS
Plus, every year a group of Ocean Holidays staff visit the centre to help with the upkeep of the centre's gorgeous gardens.

To stay up to date with our charity work and to discover how you can support, please follow our Instagram or LinkedIn.