The children, families and staff of Richard House Children’s Hospice are extremely excited that Richard Lett and Sharon McMichael are competing in this year’s Round Britain & Ireland Race on their behalf. Not only will this be a great way to raise the profile of the hospice and the work it does, but also to help raise the £3.1million it needs every year to fund its essential services.

This year is a special time for Richard House as 2010 marks the hospice’s 10th Anniversary, a wonderful achievement for London’s First Children’s Hospice.

Set in the Docklands area of London, Richard House provides much needed care and services to children with life-limiting, life-threatening and complex healthcare conditions and their families from London and the Home Counties.

Many of our children are not expected to reach adulthood and they and their families enjoy a wide variety of experiences at Richard House. The hospice offers day care, short-residential stays and support in the home to children from birth until their 20th birthday. There is always one bed set aside for emergency and end-of-life care.

Other services include family support in the form of befriending, bereavement services and a siblings group. Specialist facilities include a multi-sensory room and a young adults group for hospice users from 16 to 25 years.

Care is provided free of charge to children and their families.

Richard House is also one of only two children’s hospices in the UK that provide a Long Term Ventilation service, a step-down service from hospital to home for families with a child who has a condition that relies on them to constantly be dependent on breathing apparatus. This service was set up to help ensure families are moved from the hospital ward into the hospice for three months whilst a care plan and services are set up for their eventual return home. During their stay the child will have their own personalised bedroom and the family can stay in one of Richard House’s family flats, so that they can always be nearby while being confident that their child is in capable care when they aren’t.

At Richard House the family can hopefully lead as much as a normal life as possible whilst they have a child in care there. They can have friends over for coffee, children can use the play facilities, the family can sit down to watch a DVD or enjoy time in the hospice’s award-winning gardens. During the step-down service the family’s home can be adapted for when they return, the family can meet their new personalised nursing team who will be providing the 24-hour care in their home and learn any specialist skills that they may need.

Richard House chief executive Peter Ellis, said: “It’s a great honour for everyone here at Richard House that Richard and Sharon have chosen to support us in this way. Not only will their endeavours help raise much-needed funds, but the sight of the Richard House yacht sailing around Britain and Ireland will help raise awareness of the hospice in a significant way.

“We are enormously grateful for the brave challenge they are taking on and look forward to welcoming them back safely on shore in July.”

To find out more on Richard House, the services they provide and how you can get involved please visit www.richardhouse.org.uk or call 020 7511 0222.