News

Jackie Rooney has been appointed as Interim Chief Executive of Derian House.

Jackie is a Registered Nurse and Queen’s Nurse, with 46 years’ NHS experience and a strong track record of senior clinical, operational and strategic leadership.

A key priority for Jackie will be leading our work to strengthen clinical quality, safety and governance and to ensure that the care we provide for children and families is consistently excellent.

Working closely with Karen Smith and the wider team, Jackie will lead the implementation of the clinical changes and improvements recommended within the Niche report. As Interim Chief Executive, she will have overall accountability for the organisation.

Most recently, Jackie served as Associate Director of Nursing for Risk, Governance and Patient Safety at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. She has also held senior leadership roles at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, including Director of Nursing for the Acute Division and Head of Nursing and Safeguarding, as well as senior nursing leadership roles within NHS England.

Jackie will be at the hospice tomorrow (Wednesday, 2 September), to meet the team ahead of formally starting with us on Wednesday, 9 September.

Jackie will work two-and-a-half days per week, although her time is likely to be front-loaded initially, with more time spent on site as she gets to know Derian and begins this work.

To enable Jackie to give significant focus to our clinical services and the improvement programme, the Trustees have asked me to continue leading our non-clinical services.

This includes Finance, Facilities, IT, HR, Income Generation, Communications and Marketing, and Retail. I will also continue to lead our relationships with key external partners and stakeholders.

I am sure you will all join me in giving Jackie a warm Derian welcome. I know there will be lots of opportunities to meet her over the coming weeks, and I look forward to working with her as we continue to move Derian forward.

The Southport family behind charity Elsie’s Story helped 64 families supported by Derian House Children’s Hospice enjoy a special day out at Chester Zoo on Saturday (22 August).

Jenni Stancombe, who founded Elsie’s Story in memory of her daughter, Elsie Dot, said it was an “honour” and a “privilege” to help families spend the day together and make special memories in her daughter’s name.

The day was made possible by a grant from Elsie’s Story and was the first-ever group wish delivered through Derian Wishes, Derian House’s new service helping make special wishes come true for children and young people.

From cheeky monkeys and big cats to elephants and penguins, there was plenty to see as families explored the zoo, enjoyed treats and activities and spent precious time together.

18-month-old James and his sister Amelia, age five, had fun making lots of memories together, and especially enjoyed seeing the monkeys.

“Thank you so, so much for allowing us to come to this amazing day,” said James’s mum, Samantha Morgan.

“As a family, we struggle to go to some places because of James’s conditions. To go for a day out, just like any other family, and to see James enjoy it and be so happy, is the best feeling.

James also has a big sister, Amelia, so it’s hard for us to do things that suit both children. But the zoo is the perfect day out for us all to enjoy.

“Derian House is so amazing and we are so grateful for everything you do. We are so glad that we have a community of people who understand us and make our children feel special.”

Jenni Stancombe, Founder of Elsie’s Story, based in Southport, said: “Elsie’s Story was established following the loss of my little girl Elsie Dot. Ultimately, we create smiles to fill every page of Elsie’s story. Being able to send Derian House families to the zoo was absolutely brilliant. Walking around the park, we’ve seen families smiling, and that’s everything that our charity is about. I feel absolutely privileged that Elsie’s Story has been able to help. I think it’s an honour to be able to give these families the chance to enjoy a day out at the zoo and create some special memories together.”

The idea for the day out came from Bill Molloy, whose granddaughter Isabelle was cared for by Derian House before she sadly died in 2021, aged two.

Gill Rabbett, Wishmaker at Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “It was wonderful to see so many of our families enjoying a day together at the zoo in our first-ever group Derian Wish. We are incredibly grateful to Elsie’s Story for helping make it happen.

“Through Derian Wishes, we want every child and young person in our care to have the chance to experience something truly meaningful to them, and we love that this has given so many families the opportunity to share a wish together. Days like this give families the chance to relax, have fun and make memories together, and that is something really special.”

Find out more about Derian Wishes.

Our Life for a Life memorial book is now back at Derian House and can be found in the Reflection Room.

The book records the names and details of loved ones remembered through the Life for a Life scheme. Families can plant a tree in memory of someone special with a donation.

Over the years, the scheme has raised more than £18,000 for Derian House.

During #DyingMattersAwarenessWeek, we’re opening up conversations about death and dying.

At Derian House, we have always believed that giving a child a good end-of-life experience is just as important as the care they receive in life, and that families deserve compassionate support throughout their journey.  

That’s why we are encouraging you to talk openly about grief with families and to say their child’s name this Dying Matters Awareness Week. 

“You won’t remind us that they’re gone – we’re always thinking of them anyway.” 

Many parents wish people would continue to say their child’s name. We spoke to 70 bereaved families back in 2023 as part of our Say My Child’s Name campaign – watch the video to hear what they want you to know.

We created an easy guide on how to talk to someone who has lost a child, and here you can also find out more about our research: http://www.derianhouse.co.uk/bereavement 

As you know, at the hospice we provide personalised spaces for our families to say goodbye, remember, and reflect – including our Sunflower Rooms, the Reflection Room, and Reflection Garden.

We also work with MuchLoved, which offers online Tribute Funds giving families a space to celebrate a loved one’s life by sharing memories, photos, videos, music, and fundraising: https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/in-memory-giving/ 

Join us this September for our Footsteps & Forget-Me-Nots Memory Walk – a family-friendly 6km walk filled with love, live music and reflection, starting from the hospice: https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/events/footsteps-and-forget-me-nots/

Here are some further resources that can help you start the conversation in a way that works for you.

Thank you for helping us open up these important conversations and for supporting families when they need it most. 

Following the recent introduction of legislation from the Fundraising Regulator, we have updated our Complaints Policy to include how we will investigate and manage any complaint involving how we have handled and processed the data of our staff, patients, families, funders, etc.

Individuals have a statutory right to complain under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 about the processing of their data. As a result, we have updated our Complaints Policy in the following areas:

• Section 1 – Policy Statement
• Section 2 – Scope

You can access the updated Policy on our intranet page.

If you do receive a complaint in relation to how we have managed an individual’s information, you should treat this as you would any other complaint.

This will ensure their complaint is treated seriously and that senior leaders are informed as soon as possible. The complaint can then be formally acknowledged, recorded and investigated fully so the complainant is responded to within timescale.

It was shades on, sun cream out and spirits high as supporters joined the Derian House annual Morecambe Bay walk from Arnside to Grange-over-Sands. This marked 30 years of the much-loved fundraiser… and the participants did not disappoint, having raised an incredible £10,651.83 for the hospice!
Dressed in Derian green T-shirts, 91 walkers and 10 dogs set off across the seven-mile stretch on Saturday 25th April. At points, they even waded through knee-height water!
Amongst those taking part was Andy Privett, with his family dog, Ralph the Cockapoo. Andy’s 12-year-old son, Jacob, and his family are supported by Derian House. The Privetts were one of 13 families who were able to visit Walt Disney World Florida last year through the charity, courtesy of a mystery donor.
“I took part in Morecambe Bay Walk for Derian House to help me prepare for a much bigger challenge for Derian House later this year – the 30-mile Sahara Desert Trek. I got to meet some of my fellow desert trekkers, and get to know them before we take on the adventure of a lifetime.
“My son Jacob is an amazing little boy with such strength, resilience and he amazes me every single day. Which is why I’ll be walking across the Sahara Desert to raise as much money as I can for Derian House. But the challenge is also a chance for me to find myself, and take a break from a busy life as a parent of a child who needs complex care every single day.
“I really enjoyed the walk across the Bay for Derian House, it was really easy-paced and sunny too.”
Entry to the Morecambe Bay Walk is always free, and participants are asked to raise a minimum of £50 each in support of Derian House.

Derian House Children’s Hospice has been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following its latest inspection, recognising the charity’s high-quality, compassionate care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

Inspectors praised the hospice’s outstanding person-centred approach, describing the service as “exceptional” at putting children and families at the heart of care choices.

The report also praised facilities at the Chorley-based hospice, which includes 11 bedrooms for children and young people, family apartments, and specialist Sunflower Suites where families can spend time with their child after death.

Inspectors said the hospice environment felt “more like a home than a hospital.”

A team of inspectors visited the hospice, which supports more than 400 seriously ill babies, children and young people from across the North West, on 23 September, 2025, for an unannounced inspection.

During the assessment they spoke to staff, leaders, trustees and families who use Derian House. They also looked at care records, policies and procedures, complaints, incidents, and watched staff at work.

The CQC assesses services across five key areas: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Derian was rated Good in all areas, with particularly strong scores in caring and responsive.

The report states:

“The provider was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity.”

Inspectors also highlighted the extraordinary care given to children and young people after death in the hospice’s Sunflower Suites. Families are supported to spend time with their child in a personalised and comforting environment, with staff adding meaningful touches such as favourite toys and children’s television programmes.

Families told inspectors that Derian’s care goes “above and beyond to support the whole family and not just the child,” including helping families make memories together through holidays, days out and special activities.

The inspection was carried out using the CQC’s new Single Assessment Framework, which assesses services against a wider range of quality statements and evidence sources than previous inspection models.

Karen Edwards OBE, Chief Executive of Derian House, said: “We are incredibly proud that the CQC has recognised the quality and compassion of the care delivered at Derian House every single day.

“This rating is a reflection of the dedication of our amazing staff and volunteers, and the trust that families place in us to care for their children at some of the most challenging times in their lives

“We’re particularly pleased as we were inspected under the CQC’s new framework, which assesses against a wider range of evidence sources, and therefore makes it more difficult than ever to achieve a Good rating.

“We feel very proud of the community of families, supporters and colleagues who together make Derian House such a special place. While we’re pleased to be rated Good, our ambition remains to achieve Outstanding, and we are already working on the areas identified for improvement.”

Read the full report here.

Derian dad and ‘The Little Things’ documentary maker Paul appeared on the BBC Breakfast sofa on Saturday morning (February 21) to talk about the release of his new documentary which explores the relationships between bereaved dads at Derian House’s support group.

Paul travelled over to the BBC studio in Salford, alongside fellow Derian dad Jamie Berrisford, who features in the documentary, to chat to hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt.

In the 18-minute documentary, ‘Voice Again’, released 20 February, the camera turns to dads who have lost a child, revealing the bonds they create at the hospice. The focus is the dad’s bereavement support group – a safe space where they can talk openly about grief over a cup of tea or a takeaway.

Read more on BBC online.

The mini documentary is free to watch on Old Swan Films and Derian House’s social media pages.

League of Gentlemen creator and Derian House ambassador, Steve Pemberton, was crowned the strongest link on the BBC’s The Weakest Link on Saturday night, and will donate the £12,800 prize to Derian House.

“It’s an incredible cause and I’m delighted to give them that money,” said Steve, who grew up in Chorley, not far from the hospice building.

Steve made it all the way to the final round on the latest The Weakest Link, hosted by comedian Romesh Ranganathan, alongside fellow celebrity contestant, BBC Still Game’s Sanjeev Kohli, and was crowned the strongest link on Saturday 17 January.

“That last round was like all the other rounds combined. It was really tense, but I’m really pleased – and really pleased for the charity,” Steve continued.

“Derian House Children’s Hospice, is in Chorley, Lancashire, which is where I’m from. They support children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. I grew up very close to the site where Derian House now stands. In fact, I used to play football on the field beside where the hospice is now. Derian House is well known in the area and nationally for providing the very best care for children and their families – and I am very proud to support everything they do.”

Multi award-winning actor and producer Steve is a long-standing supporter of Derian House, the hospice that cares for 400 families each year, and has made several generous donations to the charity over the years. He is also an executive producer of Derian House documentary, ‘The Little Things’, which is available to watch on Amazon Prime in the UK and the US.

Steve joined fellow celebrities Cherry Healey, Sian Welby, Jason Mohammad, Ashley Storrie, Dean McCullough, Sanjeev Kohli and Charley Marlowe on Saturday night’s show.

Calling all Derian dog owners! Dig out your walking boots this February and complete 100km throughout the month, whilst raising a minimum of £100.

Not only will your dedicated dog receive a free fundraising pack including a progress tracker, poster and bandana, but there’s also prizes to be won in three key categories!

• Picture Pawfect – voted for by Facebook friends
• FURthest Walked – for those who go the extra mile
• ‘Mutts’ Amount Raised – go and smash your target!

Register your interest or sign up today: https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/events/top-dog/

Fresh from his appearance on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Manchester rapper Aitch swapped bushtucker trials for plenty of smiles, and surprised his local children’s hospice with lots of gifts in time for Christmas.

Aitch stopped by at the hospice on Wednesday (17 December) to hand out gifts on behalf of Porsche Bolton, and took the time to chat with every child, young person, family, and staff member at the hospice – earning himself the nickname “Father Aitch-mas” for the day.

The chart-topping rapper, known for hits like “Rain” and “Baby” and for his collaboration with Ed Sheeran on the deeply personal track “My G” dedicated to his sister, who has Down’s Syndrome, made sure no one was left out.

The I’m a Celebrity star signed autographs and posed for photos as he encountered plenty of starstruck fans.

And not one person was left forgotten, as the rapper left a special gift for the family of Luke McCaughery, a valued member of the Derian Dynamos sports team, who passed away aged 16 earlier this year.

Aitch signed a custom Derian Dynamos T-shirt for Luke’s parents, Lauren and Lee, which read: ‘RIP Luke, legend. Love Aitch.’

Our incredible army of volunteers were treated to a Christmas cracker of an afternoon, as we celebrated them at a festive bash to remember at Derian House.

The bunch of selfless superstars never ask for anything in return of giving up their valuable time, expertise and skills in a multitude of roles here at the hospice, so we wanted to treat them at the most special time of the year.

We enjoyed Turkey and all the trimmings while we heard some terrible cracker jokes, followed by a hilarious festive whistling game that got our vollys singing along, and a very competitive quiz.

Join us next Thursday, 18th December for our Lights of Love festive open evening – get your tickets here.

Wander through our enchanting forest of 100 Christmas trees – each beautifully decorated and sponsored by our amazing supporters.

Meet Santa, enjoy festive stalls, sip on delicious refreshments, and soak up the music of a live brass band.

Bring the whole family – even the furry ones!

Tickets are selling fast! Children under 12 and dogs go FREE, and adult tickets are just £3.50.

Tickets must be booked in advance – don’t miss out on this magical night!

Grab your tickets now: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/select/kngzwbgdylox

Across the weekend, our annual Christmas parties brought together dozens of Derian families to celebrate this very special time of year.

Our annual party for our younger children and their families was an absolute blast this year at Academy at Worden! There was so much festive fun and lots of smiles all round.

And our Lodgers celebrated in style at Chorley Football Club – they had the BEST time!

A huge thanks to everyone who helped make the events a success.

Influencer family @itsthehillarys stopped by on Friday (5 December) with piles of presents for our children and young people just in time for Christmas.

TikTok’s favourite family – Mark, Ellie, Marcus, and baby Marco – took a tour of the hospice, learned more of what we do here, and met some of our children and young people – including Amelia and Macy.

Head over to their TikTok where you can watch their visit to Derian House: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsthehillarys

Tickets are still available to book for Lights of Love this Friday.

Featuring your favourite Christmas carols performed by The Rawstorne Singers as well as music from the Singitbig choir, and more! Refreshments and mince pies will be available to enjoy following the service and our popular selection of Derian House charity Christmas cards will also be on sale at the event.

Come along and support Matthew Valentine, 16, and his family, who will be switching on the Cathedral’s Christmas lights.

We have introduced a small ticket price* this year to help keep this Christmas tradition alive, and we are deeply grateful for your generosity.

Book your tickets here: Lights of Love Carol Service at Blackburn Cathedral event tickets from TicketSource

*If you would prefer to donate on the night, or support us in another way, the ticket price can be removed and tickets can still be booked for free. 

With just 44 days until Christmas, we’re expecting an increase in supporters asking what our families would like as gifts.

This means now is the perfect time to add any last-minute requests to our Derian House Amazon Wish List.

If you would like to request items for the Wish List, please email kerry.salmon@derianhouse.co.uk with the following information:

• Item link
• Quantity needed
• A brief explanation of why the item is beneficial to the Hospice

Our very own Wish Tree is now in Reception. Please spread the word to friends and family!

Supporters are welcome to visit the hospice, take a tag from the tree, purchase the corresponding gift, and return it with the tag attached.

Join us for a night of festive carols and mince pies at our annual Christmas concert at Blackburn Cathedral on the evening of Friday 5 December at 7.30pm.

The service includes festive readings, Christmas carols and performances by The Rawstorne Singers and The Singitbig Choir.

All families, staff, volunteers, and supporters are welcome to attend our Lights of Love Carol Service, however this year we are asking for a minimum suggested donation of £5 per ticket.

We appreciate that Christmas can be an expensive time of year, please give what you can.

Today we say goodbye to John Boe, who led our Facilities and Infrastructure for almost two years.

We wish him a very happy retirement from everyone at Derian House, and hope he enjoys lots of walks in the Lakes, baking pies, carving his beloved shepherd’s crooks, and spending more time with his family.

Our annual newsletter, Stories and Smiles, and our Christmas shop and events calendar are available now!

Read about all the amazing things we have been up to this year, and find out more about upcoming events – as well as ticking off your Christmas list in our festive shop.

You can pick your copies up in reception from today.

On Friday 22nd August we are holding an event in the garden to celebrate the launch of our hospice documentary, The Little Things, on Amazon Prime.

We have over 50 guests attending the event and need to ensure there is adequate parking available at the hospice for their arrival.

Any staff on the early shift are welcome to park at the hospice, but please keep the main carpark free by parking only down the side of The Lodge or over on the Vinten side of the carpark.

We are politely requesting that all other staff arriving from 8am onwards park at TC’s Sports Bar, Chancery Fields, Astley Village, Chorley, PR7 1DG until after the event finishes (approx 2pm).

Richard has very kindly offered to operate a shuttle service into work from 8am.

Thank you for you cooperation with this, it is much appreciated.

Find out more about The Little Things documentary coming to Amazon Prime.

In preparation of our feature-length Derian House documentary hitting Amazon Prime in the UK and US next Friday 22nd August, we’ve adorned 50 buses with our official film poster to spread the word.

Over the next few weeks, you may just see The Little Things film poster across a double-decker if you’re in Manchester, Oldham, Preston or Wigan.

If you see us, take a photo and make sure to tag us in your Instagram story!

Derian House Children’s Hospice has appointed a new Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Paul Morton has taken on the top job and plans to ensure the charity continues to become the gold standard for children’s hospice care, setting the benchmark for others across the UK.

Derian’s previous Chair of trustees Karen Swindley retired from her position earlier this week, after nine years’ service.

Under her watchful eye, Derian House earned a rating of Outstanding from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), had a £1.7m refurbishment, and introduced free holidays for families.

Paul said he will build on the great work already done and looks forward to leading the Board of Trustees on the charity’s next exciting chapter.

Paul joins Derian following a career as a global healthcare leader spanning four decades.

He has worked at the highest level at some of the biggest private healthcare and medical technology companies across the world.

In his free time, the dad of three grown up children, who lives with his wife Nicky in Euxton, Chorley, also fosters Guide dogs, is a member of Euxton Parish Council, and serves as a Magistrate at Cumbria and Lancashire Family Court.

He has a raft of experience on charity boards, with a focus on building communities and helping people to create opportunities, enabling them to thrive whatever their circumstances.

He said: “I’ve had a base in Euxton for many years and Derian House has always been there. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted get involved, but had never had the time before now having been so busy in my careers.

“The amazing and important work Derian does with families fits in with my thinking and my beliefs. I have always strived to ensure that children have the best opportunities, whatever they are going through, and whatever that may look like to them.

“I’m absolutely honoured to have been given the chance to be involved in influencing the future of this incredible charity and I am looking forward to utilising all of my experience and knowledge to help Derian House thrive and innovate.”

Karen Edwards, Chief Executive of Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Paul to the Derian family. He brings with him not only a wealth of professional experience but a deep-rooted passion for helping children and families live their best lives.

“We’re excited for the future and look forward to working with Paul to continue delivering the very best care and support to families who need us.”

Karen Swindley, former Chair of the Board of Trustees at Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “I wish Paul every success in taking over the reins and leading the board of Derian House forward from the amazing place we have taken it to.”

Chair of Trustees, Karen Swindley, who has dedicated nine years of her time – a third of the hospice’s existence – will be retiring from the Board of Trustees at Derian House Children’s Hospice.

Under her guidance, the charity has gone from strength to strength – achieving an Outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission and strengthening Derian House’s reputation as a leader in children’s hospice care.

As Chair of the Board, Karen helped steer major initiatives, including the £1.7million refurbishment of the hospice building and gardens in 2019, and the development of the Derian on Holiday service, enabling families to enjoy precious time away together, free of charge.

Now stepping back from her role, Karen is looking forward to enjoying more time with family and friends.

“It has been an absolute honour to serve as the Chair of Trustees at Derian House,” said Karen, whose career in the NHS spanned 35 years, before she retired two years ago from her role as Chief People Officer at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

“Working alongside such passionate, talented people – from staff and volunteers to my fellow trustees – has been incredibly rewarding. I’m very proud of everything we’ve achieved together, especially seeing Derian House recognised nationally for the outstanding care it provides.

“Everyone hears children’s hospice, and they think that it must be a sad place. And yes, Derian House does have some sad moments, but there is also so much joy there too. It’s filled with children and young people who are being given experiences that they wouldn’t ordinarily have. Our teams go above and beyond to make sure families make the most of every moment and so it can also be a very happy place to be.

“The first time I visited Derian House was for an open day and craft fair at the hospice about 20 years ago. The hospice has links to my family as my nephew used Derian House’s services – so I already knew what the charity did. I have always been a public servant, and for me, it has always been about giving something back. I joined the Board of Trustees in December 2016 becoming Chair early in 2017.

“I joined Derian House at a difficult time for the hospice. I remember being in my first ever Board meeting with the other Trustees and discussing the outcome of a recent Care Quality Commission inspection which had come back as ‘requires improvement’. To come from that, now to a rating of ‘outstanding’ is amazing. I remember that it took a very long time for the results of that last inspection to come back, because it’s so unusual for an organisation to jump to such a high rating in one inspection so there was a lot of scrutiny over the outcome. When we finally heard the news it just blew us all away – that we’d been able to achieve that.

“Because of having such a broad remit in my executive role in the NHS and knowledge of the Care Quality Commission, it has meant that I have been able to understand every part of the business – whether its human resources, quality, finance – it’s all essential to making sure things run as they should for our families. I hope I have been able to put that experience to good use during my time with Derian.

“I feel incredibly proud of the organisation and what it does. Derian House is above and beyond respite care. And the charity is now so innovative in so many ways. One of my favourite things about the charity is the holiday lodges, where Derian families can have a free week’s holiday each year. I feel honoured to have been part of this journey and to see how far we have come.

“I’m going to miss Derian House, it has been a huge part of my life for almost 10 years. I have so many memories there. A truly unforgettable moment for me was when a mystery donor decided to gift a fully paid for Disney holiday for 13 of our families, I’m not ashamed to admit I cried when I heard! I’ll also miss the Lights of Love service each December, a lovely event and the start of Christmas for many, when our community comes together to watch one of our families light up the Christmas tree.

“Now that I’m stepping down, I’m looking forward to spending more time with family and friends, including my husband, Barry, and our two dogs Alfie and Mitzi. We’ll be spending lots of time doing DIY in our home as we have just recently moved. I’m also looking forward to spending more time catching up with friends.

“It has been an absolute privilege. I want to say thank you to my fellow Trustees, who give up their time for such a fantastic cause. I also want to thank all the Derian House staff and volunteers, you are all amazing. Everyone is dedicated to what Derian does, and have made it the wonderful place that it is. I wish everyone all the best for the future. I feel so very proud of Derian House and all those who work there and those who support us. I hope that the charity continues to grow and prosper in the future.”

Derian House has now appointed a new Chair of the Trustee Board, Paul Morton.

Karen Edwards OBE, Chief Executive of Derian House, paid tribute to Karen’s service, saying: “I have enjoyed working with Karen, she has been a huge support for me especially in the early days of my role as Chief Executive here at Derian House. Karen has brought wisdom, compassion and a deep commitment to everything she’s done here at the hospice. Her time as Chair has been instrumental in shaping our vision and ensuring we deliver on our promise to children and families.

“We are incredibly grateful for her dedication and all she has done to strengthen the hospice. On behalf of everyone at Derian House, I thank her sincerely and wish her all the best in her well-earned retirement.”

When Angela Danby bought a book of raffle tickets to support her local children’s hospice, she never thought she would be a winner.

But on Friday (27 June), Angela – who was preparing to go out for a meal to celebrate her daughter’s birthday that night – was surprised at her front door with the news she had won the £5,000 jackpot in the Derian House Summer Raffle.

Astounded Angela cried out: “I’ve got my rollers in!” before hugging staff from the hospice who had travelled to her home carrying giant numbers to break the good news.

£1,000 was awarded to the second prize winner, £500 to the third prize winner, and 20 runners-up won prizes of £25 in the raffle that ran from March to June.

With entries flying in from as far as Devon and Scotland, the raffle launched by the Chorley children’s hospice sold 20,637 tickets – raising a phenomenal £31,170 for the charity’s children and young adults.

And it wasn’t just ticket sales that boosted the total – the charity was inundated with donations from kind-hearted supporters that amounted to £11,533.

Winner of the top £5,000 prize is Angela Danby, a public speaker and former journalist, who lives in Rufford with her husband, Will Danby, daughter Sophia, 22, son William, 24, and rescue cat George Walter.

She said: “I was just out in the garden when the Derian House team appeared holding up the £5,000 number cards. I was moving things around as we were preparing for the scarecrow competition the next day. I wasn’t expecting it, I had forgotten I’d entered. In fact I first thought it was a scam. I was getting ready to go out – I had no makeup on and I had my rollers in!

“The surprise couldn’t have come at a better time. We all went out for food to Penelope’s in Birkdale for my daughter Sophia’s birthday, and we took out grandma too who is 90. We all had celebratory cocktails – it was a really lovely night.

“I’m going to give some of the money to my children to help towards a deposit on their first home. But some of it will definitely be going back to Derian House. They do such amazing work. And when my dad passed away two years ago, he wanted some of the money from the funeral to go to Derian House. So we’re all big supporters of the hospice. I just can’t believe it, thank you so much.”

The Derian House summer raffle closed for entries on midnight on 20 June 2025.

Sarah Proctor, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “Angela’s surprise and joy at winning £5,000 was absolutely wonderful to see. Even George Walter the cat came to have a look. We hope she had a wonderful birthday meal with her daughter.

“The amount of money raised in the Derian House summer raffle will make a real difference to seriously ill children and young people from across the North West. It will cost £6 million to run Derian House this year and we rely heavily on the generosity of our supporters as we only receive a small amount of this in NHS funding.”

For full terms and conditions of the raffle visit: https://www.derianraffle.co.uk/terms-conditions/

An explosion of colourful paints covered hundreds of runners who took part in the brand new Derian House Colour Run on Saturday (28 June) to raise money for children whose lives are too short.

Donning vibrant props, sunglasses, and glitter face paint – people of all ages and abilities took part in the family fun run on the field beside the hospice, based in Astley Village, Chorley – raising an incredible £21,531.63 for Derian House.

The Colour Run kicked off with a fun Zumba session with instructor Sylvia Skinner alongside Derian House’s mascot, Danni, to get everyone warmed up and ready to go.

There were plenty of smiles as everyone crossed the finish line, each receiving their very own Colour Run medal, provided for free by John Harrison Sports Ltd of Leyland.

Junior, 16, who visits Derian House, took part in the Colour Run with his younger sister Bella, 11, mum Belinda, and nan Tina.

Junior said: “It was a wonderful and fantastic experience. I had a super day and loved how messy I could get – my wheelchair still has some paint on it!”

Chorley MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle made an appearance to show his support for the charity.

And participants enjoyed refreshments, including ice creams provided by Ramzy’s Whippy, at the event sponsored by Vincents Solicitors.

Kerry Salmon, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “I want to say a massive thank you to all the runners, volunteers, businesses, sponsors and staff who helped make Derian’s first ever Colour Run a success. It was such a vibrant and memorable day, and we can’t wait to do it all over again next year.

“Care is free to families at Derian House, but it will cost £6million to run the hospice this year. We rely on our kind-hearted supporters to raise 70p in every £1 as we only receive a small amount of funding from the government.”

Dear team,

Well, we are now in week 3 of the aftermath of our Cyber Security Breach, and I am happy to say that we are now in a much more positive position, with efforts to get us back up and running making step by step progress every day.

I know that we still have some way to go before everyone’s systems are back to normal, but I want to thank you all for the patience and resilience you have shown. It’s been great to see everyone pitching in and looking after each other.

Eventura continue to be on site or available remotely working on staff issues to a priority order. If your access changes please report this to your line manager as they will update the priority list daily.

On Thursday evening we gave a full update to trustees about our ongoing situation, including the steps we are taking to recover from it, and yesterday (Tuesday) I briefed Karen Swindley (Chair of the Trustee Board) in more detail as a latest update.

Eventura continue to carry out work in response to the incident and to ensure that we are as secure as we can be.  As part of this work, and as a precaution, we have temporarily disabled the Virtual Private Network (VPN) and so for now people will not be able to log onto their machines remotely to access the IT infrastructure (servers and drives) whilst working from home.

Implementing our VPN with two-factor authentication will be part of our work to add further strength to our security going forward.

In addition, you will start to see our new firewall appear, this will appear as Mimecast, and will replace the Barracuda system that we had in place.  Please check these emails as the security has been heightened and some emails may be gate-keeped for you to then release.

As you will understand, we would again ask that all of this is kept confidential – given that it is relevant to the ongoing security of our systems.  I will run through any questions at today’s We Are Derian.

Despite a difficult couple of weeks, thanks to your dedication, we have managed to keep the hospice open and running for families who need us most, and this is the most important thing.

Hospice leaders from across Greater Manchester are heading to Parliament today to ask MPs to support their calls to reform the funding model for hospices.

Since 2020 hospices in Greater Manchester have seen their total costs increase by 33%, with most of this cost having to be met by fundraising from the local community.

Now, the Greater Manchester Hospices Provider Collaborative, made up of Greater Manchester’s adult and children’s hospices, is asking MPs to sign a joint letter to the Minister of State for Health and Social Care, calling for the government’s new 10-year health plan to include commitments to improving palliative and end of life care, and reforming the hospice funding model.

Karen Edwards OBE, Chief Executive of Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley, Lancashire, said: “Hospices play a vital part in our healthcare system, but this care is at risk. Increasing demand, long term underinvestment and rising costs, mean many hospices are struggling to maintain their services. This, in turn, places more demands on the NHS.

“We are travelling to London today to meet with MPs to ask for support for fairer funding for hospices. We want their support to reform the funding model for hospices with a new 10-year health plan. Currently £11.7bn is spent on health care for people in the last year of life in the UK, but 80% of that funding is spent in hospitals. We believe this money could be better used by investing in hospice care, which currently only receives 4% of this funding.

“We are forever grateful for our community for doing so much to support Derian House Children’s Hospice, but we shouldn’t have to depends on our supporters as much as we do to fund these essential services for children.

“By investing in hospice care, we can reduce hospice admissions and make it more likely that people can die in their place of choosing. It is better for people, their families and the NHS.”

In Greater Manchester, hospices rely on their local communities to raise two thirds of their total funding. Demands on hospice services are only set to increase and the current funding model means they need to ask more and more of their communities every year – at a time when the cost of living is at an all time high.

The Government has made a commitment to invest £100m in additional capital spend in hospices over the next two years, which has been welcomed by Greater Manchester’s hospices, but only offers a short term solution. Long term reform is needed to protect hospice services.

The parliamentary event has been sponsored by Josh Simons MP, Member of Parliament for Makerfield.

A little reminder that December payday is Friday 20th December – early in time for Christmas.

A Paediatric Nurse who specialises in making sure children and their families receive the best care at the end of their lives has been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse.

Sue Ward walked through the doors of Derian House Children’s Hospice 13 years ago as a Registered Nurse – and since completing her Masters Degree in 2020, is one of the first Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPS) to operate within a hospice environment.

The Queen’s Nurse is a prestigious and historic title which is given to nurses who are delivering and leading outstanding care and is awarded by the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI).

The title is open to registered nurses with more than five years’ experience working in the community. Managers and patients provide feedback about applicants, which is assessed along with their application.

“Becoming a nurse has always been my dream since being a young child,” said Sue.

“The day I qualified as a Paediatric Nurse, 14 years ago, was one of the proudest moments of my life. And now, I am so very proud of my role as one of the first Advanced Clinical Practitioners within a hospice environment. Seeing the difference my role makes to Derian House families is a huge achievement.

“As a nurse, I am constantly striving to achieve high standards of practice and delivering excellent patient-centred care to all our families – making sure all care is tailored to the child and their family’s needs.

“I am proud to be an ambassador for nursing, whether it has been working in an acute environment on the ward, caring for sick children, or supporting children and their families when they receive a palliative diagnosis.

“I am very aware there are few nursing professionals with skills and experience required to provide children’s palliative care in the community. My personal vision is that every baby, child, young person, and their families, should receive the best palliative nursing care by a knowledgeable and skilled nurse, within their preferred place of care.

“To have received the Queen’s Nurse title means the absolute world and is the most amazing achievement of my nursing career. The award will allow me to continue my commitment to improving paediatric palliative care across the region.”

Catherine Randall, Chief Nurse at Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “Congratulations to our incredible colleague, Suzanne, who has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Nurse title – it is a great honour.

“Your dedication, compassion and commitment to excellence in nursing inspires us all. We are so proud of you.”

We took home gold at this year’s Chorley Flower Show after our garden wowed the judges this weekend (26, 27, and 28 July).

The vibrant display, created by our Derian House team and its army of volunteers, told the story of Build-A-Forest – our campaign to rebuild our woodland areas after we had to have more than 150 trees cut down in its gardens due to ash dieback disease.

Named “giving nature a helping hand”, the garden featured saplings donated by the Woodland Trust, a selection of alpine plants, a handmade pond, and recycled materials made from the trees that were cut down in the hospice gardens – including a sculpted wooden hand made by Ken in Estates.

Derian House’s Build-A-Forest campaign is still ongoing, and thanks to our generous supporters, hospice volunteers have been able to plant 250 new trees in the gardens.

Cameron Murray, Communications and Marketing Manager at Derian House, said: “It was fantastic to see so many people come together to see Derian House’s entry at the one of the most popular horticultural shows in Lancashire.

“It was a real Derian team effort – thank you to everyone, from staff to our wonderful volunteers, who helped make our garden look as fantastic as it did.

“And thank you to everyone who has supported our Build-A-Forest campaign so far. With your help, we have been able to begin to replenish our woodland areas so that our families can enjoy them now and years into the future.”

Councillor Peter Wilson, Deputy Leader of Chorley Council, said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed chatting to everyone at Chorley Flower Show. The community gardens in particular are spectacular this year. I would like to thank everyone who contributed and it’s really important that we maintain our partnerships with charities like Derian House who do such great work.”

Chorley Flower Show is a three-day flower-filled family event set in Astley Park where visitors can see award-winning gardens plus speak with gardening experts.

A dedicated children’s nurse is taking on a mammoth cycle to celebrate Children’s Hospice Week 2024.

Francesca Lennon, from Buckinghamshire, will cycle 54 miles each day – representing the 54 children’s hospices in the UK.

She will visit seven hospices over seven days and will complete her epic challenge at Derian House Children’s Hospice on Sunday.

The challenge will raise money for Together for Short Lives, the charity that looks after all of the country’s children’s hospices, and will be split between each hospice.

Francesca worked as a children’s nurse in the NHS and children’s hospices before setting up CHAT UK – a project to raise awareness and funds for all children’s hospices across the country.

She will set off from Derian House at 9am on Sunday, 23 June, returning that afternoon to be cheered on by supporters, hospice staff and families.

The fundraiser is taking place during Children’s Hospice Week (17-23 June 2024), the UK’s annual awareness week for children’s hospices and palliative care services, run by Together for Short Lives.

This is the second time Francesca’s challenge has come to Derian House. In 2022, she took on a mammoth 3200-mile cycle during Children’s Hospice Week in 2022, visiting every children’s hospice in the UK and raising over £80,000 for Together for Short Lives.

Francesca, from Chenies in Buckinghamshire said: “I know first-hand that caring for a child with serious health needs 24/7 is emotionally and physically exhausting. Every day in my job, I get to meet the most incredible children and families, and I see just how life-changing support from children’s hospices are for them. They will push me on to cross the finishing line once again.”

Caroline Taylor, Director of Income and Engagement at Derian House, said: “Children’s Hospice Week is a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the work we do at Derian House. The cycling challenge will be a definite highlight of the week. Francesca’s story is one that has touched us all and we cannot wait to celebrate her arrival in Chorley.”

Alongside Derian House Children’s Hospice, Francesca is also cycling to and from Demelza, Acorns Children’s Hospice, Children’s Hospice South West’s Charlton Farm, Tŷ Hafan, Rainbows, Martin House, and Helen and Douglas House.

Nick Carroll, Director of Fundraising at Together for Short Lives added: “Francesca is, quite simply, one of the most inspiring people we know. Not only is she there for seriously ill children and families in her job, but she is also going the extra mile for them in this incredible challenge. It is a privilege to have her support, and we will be cheering the whole team on as they also help raise important awareness of the role children’s hospices play and why they urgently need more support from whichever party forms the next government.”

To support Francesca and raise money for hospices like Derian House, visit https://www.justgiving.com/chatuk.

To celebrate Volunteer’s Week (3-9 June), our longest running volunteer Val Sharp has been in the news after being honoured at the future King’s royal party.

Val has featured on BBC News online, the Lancashire Evening Post, and the Burnley Express after her visit to the Royal Garden Party, hosted by Prince William, at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, 21 May.

Val will also be live with Graham Liver on BBC Radio Lancashire tomorrow morning (Tuesday) – tune in from 7:40am.

You can read the stories below:

BBC News

Lancashire Evening Post

Burnley Express

Val was nominated by the Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, Mrs Amanda Parker JP, to receive an invitation to the royal event after learning about her length of service during a visit to Derian House at the hospice 30th anniversary open day.

MORE than eight out of 10 parents whose child has died said they feel sad that people don’t speak about their son or daughter, a new study into child loss has found.

Some bereaved parents even reported people crossing the street to avoid them and said they have lost friends because people don’t know how to act.

The research – conducted by Derian House Children’s Hospice and thought to be one of the largest studies of bereaved parents in the UK in recent years – found that 87% of parents felt nobody, other than close family, talks about their child anymore.

Researchers at the charity spoke to 70 families whose loss spanned more than three decades.

The over-riding finding was that that bereaved families desperately want you to talk about their child, and that nothing anyone can say will ever be as bad as simply avoiding the subject.

The research has been used by the charity to launch a campaign called “Say my Child’s Name”, which aims to tackle the stigma around child loss.

It has used the families’ own words to create a practical how-to guide for friends and family to help them know what to say and what not to say (see guide here: www.derianhouse.co.uk/bereavement)

A powerful video has also been created to spread the message on social media, which will launch at 9pm tonight. Watch here: Say My Child’s Name – YouTube.

Kiki Deville, Patron of Derian House Children’s Hospice, whose son Dexter died of Zellweger Syndrome in 2007, aged just one month and three days-old, said: “When your child dies, after a while nobody says their name anymore, and that really hurts.

“What we desperately want people to know is that speaking about our child won’t upset us or remind us that they’re gone – we are always thinking about them anyway. To a bereaved parent, our child’s name is the sweetest word in the whole world and we love nothing more than speaking about them.”

A total of 89 per cent of parents (62 people) said the effect worsened gradually over time and 64 per cent (45 people) even felt their child had been completely forgotten by family, friends and acquaintances.

59 per cent (35 people) per cent said their workplace didn’t understand. And many said medical professionals did not know how to speak to them sensitively following the loss of their child.

“We’re in a group that nobody wants to be part of,” said one parent in the research. “When I go out with my friends who have children as soon as I talk about my child who has died it becomes so awkward and uncomfortable for them. I feel so out of place at times.”

Derian House Children’s Hospice will use the results of the survey to educate the public and professionals on how they can help bereaved families.

This Christmas the charity is creating free personalised ink stamps for any bereaved parent, to help them remember their child when signing Christmas cards – an area they admitted to struggling with.

Karen Edwards OBE, Chief Executive of Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “We are passionate about breaking down barriers and opening up the conversation around child loss at Derian House. Now, thanks to the generosity and bravery of the 70 families who opened their hearts to speak to us, we have been able to create a practical guide for everyone on how to speak to someone who has suffered the loss of a child.

“Nobody wants to upset someone whose child has died and so many people opt for the safe option and say nothing. What our families have told us is that this is the worst thing they could do – it makes them feel isolated and hurt.

“We are committed to spreading the Say my Child’s Name message, not only to help our families, but also to provide a useful resource for the general public and professionals.”

Two sisters in their 70s have returned to their volunteering roles at their local children’s hospice – 30 years after their first shift.

Susan Sidebotham and Gillian Summerfield, of Chorley, arrived at Derian House Children’s Hospice in 1993 as two of the charity’s first ever volunteers.

The sisters eventually said goodbye to the hospice due to work and family commitments, but returned in October this year – during the hospice’s 30th anniversary year – to pick up where they left off.

Susan and Gill have been helping out for just a few hours a week with cleaning, washing up, and preparing food in the kitchen for the hospice families.

“We first heard about Derian House when the hospice was being built,” said Susan Sidebotham, 77, a retired civil servant.

“My sister and I came along when it had opened to see if they needed any volunteering help, and so we both started coming in the evening to help out with the cleaning duties. My sister and I had our very own tabards. I remember that we sewed little motifs onto them – mine had a teddy bear on and Gill’s had a clown.

“The hospice was much smaller back then and not quite as modern – I remember that it was fully carpeted. But I would say that the sensory room today is still as relaxing as I remember the original room to be.

“In the end, we made the decision to leave Derian House due to our other commitments with work and family at the time. It is only now, so many years on, and I saw that the hospice was looking to recruit some new volunteers. We’re retired now, so I said to my sister – let’s have a go! And here we are, after all these years.

“I think that it is absolutely marvelous that Derian House has been helping families for 30 years,” said Susan.

“The charity is so well known now throughout the country – it does feature quite frequently on the television. I just think it is an incredible place. I hope I can volunteer here for quite some time.”

Susan and her sister Gill both fit their volunteering hours in around their busy lifestyles – taking care of grandchildren and going to the gym.

“I wanted to volunteer at Derian because I had young daughters at the time and I felt I wanted to give something back,” said Gill Summerfield, 71, who is also a retired civil servant.

“So we started coming to the hospice in the evenings to do a bit of cleaning. The hospice has grown so much. I remember how different the kitchen and dining room looked when we were there, much smaller. I remember the swimming pool back then too.

“Then this year we saw that Derian House was on the hunt for new volunteers and so we decided to apply. There is such a lovely atmosphere at Derian House because everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I think a lot of people hear ‘hospice’ and automatically think it is a sad place, but it’s a wonderful happy place. I think it’s fantastic that the hospice is still here for families after it first opened 30 years ago.”

Frances Lees, Volunteer Services Coordinator at Derian House, said: “It’s fantastic that Susan and Gill have decided to return to support the families of Derian House all these years later – and during our 30th anniversary year too! They are both fantastic volunteers, we are very lucky to have them.

“There are so many good things about volunteering – it’s a great way to make new friends, learn something new, and do something for a good cause. Our volunteers saved us more than £100,000 in staff costs last year – we simply couldn’t do what we do without them!”

Derian House, based in Chorley, cares for more than 400 babies, children, young people and their families from across the North West and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Find out more: www.derianhouse.co.uk

Find out more about volunteering at Derian House: https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/volunteer-for-us

A huge ‘congratulations’ to Jenny McCabe are in order, who has been successful in securing our new Patient Safety and Governance role.

This is an important new role that will strengthen how we maintain oversight of the quality and safety of the care we provide. Jenny will support the review of incidents, audits and emerging themes; help us turn learning into meaningful improvements; and provide greater coordination across our policies, action plans and assurance processes.

A key part of the role will be working alongside teams to promote an open and supportive safety culture—one where we learn together, share good practice and continually improve the care and experience of our babies, children, young people and families.

Jenny brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and commitment to the role, and I know she will make a real difference.

Congratulations, Jenny, on your well-deserved appointment – we’re looking forward to supporting you as you begin this exciting new chapter at the end of the month.

Staff wellbeing

CT opened the forum by acknowledging that it has been a difficult period with the loss of a number of well-known young people in the hospice.

Danny Schofield (DS) acknowledged that there have been several recent deaths of children and young people, and that a range of support is already available within the hospice, including team briefs, catch-ups and debriefs. DS asked whether staff felt there was anything further that could be offered during difficult periods and invited Fazila Vaida (FV) to lead the discussion.

FV opened the conversation by acknowledging that the support already in place is valued and important, while noting that some options can feel more formal. FV asked whether staff felt there were other ways they could be supported to process difficult experiences.

Staff discussed the importance of having access to a quiet private space away from public areas, particularly for colleagues who may need time to decompress during or after emotionally difficult moments. The diner was recognised as a positive shared space where people can come together at mealtimes and feel part of the wider team, but staff also noted that a separate space for reflection would be beneficial.

There was a discussion about how a private space could be provided, with ideas including using the sibling pod on a bookable basis and the redistribution of workspace that is happening around the hospice.

The upstairs staff room was also discussed, although it was felt that this space is mainly suitable for changing and would not fully meet the need for a quiet area to decompress.

Everyone thought that having the sibling pod as a bookable space would be a good idea.

CT noted that the care team have more regular experience of supporting children, young people and families at end of life, and may therefore have developed helpful tools and approaches. CT asked whether any of this learning could be shared with non-clinical colleagues to support them too.

VR explained that the community team regularly have informal debriefs. They all come together to discuss what happened and how people are feeling. VR wondered whether it would be a good idea to extend this to the rest of the staff.

It was agreed that debriefs would be opened to all staff where appropriate, so colleagues across the hospice can access informal support following difficult events.

Karen Leigh-Whiston (KLW) asked whether the Community Team would be happy to facilitate this themselves, or whether it would be more appropriate for an external facilitator to be brought in.

The Community Team agreed that the informal nature of the sessions works well and helps create a comfortable environment.

Vicky Robinson (VR) suggested having the iPads available with Dojo accessible, allowing people to look through photos and share memories of the BCYP.

CT acknowledged that everyone processes situations differently and that individual needs should be recognised.

FV concluded by agreeing that having a private space where people can take some time for themselves would be beneficial.

Values

KLW advised that the organisational values have now been agreed and formally signed off.

The DERIAN acronym will remain in place; however, throughout the consultation process, three overarching themes consistently emerged: Safe, Compassionate, and Accountable.

These will therefore become the organisation’s core values, supported by the DERIAN values:

D – Dedicated.

E – Empowered.

R – Reliable.

I – Inclusive.

A – Ambitious.

N – Nurturing.

KLW explained that work is now underway to embed these values into everyday practice. This will begin with the recruitment process and continue throughout induction, supervision, and appraisal processes.

Staff were then invited to share ideas on how the values could be incorporated into day-to-day working.

Staff suggested a range of ways to keep the values visible and meaningful, including displaying them more prominently in the workplace, creating a display board for each value, incorporating them into reflective practice, recognising colleagues through value-based nominations, including them in regular catchups, and introducing a ‘Value of the Month’.

There was also discussion about presenting the values through video content to help bring them to life.

Strategy

CT advised that the strategy is now ready to be shared with the wider team. She did not go into detail at this stage, as three sessions have been arranged to introduce the strategy. Staff will be encouraged to take part and contribute to shaping how it is delivered.

CT also provided an update on Incident 375, advising that the inquest has been rescheduled to later in the year. She explained that some families have started to ask questions and advised staff that a crib will be prepared to support them in responding appropriately, should they receive any enquiries. Staff were also reminded to follow the usual media enquiries procedure by directing any press enquiries to CT and the Communications Team.

New roles and opportunities

DS advised that the Care Team has experienced a period of growth, with several new colleagues joining the team, including Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs), nurses and Clinical Support Workers (CSWs).

A new housekeeper will also be joining the team shortly, alongside a volunteer art therapist for the summer and a student counsellor.

DS advised that vacancies for a Hydro Pool Coordinator and a Music Room Coordinator will be advertised shortly. Staff were encouraged to share these opportunities with anyone who may be interested.

KLW added that the Finance Team is currently interviewing for vacancies. Recruitment is also underway for a Head of Communications, Community Team nurses and Clinical Support Workers (CSWs).

Any other business

Sam Lamb (SL) provided an update on the Estates projects. The fire door works are nearing completion, with only the pool doors and some snagging work remaining. Staff were asked to report any fire door issues or snags to SL. Compartmentation works are continuing.

Work on the hoists has now commenced, except for the pool hoist.

The Forest School project is also due to begin, with a company funding and constructing the facility.

Approval is currently being sought for the Lodge courtyard project.

There is some snagging work to complete on the electric doors, work on the lift is ongoing, and staff are reminded to complete the required training for the lone worker app.

Sarah Proctor (SP) provided an update on the lottery, sharing that there had recently been a £10,000 winner, with CT making the call to notify them.

CT shared the winner’s story, explaining that her daughter is a talented cello player. The winner supports the lottery because her sister, who sadly passed away, was previously a music therapist at Derian House. She felt the win was a meaningful tribute to her sister, allowing her to purchase a high-quality cello for her daughter and treat the family to a holiday.

SP advised that staff are welcome to support with winner calls if they are interested. Karen Smith (KS) recently contacted a £1,000 winner who, after learning more about the work of Derian House, chose to donate the prize money back to the charity.

CT also provided an update on Derian Wishes, advising that the initiative has generated significant interest. While many wishes have involved technology, there have also been several unique requests, including playing darts with Luke Littler and drumming with the Courteeners.

The forum discussed ways in which the wishes initiative could also support families with practical day-to-day needs, such as house cleaning, garden maintenance and help with managing household tasks, recognising that these can become increasingly difficult for some families. Opportunities to provide this support through FL and corporate volunteers are being explored. There was also discussion around introducing volunteer drivers to help families attend appointments and events at Derian House when transport is a barrier, as well as supporting travel for holidays and assisting volunteers attending events.

Hi everyone,

We have secured a Royal Marsden subscription which means all staff now have access to the Royal Marsden Manual Online, one of the world’s most popular resources on clinical skills and procedures for nurses.

With over 300 detailed procedures, this comprehensive resource presents the evidence and underlying theory alongside full-colour illustrations and photographs, and includes coverage of infection prevention and control, oxygen therapy, tracheostomy: dressing and tube tapes/ties change, nutrition, stoma bag replacement, medicines management, and much more.

You can access this resource by following the link below or the QR code and there is also a link for it on the intranet – education tab

USERNAME – derian

PASSWORD – dhch@2026

Royal Marsden Manual Online   (you may be prompted to verify this link through mimecast)

Hi everyone,

Like many organisations, here at Derian House we are considering our use of AI tools and mapping out how we use them safely and effectively.

Many of you will already use AI as part of your work and we are currently drawing up a policy and procedures to make sure we are using this new technology in a way that keeps our family and donor data safe, and also helps us save time.

We will be looking at doing some training with colleagues in the near future around AI and how to get the most out of it. To help make sure the training is tailored to us, it would be good to understand how we currently use it, and what we’d like to do in future.

With that in mind, please could you take a couple of minutes to answer these questions, and email your answers back to me:

Name:

Role:

1. What AI tools do you currently use at work? (e.g. ChatGPT, CoPilot etc)
2. What tasks do you use AI for?
3. Would you be interested in some training in how to make the most of AI in your role?
4. What do you think AI could be used for to help you in your role?
5. Anything else to add?

In the meantime, while we are working on our plan for how we use AI at Derian, please see this guide of five dos and five don’ts that will keep us safe…

AI use at Derian House: Five Dos and Five Don’ts

As AI becomes more widely used in the workplace, it can be a valuable tool to support efficiency, creativity and productivity.

However, when working in a children’s hospice environment, it is essential that AI is used safely, ethically and in line with our responsibilities to children, families, colleagues and supporters.

✅ Five Dos

1. Do protect confidential information

Always remove or anonymise any information that could identify a child, family member, donor, volunteer or colleague before entering it into an AI tool.

2. Do use AI as a support tool, not a decision-maker

AI can help draft documents, generate ideas and summarise information, but professional judgement must always be applied before acting on its output. Be sure that any content for families and supporters is written in our Derian tone of voice and uses the terminology we prefer – people don’t connect on a human level with copy written by AI.

3. Do check all AI-generated content

Review and fact-check anything produced by AI before sharing it internally or externally. AI can make mistakes, provide inaccurate information or present outdated content.

4. Do follow Derian House policies and values

Ensure any use of AI aligns with organisational policies, GDPR requirements, safeguarding responsibilities and our values of being Safe, Compassionate and Accountable.

5. Do be transparent when appropriate

If AI has been used to significantly contribute to a piece of work, be open about its use with colleagues where relevant, particularly for important reports, communications or strategic documents.

❌ Five Don’ts

1. Don’t enter personal or sensitive data into public AI tools

Never upload names, medical information, safeguarding concerns, financial data, donor details or any confidential organisational information unless the AI platform has been formally approved for such use.

2. Don’t rely on AI without human review

AI should never be used to make decisions about patient care, safeguarding, clinical matters, HR issues, disciplinary processes or legal matters without appropriate professional oversight.

3. Don’t assume AI is always accurate

AI can confidently present incorrect information. Treat outputs as a first draft or starting point, not a final answer.

4. Don’t use AI to create misleading or deceptive content

AI should not be used to fabricate quotes, testimonials, case studies, images or information that could misrepresent Derian House, our families or our work.

5. Don’t bypass professional expertise

AI should enhance human skills, not replace them. Clinical judgement, safeguarding expertise, leadership decisions and compassionate human interactions must always remain at the heart of what we do.

A simple rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing the information publicly, don’t put it into an AI tool. If AI creates something for you, always check it before you use it.

Dear Colleagues

I wanted to share some key updates following our recent Trustee Board meeting.

Our Strategic Direction

Trustees have now approved the overarching strategic aim for the Charity for the next five years. This represents an important milestone and provides a clear direction for where we want to be and the impact we want to have for babies, children, young people and families.

2030 Ambition: By 2030, all children and families within our catchment area who are eligible for support from Derian House (expected to be around 5,000) will be aware of our services, and at least 20% will access and benefit from them. Through safe, sustainable and family-centred services, we will extend our reach and impact whilst maintaining the highest standards of quality, governance and care

Whilst the overarching aim has now been agreed, this is very much the beginning rather than the end of the process. Over the coming weeks and months, colleagues from across the organisation will be involved in helping us put the “meat on the bones” of the strategy, shaping how we turn our ambitions into practical actions and priorities for each department and team.

This engagement will begin with a series of staff briefings, dates will be shared soon, followed by team discussions and opportunities for colleagues to contribute their ideas, expertise and experience. It is important that our strategy reflects the collective knowledge and passion that exists across the organisation.

Our New Values

Trustees also approved our new organisational values:

Safe
Accountable
Compassionate

These values reflect who we are, what matters most to us, and how we want to work together and with the families we support.

Alongside the values, Trustees approved a set of guiding behaviours aligned with the letters within DERIAN, that bring these values to life in our day-to-day actions and decision-making. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in developing these.  Further information about the values and behaviours will be shared shortly, and we will be working together to embed them across the organisation.

Family Engagement and Voice

A key area of discussion was our commitment to family engagement and ensuring that the voices of children, young people and families are at the heart of everything we do.  Trustees formally approved our approach to strengthening participation and engagement and reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that the experiences, views and feedback of families help shape our services and future plans, through the formal approval of a paper that went to board.

Danny shared the paper in an email last week, if you haven’t had the opportunity to read it I would encourage colleagues to do so.

Getting Ready for Growth

Trustees were also clear that the coming year should be focused on ensuring that we have the right foundations in place for the future.  This means spending time getting our “house in order”, strengthening our infrastructure, governance, leadership arrangements, staffing structures, systems and ways of working so that we are well positioned to deliver our strategic ambitions and support future growth.

You will hear more about this work over the coming weeks as plans develop and we begin to engage colleagues in shaping the next phase.

Questions and Further Information

We recognise that colleagues may have questions about any of the areas outlined above. Please feel free to speak with any member of the Executive or Leadership  team, who will be happy to provide further information and answer any questions you may have.

Thank you, as always, for your commitment, professionalism and passion. The progress we are making as an organisation is only possible because of the dedication of our colleagues, volunteers and supporters, and we look forward to shaping the future together.

HOSPICE OPENING & CLOSING DAYS

• The hospice will be closed for in-house respite on Monday morning and Tuesday.

MONDAY 15th

• Happy Children’s Hospice Week everyone! We can’t wait to celebrate throughout the week in true Derian style, kicking off with our annual sports day up in the Sunshine Park (weather depending) with some very special sporting stars as guests…

• There will be a Senior Leadership Team Meeting this afternoon.

• The ball pool will be closed for cleaning from 1pm today.

TUESDAY 16th

• Playgroup will be held today in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 11:30am.

• There will be an IPC committee meeting this morning.

• The fire alarm will be tested at 2pm today.

• There will be World Cup activities available this afternoon in the Messy PlayZone.

WEDNESDAY 17th

• Cornerstones Group for our bereaved Derian grandparents will be meeting today from 10am and 12pm in the Seaside Room.

• There will be a Sensory Room TACPAC session this morning, before Rachel’s sing-along music hour in the Snug.

• There will be an Operational Clinical Governance Meeting this afternoon.

• There will be fun sessions in the pool and pet therapy with Jo and Ted throughout the day.

THURSDAY 18th

• The Derian Grandparents Group will be meeting today in the Seaside Room from 10am – 12pm.

• The Referral Panel will be meeting this morning.

• Our CYP will be making Father’s Day gifts this morning, before music therapy in the afternoon with Debbie, our new music therapist.

FRIDAY 19th

• This morning, our CYP will be exploring musical instruments and having a sing-along.

• Claire will be hosting a music and movement session this afternoon in the Lounge.

SATURDAY 20th

• Today is King Charles’ birthday, so our CYP will be making King Charles crafts this morning.

• The Great Derian Treasure Hunt will be taking place this afternoon in the hospice.

SUNDAY 21st

• Our CYP will be having fun splashing around in the hydrotherapy pool this morning, and will be exploring with musical instruments and having as sing-along later in the afternoon.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• There will be an email sent out by Kerry from Fundraising about parking for next week’s Colour Run. Please look out for this and read it carefully.

• New work phones will be handed out this week to those who requested them.

• The Lone Worker app will be going live.

• Urmson will be continuing their remedial work on the bedroom corridors next week, and they will begin their compartmentalisation work on Wednesday 17^th.

• Tickets for the Wigan Warriors/Derian House family fun day can be bought for the special Derian discounted price of just £2 per ticket (children under 2 go free) via this link – https://wwrl.net/wkebev

• Thanks so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between 22nd – 28th June, please send an email to cameron.murray@derianhouse.co.uk or DLcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk  before Thursday 18th June.

Have a great week everyone!

MONDAY 8^th

• Crochet & Crafts will be taking place today in the Seaside Room between 10am and 12pm.

• Swimming lessons will take place between 3:00pm – 7:00pm in the hydrotherapy pool.

TUESDAY 9^th

• Playgroup will be held in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 11:30pm for our toddlers and their families.

• Happy National Donald Duck Day! We’ll be celebrating with themed crafts in the Messy PlayZone this morning.

• Our in-house children and young people will be splashing around in the hydrotherapy pool this afternoon.

• There will be a fire test at 2pm.

WEDNESDAY 10th 

• Join Rachel the singing teacher in the Snug from 11am for an hour of singing fun.

• Tailored sessions of music with Martha the music therapist will take place in the Snug this afternoon.

• From 6pm – 8pm, The Lodgers will be at St Joseph’s Primary School practising their Kurling and Boccia skills!

• Derian Dads will be meeting tonight in the Seaside Room from 7pm – 9:30pm.

THURSDAY 11^th

• To celebrate National Games Day, we will be playing garden games in Sunshine Park.

• It’s music therapist Debbie’s first day today, and she’ll be running sessions in the Snug this afternoon.

• NEET daycare will be taking place at The Lodge today from 10am – 3:30pm. The Lodgers will be cooking chicken baltis and making cheesecake strawberries.

• There is a Sibling Social this afternoon! The older siblings will be going out for a meal before heading to Chorley Theatre to see Sister Act.

FRIDAY 12^th

• We’ll be helping Gareth the gardener do some gardening up in Sunshine Park.

• Let’s go for a walk down to Astley Park to feed the ducks.

• Chill Out & Chat will be held tonight in the Seaside Room from 6:30pm – 9pm.

SATURDAY 13^th

• Danni’s Club will be held today between 1:30pm and 4pm in the Seaside Room.

• There will be girls daycare at The Lodge from 10am – 4pm, where lots of arts, crafts and baking activities will be taking place throughout the day.

• Let’s make some Father’s Day cards to take home for our dads.

SUNDAY 14^th

• Children’s nurse Francesca Lennon will be coming to visit Derian today at 2:30pm. Francesca will be completing her ‘Steps of Love’ CHATUK Peaks Challenge for this year’s Children’s Hospice Week, where she will be climbing the highest peaks across the UK in one week.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Urmsons will be in for the next two weeks doing fire door remedial work in The Lodge area.

• Volunteer Georgina finishes with us this week, so please send your updates for week commencing 19^th June to murray@derianhouse.co.uk or dlcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk going forward. Thank you Georgina for all of your hard work over the last eight months!

Have a great week everyone!

Dear Colleagues,

This week we are celebrating Volunteers’ Week, a national campaign recognising the incredible contribution volunteers make across the UK.

At Derian House, our volunteers play a vital role in supporting children, young people and families. Whether they are helping in our hospice, retail shops, fundraising events, family activities, gardens, reception, pet therapy, or behind the scenes, their dedication helps us provide the very best care and support to those who need us.

To help celebrate, we have created a special Volunteers’ Week display board which has been sent to each site. We encourage you to take a look and learn more about the different volunteer roles that support our organisation. The display also provides an opportunity for our volunteers to share their feedback about volunteering and also includes a beautiful booklet filled with the heartfelt messages of thanks that many of you have shared for our volunteers.

We have also set out a few treats for our volunteers throughout the week, including a small gift that we hope serves as a reminder of just how valued and appreciated they are.

As a special thank you, we have invited all our volunteers to a Coffee & Cake Afternoon in the Seaside Room on Wednesday 3rd June from 1.30pm to 4.00pm. Please feel free to drop in, meet some of our volunteers, and help us show our appreciation for everything they do.

A simple thank you can mean so much, so if you work alongside volunteers, please take a moment this week to let them know how much their support is valued.

Thank you for helping us make our volunteers feel recognised and appreciated, not just during Volunteers’ Week, but throughout the year.

TUESDAY 26th

• Happy half term week everyone! Family Daycare will be taking place today between 10am – 3pm, where we’ll be welcoming our families in for lots of fun!

• Today is National Paper Aeroplane Day, so our children and young people will spend the morning making paper aeroplanes before heading to Astley Park in the afternoon to fly them.

• There will be a fire alarm test at 2pm.

• Say hello to our brand new Clinical Support Workers, Maureen and Cee-Jay, who will be joining the team today.

WEDNESDAY 27th

• This morning, our CYP will be in either the Sensory Garden or the lounge for sensory story time (weather depending).

• There will be in-house hydrotherapy sessions throughout the afternoon.

• The Derian Mums Bereavement Group will be meeting in the Seaside Room from 7pm – 9:30pm.

• Eid Mubarak to all of our staff, volunteers and families who will be celebrating Eid al-Adha today.

THURSDAY 28th

• We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo – how about you? There will be a School’s Out Trip on the fun bus to Blackpool Zoo today!

• In the morning, our CYP will have the opportunity to do some activities in the Messy PlayZone, and in the afternoon there will be sensory exploration in the sensory room.

• There will be a Clinical Policy Development Review Group this afternoon.

• The monthly meeting of the Wellbeing & Culture Club will meet this morning, to organise comms and activities for June’s events/awareness days.

FRIDAY 29th

• There will be playdoh and clay sculpting in the messy room this morning for our children and young people.

• Today is National Biscuit Day, so our CYP will be baking yummy biscuits in the afternoon.

• The Siblings Residential Trip kicks off today! Our super sibs will be heading off to PGL Winmarleigh for a weekend packed full of fun and adventure.

SATURDAY 30th

• The Youth Family Drop in will take place in The Lodge from 1:30pm – 3pm.

• There will be in-house hydrotherapy sessions this morning.

• Today is National Water a Flower Day, so our CYP will be going to the Sunshine Park later today to water the flowers there.

SUNDAY 31st

• For National Smile Day, our CYP will be making smile crafts this morning in messy play and will be taking part in more messy play activities in the afternoon.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Thanks so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between 1^st– 7^th June, please send an email to murray@derianhouse.co.uk, georgina.morton@derianhouse.co.uk or DLcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk  before Thursday 28th May.

Have a great week everyone!

HOSPICE OPENING & CLOSING DAYS

• The hospice will be open all week.

• The care team will be out in the community throughout the week, to provide children with care in their own homes.

• Support staff will more than likely be off on Bank Holiday Monday, so it’ll be much quieter in and around the hospice!

• The hospice will be open for planned respite until Friday 9^th.

MONDAY 4TH

• May the 4^th be with you! Not only is it Star Wars Day, but it’s also National Orange Juice Day, where we will be celebrating with collage crafts and orange cake baking.

• There’ll be swimming lessons in the hydrotherapy pool from 3pm – 7pm.

TUESDAY 5TH

• Playgroup will be taking place today in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 11:30pm.

• There will be a fire alarm test today at 2pm.

• Create your own cartoon strip in Messy Play to celebrate National Cartoonist Day.

• Our in-house children and young people will be splashing around in the hydrotherapy pool.

WEDNESDAY 6TH

• The Derian Dads Bereavement Group will be meeting tonight in the Seaside Room from 7pm – 9:30pm.

• The Care Team has a Care Database Forum today.
• The Lodgers will be attending their new weekly Sports Group from 6pm – 8pm tonight at St George’s School.

• Rachel will be visiting us for her hour of music from 11am in the Snug.

• Rainbow Hub will be visiting us to use our hydrotherapy pool this morning, and in return we’ll be off to their HQ for some rebound therapy!

THURSDAY 7TH

• The Mums at Derian group will be meeting in the Seaside Room tonight from 7pm – 9:30pm.

• The Referral Panel will be meeting today.

• The Lodge is running its NEET daycare today, where Lodgers will be cooking in the morning before going to the park in the afternoon.

• There will be an IPC (Infection, Prevention and Control) Audit today.

• Let’s go to the beach! (From the comfort of the hospice). We’ll be enjoying sand and water play.

• There’ll be no pool or sensory room today as work on the fire doors continues to happen.

FRIDAY 8TH

• Our team will be hosting a midwifery study day for external midwives.

• What will we see on our spring walk to Astley Park?

SATURDAY 9TH

• Family Stay & Play will be in the Conference Room today from 1:30pm – 3pm.

• Our children and young people will be enjoying a morning of sensory stories in the Lounge.

• We’ll be decorating biscuits in Danni’s Diner this afternoon.

SUNDAY 10TH

• The Forget Me Not Service will be taking place today from 2pm on the field beside Derian.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Urmson will be on site from Tuesday 5^thto Friday 8^th to complete remedial work on the fire doors.

• The marquee for the Forget Me Not Service on Sunday will be set up on Friday 8^thand Saturday 9

• Thank you so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between 11th – 17th May, please send an email to morton@derianhouse.co.ukor DLcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk  before Thursday 7th May.

Have a great week everyone!

Staff FAQ

In addition to the recent email about our exciting new service, here are some frequently asked questions. An SOP is also available in the policy files on the intranet.

What is Derian Wishes?

• Our new wish service helping create special moments and meaningful memories for the children and young people we care for.

Who can have a wish?

• Wishes are for children and young people receiving care at Derian House.
• Siblings are not eligible for their own wish, but wishes can include family experiences where siblings are part of the moment.

Is there an age limit?

• No, but we ask families to consider their child’s age and choose a wish that feels meaningful and appropriate, and to access the service at a time that feels right for them.

What kind of wishes can they ask for?

• Anything that is meaningful to them, big or small!
• This could be a day out, a family experience or something they’ve always wanted

How many wishes can a child make?

• Derian Wishes will grant one wish per child.
• There may also be instances where families that are part of one of our support groups will receive an additional shared wish experience together as a group.

What about bereaved families?

• In some circumstances, bereaved families may be offered a wish or memory-making experience
• This will be considered sensitively on a case-by-case basis

Are there any restrictions?

• There are a few. Wishes need to be safe, appropriate and within what we can realistically provide.
• Please refer to the document attached to your recent email for more information.

How does it work?

• Families are invited to apply for a wish using the online form derianhouse.co.uk/wishes
• We will then chat to the family to explore their ideas and carefully plan everything
• The wish is granted! With the families consent we may share photos of their experience.

How can I help?

• Make families aware of Derian Wishes
• Encourage families to apply for a wish using the online form, you could help them to fill this in if they are struggling
• Let us know if you feel a wish may need to be prioritised or fast-tracked due to a child’s changing condition or prognosis
• There may be the opportunity for staff and volunteers to get involved with delivering wishes.

Who should I contact if I have any questions?

Gillian Rabbett

wishes@derianhouse.co.uk

Ext 219

A huge thanks to all of the staff and volunteers who took part in our Derian Values survey – it was extremely useful and enabled us to continue with the next stage of our Values workshopping.

As promised, we randomly selected someone from those who completed the survey… leaving our lovely volunteer Cathy Carr the lucky winner of an Easter egg!

HOSPICE OPENING & CLOSING DAYS

• The hospice is open all week.

MONDAY 23rd  

• Helen Southworth and Matt Kilbane will both be starting their new roles at Derian House today! Helen will be joining us as HR & OD Manager, and Matt will be joining us as Finance Director.

• Today will be Eid celebration day here at the hospice! All staff will receive an Eid lunch free of charge, and Derian’s children and young people will be enjoying lots of fun activities throughout the day.

• There will be a Vinten Weekly huddle this morning at 11:30am.

• Today is National Puppy Day, and so our CYP will be taking part in puppy crafts this morning – making paw print potato stamps, before making their way to Astley Park in the afternoon.

• The Sensory Room will be closed this afternoon for cleaning.

TUESDAY 24^th

• Playgroup will be held today in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 11:30am.

• There will be sensory messy play this morning, and later on our CYP will be heading to the cinema for movie time!

• There will be interviews for clinical support workers taking place throughout today.

• NEET daycare will be taking place today in The Lodge between 10am and 3:30pm.

WEDNESDAY 25^th

• The Cornerstones group will be meeting this morning in the Seaside Room between 10am and 12pm.
• The CYP will be taking part in mindfulness colouring this morning, before pet therapy with Andy and Buddy at 10am, and music therapy with Rachel at 11am.

• This afternoon there will be in-house hydrotherapy.

• There will be a Clinical Policy Development Review Group today at 2pm.

• The Lodgers’ first Sports Club session will be taking place at St Joseph’s Primary School from 6pm – 8pm, where they will be practising all things Boccia & Kurling.

THURSDAY 26^th

• The Derian Grandparents Group will be meeting today in the Seaside Room from 10am – 12pm.

• Members of the team from Wigan Warriors will be coming in today to drop off Easter eggs for our families.

• Our CYP will be playing on Sunshine Park this morning, and will be taking part in sensory exploration in the sensory room in the afternoon.

• Darwen Vale will host their annual circuit training day today – the event has been running for 16 years in total, and will be the last organised by Derian community ambassador Wayne Hartley, who is retiring this summer. The school has raised almost £100,000 for us in that time.

• The Referral Panel will be meeting today.

• The Lodge will be holding a Family & Wellbeing Team Meeting today.

FRIDAY 27^th

• Today is Wear a Hat Day! CYP will be crafting hats this morning, before wearing them and taking part in a hat parade and photoshoot later today!

• There will be interviews for nurses taking place throughout the day.

• Friday Night Club will be taking place in The Lodge from 6pm-9pm, with some fun time spent up in the Sunshine Park!

SATURDAY 28^th

• This morning there will be in-house hydrotherapy, and later today there will be Sensory Storytime in the lounge.

• There will be a Youth Family Drop-In at Derian from 1:30pm to 3pm in The Lodge.

SUNDAY 29th 

• Our CYP will be making hand and footprint art this morning, before going on a scavenger hunt this afternoon!

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Thanks so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between 30th March – 5th April, please send an email to murray@derianhouse.co.uk, georgina.morton@derianhouse.co.ukor DLcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk before Thursday 26th March.

Have a great week everyone!

HOSPICE OPENING & CLOSING DAYS

• The hospice is open all week but closed on Sunday.

MONDAY 9th 

• The Azure migration continues with the printers and scanners being out of action.

• Urmson will be carrying out some remedial work on the Messy PlayZone and House to Lodge fire doors.

• Our children and young people will be making Mother’s Day gifts today.

• We’ll be venturing outside for fun and games on Sunshine Park.

• The Sensory Room will be closed for cleaning this afternoon.

• Swimming lessons will take place in the hydrotherapy pool from 3pm – 7pm.

TUESDAY 10^th

• Playgroup will be on today in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 11:30am.

• There will be a fire alarm test at 2pm today.

• Our in-house CYP will be splashing about the hydrotherapy pool this afternoon.

WEDNESDAY 11th 

• Rachel will be visiting for an hour of music in the Snug from 11am – 12pm.

• We’ll be enjoying crafts throughout the day in the Messy PlayZone.

• Pet therapy pooch Buddy will be visiting with his human, Andy, this morning.

• We’re on a magical mystery trip out in the Derian House minibus! Destination TBA!

• The Derian Dads Bereavement Group will be meeting in the Seaside Room tonight from 7pm – 9:30pm.

• Senior Leadership Strategy Session 6 is scheduled for today from 10:30am – 3:00pm. This is the session that was rescheduled from the beginning of February.

THURSDAY 12^th

• The Referral Panel will be meeting today.

• We’ll be doing arts and crafts for our lovely mummies throughout the day.

• The Mums at Derian Group will be meeting in the Seaside Room tonight from 7pm – 9:30pm.

• Join us in the Messy PlayZone for curling and bowling games.

• The Estates van is going in the garage for remedial work at the MOT.

FRIDAY 13^th

• We’re going to spend the morning baking yummy treats for our Cinema trip to Derian at the Movies this afternoon.

• Chill Out & Chat will be on today in the Seaside Room from 6:30pm – 9pm.

• Tauheedul Islam Boys High School will be coming in today to tour the hospice as part of their Ramadan celebrations.

• There’ll be Play in the Community visits today.

SATURDAY 14^th

• Family Stay & Play will be taking place at the hospice today from 1:30pm – 3pm today.

• Our in-house CYP will be enjoying a swim in the hydrotherapy pool this morning.

• Danni’s Club will be meeting up in the Seaside Room today from 1:30pm – 4pm.

• The Lodgers will be going to Blackpool Grand Theatre today to watch Vampires Rock!

SUNDAY 15th  

• Happy Mother’s Day to all of our wonderful Derian House Mums. Enjoy your very special celebrations.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Thanks so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between March 16^th – March 22^nd, please send an email to murray@derianhouse.co.uk, or DLcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk before Thursday 12^th March.

Have a great week everyone!

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” 💪

On #InternationalWomensDay, we’re celebrating some of the incredible ladies who make Derian House what it is ✨

From the nurses caring through the night, to the fundraisers, exec team, housekeepers, volunteers, and the mums who inspire us every day – the hospice is held together by extraordinary women 👩

Thank you for the compassion, strength and care you bring to the children and families we support 💚

“This partnership shows exactly what it means to be one of the Warriors. It’s not just about playing rugby, it’s about building real connections with our community and supporting each other.” ✨

Wigan Warriors has dropped another surprise in their 2026 partnership with Derian House – and it’s a kit fans will definitely want in their collection 🍒🤍

After months of keeping it under wraps, the club has unveiled a special-edition warm-up kit designed by a group of Derian House’s own young people 💚

The team will wear their Third Kit warm-up jersey throughout the season, and you can purchase it by visiting the link below 💫

Watch on to see what happened when Adam Keighran and Harry Smith surprised our young people last week 🤩

➡️ wwrl.net/store

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to confirm that we have now resumed overnight respite care following the recent temporary pause, as of last week.

This has been a challenging period for everyone. I want to sincerely thank you for the professionalism, flexibility and commitment you have shown throughout. Many of our clinical colleagues have undertaken additional training and upskilling, supported service changes and adapted quickly to new expectations. Your response has demonstrated the very best of this organisation.

I also want to recognise the contribution of our wider teams across the charity. Our retail, fundraising, facilities, HR, finance, governance and administrative colleagues who have continued to keep the organisation steady during this time. Whether maintaining safe environments, strengthening processes, supporting staff wellbeing, ensuring compliance, or sustaining vital income, your work has enabled clinical services to refocus and strengthen safely. Reopening overnight respite is a whole-organisation achievement.

During the pause, we have introduced a number of important improvements to ensure we are fully assured in the safety and quality of care we provide. This includes the formal introduction of a Nurse in Charge (NIC) model, clearer Director on Call (DOC) oversight, enhanced escalation processes and additional clinical training focused on recognition of deterioration, sepsis and safe decision-making. These changes are designed to strengthen operational grip and provide greater clarity and support across shifts.

Our Trustees have reviewed the actions taken and feel assured that we are able to provide safe, high-quality overnight respite care. As CEO and CQC Nominated Individual, I share that assurance and remain committed to ensuring our systems, leadership and governance continue to strengthen.

I also want to take the opportunity to acknowledge that this period has also been emotionally difficult. Alongside service changes, we have experienced the deaths of a number of children known to us and an increased use of our sunflower suites. Supporting families through loss while navigating organisational change is not easy. Your compassion, resilience and support for one another during this time has been remarkable.

Thank you for rallying round, for staying focused on children and families, and for embracing the improvements we are making. Reopening overnight respite is an important step, and it is one we are taking with confidence, vigilance and care.

Thanks,

Karen

Ramadan Kareem to all of our Muslim staff, volunteers, friends, families and supporters.

During this holy month, we’re looking forward to once again bringing together members of the community by reaching out and inviting them on a tour of their local children’s hospice to see the incredible work we do.

May Ramadan bring you happiness, prosperity and togetherness – love from us all here at Derian House.

A huge congratulations are in order for our Catering Team, who were visited by the Food Standards Agency last week for an inspection of Danni’s Diner…

…where we once again received a five star food hygiene rating!

Thank you so much to our tremendous trio of chefs – alongside their hardworking team of kitchen volunteers – for not only feeding us excellent food every day, but for keeping Derian House safe, clean and tidy in the process.

HOSPICE OPENING & CLOSING DAYS

• The hospice will be very busy this week, with lots of families booked in for stay and plays over half term.

MONDAY 16th 

• The Sensory Room will be closed so that the ball pit can be cleaned.

• The Crochet and Crafts group will be meeting today in the Seaside Room from 10am – 12pm.

• The care team will be going on a play in the community visit.

• We have a new member of staff, Christopher Pasquill, starting this week! He is the new manager of the West Houghton shop.

• The Senior Leadership Meeting will be held in Vinten Meeting Room today from 12pm – 1:30pm.

TUESDAY 17th

• Today is the start of Ramadan, Chinese New Year, and Pancake Day! To everyone celebrating – enjoy!

• Five families will be joining us for Family Day Care today, and will be eating lunch in the dining room at 12:30pm. If you’re planning on eating in Danni’s Diner, please grab your lunch before this time.

• The fire alarm will take place at 2pm.

• Lodge Day Care will take place from 10am – 4pm.

WEDNESDAY 18th 

• There will be a play in the community visit today.

• The Derian Dads will be meeting in the Seaside Room from 7pm – 9:30pm today.

• Lodge Day Care will take place once again from 10am – 4:00pm.

THURSDAY 19th

• Four of our young people will be coming in for a day of friendship-making and fun!

• Some of the team from Wigan Warriors will be visiting Lodge Day Care today to unveil the training shirt that our children and young people helped to design.

• There will be a guided meditation session in the Cinema Room today from 4pm.

FRIDAY 20th

• Paul Woodward’s latest film, ‘Voice Again’ – about the Derian Dads Bereavement Group – will be launching on YouTube this evening.

• We will be visiting Wigan Warriors for a meeting about the Derian House Charity Match…. date dropping soon!

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Thanks so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between 23rd February – 1st March, please send an email to murray@derianhouse.co.uk, georgina.morton@derianhouse.co.ukor DLcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk  before Thursday 17th February.

• For any out-of-hours Estates issues, please contact Richard this week.

Have a great week everyone!

MONDAY 9th 

• Neil, the Operations Director from the Greenfingers charity, will be visiting the Sensory Garden.

• Dr Nicola Platt from the University of Lancashire will be visiting the hospice this morning. Derian has agreed to take part in a research programme exploring the role of volunteers in supporting healthcare settings.

• The Lodge care workers will be going on a youth community visit.

• There is a training day for external professionals in the Conference Room today. Professionals from local social care teams will be learning about paediatric palliative care and bereavement support.

• February’s Top Dog fundraiser has so far raised over £2,370 for Derian!

TUESDAY 10th

• Playgroup will be taking place today in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 11:30pm.

• There will be a fire alarm test at 2pm.

• The Lodge care workers will be going on a youth community visit this afternoon.

• There’ll be a play in the community visit and baby massage visits today for our children and young people out in the community.

WEDNESDAY 11th 

• Derian Dads Bereavement Group are meeting in the Seaside Room tonight from 7pm-9:30pm. They will be in the cinema first to watch a special screening of the new Derian Dads documentary before it’s released next week.

• There will be a Senior Leadership Strategy Session taking place in the Conference Room from 10:30am-3pm.

THURSDAY 12^th

• There will be an Audit, Government, and Risk Sub-Committee Meeting in the Conference Room from 10am-12pm.

• NEET daycare will be taking place today at The Lodge, and later on there will be a cooking session!

• The Mums at Derian group are meeting tonight in the Seaside Room from 7pm-9:30pm.

FRIDAY 13th

• The Chill Out and Chat drop-in will be taking place today from 6:30pm-9pm in the Seaside Room.

• The Mayor of Penwortham will be coming into Derian for a tour today.

SATURDAY 14th

• Join us in wearing pink or red for Valentine’s Day today! There will be lots of fun Valentines activities going on throughout the day.

• Family Stay & Play will be in the Conference Room from 1:30pm-3pm.

• Danni’s Club will be taking place in the Seaside Room today from 1:30pm-4pm.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Thanks so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between 16th – 22nd February, please send an email to murray@derianhouse.co.uk, georgina.morton@derianhouse.co.ukor DLcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk  before Thursday 12th February.

Have a great week everyone!

Wigan Warriors have kicked off 2026 with an unusual challenge to supporters: buy the club’s new charity kit without seeing it.

In a bold move that is deeply symbolic, the Warriors have partnered with Derian House Children’s Hospice and asked fans to show their solidarity by purchasing the limited-edition kit sight unseen, as a show of commitment to supporting children with life-limiting conditions in their community.

The kit, designed in Derian House’s signature green, was revealed only to players, sponsors and guests at the club’s pre-season dinner on Friday (30 January). Rather than unveiling it publicly, the club is asking supporters to buy in on trust – backing the cause, not the design.

With limited availability, supporters are being urged to act quickly, with the kit available in-store at Robin Park Arena and online via the Wigan Warriors shop.

The year-long partnership will see Wigan Warriors and Derian House working together to raise awareness and funds through match day bucket collections, player and staff involvement in hospice events, and a dedicated fixture on 19 April 2026, when the Warriors will finally wear the Derian House kit in public.

Fundraising was kick started at the pre-season dinner on Friday night, with a rugby ball signed by the Wigan Warriors squad auctioned off for £3,279.00.

Derian House currently supports 58 children and families from the Wigan area, and more than 400 families across the North West, providing specialist care, respite and emotional support at no cost to families.

At the heart of the partnership is a Wigan family who continue to be supported by the hospice.

Holly Prince, from Hindley, died aged five in April 2022 after being diagnosed with Bloom syndrome – a rare and incurable genetic condition affecting around 300 people worldwide. Derian House supported Holly and her family in the final weeks of her life.

Holly’s dad, Mark Prince, a lifelong Wigan Warriors supporter, said the club’s approach made the partnership even more meaningful.

“What Derian did for us in the final weeks of Holly’s life, and what they continue to do for our family, means more than I can put into words.

“To see Wigan Warriors not just backing the hospice, but asking fans to support Derian without even seeing the kit, says everything about what this partnership stands for. It’s about compassion, not colours.

“Derian means the world to us. It’s an extraordinary place with incredible staff, and it’s about so much more than end-of-life care – it’s about being there for families when they need it most.”

Derian House Chief Executive Karen Edwards OBE said the decision to keep the kit under wraps sent a powerful message.

“Every family we support has their own story, but what they all share is courage – courage from children, parents and siblings facing situations no one ever expects,” she said.

“While Derian House delivers the care, it’s the strength of the community that makes that care possible. By asking fans to buy this kit unseen, Wigan Warriors are inviting people to stand with our families, not because of how something looks, but because of what it represents.

“This partnership is a shared commitment – to raising awareness for families who are often unseen, to supporting children who deserve the very best care, and to making sure no family feels alone at the hardest moments of their lives.”

Wigan Warriors winger Liam Marshall, whose pre-season friendly yesterday (Sunday 1 February) saw the Warriors defeat Hull RUFC, also spoke at the club’s event on Friday.

He said: “I was lucky enough to visit Derian House before Christmas with some of the lads to deliver presents to the children. It really opened my eyes – it’s not what people expect when they hear the word ‘hospice’.

“Yes, there are sad times, but there’s also so much joy and incredible support. They’re there not just for the children, but for parents, siblings and grandparents too, with groups continuing to support families even after they’ve lost a loved one. They’ve made what could be such a sad place into a wonderfully magical one, where families can make special memories.

“For us to be able to support Derian House this year is fantastic, and we hope everyone gets behind the cause and grabs a kit while they can.”

Kris Radlinski, Chief Executive at Wigan Warriors, added:

“This club has always been about more than rugby. Asking our supporters to buy the kit without seeing it is about trust, values and community – and backing a charity that does extraordinary work for families across our town and region.”

HOSPICE OPENING & CLOSING DAYS

• The hospice is open all week for short breaks and day care.

MONDAY 26th 

• G’day mate! For Australia Day, our children and young people will be making Australian animal-themed arts and crafts this morning in messy play!

• The care team will be completing staff training today on neonatal symptom management from 2pm. The training will be on zoom, so please email Alison Morris for the link.

• Ashton Golf Club will be coming to visit the hospice today, as they have chosen us to be their charity of the year.

• Our children and young people will be meeting tonight for movie madness, with lots of yummy treats!

• The Finance & Income Sub-Committee will be held in the Seaside Room from 11:00am – 1:00pm.

TUESDAY 27th

• Our children and young people will be playing smelly bingo this morning.

• Playgroup will be taking place in the Seaside Room this morning from 10:00am – 11:30pm.

• There’ll be a fire alarm test at 2pm today.

• Darren Chan, Amelie’s dad, and his friend Kevin Heaps from AMET will be coming in today to give us the £10,000 that AMET has raised in support of Amelie and Derian.

• Today is a Senior Manager Strategy Day.

• This evening, our children and young people will be having lots of fun in the hydrotherapy pool!

WEDNESDAY 28th

• For International Lego Day, our children and young people will be making Lego printed artwork.

• Cornerstones group will be meeting in the Seaside Room today from 10am – 12pm.

• We will be interviewing for the post of Director of Integrated Care today.

• The Clinical Development Review Group will meet today.

• NEET daycare will be taking place today instead of tomorrow.

• At 11am, Rachel will be coming in for music hour in the Snug.

• This afternoon, our children and young people will be baking delicious treats to take home!

• There’ll be an Innova Hoist training session in the Lodge from 12:00pm – 1:30pm today.

• The GP’s will meet today via Teams from 1:00pm – 2:00pm.

THURSDAY 29th

• There will be tactile messy sensory play for our children and young people this morning.

• The Derian Dynamos will be competing in a boxing competition tonight at Bolton Arena!

• Penwortham Golf Course will be coming in today for a visit, as they have made us their charity of the year.

• The referral panel will be convening today.

• This afternoon, there will be a sensory story time for our children and young people.

FRIDAY 30th

• There will be lots of music and movement fun this morning for our children and young people.

• The second Derian Values Workshop will be taking place today. Please email leigh-whiston@derianhouse.co.uk to book on if you haven’t already.

• We say goodbye today to Bridget Thompson, who will be retiring from her role as Clinical Director.

• Clinical Education will be hosting students in the conference room for a study day today.

• Our children and young people will be playing prize bingo this morning.

• Friday Night Club will be taking place this evening in the Lodge.

• Keep an eye out on our socials tonight, as we’ll be announcing a very special and exciting year-long partnership with a local sports team.

SATURDAY 31st

• It’s International Zebra Day today! Our children and young people will be splashing about in the hydrotherapy pool this morning, before taking part in some zebra-themed arty fun later!

• There will be a Youth Family Drop-In today in The Lodge from 1:30pm – 3pm.

SUNDAY 1st

• Get your walking boots at the ready because Derian’s annual Top Dog challenge starts today, with our fundraisers and their furry friends walking 100km throughout the month of February to raise vital funds for our hospice.

• There will be a Derian Scavenger Hunt this morning for our children and young people.

• To kick off National Storytelling Week, we will be snuggling down for story time later today.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Thanks so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between 2nd February – 8th February, please send an email to murray@derianhouse.co.uk,georgina.morton@derianhouse.co.uk, or DLcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk before Thursday 22nd January.

Have a great week everyone!

HOSPICE OPENING & CLOSING DAYS

• The hospice is open all week for respite and day care.

MONDAY 19th  

• This morning our children and young people will be making calendars in messy play.

• At 12pm, there will be a senior leadership meeting in Vinten Meeting Room.

• This afternoon, our children and young people will be tuning in to the Derian @ the Movies to watch a film and will be having massages!

• The Lodge bedrooms 3 and 4 – and the adjoining bathroom – are having new hoists fitted until Friday 23^rd.

TUESDAY 20th

• There will be messy sensory play this morning for our in-house children.

• Playgroup is back for a session of play, fun, and friendship. It’ll be based in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 11:30am for our Derian babies and toddlers, and their siblings.

• At 10am there will be a Medicines and Management Committee meeting.

• The final session of the Vantage training will be taking place this afternoon. Staff can either drop into the 2:30pm or 3:30pm session.

• In-house swims will be taking place in the hydrotherapy pool this afternoon.

• The weekly fire alarm test will take place at 2pm.

WEDNESDAY 21st

• Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day, and to celebrate, our in-house children and young people will be making squirrel pictures.

• Music teacher Rachel will be coming into Derian to hold a music session from 11:00am – 12:00pm.

• There are four Lodgers staying at Derian this Wednesday, so they will be off on an outing together.

• In the afternoon, our children and young people will be taking part in rebound therapy.

• The Derian Dads will be meeting this evening in the Seaside Room from 7pm – 9:30pm.

• The Lodge family flat is having the carpet, curtains, sofa and mattress deep-cleaned.

THURSDAY 22nd

• This morning, our children and young people will be exploring the sensory room.

• The Derian Grandparents will be meeting for the first time this morning in the Seaside Room from 10am – 12pm.

• NEET daycare will be taking place at The Lodge today.

• There will be a play in the community visit.

• Prepare yourself for an afternoon of games! Our children and young people will be participating in a games afternoon, where they will compete in a curling competition, followed by some bingo.

• Fleet vehicle HN14 YCB is in for its MOT.

FRIDAY 23rd

• To kick off the Big Garden Birdwatching Weekend, our children and young people will be meeting in the messy room for bird themed footprint art.

• This afternoon, our children and young people will be enjoying music and movement parachute time.

SATURDAY 24th

• In-house swims will be taking place this morning.

• From 10am – 4pm there will be an in-house retreat for antenatal bereaved mums.

• There will be in-house activities planned for The Lodgers today.

• Our children and young people will be going for a long walk this afternoon to see how many birds they can spot for the Big Garden Bird Watching Weekend.

SUNDAY 25th

• To celebrate Burns Night, our children and young people will be making Scottish flag and thistle art this morning and will be baking Scottish Shortbread later in the evening!

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Thanks so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between 26th January – 1st February, please send an email to cameron.murray@derianhouse.co.uk, georgina.morton@derianhouse.co.uk, or DLcommsandmarketing@derianhouse.co.uk before Thursday 22nd January.

Have a great week everyone!

HOSPICE OPENING HOURS

• The hospice is open every day and night this week for respite.

MONDAY 12^th 

• We’ve got two new students starting, in the form of Erin Hallam (Student Nurse, here for 10 weeks), and Iona Antwis (Student Nurse Associate, one week). If you’re going on any visits or have any activities planned that would be an appropriate learning experience, please let Alison know.

• Crochet & Crafts will meet in the Seaside Room for their first group of the year from 10:00am – 12:00pm.

• Our children will be snowflake painting in the Messy PlayZone today.

• Swimming lessons with Caroline recommence in the Hydrotherapy Pool this afternoon after the Christmas break.

• A new hoist system will be installed in Lodge Bedroom 1 and 2, and the adjoining bathroom.

• Retainers will be installed in the Lodge office and Karen (CEO)’s hospice office today and tomorrow.

• There will be on-screen training in the Skills Lab from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. ‘Life after neonatal care: Findings from The Smallest Things 2025 report’.

TUESDAY 13^th

• Our children and young people will be partaking in sensory bowling and splashing in the pool today.

• Playgroup is back for another term of play, fun, and friendship. It’ll be based in the Seaside Room from 10:00am – 11:30am for our Derian babies and toddlers, and their siblings.

• There’ll be a community baby massage visit today.

• Alison will be speaking at the Together for Short Lives Educators Forum about our paediatric palliative care e-learning modules, and the transfer over to the NHS Learning Hub.

• There’ll be Vantage training in the Conference Room for Care Team staff, with two sessions running from 2:30pm – 3:30pm, and 3:30pm – 4:30pm.

WEDNESDAY 14^th 

• Sensory stories with Caroline will be held in the House Lounge this morning.

• Music hour with Rachel will take place in the Snug from 11:00am this morning.

• Our children and young people will be making glass sun catchers in a crafty session in the Messy PlayZone.

• The Lodgers staying with us will be hoping for a STRIKE when they go bowling today.

• Maxigiene is servicing the TMVs across the hospice and taking water samples for testing today and tomorrow.

• Derian Dads group for our bereaved dads will take place in the Seaside Room from 7:00pm – 9:30pm.

THURSDAY 15^th

• We’ll be making paper plate polar bears today in the Messy PlayZone.

• Join us in Danni’s Diner as we make yummy baked goodies to take home.

• There’ll be another baby massage visit today.

• The first Mums at Derian group will take place in the Seaside Room for our lovely Derian Mums from 7:00pm – 9:30pm.

• The first of the year NEET day care groups will be held in the Lodge.

• Our first Values Workshop will be held in Vinten Meeting Room, and will be an opportunity to be involved in our values work. Please email Karen (HR) to book on.

• We Are Derian will be held in the Seaside Room from 1:30pm – 2:30pm. Feel free to turn up, find out about updates, and share news about your area of work.

FRIDAY 16^th

• Sounds great! A music and movement morning will take place in the hospice this morning.

• Our Wellbeing Team will be off out for some play in the community visits today.

SATURDAY 17^th

• Let’s splash about in the hydrotherapy pool this morning.

• Tweet tweet – our children and young people will be making bird feeders in the Messy PlayZone this afternoon.

• Family Stay & Play for our children will take place in the Conference Room from 1:30pm – 3:00pm today.

SUNDAY 18^th 

• It’s National Winnie the Pooh day! We’ll be celebrating with crafts in the morning, and a 100 Acre Wood scavenger hunt.

STAFF NEWS

• Congratulations are in order for our CEO, Karen, who got married to her partner Chris on December 31^st in a ceremony held at Gretna Green.

• Tanya gave birth to a healthy little girl – Rosie Grace – on New Years Eve at 1:14am, weighing 4.6kg. Congrats!

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Thanks so much for sending your news this week. If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to between 19 – 25 January, please send an email to murray@derianhouse.co.uk before Thursday 15 January.

Have a great week everyone!

Hello Team Derian, Happy New Year 🙂

Welcome back to everyone after the festive break, hopefully everyone managed to get some time off and enjoy the break, and here’s hoping 2026 is a wonderful year for you all.

Here’s just a few updates to keep you tuned in to the developments across the charity…..

1. First week back and the senior leaders have been cracking on with the strategy refresh process.  We’ve held 2 of the 6 workshops so far, and are making good progress.  Wednesday session especially brought the group together on what is important for the charity going forward.  Caroline will share more details in an update specifically about the strategy.

2. I spent an hour with Kerry in fundraising earlier in the week to chat through all the events that are planned for the year.  If you haven’t got a list please do grab one, we’ve got so much planned including a few new events.  It’s a busy programme and will hopefully raise a significant amount for our work.  There are lots of opportunities for staff and volunteers to get involved.

3. As you know I am currently leading the recruitment and appointment of new trustees.  We are almost complete on the recruitment of a clinical trustee, and a media/PR trustee, I hope to be able to announce these very soon.  In addition we are meeting a social care/safeguarding trustee next week.  Over the Christmas period Helen Curtis stepped down from the trustee board due to an increasing commitment required to her family, she has asked me to pass on her thanks to everyone for the great work that you all do and that she hopes to be involved again at some time in the future.

4. In the run up to Xmas we were busy with recruitment.  I can confirm that we appointed Matt Kilbane as our new Finance Director, Matt will start in a couple of months, and Kal will continue to support us until that point.  In addition we have appointed to the HR & OD Manager role, and Helen Southworth will join us at the end of March.

5. We will be advertising a number of roles over the next few weeks, once the budget has been approved for the coming financial year.

6. This week HR are updating the holiday records on SMI for 2026 and we will communicate once this has been completed. In the meantime, colleagues are still able to book holidays for 2026; their entitlement may just not show what they might be expecting.

7. Currently colleagues are using the finance distribution list “DL Finance” for specific queries or requests, which means every finance team member gets the email. This can cause confusion as to who should be responding, often leading to two or three colleagues looking at the same email. Can I ask colleagues to please use the finance mailbox “Finance” going forward. This should allow for the query or request to be directed to the correct colleague only and hopefully helping the team to resolve queries a bit quicker. It also helps to make the finance team a bit more resilient if a colleague is on leave.

8. The Shared Care Record (SCR) continues to significantly enhance clinical practice at Derian House by enabling seamless access to key patient information. This reduces the need for families to repeat their stories and strengthens continuity, safety and quality of care across services.  Derian House has taken a regional leadership role in showcasing SCR, supporting and inspiring other hospices to adopt the system in partnership with the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB). This work has positioned Derian House as an exemplar in digital care integration and information sharing.  From January 2026, Derian House has successfully collaborated with the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board through the Care Database to support the Care Shared Record across the Greater Manchester area. This development represents a significant milestone and now enables shared record access for all children supported by Derian House across the North West.

9. The senior team are actively in the recruitment process to fill the huge shoes that Bridget leaves at the end of the month.  A first stage process has taken place today and we hope to move forward with second stage over the coming weeks, where colleagues will be able to get involved in the process.

10. Parking on the drive is a potential obstruction for emergency vehicles, therefore please consider this when parking your vehicle.  In addition, Signing in and out of all visitors and guests, I appreciate it is a tough time for some people but members of staff have been seen to wave people through and tell them they don’t need to sign in.  This breaches our policies and procedures so please do ensure everyone signs in and out.

11. And finally we’re launching a special partnership with a large sports club over the coming weeks, we are unable to share who or what, as it is embargoed, but it will be huge and we can’t wait to shout about it !

Thank everyone, any questions please let me know…