Derian House...

DERIAN HOUSE CHILDREN'S HOSPICE Chancery Road Astley Village Chorley Lancashire PR7 1DH Tel: 01257 271271 A message from Derian House

Derian House is essentially a Children's Hospice in the community - for the community. It opened its doors in October 1993 to sick children suffering from a vast range of illnesses - some of them thankfully so rare that it is a limited number of parents who have to face such devastating trauma, but all of them illnesses with the potential to end the child's life within a matter of weeks, months or sometimes years. For each of these children with a terminal or life threatening illness, their families face the heartache of knowing that as they continue to care for the child they love, they may well be all too few tomorrows. Despite this Derian House isn't a place of sadness and despair. Indeed there is a sense of purpose in the undaunted spirit of these special children who allow us into their lives, often for all too short a time. Anyone who visits the hospice will find it a very special atmosphere which owes its being to the children, parents and staff alike. We have much to be proud of in what we have achieved - in the fundraiser who we are proud to work alongside, in the families we are privileged to call our friends - in the children for whom caring is at once, both a sadness for their future and a delight for their courage. However, with little of no statutory funding we are faced with the daunting prospect of raising ever increasing target funds from voluntary donations alone, if we are to continue to provide the specialised standard of care these children need. It will be an ongoing battle to raise those funds, and as we look back on what has been achieved so far, we must also look forward and prepare for the future. With your help, we know we will succeed - with your help our future will be a reality. Don't let us face it alone.