Carers Week, which takes place this week, is now in its fourteenth year. Originally created by Carers National Association, it became a partnership of four charities when Lottery money was secured from 2001-2004.
The partnership has subsequently grown to include 10 charities; Carers UK, Counsel & Care, Crossroad's Caring for Carers, Help the Hospices, Independent Age, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Neurological Alliance, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, and WRVS. Between them, these partners now provide all the funding for Carers Week.
During the Week, the charities involved like to highlight the ongoing project off the ground for a new children's hospice to cover Fermanagh and Tyrone
There are currently a number of fund-raising activities unfolding in Tyrone and Fermanagh to help raise the £350,000 needed to get the new Horizon West children's hospice project up and running.
The grandparents of a young girl from Drumquin who currently have to travel to Belfast, or Larne, for hospice care for their granddaughter said more facilities for local children were needed in this area.
"The opening of the new respite centre will really help local families who will have the option of day care or overnight stay. The new centre will also mean more enjoyable leisure time for the children and the opportunity to use complementary therapies.
"For families like us who care for a child round the clock, the availability of respite outside the home will be invaluable. Having first-hand experience of the hospice services in Belfast, I know for certain that Horizon West will exceed expectations here locally."
These grandparents are hoping local people will get behind the Building Blocks appeal, whether it is simply by purchasing a 'building block' for £10 or by organising a fund-raising event.
Northern Ireland Hospice Care needs to raise £350,000 to open the new children's hospice centre. The new centre will provide respite care, day care and complementary therapies for more than 60 families with life-limited offspring in the Fermanagh and Tyrone area as well as a venue for 'teenage weekends' and bereavement support. If you would like to raise money for the new children's hospice centre, you can ring the Northern Ireland Hospice Care fund-raising office on 028 9078 1836.
