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Happy child in a wheelchair

Welcome to our Blog

Thoughts from staff, young people and family members. We’re covering a range of topics that we think you’ll find useful, plus inspiring stories and topics we’re really passionate about. You can find out more about what we do as a local charity children’s hospice – and current research and up to date advice.

Happy child at the hospice
Archie’s story
"Chestnut consistently put the child first to make sure they can have a childhood that, although vastly different from their peers, offers them the chance to experience the same joys and little things in life that is all part of growing up."
Gracie and family at the House with a llama
Gracie’s story
Gracie has epilepsy and a rare disorder called Cardiofaciocutaneous Syndrome. Her mum, Aly, shares what it's like living with both.
Nic and Jack playing playstation at the House
Nic’s blog – What hospice support for young adults looks like
Nic has a huge personality and is always making us laugh. He's been coming to Chestnut Tree House since he was 4, so he's the perfect person to tell you what it's like here!
Image of heart in a book
How we use storytelling in children’s hospice care
Find out how we make stories accessible for all children we care for at the House.
A Chestnut Tree House baby wearing a nasal tube.
Rupert’s story
“Nursery rhymes, fairy lights, love and constant support. Chestnut Tree House hospice gave us the perfect place to say goodbye to our Rupert.”
Image of Zac in his wheelchair on a special swing
Zac’s story
"You hear the word hospice and you get frightened; you think of a sad and gloomy hospital setting. But when we visited at 24 weeks pregnant, it instantly felt like a home away from home, it was amazing."
Louiza’s story
"A friend then told me about Chestnut Tree House, and I was so pleased to know that there was help out there."
Victoria and Lewis Ramm with their children
Heidi and Eloise’s story
"The main thing Chestnut Tree House gave us was time as a family"
Gaming doodle
Hospice care through a nine-year-old’s eyes
Meet George, he's nine and he loves gaming, animals and music. He'd like to tell you about his visits to Chestnut Tree House, and also tell you a joke: "What do eggs do for fun?"
PAT dogs and a child with nurse
What do PAT dogs do, and why are they so important in children’s hospice care?
Meet Shrimp and Twiggy - PAT dogs at the House who provide lots of support and fun for our children. Find out how therapy dogs help at a children's hospice.
Two children having fun at the house
Top 5 ways you can make your home, business, or school more accessible for children
All too often, places take a one-size fits all approach to making their space accessible, but there’s a huge range between everyone’s physical and mental abilities so spaces need to be designed with the user in mind. 
a child wearing a mermaid tail in the pool at Chestnut. She is being supported by a member of staff wearing a yellow Chestnut t-shirt
Benefits of hydrotherapy at a children’s hospice
Discover the magic of our hydrotherapy pool. Anna, our Clinical Director has written about what makes our hydrotherapy pool so special, and how children and families benefit from using it.
A child with her dad playing in the accessible playground at Chestnut Tree House

Our family stories

Read our family stories to see how Chestnut Tree House has impacted the lives of so many. All have come directly from our wonderful families who have shared their experience of caring for a child with a life-limiting illness.

Family stories

Get to know more about us:

We provide hospice services to children and young people across East and West Sussex and South East Hampshire. Every year we support 300 children with life-limiting conditions to live their lives to the fullest.

If you’d like to support us to help us continue to provide our services, care and support for children and families who know they don’t have long together then there’s a few ways you can get involved:

  • Fundraise! We’ve got lots of helpful hints and top tips for you to put on your own fundraising event.
  • Join an event. From marathon runs, overseas treks and daring abseils… take on a personal challenge while raising money.
  • Make a donation. It costs almost £9 million to run the hospice, with our NHS grant only funding around 7% of these costs. Without your incredible help we wouldn’t be able to continue to support children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses.

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our services and opportunities to get involved in supporting children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

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