Our facilities

Rooms for children, young people and families

• There’s six children’s rooms (all named after The Wind in the Willows) where the team of Nurses and Healthcare Assistants provide individual care for the younger children aged between 0 and 12 years. Each bedroom is individually decorated to appeal to children and has specialist equipment including hoists.
• Our Young People’s Wing has four bedrooms and a communal lounge which have been designed to accommodate the particular needs and lifestyles of the young people we support. Giving them their own space, facilities, identity and independence.
• Families are always welcome to stay at the House too giving you the opportunity to rest and relax in the knowledge that your child is being looked after. We have six family bedrooms, all accessible by a lift. They have en-suite facilities and we have a fully adapted shower equipped for disabled use. You’ll also have their own lounge and kitchenette.

Fun facilities

We want to make sure all children have a great time when they stay out the House, and these facilities are available alongside our rota of activities for anyone visiting or staying at Chestnut Tree House. The children’s wings include a main lounge where communal fun happens, a computer room – including an Eyegaze (assistive technology that means you can control a computer with your eyes), magic carpet room, wet and dry play areas – for all the messy sensory play that children love, music room and multi-sensory room.

Our hydrotherapy pool

Our indoor hydrotherapy pool is open for use by all of our children and young people and their families. The pool is a safe, accessible, and soothing space everyone can enjoy. The warm, bath-like water is kept at around 33°C, helping to relax muscles, ease joints, reduce pain, and make gentle exercise much easier.

We have two fully accessible changing rooms and have recently raised the ceiling, allowing for a new hoist, making sure that all children are able to get in and out of the pool safely.

Read more about the benefits of the Hydrotherapy Pool

The Stars Bereavement suite

Following the sad death of a child we have a bereavement suite called ‘Stars’ that families are welcome to use. It provides complete privacy and includes a special bedroom for the child to lay at rest for a period of time in a supportive environment.

Here at the House, we acknowledge when a child has died by placing stars at the entrance and on the door of Stars. Any family can use Stars – their baby, child, or young person doesn’t need to have been cared for by the hospice prior to their death.

The Woodland Walk and Accessible Playground

The House is situated just outside Arundel and from every window you can look out over beautiful Sussex countryside. Our gardens are maintained by a team of gardeners and volunteers, making sure the grounds are interesting and attractive all year round. The Woodland Walk is our accessible woodland where all children can enjoy being out in nature in a safe way.

We also have a new playground – which was finished in 2023. Our playground has specialist equipment for children of all abilities, including: a trampoline, swings,  a slide, and big wooden fort with climbing net, steps and a pole to slide down. For children and young people who use wheelchairs, there’s a wheelchair trampoline and a wheelchair swing meaning no one misses out on outdoor fun.