Zoe’s Place Hospice Secures Future After Raising Over £7.5 Million

Zoe’s Place, a baby hospice that had faced potential permanent closure, has successfully raised more than £7.5 million to ensure its continued operation. The organization announced in October that it required £5 million within 30 days to fund a new premises, as its previous lease had expired. Now, two months later, the hospice has accumulated over £2.5 million beyond its initial target, thereby securing its future. Michelle Wright, the head of care, described the public’s support as “just incredible.” Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Christmas Eve, Ms. Wright stated: “Phoning the the families and explaining we will have have to close the doors is one of the the hardest things I have ever had to do.” She added, “And then the roller-coaster of four weeks and the whole city and beyond got involved… local celebrities… it was overwhelming.” Concluding, she remarked, “Actually reaching the target was was just incredible.” Ms. Wright recounted that on the day the fundraising target was announced as achieved, she “tried to remain professional” but “started sobbing” after receiving a hug from local independent MP Ian Byrne, who had spearheaded the campaign. Stephanie Perry, whose three-year-old daughter Robyn attends the West Derby hospice twice a week, expressed that she felt “devastated and panicking” upon receiving the notification of Zoe’s Place’s impending closure. She conveyed her gratitude, stating: “A big thank you to the whole whole of Liverpool and beyond.” Perry added, “I am just overwhelmed how much everyone came and helped.” The total funds accumulated comprised a £2.5 million pledge from the Liverpool-based retail company Home Bargains, alongside hundreds of thousands of pounds in contributions from various other businesses. Additionally, the charity is set to receive £1 million from the government’s Community Ownership Fund. Joan Stainsby, an executive trustee for the charity, characterized the total amount as “astonishing.” A portion of these funds will be allocated to construct a new state-of-the-art hospice facility on the former site of a bowling green in Hayman’s Green. The remaining funds will support the ongoing daily operations of the hospice, which provides care for children under five years old with complex or life-limiting conditions. Mr. Byrne commented that ensuring the future of Zoe’s Place represented the “best Christmas present that I could have asked for.” He further stated: “I am staggered by the generosity of people in our city and it is only because of them that we can look to a future to provide modern facilities for children who need them.”