House auctioned off to provide vital funds for Derian House Children's Hospice

A one-year-old boy living with a rare life-limiting condition has helped break ground on a house that will to be raffled off to fund the hospice that looks after him.

Freddie Halliwell and his parents celebrated as builders began work on the home worth more than a quarter of a million pounds.

Incredibly it was gifted by Kingswood Homes in Blackburn to the Derian House Children's Hospice, in Chorley, that helps look after Freddie and hundreds of other children.

Every penny raised from the prize draw will go towards the hospice giving young children the care and support they deserve in the toughest of times.

Freddie Halliwell is one of hundreds of children who use Derian House on a regular basis.

Derian house is a home from home for Freddie and his family.

He has a rare genetic condition which means he may never walk or talk, but he has just reached a huge milestone - turning one.

The youngster comes to the hospice in Chorley for playgroup sessions and fun in the hydrotherapy pool with parents Kari and Sam.

Speaking of their love for Derian House, Kari said: "I didn't think he was going to make it, so we celebrate everything, and Derian House help us with that. Anything he does, first time he rolled over, they celebrate as much as we do."

Sam added: "It's just an amazing place, forget about the outside world for a bit, and just enjoy themselves and take in those precious moments really."

The money will help support the charity, which needs to raise 86% of its funds itself.

David Robinson, Chief Executive of Derian House Children's Hospice, said: "It's just overwhelming the difference this will make.

"To get over the quarter of a million would be amazing, that will keep the hospice open for nearly a month - which is quite overwhelming really."

The new home will look like these and is worth around a quarter of a million pounds.

People can buy tickets from £5 to gain entry into a prize draw to win the £250,000 house on Blackburn's Green Hills development.

Paul Jones, Managing Director of Kingswood Homes, said: "As a growing Lancashire-based business we wanted to give back to the community and, having had personalexperience of the support that children’s hospices like Derian House offer, it was a natural fit.

"The idea of giving away a house may seem too good to be true, but it’s not."

Children's hospices across the North West say they need more Government support