Liverpool baby hospice Zoe's Place saved after region helps raise £6.4million needed for new home
ITV Granada Reports Presenter Zoe Muldoon reports from Zoe's Place
A specialist baby and young children's hospice has been saved after the region helped raise the vital funds needed for a new home.
Zoe's Place Baby Hospice in Liverpool needed to raise £5million in just 30 days to secure their new home - with an extra £1.4million needed to ensure it could stay open in the mean time.
The good news was announced by the hospice and Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, Ian Byrne, on Friday 8 November.
It came following the announcement on 7 October that the centre would have to close due to insufficient funds being unavailable to keep the hospice running.
Ian Byrne and the Trustees of Zoe's Place launched the 'Save Zoe's Place Campaign' to help save the hospice from closure and secure its new premises. The charity's staff of 41 members also faced losing their jobs.
Mr Byrne said: "Ever since that initial call to arms, the response from across the city and beyond has been incredible.
"I knew right from the start, with the backing of our fantastic local community, we could reach this target for the hospice, the wonderful staff, children and families."
Since the appeal launched, the West Derby's charity's JustGiving page saw donations from premier league footballers, celebrities and big businesses, but also saw pocket money pledges from local school children and coffee mornings.
He added: “It was clearly a huge ask to raise £5 million in just a few weeks, but as I said at the time, if any city can do it, Liverpool can. And I am delighted that Liverpool has, indeed, delivered.
“From kids dropping their pocket money into a collection bucket, and elderly people donating their pension, to local businesses organising fundraising events and celebrities giving generously of their time and money, it really has felt like the whole city has come together over the last four weeks to save Zoe’s – just as I knew they would.
“I could not be more proud right now to be a Scouser, this is Liverpool doing what Liverpool does best. Huge thanks to absolutely everyone who has responded to the call to help save this magnificent hospice for babies and children.
"It is such a special place, for incredibly special people, and Liverpool is a really special city that has met the challenge. I cannot thank the people of Liverpool enough.”
Michelle Wright, Head of Care at Zoe's Place, said: "Words cannot express how I feel. The fact that we can continue to support our children and families means everything and is all every member of the team has wanted to do.
"The support from the clinical team, fundraising, and the city of Liverpool and beyond has been overwhelming.
"We are all proud to be from Liverpool and we will embrace the challenge of a new hospice, with the spirit and teamwork we have shown the last few weeks.
"We look forward to supporting many more future families in our new home.”
What happens next?
A new charity is being set up to take on the responsibility for the hospice provision in the future and it will now begin the process of building the new site for Zoe's Place.
The charity will work with the trustees of Zoe's Place Trust to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to transferarrangements so that this new charity has the resources raised from the fundraising campaign to build and operate the new facility.
Between now and then, Zoe's Place Trust will work with the new charity so that the existing hospice is able to continue to provide essential care until the date of transfer.
Want more on the issues effecting the North? Our podcast, From the North answers the questions that matter to our region.