We start with exciting news of our new-look website – kindly updated by the team at Hawkeye Design, who generously donated their time and resource in seamlessly integrating the old to the new.
As well as featuring the Project Pages, complete with user login for each family we support; together with a host of fundraising ideas; plus all our latest News, Events and Press articles – the new site includes a nifty ‘Before and After’ feature, which showcases the adaptation projects we are working on perfectly!
This first example of this new ‘Before and After’ element has been brought to life with the unveiling of the latest completed project for ‘Sophie’s Independence’ – involving raising over £25,000 to build a new 2-storey bedroom and wetroom extension for 7-year-old Sophie.
Sophie’s parents advise:
“Our home was not safe for Sophie due to damp and poor insulation. The house was full of barriers to Sophie’s independence and stopped us functioning as a family. Our family bathroom was not fit for Sophie’s needs and bathing had become unsafe.”
Now that works have completed, Sophie’s parents tell us:
“The building works have removed all the damp and replaced all the windows and doors along with the new roof and removed all our insulation problems which were so detrimental to Sophie’s health. The new open plan set up of our home has removed all Sophie’s barriers and means she can move freely through her home like any other child. The changes we have made cannot be quantified but I can honestly say that they have been life-changing and freedom-giving.”
Meanwhile, another new applicant and his family are just commencing on the fundraising process, for ‘Filip’s journey to come back home’.
The project will enable 6-year-old Filip to return home after his 14-month stay in hospital, by building a ground floor bedroom and wet room extension with specialist equipment and ceiling track hoists, to ensure a safe environment for Filip so he can be discharged from hospital.
Disabled Facilities Grant funding will be accessed through the council, but costs of the works leave a shortfall of £24,000 to meet the project costs.
As Filip’s parents explain:
“Our worst nightmare came true last year when our little boy was diagnosed with a brain tumour. We need help to be able to bring our son back home from the hospital after 14 months. Our house now is not suitable for his needs. He is a wheelchair user and he requires 24/7 care. His bed is currently in a living room and we do not have a wet room to wash him and provide him his own personal space.”
“We need to build an extension which will be Filip's room and a wet room with specialist equipment and a celling hoist for his safely moving. We cannot come back home if we are not going to have a safe place for him.”
Other projects have been progressing well with fundraising and works – with ‘Myk’s accessible home project’ receiving support from both NEU Trust Fund and DTD Charity towards their £30,000 target for the full project costs.
Meanwhile Clodagh’s ‘Building works’ had their funds boosted by local Northern Ireland charity, Enkalon Foundation; whilst ‘Ahmed’s Big Build’ further continued with their building works with the aid of Hospital Saturday Fund and Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust.
We were most thankful to also receive funding at Sullivan’s Heroes from Chapman Charitable Trust, along with B&Q Foundation – which will make a big difference ongoing towards grants for the home adaptation projects we are supporting.
Please do get in touch if you have any fundraising events, activities and ideas you’d like to share with us; or if you would like to apply for a grant or to fundraise through Sullivan’s Heroes.
Thank you for your ongoing support, it is greatly appreciated.
