A Short History

Havens Hospices incorporates Fair Havens Hospice and Little Havens Children’s Hospice. They provide respite breaks, symptom control and end-of-life care for adults and children living with life-limiting illnesses or conditions. They aim to make their journey - and that of their family - as comfortable as possible, creating special memories along the way.

Fair Havens opened its doors in June 1983 and since then has cared for over 20,000 patients and their families from Southend, Castle Point and Rochford. The three main founders were Reverend Ian Coffey, Daphne Hall MBE (original Matron and former Director of Care) and Dr Michael Stuart (Honorary Medical Director). The name Fair Havens comes from the Bible when the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on the Southern tip of Crete. It says, “Coasting along with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens.” The original lighthouse symbol is a sign of safety and security. We feel that our patients and families may have had a difficult journey, and hopefully Fair Havens is their secure place.

Fair Havens now offers a range of specialist care services including an In Patient Unit, Day Care Centre, Fair Havens Macmillan Team, Hospice at Home and Bereavement Services.

Because Fair Havens had developed a reputation for delivering and responding to needs in the community, it became apparant that there was a need for similar hospice care, but for children. The Trustees from Fair Havens decided to start a fundraising appeal to raise the money needed to build such a place.

Little Havens Children's Hospice officially opened in March 1998 and since then has cared for over 1,000 children and offered vital support to their siblings and families. The hospice is based in beautiful meadowland in Thundersley near Rayleigh and is a sanctuary for families with children affected by life-limiting illness.

Parents and siblings benefit immeasurably from the home-from-home environment, in which they can take a break from the strain of constant care, and concentrate on being a family. The daily toll of caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition places a huge emotional, physical, mental and often financial strain upon the whole family.

Little Havens also helps to provide a home respite service called EPIC which allows a child to be cared for in their own home.

The love and care provided by the Care Teams in the homely surroundings at Fair Havens Hospice and Little Havens Children's Hospice, or within the comfort of a person's own home, is free of charge. This could not continue without kind donations as it costs £5.2 million each year to keep the hospices open.

To find out how to support the work of Havens Hospices please click here or make a donation today.

If you would like to know more about Fair Havens Hospice please visit the Hospice website at: www.havenshospices.org.uk

Little Havens Hospice

Little Havens Children's Hospice is situated in an idyllic setting and was established in 1998.  the Hospice provides care for children who endure life-limiting and life-threatening illness. Respite care is provided for the children both at the Hospice and in their own homes.  The level of are provided by the dedicated team who work at the hospice is second to none and extends to the whole family.  The care doesn't stop even at the end of the child's life as the Hospice as a bereavement Suite situated within the main building where the child can stay until the funeral.

The facilities provided at the Hospice ensure that the child has every facility available to then to ensure as comfortable and as normal a lifestyle as possible during their stay, up until the age of eighteen.

Individual rooms with allmod cons, a hydrotherapy pool, a sensory room, wheelchair friendly gardens and more are at the Hospice togive the child the feeling of home and as they get older they are encouraged to have as much independance as they can.

If you would like to find out more about Little Havens children's Hospice please visit the Hospice website at:

www.havenshospices.org.uk/little_havens_care