Twice a year, we open our doors to welcome schools, youth groups, colleges and universities interested in learning about our work.
Young people are often curious about what goes on in a children’s hospice, and there’s no reason at all why they shouldn’t see it for themselves. Some may have a special connection with a family known to us; others may have fundraised for us, or be interested in doing work like ours one day.
Whatever your reasons for visiting, we’ll be very happy to have you on our open day. We welcome primary schools, secondary schools, and groups from colleges and universities. We’ve even had visits from Scouts, Brownies, Guides and youth groups. Of course, we understand that the content for each visit has to be suitably tailored.
You’ll understand that our primary responsibility must be to respect and protect the children and families we care for. That’s why we can’t offer tours at times other than our open days.
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Primary schools – Your tour will focus on the fun and enjoyment we provide for the children we care for. We’ll show you our main play area; the garden, where you can enjoy the facilities; the music room, where you can make lots of noise; and the sensory room, where you’ll enjoy the lights and sounds. We’ll also get you doing some of our arts & crafts.
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Secondary schools – We’ll expand the tour to include the teenage room, the hydrotherapy pool, and some of our therapy rooms. We’ll explain more about our treatments and the care work we do. We’ll explore how important it is for us to support the whole family, including brothers and sisters. If appropriate, we can cover bereavement support, but we’ll take your lead on this.
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Colleges & universities – We’ll offer you the standard tour offered to adult visitors, covering off all areas of our children’s hospice. We’ll discuss the nursing and care aspects of our work as well as the commercial side. Visitors are often the nurses, therapists, fundraisers and carers of the future, so we’ll make sure we cover any areas relevant to your courses and your personal interests.
Do you have to book?
Yes please, because we want to make sure we prepare thoroughly for your visit. That means planning age-appropriate content, allowing plenty of time, making sure we have enough biscuits, covering off any messages you want to get across, and accommodating any special requirements. When you contact us, we’ll book in a time and duration for your visit.
How can you make sure you don’t miss it?
We’ll be publishing the dates for our open days on our website and social media. However, if you want to register ahead of time, please call us on 01484 411040 or email fundraising@forgetmenotchild.co.uk