Virtual tours offer glimpse inside Acorns Children's Hospice

Families, supporters and members of the public can now explore Acorns Children’s Hospice sites virtually, with new tours offering a glimpse inside the specialist environments where children and their families receive care.

The tours use state-of-the-art technology to allow people to explore Acorns’ three hospices in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester and see the different spaces and facilities available.

Katie Burbridge, Director of Care and Deputy CEO at Acorns Children’s Hospice, said there were “a lot of misconceptions” about what a children’s hospice is and what happens inside one.

“The reality is they are vibrant, welcoming environments designed around the needs and lives of the children and families we support, with highly specialist care at the heart of them,” she said.

“Our new virtual tours give people the chance to step inside and see that for themselves.”

The tours are intended to help supporters see what their donations make possible, while also giving prospective staff and volunteers an idea of the environments in which they could work.

Families who are due to use Acorns’ services can also explore the hospice before their first visit, potentially helping to ease some of the uncertainty that can come with entering a hospice for the first time.

The virtual tours showcase child-centred spaces used for a range of purposes, from specialist nursing care and therapeutic play to relaxation and spending time together as a family.

Ms Burbridge said the tours were particularly useful because the hospices are working clinical environments and cannot simply open their doors to members of the public for general visits because of infection control and safeguarding requirements.

“For our supporters, the tours are a chance to see exactly what they are helping to make possible,” she said.

“The virtual tours give them the opportunity to see the spaces, facilities and equipment that enable our teams to provide our expert care every day.”

Acorns provides specialist palliative care for babies, children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, alongside support for their families.

Over the past year, the charity cared for more than 800 children across the West Midlands and supported more than 1,100 families, including bereaved families.

Its care is delivered from the three hospices in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester, as well as in family homes and local communities.

The virtual tours form part of the charity’s efforts to show the specialist care and facilities made possible by public support.

Acorns currently needs around £40,000 a day to provide its services, with more than 75 per cent funded by donations.

The charity is also running its £5 million Acorns Time Machine fundraising campaign, which aims to help make more specialist care available to seriously ill children.

Take a virtual tour of the Acorns hospices at acorns.org.uk/virtual-tours.