Royal visitors to open new Francis House extension

THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Francis House Children’s Hospice, Didsbury, on Friday October 14.

Prince William will follow in his mother’s footsteps by officially opening the new £3.5m Francis Lodge facility 25 years after Diana opened the hospice itself in 1991.

The pair will take an official tour of the lodge and meet staff, volunteers and young people with life-limiting illnesses.

Francis Lodge is a new wing of the hospice which has created a further 7 bedrooms and will care for young people over the age of 16.

Revd David Ireland, chief executive of Francis House Children’s Hospice, said: “This is a really special occasion for Francis House.

“It is 25 years to the month since Princess Diana opened Francis House, so it feels extremely fitting that her son, Prince William, is able to officially open Francis Lodge and set us off on the next stage of our journey.”

Created as an age-appropriate environment, the lodge will be a parent-free zone with wheelchair access, and all bedrooms will be equipped with media and gaming devices and a balcony.

The facility even has a cinema pod and recording studio where the youngsters can record music and messages to loved ones.

The new extension opens to patients in May 2014, but unsurprisingly, the hospice faced a long wait for the royal visitors to open it officially.

Respite care is provided for 113 young people over the age 16, all of whom have individual needs to be taken into consideration.

It also provides the necessary support and short-term rest for their families.
All services are given free and the hospice relies largely on charitable donations.