DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE TO VISIT NEW CHILDREN'S HOSPICE IN NORFOLK
The Duchess of Cambridge will visit a newly-built children's hospice to meet young people there and officially open the building. Kate, who is Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), will visit the charity's new hospice in Norfolk on Friday.
She will unveil a plaque to officially open The Nook in Framingham Earl, around six miles south of Norwich.
EACH cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and supports their families.
The charity said it had outgrown its former Norfolk hospice site in Quidenham.
Its new hospice was built following a five-year public appeal to raise £10 million and it welcomed its first child to receive care in September this year.
Kate attended the launch of The Nook appeal in 2014 and also visited the charity's previous Norfolk hospice in Quidenham in 2017 for an update on the appeal.
The new building, which contains more areas for clinical care and dedicated therapy rooms, will allow EACH to meet the increased demand for its service and the ever-changing and more complex needs of those it cares for.
The duchess will tour the facilities, including the hospice's sensory room, and take part in arts and crafts activities with children.
She will then join a reception before making a short speech and unveiling a plaque to mark the official opening of The Nook.
Tracy Rennie, acting chief executive of EACH, said: "We're obviously very much looking forward to welcoming Her Royal Highness and are grateful for her support as our Royal Patron."
She added: "I was fortunate enough to witness the joy and excitement of the first child through the doors here for care as they explored the soft play room, tried out the furniture and found their bedroom, with personalised tray of favourite toys and activities, and it was incredibly moving.
"I've no doubt the way we deliver care in future will take great steps forward and give us an opportunity to try out doing things differently."
The charity's care service includes specialist nursing care, short breaks, therapies and counselling and volunteer services in the family home.
Kate has been a patron of EACH since 2012 and she officially opened its hospice in Ipswich called The Treehouse that year.
Published: by Radio NewsHub