Martin House Hospice helps children to stay connected through lockdown

The hospice has been holding weekly virtual get-togethers on Zoom for young people using its service since June, as a way of helping them stay in touch.

Mary Newbegin, transition and discharge coordinator lead at Martin House, said: “We’ve been keeping in touch with young people since lockdown, and the more we talked to them, the more we realised that many of them haven’t gone out of the house apart from hospital appointments. If we phone them, they often need a family member to hold the phone for them, but once they’re set up on Zoom, they have more independence over it.

“It also gives them the chance to see each other – which is important, as a big part of coming to Martin House has always been the chance to socialise with their peers. Covid-19 is making living at home a lonely place for a lot of our young people, but seeing each other makes them realise they are not alone.

“Many of them will call Martin House their second home, so they come to see familiar faces, both each other and members of the care team, who get as much out of it as they do.”

Up to eight young people attend the weekly calls, with around 20 taking part so far. Mary is planning to introduce more focused groups, including one for younger teenagers, and to bring in more external professionals who can give extra support and information.

She is also organising quizzes for Christmas and new year, along with some advent calendar activities.

It costs nearly £9 million a year to run Martin House. To find out how you can help, visit www.martinhouse.org.uk.