Families are going to have more fun together at Robin House Children’s Hospice, which looks after youngsters with life-shortening illnesses, thanks to the generosity of the Edinburgh office of Aberdeen Asset Management.
Playtime at the west coast centre run by the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) at Balloch, Dunbartonshire, is about to be improved by an £11,874 donation from the charitable foundation set up by Aberdeen Asset Management.
The donation will fund the relocated soft play area at Robin House, which is expected to be a fantastic space for sick children and their brothers and sisters to have fun and make friends.
The soft play area is being moved into the main body of the hospice and will make playtime more relaxing for mums and dads as well.
Senior CHAS manager Victoria Buchanan said: “The new area will help the children in Robin House and their brothers and sisters make friends during their stay.
“The new play area will be an improved and bigger space and has been moved to the main living room. It means that mums and dads can be close to their children and relax and have a cup of tea and watch them play, while chatting to our staff and feeling they’re still connected to what their children are doing.
“This will reassure parents that everything is safe for their children whilst having fun, as especially when visiting Robin House for the first time, they are often very nervous about what is in store.
“We are just delighted the Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation has chosen to support us.”
Covered in thick, soft padding, the soft play area will be entirely safe for children with complex needs, fragile limbs and limited movement and mobility. The cash from Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charitable Foundation will help pay for a ceiling-mounted hoist, which will run the full length of the equipment and let all the children access the play equipment. The more able children will run, jump, bounce and tumble in a completely safe environment. The space has been carefully designed to incorporate sensory equipment to benefit the children with complex care needs and sensory impairments. Interactive stepping stones, an illuminated den, musical hopscotch cushions and sound and vibrating wall panels will encourage children of all ages to explore their surroundings.
Robin House provides free, 24-hour care for up to eight children with life-shortening conditions at any one time, with bedrooms for family members too.
Colin Burrow, member of the Aberdeen Asset Management Edinburgh Charity Committee said: “Our staff are always particularly keen to support charities and projects which help children. The Foundation’s staff committee in Edinburgh were very touched by the work that goes on in Robin House and were happy to help fund this development.
“The Foundation was established in 2012 to formalise and develop our charitable giving globally. We encourage our employees to use their time and skills to support projects in and around the areas in which we live and work.”
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