A public appeal to raise £2 million towards a major transformation of Martin House Children’s Hospice has hit its target.
The appeal, launched in April 2024, was part of THE BUILD, a £21.9m project to extend and completely refurbish the nearly 40-year-old hospice.
Martin House cares for children and young people with life-shortening conditions across West, North and East Yorkshire.
Clair Holdsworth, chief executive of Martin House, said:
“We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve hit our £2 million public appeal target.
“This money has helped to ensure we could complete this ambitious plan to transform Martin House into the hospice children and their families deserve.
“We would like to thank the thousands of people who have supported this appeal and helped us make THE BUILD a reality.
“Without the support of our community, we could never have achieved this target.”
THE BUILD has seen the hospice create a new children’s wing, which opened last February, while work to fully refurbish and extend the existing building.
Brand new facilities include a hydrotherapy pool, wellbeing suite, and education centre, is expected to be complete this spring.
Clair added:
“For nearly 40 years, Martin House has been at the forefront of children’s palliative care in the UK, with an expert team dedicated to delivering the best possible care to children and young people.
“But medical advancements have meant children are living with more complex conditions, and our building had fallen behind the quality of our care.
“THE BUILD will not only bring our facilities up to date, but ensure that we can continue to support thousands more families for decades to come.”
During the public appeal, thousands of people stepped up to support Martin House, including taking part in major events organised by the hospice, including a Big Zip Wire challenge and its Raise the Roof campaign last September, which raised more than £400,000 in just 36 hours.
In addition to the public appeal, Martin House has been supported by significant donations and grants from individuals, trusts and foundations to help raise the £21.9m needed.
Clair said:
“We have been so fortunate to receive such wide-ranging support, from a huge cross-section of the Yorkshire community, and we are so grateful to each and every one.
“Although this challenge has come to an end, the need behind it has not. The real work begins now, ensuring we have the funds to sustain our hospice and protect its future.
"We rely on continued public support to make sure families can access our care whenever they need us, now and for generations ahead.”
As headline sponsor of THE BUILD, HARIBO UK has played a vital role in helping Martin House achieve this huge milestone.
Tabea Powell, head of communications at HARIBO UK, said:
“HARIBO and our colleagues have been privileged to be able to support Martin House from the beginning of this journey to transform the hospice provision, into one that will provide the care that the children and young people of Yorkshire deserve.
“We are proud to call Yorkshire our home for more than 50 years and as such it’s a privilege to contribute to this local charity through our fundraising efforts.
“Together we have created a legacy that will transform lives and create lasting memories, as well as moments of joy for many more decades to come.
“We’re excited to continue working alongside Martin House and are looking forward to seeing what 2026 and beyond will bring to those who need it most.”
Martin House costs around £12 million a year to provide specialist and compassionate care to the children and young people of Yorkshire. To find out more about Martin House and how you can support it, visit www.martinhouse.org.uk.
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