A CHILDREN'S hospice that has supported 45 Pembrokeshire families whose children are living with serious illnesses is asking for support from the public as it approaches the final weeks of a £1m refurbishment fundraiser.

Tŷ Hafan opened its doors 22 years ago and has been a lifeline for children with life-limiting conditions and their families ever since.

After more than two decades of being used 365 days a year and providing essential around-the-clock care to more than 1,000 children and families in Wales, including 45 in Pembrokeshire, the hospice needed essential refurbishment to ensure that it can continue to help families for the next 20 years and beyond.

In January 2020 Tŷ Hafan launched a much needed £1m upgrade project.

As well as providing a more bright and cheerful 'beach hut' theme, Tŷ Hafan's £1m Fit for the Future refurbishment programme includes essential clinical adaptations to the hospice, which has remained open and operational for crisis and end of life care throughout the pandemic.

Key features include infection-control flooring, optimising space from top to bottom, providing more purpose-built space for nurses to prepare medicines for children, and ensuring facilities are as accessible as possible for children with various complex conditions.

One Pembrokeshire family has already benefitted from the refurbishment and is very impressed by the changes already made.

Frances and her daughter, Anja, from Pembroke, were offered a crisis stay at Tŷ Hafan last September.

"The refurbishments so far are amazing", said Frances. "The care wing was almost unrecognisable. It's clear that clinical improvements have been made but they managed to preserve the friendly and home-from-home feel that Anja and I love so much about Tŷ Hafan."

As the fundraising campaign reaches its final weeks Tŷ Hafan CEO Maria Timon Samra appealed to supporters to help get the appeal 'over the finish line'.

"Against all the odds, and thanks to the generosity of our loyal local, national and international supporters, we are now in the final stages of this refurbishment," she said.

"With just a few weeks to go until our appeal closes, we have nearly reached our £1m target.

"So we're asking our supporters to show their love for Tŷ Hafan once more and to give whatever they can afford to help us over the finish line.

"Every penny will make a huge difference to the unfairly difficult lives of the children and families whom we support with much needed respite, crisis and end-of-life care."

For more information about Tŷ Hafan's appeal or to make a donation, visit tyhafan.org/fitforfuture .