Press Releases31 May 16

Archbishop Clarke visits Northern Ireland Hospice

The Archbishop of Armagh, The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, has paid a warm tribute to the work of the Northern Ireland Hospice after visiting its new hospice building for adults at Somerton House in North Belfast.  He remarked: “It’s marvellous to see it going from an aspiration a few years ago to an absolutely wonderful facility for patients and their families.”

During the visit, Archbishop Clarke viewed one of the 18 in–patient suites where a person can be accommodated and receive palliative care.  Each suite includes a private bathroom, fridge and TV – and a bed for a visiting relative.  Patients can also rest in a garden area and the building is decorated by artwork themed around care and togetherness, which features comments from patients.

The day services centre is a bright and spacious area where patients who require less intensive support can enjoy companionship, and receive therapy and a weekly symptoms check by specialist doctors and nurses.  Each year, the Northern Ireland Hospice cares for around 3,000 people – most of whom receive that support at home.  These community services will be co–ordinated from Somerton House and an education and research centre will help to further improve the quality of care.

The building includes a sanctuary for worship and spending quiet time with God in prayer and reflection and a relatives’ room, which was generously funded by schoolchildren in the Belfast area.   One hundred and twenty handheld crosses for patients have been provided by the nearby St Katherine’s Parish Church; these have been crafted from olive wood grown in the Holy Land. The first patients moved into the new hospice in late May.

On his visit, Archbishop Clarke expressed his gratitude for the hospice’s committed care for people experiencing terminal illness. “The end of life on Earth is such an important time for both patients and their families and they deserve the very best we can give them,” he added.  “It still seems sad that three–quarters of the cost of the hospice has to be found from private funding.”

The £13 million building was designed by Consarc Design Group and constructed by H&J Martin Ltd.  £6 million is needed to cover the adult hospice’s annual running costs and a range of fundraising and volunteering opportunities are highlighted on the Northern Ireland Hospice’s website: www.nihospice.org

This article was first published in the Church of Ireland Gazette.