A short break facility in Newcastle catering to families affected by cancer has become the first building in Northern Ireland to benefit from the added security of Glowroute failsafe lighting.
Last month, Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children (NICFC) had the new lighting innovation installed into every room of its Daisy Lodge facility to light a clear and quick path to the nearest exit should an emergency situation ever arise.
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Glowroute creator Mark Buckley with NICFC IT and Facilities Manager Corinna Decodts.[/caption]
Daisy Lodge is a 16,000 square feet, purpose-built, therapeutic and wellbeing centre in Newcastle, County Down, dedicated to families nursing a child with cancer. When this £3m, Europe-wide ground breaking centre opens in Spring 2014 it will provide therapeutic short breaks for up to 500 families a year.
This new centre will feature six-double family suites, four therapy suites, a range of age appropriate play centres, two lounge areas, a restaurant, ‘home’ cinema and safe outdoor play areas. In addition the new centre will allow NICFC to provide short breaks to families affected by childhood cancer across the Island of Ireland. The setting on the Bryansford Road has scenic views of the Mourne Mountains.
Glowroute is affixed to walls, floors and other surfaces in small strips and requires no power supply as it absorbs energy from natural light or electric lighting. It is not visible during the day, but will glow in dark or dim light for over eight hours once charged.
Mark Buckley, one of the creators of Glowroute, along with the rest of the Glowroute team were more than happy to help NICFC by installing the lighting at High Trees, and doing so at a greatly reduced cost.
Mark said: “Working with such a great charity, which is innovative as well as caring, was a real honour for Glowroute. We’re glad to have helped ensure the safety of every family who takes a much-needed break at High Trees.”
NICFC and their Fire Risk Assessor Norman McConnell are delighted with the new lighting system. Corinna Decodts, NICFC IT and Facilities Manager, said: “I want to offer a huge thank you to the Glowroute team. We strive to keep the families who stay at High Trees as safe and comfortable as possible so they can relax the whole time they are there. I think having Glowroute installed will make them feel even more secure than they already did.”
Glowroute can also be installed in industrial complexes and homes. (More information can be found by visiting http://www.glowroute.com
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NICFC Leads Way In Support For Children With Cancer in NI
NICFC is the leading local cancer charity that provides practical, financial and therapeutic support to children, young people and teenagers living with cancer, and their families. Every week in Northern Ireland, three children, teenagers or young adults, aged between 0-24 years old, are diagnosed with cancer. NICFC works with around 350 families at any given time.
The specialist team at the NICFC understand the devastating impact a cancer diagnosis and treatment can have on the whole family and that beyond the essential clinical care there is a family life that needs to be rebuilt at home and in the community.
The team help families cope with the impact cancer has on their lives, and supports them through life during and after treatment and, in some cases, bereavement. The services provided cover a range of support at home, in the community and the hospital setting including:
* One-to-One Support providing children and young people with the opportunity to express their feelings, thoughts and fears openly in a safe environment
* Group Support: bringing young people with cancer together to share experiences, gain strength from each other and benefit from peer support
* Sibling Support: helping siblings who are feeling worried, lonely and vulnerable as they watch a brother or sister fight cancer
* Young Shoulders Programme: supporting children/young people whose parent has cancer, and who often become a carer themselves
* Bereavement Support: NICFC’s Specialists provide one-to-one and group support to parents who have lost a child to cancer
* Financial Support: Road Miles Grant helps to ease the financial burden parents/carers face as they travel to hospital for their child’s treatment
* Therapeutic Short Breaks: providing families with time to rest and recuperate away from the demands of hospital & treatment regimes and to be together during a traumatic and challenging time
At Daisy Lodge, families will have precious time to be together as a family during a traumatic and challenging time. They will benefit from therapeutic and holistic support provided by NICFC’s team of Specialists and share experiences and gain support from other families in a similar situation. They will be able to create special memories together.
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