Helen & Douglas House

Helen & Douglas House Helen & Douglas House is a registered charity caring for terminally ill children. We provide round-the-clock care in a warm, loving environment.

Registered Charity Number :1085951

Helen & Douglas House is a home from home for local terminally ill children and their families. We’re a comforting cocoon filled with laughter, a peaceful place where families can create happy memories in their last days, weeks, months or years together. It is a special place that feels like home from home, where families can make the most of their time together

and create happy memories during their children’s short lives. When a child dies, we are there to support the whole family at this really tragic time. Based in Oxford, but supporting families from surrounding counties and as far as London, we care for terminally ill children at the hospice and through our outreach service. At Helen & Douglas House, the world’s first children’s hospice, we care for babies and children up to the age of 18. Parents, brothers, sisters, and grandparents are all part of the Helen & Douglas House family. At the toughest time of their lives, we give families the time and space to enjoy the precious moments they have left with each other. In the midst of exhaustion and grief, we help them cope with their child’s final days. Find out more about Helen & Douglas House. The families who come to us at Helen & Douglas House depend on us to help them – either – face challenges every day during their children’s short lives or deal with living with a child with a terminal illness. But without your help, we can’t give them the expert care and support they need as they are living with a terminal illness. It costs £6 million a year to provide care for local families and we receive 11% of this from the government - the remainder comes from people like you. As a charity, we rely on your support to keep our doors open. Every donation makes a big difference to the help we can offer terminally ill children and families facing the devastating loss of a child. Make a donation today and help bring comfort and support to families going through every parent’s worst nightmare.

Yesterday, we joined colleagues from Together for Short Lives and other children’s hospices at the All-Party Parliamenta...
17/06/2026

Yesterday, we joined colleagues from Together for Short Lives and other children’s hospices at the All-Party Parliamentary Group meeting at Westminster. The charity welcomed the opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary care and support provided by all children’s hospices and to engage with MPs about the need for long-term sustainable funding.

Like most hospices in the UK, Helen & Douglas House is operating within an extremely challenging economic environment with rising costs and an increasing demand for its services.

Dr Emily Harrop, Medical Director, said: “We were delighted to take part in yesterday’s APPG and we are asking our local MPs for their support in Parliament to help secure sustainable funding for all children’s hospices in the UK”.

Losing a loved one affects every aspect of life – emotionally, physically, socially, financially and spiritually. While ...
16/06/2026

Losing a loved one affects every aspect of life – emotionally, physically, socially, financially and spiritually. While there's no quick fix for grief, sharing your experience with others can help you feel less alone.

Sam and Ryan took part in our memory walk last year with their family to remember their baby son, Hudson, who died in 2024. After Hudson died, the family received specialist bereavement support at the hospice.

On 11th July, we'll be hosting 'Walk in Their Memory' - a memory walk at Cogges Farm in Witney. You're invited to join us and share memories together - https://hdh.org.uk/Memory

There’s still availability at our Early Years session this Thursday 18th June. This morning is tailored for parents and ...
16/06/2026

There’s still availability at our Early Years session this Thursday 18th June. This morning is tailored for parents and carers of babies and preschool children living with life-limiting conditions or additional needs.

Abby, whose son Rupert comes to Helen & Douglas House and has joined us at previous sessions said: “The Early Years mornings were a wonderful way for us to get to know Helen & Douglas House. It was where we first met the amazing team and had the chance to meet other families with children of a similar age. We love attending these sessions and will miss them so much when Rupert starts school!”

What you can look forward to:
🧡 A relaxed, supportive setting
🧡 Opportunities to meet other parents and carers
🧡 Time to share experiences and make connections
🧡 Activities for little ones, including games, nursery rhymes & sensory play
🧡 Refreshments provided

Whether you’d like to stay for the full morning or simply pop in, we’d love to see you.

To book your place, visit: hdh.org.uk/earlyyears

📅 Thursday 18th June 2026
⏰ 10:00am – 1:00pm
📍 PACE Centre, Aylesbury

It’s Children’s Hospice Week – an annual awareness week highlighting the vital role children’s hospices and palliative c...
15/06/2026

It’s Children’s Hospice Week – an annual awareness week highlighting the vital role children’s hospices and palliative care services play. Many people still think hospices are only about end of life, but we’re here to challenge that misconception. There’s no better way to do that than by sharing a family’s story.

Meet Ella, a seven-year-old girl with complex medical needs, including a hormone deficiency and developmental delay and was diagnosed with a brain tumour at just two years old. Ella has spent much of her life in and out of hospital. Two years ago, Ella and her family from Northamptonshire were introduced to Helen & Douglas House, which has since become a true ‘home from home’. It’s now one of Ella’s favourite places, and it also gives her parents the chance to simply be Mum and Dad, not just carers.

Chris, Ella’s dad, said: “We found out about Helen & Douglas House whilst Ella was undergoing cancer treatment at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. We were referred by a doctor on her team, and when we came for a look around, it felt so peaceful and relaxing, with the beautiful gardens.”

When Ella visits Helen & Douglas House, she loves getting involved in activities like cooking and baking. Staff often bake with her or she helps in the kitchen. While Ella is enjoying these activities, her parents are able to take some much-needed time to rest and reconnect, knowing her medical needs are fully taken care of. As Chris said: “It’s really special to have somewhere we can simply spend time together, and Ella always loves her visits.”

At Helen & Douglas House, we support families during some of the most challenging times of their lives, helping them create precious moments together - memories that will be treasured forever.

Read more of Ella’s story – https://hdh.org.uk/Ellas-story

"I had an experience of a lifetime. Everyone was just so brave and lovely. We felt so proud of each other for jumping an...
14/06/2026

"I had an experience of a lifetime. Everyone was just so brave and lovely. We felt so proud of each other for jumping and knowing we were all doing it to help Helen & Douglas House which made it so special.” - Craig, Ella's dad

Do you dare to jump? Sign up today: https://hdh.org.uk/Skydive_26

Meet Martin and Sithara - two inspiring individuals taking on the Oxford Half Marathon this October in support of Helen ...
13/06/2026

Meet Martin and Sithara - two inspiring individuals taking on the Oxford Half Marathon this October in support of Helen & Douglas House. 🧡

Both are NHS Consultants in Paediatric Neurology, dedicating their work to caring for children with serious neurological conditions. For many of these children, life is short and incredibly challenging, and their families face significant daily struggles.

Martin and Sithara said: “The team in Helen & Douglas House is an absolute godsend to the children and their families and makes an enormous difference to the care we can offer.”

Motivated by the impact of this support, they’re lacing up their trainers to run 13 miles and raise vital funds for the hospice.

Got your own place in the Oxford Half Marathon? Join our team and run to support local terminally ill children and their families.

Find out more - https://hdh.org.uk/I-have-my-own-place

We are experiencing some technical issues so if you require urgent assistance and are having difficulty reaching us, ple...
12/06/2026

We are experiencing some technical issues so if you require urgent assistance and are having difficulty reaching us, please telephone on this number 01865 796771.

We are sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. 🧡

We are seeking an experienced Interim Director of Finance & Operations.⏳12 months fixed term contract🕒37.5 hours per wee...
12/06/2026

We are seeking an experienced Interim Director of Finance & Operations.

⏳12 months fixed term contract
🕒37.5 hours per week
💷£80,000 per annum
📍Oxford, some opportunity for hybrid working
📅Closing 14th June 2026

Lead strategic finance and operations at Helen & Douglas House, supporting vital care for children and families.

Join the Executive Team to drive sustainability, performance, and lasting impact across the organisation.

Apply: https://hdh.org.uk/43XLPSu

Love style? Passionate about making a difference? We’ve got the perfect opportunity for you. We’re currently looking for...
11/06/2026

Love style? Passionate about making a difference? We’ve got the perfect opportunity for you.

We’re currently looking for Weekend Sales Assistants to join our shop teams:

👜 1 day per week (mainly Sundays):
Amersham, Cirencester, Wantage, and Woodley

👜 2 days per week (including weekends):
Carterton, Chipping Norton, Wallingford, and Witney

Could you be our next Weekend Sales Assistant?

Closing date: 22nd June

Apply now - https://hdh.org.uk/job-roles

Last week, for the 11th year, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens opened its doors after hours to Helen & Douglas House a...
10/06/2026

Last week, for the 11th year, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens opened its doors after hours to Helen & Douglas House alongside five other charities. Some of our families attended, enjoying exclusive access to the park, its beautiful grounds, incredible animals, music and most importantly special time together. 🧡

The evening, known as ‘Dreamnight at the Zoo’, is an event we’ve been honoured to be part of since it began.

Layla, who visits Helen & Douglas House for supportive stays, was invited to the event - along with her mum Megan and younger brother Louie.

Megan says, "It was such a lovely evening and amazing to spend some quality time together as a family in an environment that’s not too loud or busy. The activities they had on made it extra special and we were able to see the animals closer than you would usually be able to, we particularly enjoyed feeding the giraffes. Thank you to Helen & Douglas House for inviting us to such an extraordinary event!"

Louie adds: "I’ve never been so close to a giraffe before and the penguins were fun to watch being fed as they’re my favourite animal"

A huge thank you to Cotswold Wildlife Park for once again inviting our families to experience such a magical and memorable night.

Photo credit: Rebecca Farrow & families

Address

14A Magdalen Road
Oxford
OX41RW

Telephone

+441865794749

Website

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