Baby hospice to close by end of year

The hospice had received planning permission for a new venue

A baby hospice that opened nearly 30 years ago says it will close its doors at the end of the year.

Zoe’s Place had hoped to build a new £3.5m hospice close to its current location in Yew Tree Lane, Liverpool.

However, a statement from the trustees said: "The time taken to get planning permission has left insufficient time to construct the building.

"In addition, a significant rise in the projected costs and the challenge of raising funding in the current economic climate means there are insufficient funds available."

'Such sad news'

Planning permission for the new hospice was granted last month.

The trustees said the decision had been made "with great sadness", adding "with only nine months before the charity’s lease for Yew Tree Lane ends, there is insufficient time and money to relocate to a new home elsewhere".

Joan Stainsby, executive trustee, said: "We are sorry to be sharing such sad news with those who Zoe's Place Liverpool has supported, and our staff and supporters.

"Liverpool was where Zoe’s Place originated and will always be close to our hearts."

She added: "This has been an incredibly difficult decision and one that we have worked tirelessly to avoid. Unfortunately, there are simply no other options available to us."

The charity said it would work closely with parents to find alternative support and discussions had been held with Claire House, in Bebbington, Wirral, which also has a children’s hospice, and the local NHS.

Currently, Zoe's Place can house four children under the age of five - the new venue would have housed six.

'Gift of life'

The hospice was founded in 1995 by Prof Jack Scarisbrick, as an offshoot of his work with the anti-abortion group Life, which he founded.

Prof Scarisbrick identified that many babies and infants with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families were in need of specialist facilities where children could receive respite or palliative care.

The name Zoe’s Place was chosen since "zoe" is the Greek word meaning "gift of life".

The hospice, in the West Derby district of Liverpool, opened in February 1995 with two more following - in Middlesbrough in 2004 and Coventry in 2011.

A Zoe's Place spokesman said these would not be affected by the closure of the Liverpool hospice.