The tours provide an insight into the specialist environments where children and their families receive the charity’s life-changing care.

Using state-of-the-art technology, the tours allow people to explore the different spaces at Acorns hospices in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester and see what life inside a children’s hospice is really like.

 Katie Burbridge, director of care and deputy Ceo at Acorns Children’s Hospice, said: “There are a lot of misconceptions about what a children’s hospice is and what happens inside one.

“The reality is they are vibrant, welcoming environments designed around the needs and lives of the children and families we support, with highly specialist care at the heart of them. Our new virtual tours give people the chance to step inside and see that for themselves.”

The tours give supporters a glimpse of what their donations make possible, help new staff and volunteers get a sense of where they may be working, and offer families who need Acorns care the opportunity to look around before they visit.

They are also helping to challenge misconceptions about children’s hospices as sad or gloomy places.

Instead, they showcase welcoming, child-centred spaces designed to support children and families in many different ways – from clinical nursing care to therapeutic play, relaxation and spaces to spend precious time together.

Katie added: “For some children and families, visiting a hospice for the first time can feel daunting. Being able to explore the environment in advance can help remove some of that uncertainty and give them a better idea of what to expect.

“For our supporters, the tours are a chance to see exactly what they are helping to make possible. As much as we’d love to open our doors and invite everyone in to see what we do, our hospices are working clinical environments, and infection control and safeguarding mean we can’t welcome members of the public in simply to look around.

“The virtual tours give them the opportunity to see the spaces, facilities and equipment that enable our teams to provide our expert care every day. Being able to share that with the public is really important to us.”

Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care for babies, children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and support for their families.

In the past year, Acorns cared for more than 800 children across the West Midlands and supported more than 1,100 families, including those who are bereaved. This care and support is provided from Acorns three hospices in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester, as well as in family homes and local communities.

Behind every space shown in the virtual tours is expert care that helps families make the most of the time they have together.

Acorns Time Machine is the charity’s £5 million fundraising campaign to help make more of this specialist care possible, giving seriously-ill children more time to be kids.

Acorns needs around £40,000 every day to provide its children’s hospice care, with more than 75 per cent of that amount funded through the generosity of supporters.

Visit the website to take a virtual tour of Acorns hospices.

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