Families in the West invited to help shape Sunflower  Children’s Hospice

Families with lived experience of caring for a child with a life-limiting illness, or who have experienced the death of a child, are invited to take part in a family engagement workshop with Mayo Roscommon Hospice / HSE. 

The workshop will help inform the design and development of the proposed Sunflower Children’s Hospice, a major new healthcare project for the region. The state-of-the-art children's hospice which is planned for Castlebar, County Mayo will provide essential care for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families across counties in the West and North West.

Family Engagement Workshop will take place on Saturday, 24 January from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at The Connacht Hotel, Galway, H91 K5DD. Tea and coffee will be available, with a light lunch served at 1 p.m.. Please confirm your attendance at the Family Engagement Workshop by emailing marie@hospice.ie Funded by the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, the Sunflower Children’s Hospice will provide essential specialist care for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families across counties in the West and North West.

The project represents a significant milestone for children’s palliative care in Ireland. It will be the first children’s hospice to be built outside Dublin and the first of its kind to be constructed nationally since 2011. The planned facility will include eight in-patient and respite bedrooms and is expected to be completed within approximately two years.

The workshop will offer parents, siblings, and families an opportunity to share insights on what matters most in the design of a children’s hospice. Participation is entirely voluntary and will be facilitated with care, sensitivity, and appropriate supports throughout.

Martina Jennings, CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, said: “Families are at the heart of everything we do. Engaging with parents and siblings who have lived experience is essential to ensuring that Sunflower Children’s Hospice is a place of comfort, dignity, and compassion. Their voices will help shape a hospice that truly reflects the needs of children and families across the west and northwest, now and into the future.”

Hilary Stokes, Consultant Paediatrician and Clinical Director for Paediatrics, Women’s and Children’s Directorate, added: “This approach complements our ongoing efforts to promote integrated care, which is a key principle in delivering seamless, person-centred support. By bringing families, communities, and professionals together, we can foster compassionate communities and ensure care is coordinated across both community and specialist services.”