A HAMPSHIRE charity that provides a place to stay for parents of seriously-ill children has launched a new initiative to raise vital funds.

Wessex Heartbeat is urging businesses to sign up to its Adopt A Room scheme to ensure that Heartbeat House can support as many families as possible during their time of need.

So far six firms have adopted a room, each donating £240 to help keep the house open to the more than 1,200 relatives of cardiac patients who are treated on the unit every year.

Just three minutes’ walk from the wards at Southampton General Hospital, the house provides a supportive refuge and “home from home” for guests while their loved ones are undergoing major surgery or other treatment.

There is no cost to guests, and they are able to stay in the house for as long as their relative remains in hospital, so funds are vital to keep its doors open.

Alison Farrell, chief executive of the charity, said: “Relatives tell us they need to be near their loved ones day and night while they are very ill in hospital. This is the same whether the patient is a baby, teenager or adult.

“The reassurance people have from staying in Heartbeat House cannot be measured. This is why we are so grateful to the businesses that have generously helped us get this initiative off the ground.”

The cost to adopt a room is £240 a year or £20 a month and all adoptees are acknowledged outside the room they adopt as well as being mentioned in the Heartbeat House AdoptA Room book.

For more details on the scheme log on to heartbeat.co.uk/adopt-a-room.