Naomi House, the children's hospice near Winchester, has celebrated its fifth birthday. Today we hear about the important support staff provide during good days, difficult days and last days.

LISTENING to Head of Care Maggie Fry talk about Naomi House you are immediately struck by the warm and compassionate way she talks about her work.

She clearly enjoys supporting families whose children are terminally ill - and ultimately helping them to come to terms with the death of their loved ones.

"This is a great place to work and I feel privileged to be involved in the care of these children.

"Each child is unique and we are privileged that the families allow us to look after their children," she said.

There can be nothing more emotive than the death of a child but at Naomi House the whole subject is dealt with sensitively and with dignity.

Now in its fifth year, the children's hospice has developed to meet the needs of the youngsters and their families.

It was established to offer respite and palliative care to children aged from 0-19 with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.

Far from being a sad place, Naomi House has a positive outlook. The walls are covered with photo montages capturing moments of sheer joy.

The impish grins and mischievous smiles show that at Naomi House a great deal of time is spent just having fun with a capital F.

The aim is to ensure Naomi House is a real home from home. Whenever a child is referred to the hospice, home visits will be made to see what happens there.

Maggie explained: " We mirror the care they receive at home. We try to do a home visit so we can see the child in their normal environment."

As well as being a safe and caring environment for sickly children, Naomi House offers parents a chance to relax while their precious young ones are cared for.

Some choose to stay at the house with their children - and they can socialise with other parents - and others will enjoy the 'time off' afforded by the respite care.

"Some of the children are here on their own, whilst others come with the whole family," said Maggie. "Every family is different and individual. We have created a support network both here and at home. We want families to know that we are always here for them in any situation."

Of course this high level of care does not come cheap and if the home is running at full capacity £1.7m per annum is needed to cover the costs - and there is no help from the government.

It relies on fundraising to keep going and it is a charity that has been taken to the hearts of Hampshire people.

"We need just under £4,000 a day to keep the place going - and that's a helluva lot of money," said Maggie.

Fundraising manager Hugh Thompson sums up the effort required to keep the money rolling in.

"Quite simply, we couldn't raise this sort of money without a huge network of helpers - the hospice serves seven counties and we fundraise in all of them.

"Without their continuing commitment, there would be no hospice."

If you want to learn more about how you can support Naomi House, call 01962 843513.

READ MORE ABOUT NAOMI HOUSE, ITS STAFF AND PATIENTS IN THE LIFE SECTION OF TODAY'S SOUTHERN DAILY ECHO.