Our history

Our history

At Children's Hospice South West (CHSW) we are absolutely committed to making the most of short and precious lives. The care offered at each of our hospices is not simply about medical and nursing care for children, but about enriching the lives of children and their families.  

Families talk about the 'treasure chest' of precious memories they build to carry into the future... a future which will, sadly, be without their much loved child or children.

Children’s Hospice South West was founded in 1991 by Eddie and Jill Farwell after they experienced for themselves the urgent need for hospice care for children in the South West. Their 2 eldest children, Katie and Tom, had life-limiting illnesses and they had to travel over 4 hours, from their home in North Devon to Helen House in Oxford, then the country’s only children’s hospice.

In 1995 Little Bridge House, the South West’s first children’s hospice opened its doors to families from across the South West. Little Bridge House very quickly became oversubscribed, which led to the opening of the charity’s second hospice Charlton Farm located just outside Bristol, in 2007.

Our Precious Lives Appeal to build our third hospice, in Cornwall, Little Harbour was launched in September 2007. The appeal ended in September 2011 as the £5million target was reached. Little Harbour welcomed our first families through the doors in December 2011.

This will, by common consent, complete a chain of children’s hospices covering Cornwall, Plymouth, Torbay, Devon, Somerset, North Somerset, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire.