We are off in mid April to look at a potential site for the TCCL Lodge close to St Andrews. We won't know until we see it if it has the potential that we seek, but from what we do know about it so far, it sounds promising.
Look for an update on the blog during the week 14 - 18 April.
Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
TCCL Lodge - Background to the Charity
TCCL Lodge was started as a special project by local tayside charity, Tayside Children with Cancer and Leukaemia (TCCL) Reg Charity No SC023997.
Since its formation, the TCCL Committee has been tireless in organising fundraising enterprises to finance family support. This is acknowledged by the children, parents and ward staff as being very beneficial at a time when children and families affected by a diagnosis of cancer are devastated and in need of financial and psychosocial support.
TCCL however now has a larger vision– to build a holiday house where children and families can relax together during the arduous years of treatment and recovery. TCCL Lodge Charity (SC 043006) was therefore formed
THE VISION OF TCCL LODGE…
……a holiday house where children with cancer and their families can spend quality time together in a special place with the right amenities.
Childhood cancer is a devastating diagnosis for every child and family. Treatments are now very successful, but extremely arduous, long and time consuming. Children and families need to carry on with the normal routine of life with jobs, school and friends.
When a child is diagnosed with one of the cancers including leukaemia it becomes immediately apparent that he or she is not the only one that is affected by the disease. The parents are seriously affected and can struggle physically, practically, emotionally, and financially with the intensive, intrusive treatment regime and the inevitable disruption it brings to family life. It is not ONLY the parents who are caught up in this crisis. As a grandparent inevitably you are anxious for your grandchild and also for your adult child, the parent. This circle of concern can spill out to aunts and uncles and other extended family and friends. Hospital attendances are frequent including outpatient visits and inpatient says for many days or weeks.
More than this although some visits are scheduled many more are unscheduled emergency admissions as a result of infections or other consequences of the treatment. In most cases one or both parents are working so their financial life is affected and this can lead to money problems if they have to be absent from work frequently. Then there is the additional cost of petrol to and from the hospital, sometimes from considerable distances.
ABOUT TCCL LODGE
Where will it be?.....
We have decided to try and locate the TCCL Lodge in the St Andrews area. This is based on the three requisites of:-
• It should be within 1 to 1.5 hours of Tayside Children’s Hospital at Ninewells, if an emergency arise requiring rapid transfer of the child with cancer to hospital.
• It should be in a place which is a holiday resort with the appropriate amenities
• Parent choice –having surveyed TCCL’s present parents they chose St Andrews over other potential choices.
Who will be eligible to use the TCCL Lodge?.....
• The house will be offered to any Child or Young Person with cancer and their families who live in Tayside or North East Fife.
• This will be on a first come first served basis.
• The house will be available 50 weeks of the year
• Any vacant weeks will be available to Children or Young People with cancer and their families in the East of Scotland , then throughout the whole of Scotland.
• Access will be via their local Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nurses.
What facilities will it contain?......
Our wish list for the lodge is as follows::
The house will be custom built or refurbished to provide high quality accommodation comprising:-
• Open plan sitting area and dining room with easy but safe access to kitchen and utility room.
• Conservatory opening onto a covered deck to make the most of outside despite our weather.
• A snug/TV room for those who want to get away from it all
• A room for the child/young person with cancer with an ensuite bathroom. This will have disabled access equipment to meet all possible needs. It will open onto the outside decking.
• A room next door for parents
• 2 further bedrooms and bathrooms to allow flexible usage for siblings and extended family such as grandparents.
• Garden with age appropriate equipment.
• Secluded but within easy reach of leisure facilities on offer.
The house will be provided FREE.
The house will have up to date equipment to enable a pleasant stress free holiday.
The house will be professionally cleaned between occupants
Linen, towels, some toiletries and a welcome food pack will be provided.
When will it be available?......
It is hoped to begin building in late 2015 with completion and the first families being able to use it in the latter half of 2016 latest.
FUNDING FOR THE TCCL LODGE
The carefully costed budget for The Project is £500,000 which will cover
• the purchase of the land, the construction of the building, equipping the Lodge and laying out the garden,
• or the purchase of a property and its complete refurbishment.
• It is also intended to provide for the operating costs, maintenance and repairs for the first three years.
Thanks to donations already received the sum of £275,000 has been committed to the project.
The TCCL Lodge will provide many people, coping with the challenges caused by Cancer and Leukaemia, with a place of respite, comfort and pleasure.
Via this blog we hope to keep you updated on the progress of the Lodge from now till completion.
Since its formation, the TCCL Committee has been tireless in organising fundraising enterprises to finance family support. This is acknowledged by the children, parents and ward staff as being very beneficial at a time when children and families affected by a diagnosis of cancer are devastated and in need of financial and psychosocial support.
TCCL however now has a larger vision– to build a holiday house where children and families can relax together during the arduous years of treatment and recovery. TCCL Lodge Charity (SC 043006) was therefore formed
THE VISION OF TCCL LODGE…
……a holiday house where children with cancer and their families can spend quality time together in a special place with the right amenities.
Childhood cancer is a devastating diagnosis for every child and family. Treatments are now very successful, but extremely arduous, long and time consuming. Children and families need to carry on with the normal routine of life with jobs, school and friends.
When a child is diagnosed with one of the cancers including leukaemia it becomes immediately apparent that he or she is not the only one that is affected by the disease. The parents are seriously affected and can struggle physically, practically, emotionally, and financially with the intensive, intrusive treatment regime and the inevitable disruption it brings to family life. It is not ONLY the parents who are caught up in this crisis. As a grandparent inevitably you are anxious for your grandchild and also for your adult child, the parent. This circle of concern can spill out to aunts and uncles and other extended family and friends. Hospital attendances are frequent including outpatient visits and inpatient says for many days or weeks.
More than this although some visits are scheduled many more are unscheduled emergency admissions as a result of infections or other consequences of the treatment. In most cases one or both parents are working so their financial life is affected and this can lead to money problems if they have to be absent from work frequently. Then there is the additional cost of petrol to and from the hospital, sometimes from considerable distances.
ABOUT TCCL LODGE
Where will it be?.....
We have decided to try and locate the TCCL Lodge in the St Andrews area. This is based on the three requisites of:-
• It should be within 1 to 1.5 hours of Tayside Children’s Hospital at Ninewells, if an emergency arise requiring rapid transfer of the child with cancer to hospital.
• It should be in a place which is a holiday resort with the appropriate amenities
• Parent choice –having surveyed TCCL’s present parents they chose St Andrews over other potential choices.
Who will be eligible to use the TCCL Lodge?.....
• The house will be offered to any Child or Young Person with cancer and their families who live in Tayside or North East Fife.
• This will be on a first come first served basis.
• The house will be available 50 weeks of the year
• Any vacant weeks will be available to Children or Young People with cancer and their families in the East of Scotland , then throughout the whole of Scotland.
• Access will be via their local Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nurses.
What facilities will it contain?......
Our wish list for the lodge is as follows::
The house will be custom built or refurbished to provide high quality accommodation comprising:-
• Open plan sitting area and dining room with easy but safe access to kitchen and utility room.
• Conservatory opening onto a covered deck to make the most of outside despite our weather.
• A snug/TV room for those who want to get away from it all
• A room for the child/young person with cancer with an ensuite bathroom. This will have disabled access equipment to meet all possible needs. It will open onto the outside decking.
• A room next door for parents
• 2 further bedrooms and bathrooms to allow flexible usage for siblings and extended family such as grandparents.
• Garden with age appropriate equipment.
• Secluded but within easy reach of leisure facilities on offer.
The house will be provided FREE.
The house will have up to date equipment to enable a pleasant stress free holiday.
The house will be professionally cleaned between occupants
Linen, towels, some toiletries and a welcome food pack will be provided.
When will it be available?......
It is hoped to begin building in late 2015 with completion and the first families being able to use it in the latter half of 2016 latest.
FUNDING FOR THE TCCL LODGE
The carefully costed budget for The Project is £500,000 which will cover
• the purchase of the land, the construction of the building, equipping the Lodge and laying out the garden,
• or the purchase of a property and its complete refurbishment.
• It is also intended to provide for the operating costs, maintenance and repairs for the first three years.
Thanks to donations already received the sum of £275,000 has been committed to the project.
The TCCL Lodge will provide many people, coping with the challenges caused by Cancer and Leukaemia, with a place of respite, comfort and pleasure.
Via this blog we hope to keep you updated on the progress of the Lodge from now till completion.
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