The £43,000 grant was funded through Morrisons’ partnership with Together for Short Lives. The newly refurbished space at Little Havens children’s hospice in Thundersley has been completely redesigned into a vibrant, modern environment. It offers a unique beach and underwater-themed sensory experience with music, jets and lights, for children and young people with complex conditions.

The grant has enabled the hospice to replace a dated bathroom with a welcoming and stimulating space that makes a real difference to local families who rely on Little Havens’ services.

During the visit, Community Champions from Morrisons’ Eastwood, Hadleigh and Canvey stores were welcomed by Emma Simpson, Head of Children and Young People’s Services at Little Havens, alongside Fundraising team members Stevie Brown and Aron Lane.

They toured the facilities and heard first-hand how the new bathroom supports the physical and emotional wellbeing of the children cared for at the hospice.

Emma said, “The sensory bathroom is an incredibly important part of our hospice. Some of the children and young people we support do not have access to a bath at home that meets their needs, so having a fully accessible, engaging, and therapeutic space is a lifeline for families. The bathroom is not only available to families staying overnight or for respite care, but it can also be booked by families using Little Havens’ services whenever it is needed.

“We can’t thank Morrisons, Morrisons’ customers and Together for Short Lives enough for making this possible; it really does mean so much to everyone at Little Havens.”

This generous grant follows another Building a Legacy Together Grant worth £49,975 donated to the hospice in 2023, which paid for essential upgrades to the sensory garden paths at the hospice, which were last updated around 20 years ago.

Morrisons and Together for Short Lives’ partnership ran from February 2022 to October 2024, raising vital funds for children’s hospices across the country and helping families make precious memories together. Together, they launched the Building a Legacy Together Grant last summer. The grants help children’s hospices across the country pay for things like renovations, new outdoor spaces and therapy equipment to ensure families caring for a life-limited child can be supported in a comforting, joyful environment.

Together for Short Lives Chief Executive, Nick Carroll says: “We are proud to see the fruits of our partnership with Morrisons come to life in such a meaningful way. The bathroom renovation at Little Havens was made possible by the Building a Legacy Grant, with thanks to Morrisons partnership fundraising. The grant programme, which was launched in 2023, continues to make a huge impact on hospices across the country just like Little Havens. We know that the transformation will make a huge difference for the families supported by Little Havens.

Morrisons Corporate Affairs Director, David Scott says: “As part of Morrisons’ commitment to giving back to our communities, we are proud to be funding this renovation at the hospice through our partnership with Together for Short Lives. This is what the Building a Legacy Together Grant is all about. We are confident that the [project] will make a difference to the families Little Havens support.”

Morrisons raised £10.72 million during their partnership with Together for Short Lives (Feb 2022 – Oct 2024). To find out more about the legacy of this partnership, please follow the link: http://bit.ly/45uy9jk

To find out more about Little Havens and how it supports children, young people and families across Essex, visit www.havenshospices.org.uk

Published on 6th August 2025