Netbasic Ltd.

Naomi House provides respite and palliative care to children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. Children and their families receive care and support through good days, difficult days and last days. (Taken from their website, I couldn’t hope to explain it so well).

Naomi House was first opened in 1997 - on land that was leased to the Trust by Mrs Mary Cornelius-Reid. The building is named after her youngest daughter. Their rent per annum is one dozen red roses, payable on mid-summer’s day.

It costs £2 million a year to provide support for the children and their families, that’s £6,000 per day. They receive no support from the government, they are 100% charitable. One way you can help is by joining the Naomi House lottery, it cost £1 per week, that’s £4.34 per month by standing order, 1st prize of £1,000, 2nd prize £100, 3rd prize £50, 4th prize £20 and 16 prizes of £5, no roll-overs, all prizes won every week.

My thanks go to Jill Livingstone who took time out from her busy schedule to show me around, it was a pleasure and a privilege to meet Jill, members of staff and the volunteers. They are an amazing group of people and deserve medals for all they do. One place that really touched me and brought it home to me the work they do was the Butterfly room, what a beautiful, quiet room it is, see their website - www.naomihouse.org.uk

I think that everyone at some point should visit a place like this, if for no other reason than to bring it home to each of us just how lucky we are. I don’t mind admitting it - I did shed a few tears. I left there feeling very humble.