Charity raises awareness of “life-changing” assistive tech for children in hospices

Assistive technology charity Lifelites moves Freemasons from across the country to help bring the outside world in for life-limited children in their area.

The charity held photoshoots across the country at iconic locations including Hereford Cathedral, Ironbridge in Shropshire, and Windermere Lake in the Lake District with Freemasons.

The aim was to highlight the need of life-limited children in hospices to escape the confines of their conditions by using life-changing technology.

Virtual reality (VR) is one item of technology that Lifelites donates to give children at every children’s hospice across the British Isles a chance to leave behind their hospice bed or wheelchair and walk along virtual beaches, or explore other countries or other worlds. The photoshoots also served to highlight the ongoing support of Freemasons in many parts of the country for Lifelites work in their area.

This event was Lifelites’ new CEO’s, Rob Lightfoot, first for the charity.

He said: “Lifelites is an incredible and unique charity working to support every life-limited and disabled child using hospice services across the British Isles. It is a privilege to join the passionate team of Lifelites staff and I look forward to working with our supporters and hospice partners to bring life-changing technology to those that need it most.

“We live in a society which has suffered many hardships and life continues to be challenging for so many, but these children and their families are more vulnerable than most. Lifelites is proud to work with our supporters and our hospice partners to ensure that these children are given the very best respite and end of life experiences.

“We recognise the power of technology for good and how the digital revolution, of which we are a part, may hold the keys for a better quality of life for the children we support. I want to thank all of our supporter for helping us to make the impossible possible for life-limited children.”

Lifelites has been donating equipment and services for children using every children’s hospice across the British Isles for the past 22 years and is the only charity that does this.

Lifelites continues to provide new assistive technology, maintenance and training to hospice staff on how to use it to ensure that as many of these children as possible will have the chance to enjoy the benefits of this technology during their short lives.

In 2022, the charity was chosen as a partner for the world’s biggest games charity event, Jingle Jam, receiving over £210,000 to donate assistive equipment to life-limited and disabled children.