We support children and their families in the Wessex Region who are undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.
The Sophie Barringer Trust has been honouring commitments and funding various initiatives since it became a registered charity in 2005. Sophie’s Appeal was set up as the fundraising arm of The Sophie Barringer Trust and is proud of it’s achievements to date and continues to make a difference to families living in the Wessex region…
Northbrook Children’s Ward, RHCH Winchester
Sophie received some of her treatment on Northbrook Children’s Ward at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. It was known as her 'shared care' hospital. It was during a stay on Northbrook Ward that Sophie's Dad struck up a conversation about helping to provide modern facilities for outpatient children. The idea for Sophie's Place was born.
The reception area on Northbrook Ward now provides a warm, friendly and secure entrance where patients are greeted. The area also provides a quiet room for breastfeeding and a toilet for patient use. This was made possible due to a donation of £80,000 from Sophie’s Appeal. The work was carried out and officially opened in 2017.
Sophie’s Place - Sophie’s Place is a purpose designed area of Northbrook Children's Ward for treating children for routine treatment, tests, referrals from GP's and more. Sophie's Appeal helped fund the decor, flooring and wall murals which enabled the hospital to concentrate on providing modern, efficient medical equipment, whilst the environment helped children to feel more at ease. Sophie’s Place opened on 24th October 2007. Sophie’s Appeal also funded the newly painted corridor, two cubicles used to treat cancer patients and Sophie's Den, which will be used as an isolation suite for children undergoing Chemotherapy.
Piam Brown Ward, Southampton General Hospital - Sophie received most of her treatment on Piam Brown at Southampton General Hospital. It was here, while spending weeks at her side, Sophie’s parents decided they wanted to raise money to help improve the environment for both the children and parents on the ward. From Sophie’s Appeal first fundraising events, the money was donated to enable the ward to replace all the curtains and bedspreads to bring instant freshness to the ward. Some of this money was also used to buy a new cooker for the family room to enable all those staying on the ward to prepare their own meals.
The Sophie Barringer Trust liaise with Piam Brown on a regular basis and are delighted they are one of the main referrers, on behalf of families, for Rainbow Retreat.
Beads Of Courage - In 2004 Sophie’s Appeal began to fund a project called ‘Beads of Courage’ on Piam Brown Ward. Children are given a bead each time they receive treatment; be that a blood transfusion or a round of chemotherapy. Every bead tells a story and marks certain milestones in both their life and their treatment. This project is really important as it helps children explain their treatment to others and to show how far they have come on their cancer journey. The Sophie Barringer Trust is proud to still be funding this initiative and donates £5000 a year which is shared between Piam Brown and Northbrook Ward.
Sophie’s Surprises - The Sophie Barringer Trust is pleased to be able to offer Sophie’s Surprises. These are one off respite opportunities and may range from days out for children and their families to help ease the stress and escape the strains of hospital life, if only for a short while, trips to the theatre and visits to theme parks. Requests can be made by emailing info@sophiesappeal.org.
Research - Sophie’s Appeal was proud to have funded a two-year research project at University Southampton Hospital between 2006 and 2007. The research was led by Sophie’s consultant, at the time, Dr Jan Kohler. This project made ground-breaking research that was published worldwide. £5,000 a year was pledged towards this research.
Sophie’s Appeal also pledged £15,000 to help fund a research project at University College London, in 2010 which was headed up by Professor Kathy Pritchard Jones. This project provided research into molecular biology of childhood Wilm’s Tumour (the same cancer as Sophie) to give children the best chance of a long-term cure without undue risky and potentially damaging side-effects.
To help fundraise download the Sophie Barringer Trust Information Booklet…
