A Liverpool hospice that provides care for babies and young children has been saved from closure after the community rallied to raise over £6 million in just one month.
Zoe’s Place, which supports children under five with chronic or life-limiting conditions, had previously announced plans to close at the end of the year due to financial strain. However, the hospice's trustees have now confirmed that enough funds have been raised by individuals and local businesses to keep the facility open.
Leading the effort, Liverpool-based retailer TJ Morris Ltd, which operates as Home Bargains, pledged £2.5 million toward the £6.4 million goal. Additional substantial contributions came from businesses like sportswear brand Montirex and the Hot Water Comedy Club. Michelle Wright, head of care at Zoe’s Place, expressed her deep gratitude: “Words cannot express how I feel. The ability to continue supporting our children and families means everything to us and is exactly what every member of our team has been hoping for.”
When the hospice, located on Yew Tree Lane in West Derby, announced its potential closure on October 7, affected families shared their heartbreak. Stephanie Perry, whose three-year-old daughter Robyn attends Zoe’s Place twice a week, said, “There’s nowhere else where our children are looked after, safe, and cared for by people we trust.”
Zoe’s Place, which also operates in Middlesbrough and Coventry, opened its Liverpool location in 1995. In October, plans to move to a new purpose-built site nearby fell through due to escalating costs and limited time. The impending closure threatened 41 staff members with job loss, and the hospice’s lease would expire in June 2025 due to the property owners, The Institute of Our Lady of Mercy, deciding to leave and sell the building.
A resurgence of hope came with a community-driven fundraising campaign, championed by West Derby MP Ian Byrne, that received overwhelming support from Merseyside and beyond. Mr. Byrne expressed his pride in the city’s response: “From kids donating pocket money and pensioners contributing their savings, to local businesses organizing fundraisers and celebrities volunteering their time and money—it truly felt like the entire city united to save Zoe’s Place, just as I knew they would.”