Lord Mayor of Manchester visit

Francis House welcomed the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor June Hitchen on a visit to the hospice during the summer.

Lord Mayor of Manchester and David Ireland in the Chapel at Francis House — The Lord Mayor and David Ireland in the chapel at Francis House

After meeting with Revd David Ireland, Francis House chief executive, the Lord Mayor was given a tour of the facilities and introduced to some of the children and their families.

The seven bedroom hospice opened in 1991 by Princess Diana, underwent a large scale expansion in 2014 to include seven further bedrooms for teenagers and young adults with life-limiting conditions.

The parent-free zone, developed to give the young people added independence, was officially opened in 2016 by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Lord Mayor stood by a plaque dedicated to the opening of Francis House by Princess Diana in 1991

David Ireland explained that Francis House supports more than 500 families from across Greater Manchester, and that many of the families rely on the charity for homecare as well as respite care at the hospice.

The Lord Mayor said: “Francis House is a lovely and well run centre – a home away from home, where children can be themselves and families can have some much needed respite from caring for their loved ones.”

The services at Francis House are made possible through charitable donations and include respite care, homecare, sibling support, symptom control and end of life care, and emotional and bereavement support.

“The staff do an astounding job to make sure families are comfortable and cared for, and they should be so proud of the work they do. May Francis House long continue the great work.”
Lord Mayor of Manchester