Dorset Freemasonry
National Freemasons’ children’s charity provides magical technology for children at Julia’s House children’s hospice. Lifelites delivered a brand new package of specialist technology for the children and young people who are cared for at Julia’s House children’s hospice in Dorset. The hospice, Lifelites and donors all celebrated the wonderful new equipment that is designed to enable young people to play, to be creative, control something for themselves and communicate – for as long as it is possible.
Lifelites is the only charity to provide and maintain assistive and inclusive technology packages for terminally ill and disabled children in every baby and children’s hospice across the British Isles. The technology is selected for children with disabilities and the package includes a number of magical items such as: specialist iPad packages, The Beamz music system, Eyegaze and the brand new Mobile Magic Carpet.
The new Magic Carpet helps the children escape the confines of their illness by projecting interactive games and images that users with little or no mobility can play with simply by moving on or over the picture on the floor, on a table, bed or chair. It brings the outside world in giving them the chance to splash in the sea, fly a plane or play football with their brothers and sisters, irrespective of their disabilities. The best thing about this magical piece of equipment is that it is very compact and light so can be easily moved and transported around the hospice.
Representing Dorset Freemasonry at the celebration event in Poole was Assistant Provincial Grand Master, Stephen James who was interested to see what Lifelites had provided at this site. Stephen commented: “The Lifelites equipment enables all children to enjoy themselves irrespective of the challenges life has presented to them. All Freemasons in Dorset can justifiably be proud their contributions to this wonderful asset to Julia’s House””
There is a Lifelites project in all baby and children’s hospices across the British Isles. The hospices do not pay a penny towards their Lifelites project and all of Lifelites’ work is funded by donations: the equipment, ongoing technical support and training at this project will cost Lifelites £50,000 over four years. Support for the package at Julia’s House came from E D Charitable Trust, Revere Charitable Trust, GamesAid, Khoo Teck Puat UK Foundation and Microsoft.
