Gqeberha-based Northwood Children’s Hospice, which assists young people with life-limiting illnesses, has received a big boost in the form of a R50,000 donation.
The facility assists young people affected clinically, therapeutically and emotionally, and the latest donation from SPAR Eastern Cape is set to spread the mission for more needy youth in the region.
The hospice, spread across No 6 and No 9 Northwood Road in Mount Croix, also walks alongside the children’s loved ones, supporting them at every stage of their journey.
Maureen Lamb started Northwood in 2009, growing out of St Francis Hospice’s community work, with the goal to provide pain and symptom management, home-based care, nutritional support and bereavement counselling to children and their families.
The hospice also houses special needs educational support and skills development programmes, which has helped more than 1,200 children and 800 young adults.
These include accredited healthcare and caregiving courses for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Northwood is one of two nonprofit organisations that will receive R50,000 each from SPAR Eastern Cape as beneficiaries of its 2026 Women’s Challenge, which takes place at Pollok Beach on September 26.
Lamb said the donation came at the perfect time as the facility was building a 30-bed, three-wing paediatric palliative care section which included inpatient wards, private rooms, family accommodation, therapy and training facilities, as well as a pharmacy, memorial garden and chapel.
“It’s a wonderful, wonderful gift,” Lamb said.
“Money doesn’t fall from the sky. We need to take hold of that to honour them and the people we care for.”
SPAR Eastern Cape sponsorship manager Honey Koba said the decision to support Northwood had been easy.
“We believe their holistic support is very important because families go through things no family should go through alone.”
Koba said the Women’s Challenge was not just about celebrating women, it also applauded organisations like Northwood.
Northwood’s reach extends well beyond its own gates as it supports three creches collectively looking after 150 children.
It also runs an annual winter campaign that donates more than 600 parcels of warm clothing and blankets to families.
In addition, each Christmas the organisation’s Smiley Box initiative brings clothing, porridge and small treats to more than 500 children between the ages of three and 15.
“Through the grace of many volunteers, donors and churches, we are able to deliver the boxes to the many referred names handed to us,” Lamb said.
To date, Northwood has impacted the lives of more than 7,200 families.