The fight to save the soul of east London

As families across Newham prepare for the festive season, a shadow has fallen over the borough. Richard House, London’s first children’s hospice and a lifeline for over 300 local families, is set to close its doors this week. The news has sent shockwaves through the community, leaving parents of children with life-limiting conditions facing an uncertain and terrifying future.

For twenty-five years, Richard House in Beckton has been more than just a care facility; it has been a sanctuary. It is where exhausted parents found respite, where siblings found support, and where children with the most complex needs found joy and dignity. To lose such a pillar of the community is a tragedy; to lose it with just days' notice before Christmas feels like a betrayal.

While the hospice's current Board of Trustees has cited insurmountable financial pressures, a fierce and passionate campaign led by parents suggests that this closure is not inevitable. The Save Richard House campaign, a grassroots movement driven by the very families who rely on the hospice, is arguing that the crisis is avoidable. They are calling for the immediate resignation of the current trustees and the appointment of an interim board to explore every possible alternative to closure.

Their voices are being joined by a growing chorus of political heavyweights. Local MPs, including James Asser, Uma Kumaran, and Sir Stephen Timms and the mayor Rokhsana Fiaz have thrown their weight behind the campaign, amplifying the call for transparency and urgent intervention. The message is clear: we cannot simply accept the loss of a vital service that supports the most vulnerable babies and children in our city.

The proposed "transition" to Haven House in Woodford Green, while well-intentioned, is a logistical nightmare for many Newham families who rely on local, accessible care. As one parent put it, Richard House isn't a "nice to have"—it is an essential part of their survival.

The Save Richard House website has become a focal point for action, urging residents to sign petitions, email their MPs, and demand that the decision be paused. This is a fight for the soul of East London. A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable, and right now, Newham is at risk of failing that test. The community must stand with these families, support their demand for new leadership, and ensure that this beacon of hope is not extinguished in the dark of winter.

Campaigners fight to save Richard House

This video is relevant as it provides visual context and interviews from a similar campaign to save a community hospice, helping readers connect emotionally with the struggle Newham families are currently facing.