A Royal Wootton Bassett travel firm has raised £100,000 for a children’s hospice over the past five years – helping to fund a special sensory room for seriously ill children.

The Imagine Cruising team, based at Interface Business Park, raised the money by taking on personal and company-wide fundraising challenges to raise the money over five years.

The milestone sum has also helped Julia's House provide a lifeline of care for families of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across Wiltshire and Dorset.

Julia’s House is being backed by the Adver after launching its Together We Care Appeal last year in a bid to raise essential funds to support the growing number of local children and families that depend on the charity’s care.

Imagine Cruising, which specialises in luxury and tailor-made cruise holidays, has supported the charity since before the first hospice was opened in Devizes in 2017. 

CEO Robin Deller, who drove the fundraising efforts,said: “We started working with Julia’s House at the beginning of their journey in Wiltshire and it has been truly inspiring to follow them along the way. 

“It was lovely to get the chance to attend their open day recently and celebrate all the great things that they have achieved and the fundraising partnership we have built over the last five years. 

“Since our relationship with the local charity began, it’s with great pride that I can say that we have raised an amazing £100,000 for the hospice. 

“I am really looking forward to continuing our support and I am so excited to discover new ways that we can help. 

“The team at the hospice work extremely hard, so it’s a pleasure to help them continue to provide their specialist care in our local community.”

Alice Chalmers, corporate fundraiser for Julia’s House, said: “We’re delighted to have the ongoing support of the amazing team at Imagine Cruising, and they should all be very proud of their fantastic achievement.

“Throughout the pandemic, they’ve continued to show their passionate support for the families we care for, and we’re so grateful for all their fundraising efforts. 

“We rely on donations to fund our vital care in Wiltshire, so every pound raised makes a huge difference for the families of the seriously ill children that we support.”

Julia’s House is almost entirely reliant on donations to provide its outstanding care for the growing number of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across Wiltshire. 

The hospice was recently awarded an Outstanding rating by the Care Quality Commission and was found to treat children and families with “compassion and kindness”.

The charity currently has opportunities for two more nurses to join the team in the Wiltshire hospital. 

To find out more information about available, visit www.juliashouse.org/careers/join-our-team