Bear Cottage

Bear Cottage is a children’s hospice located in Manly, Australia and is part of the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network. It provides long-term care to children, including nursing care, music, play and art therapy, and food, cleaning, and counseling services.[1] Bear Cottage is designed to be like a home away from home and as far removed from a hospital environment as possible. Staff do not wear uniforms, and no medical procedures are carried out in the bedrooms, which are designed to be like a normal bedroom.[2]

It opened on St Patrick's Day 17 March 2001[2] after $10 million had been raised from the community to build it.[3] In 2017 its operational costs were approximately $3.7 million per year,[4] with funding coming from the government, clubs and private sector.[5] It is one of only three children’s hospices in Australia.[6] Since 2016 the Cottage has been managed by Narelle Martin.[7] Professor Les White is the Patron.[8]

  1. ^ Corderoy, Amy (30 March 2013). "Child hospice struggling to meet demand". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b "About Bear Cottage". Sydney Children's Hospitals Network. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  3. ^ fpadmin (5 December 2016). "Bear Cottage fundraising event: Superhero Week". Fundraising & Philanthropy Australasia Magazine. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  4. ^ Zwartz, Henry (15 April 2017). "NSW government addresses Australia's 'unseen crisis'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  5. ^ VASS, NATHAN; PASSEY, DAVID (14 May 1997). "Angry clubs say charities will be $80m worse off". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 6.
  6. ^ "The cottage that makes moments heartbroken parents will treasure forever". NewsComAu. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  7. ^ Buckingham-Jones, Sam (26 January 2016). "Palliative care with family focus". The Australian. p. 7.
  8. ^ "Meet Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation's Patron - Professor Les White". Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation. Retrieved 17 November 2020.