The announcement of a £50,000 grant to Lifelites marked more than a financial commitment – it was a powerful statement of belief in the life-changing potential of technology, compassion and community.

The grant, made towards Lifelites’ partnerships with Francis House Children’s Hospice and Derian House Children’s Hospice, will enable Lifelites to deliver cutting-edge assistive and sensory technology to children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

For many families, these tools will open doors that once felt firmly closed: the ability to communicate, to play, to express personality, and to share precious moments of joy together.

For over 25 years, Lifelites has been at the forefront of using technology to enrich the lives of children who face the most complex challenges.

Working in partnership with organisations across the UK and Ireland, the unique charity carefully designs and delivers tailored technology packages that are far more than equipment alone.

Each installation is supported by specialist training, technical expertise and ongoing support, ensuring hospice staff feel confident and empowered to use the technology creatively and effectively.

At both hospices, the technology funded through this grant will soon be embedded into daily care, transforming spaces into immersive, interactive environments. Eyegaze systems will give children who are unable to speak or move a way to communicate and make choices. Sensory and interactive equipment will encourage play, exploration and relaxation, helping children express themselves and engage with the world around them in ways that suit their individual abilities.

Central to Lifelites’ work is the belief that every child, regardless of diagnosis or prognosis, deserves the chance to experience joy, play and connection. For families, the technology offers rare opportunities to share moments of laughter, creativity and togetherness – moments that often become treasured memories on an otherwise difficult journey.

The impact of the grant was brought vividly to life during a visit to Francis House Children’s Hospice, where the Provincial Grand Master, Robert Ian Frankl, and the Chairman of the East Lancashire Masonic Charity, Chad Northcott, were in attendance to see first-hand how the funding had been applied.

During the visit, they had the opportunity to take part in using some of the inclusive and assistive technology provided through Lifelites, experiencing directly how it enables children to communicate, play and engage with their surroundings in ways that would otherwise be impossible.

They also met children and their families, hearing personal stories that illustrated the profound difference the technology is making in everyday hospice care.

The visit included a guided tour of the hospice, led by Francis House CEO, Rachel Taylor, offering insight into the compassionate, holistic environment in which Lifelites’ technology is embedded, and reinforcing the importance of partnerships that combine innovation with exceptional care.

Behind this grant sits a long tradition of charitable giving and civic responsibility. As the East Lancashire Masonic Charity reflected:

“For over 100 years the East Lancashire Masonic Charity and the Freemasons of East Lancashire have sought to offer grants and support to other charities and good causes within our local communities, to the benefit of the public and society as a whole. Through our Grants Committee, and on behalf of all Freemasons in East Lancashire, we are proud to be associated with Lifelites and Francis House and Derian House Children’s Hospices by providing funding towards an array of assistive and sensory technology, which will empower so many young people and their families to create unforgettable moments of joy, happiness and connection.”

Speaking about the partnership, Rob Lightfoot, Chief Executive of Lifelites said:

“Lifelites was founded by Freemasonry in 1999 and to this day the support from Freemasons across the country is as vital as ever. The grant from the East Lancashire Masonic Charity will enable Lifelites to provide the very latest assistive technology for our hospice partners at Francis House and Derian House. The lives of children using their services are often shaped by medical complexity and uncertainty. But in the midst of all this, their families want what we all want – to give their children a childhood. This technology is truly life-changing for seriously ill children enabling them to achieves things that may otherwise be out of reach. We are so grateful to East Lancashire Freemasons for helping us to make the impossible, possible.”