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All funds raised at the annual Purple Ball are used to ensure that Iris House Children’s Hospice can continue their essential services FREE of charge.
 
Iris House Children’s Hospice provides respite care both at their hospice and in the community for over 540 special needs children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in the Western Cape.
 
Iris House Children’s Hospice also supports the child’s family, by offering practical and emotional support.
 
Iris House strives to ensure every child has the best quality of life possible, no matter how long or short that life may be. A range of therapy services is also made available to each child and their family. These include equine therapy, adaptive surfing, imagination station (literacy program),  regular support groups, training, and fun family events.
 
Iris House is also a registered Child Protection agency. Their main focus is to train safety and foster parents, to empower them to be able to care for special needs children at risk. They also have a Child Protection line designed specifically for special needs children who are unable to speak for themselves. Carers and the public are made aware of the hotline through public awareness campaigns and encouraged to speak out against the abuse of special needs children and young adults. 
 
Iris House also has a first of its kind young adults protective workshop. The Collar Club is a thriving doggy daycare on the grounds of Stikland Estate. Young special needs adults are trained in dog behavior by our professionals, giving them the confidence and skills to seek employment in the open market. Far from complete, The Collar Club is looking to expand its operations to include dog food production and grooming.
 

A word from our Founder

Iris House was founded in 2011 by Sue van der Linde. After her return from England where she worked at Julias House Children’s Hospice in Dorset.

After my return to South Africa, I saw a large gap in the services that existed for special needs children, which was free, quality, respite care, and therapies.  I had seen first hand with my work in England just how much the special needs children in our care and their parents had benefited from this form of care.

In the first two years of existence, Iris House had its offices at my home, and we could only offer community-based respite care. However, after finding a derelict house on the grounds of Stikland Estate this all changed. We were able to convert the house into a world-class hospice that offers every child in our care a safe environment to learn, play, and enjoy themselves.

The hospice grounds are set up like a small farm and have sheep, chickens, a therapy dog, and two beautiful therapy horses. It also has a sensory room and sensory garden plus a fully equipped outside and undercover play area.

Late in 2019, Iris House was awarded a child protection license from the Department of Social Development. One of our main goals is to train safety and foster parents in order for them to be able to care for special needs children at risk. An overarching goal is to provide a safe space by way of our helpline for carers and the general public to report any incidences of abuse against special needs children and young adults. 

The latest extension of our services is our Doggy Daycare – adult workshop. Here young adults over 18 are paid a stipend to learn dog behavior, under professional guidance. We will be adding a grooming parlor and dog food production area in 2021, with the aim of employing more special needs young adults to train up and eventually place in a similar mainstream working environment.

 

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Stand a chance to win 2 x tickets to The Purple Ball 2023

Entries end 1st of August 2023, winner anounced and notified on the 3rd of August 2023. The Ball is on 26 August 2023.

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