Above
Our equipment in use at
Brian House, Blackpool
Below
Naomi House, Winchester
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Lifelites started life within the Royal
Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys
(RMTGB) in 1998 as the Lifelites Project,
with a pilot scheme in one hospice. That
scheme was such a success that Lifelites was
adopted by the RMTGB as its Project for
the Millennium, with the aim of providing
computer equipment to every children’s
hospice in England and Wales.
Since 1998, Lifelites has gone from
strength to strength and recently celebrated
its fifth birthday by announcing support for
the Shooting Star House Children’s Hospice
– the 34th installation within its network.
On 1st January 2006, as a mark of its
success, Lifelites became a charity in its
own right.
Lifelites is designed to help improve the
quality of life for young people with lifelimiting
illnesses. Its aim is to ensure that
specially designed computer networks are
provided in every children’s hospice across
the country, with each hospice connected as
part of a network to every other hospice in
the scheme.
Lifelites computers enable the children to
continue their education whilst in hospice
care, pursue their interests and activities, and
keep in close touch with family and friends.
Training for hospice staff is also provided.
A children’s hospice supports children
and young people who are expected to die
before, or shortly after, reaching adulthood.
By providing care either at home or in a
purpose-built environment, highly trained
staff assist the children and their families with
the medical and emotional challenges that
having a serious illness or condition brings,
and they help them to make the most of
their lives.
At the Annual General Court of the
RMTGB in June 2005, the President, VW
Bro Andrew Stebbings, announced that:
“Following a strategic review it had been
decided that Lifelites should be established as
a separate charity which is able to seek both
Masonic and non-Masonic support.
Funding will be provided to secure the
future of the new charity and the RMTGB
will continue to provide administrative
support”.
The Lifelites IT infrastructure supports
multi-media communications and
computer-aided educational and
recreational amenities at all of the hospices
in a safe and secure environment.
A typical installation includes a computer
suite with internet access, specially designed
peripherals such as keyboards and mice,
portable PCs on trolleys, a large-screen
plasma television and a video/DVD player.
Drawing on funding provided by the
RMTGB, Lifelites works closely with the
Worshipful Company of Information
Technologists (WCIT). Each Lifelites’
scheme is based upon the EZ<>IT concept,
developed by the WCIT, and provides a
reliable networked system suitable for
children of all ages.
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