About us

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We help babies, children and young people with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, and their families, make the most of every day. And we support those who die young to do so in as much comfort as possible, surrounded by family.

We are here to enable those we support to enjoy life as children, rather than as patients; as families, not just as carers.

Our story

Noah’s Ark was established by Michael McInerney following the death of a child in his close family in a local hospital. Unhappy with the options available for the child, he launched Noah’s Ark’s care for children and families in 2006 after years of fundraising.

We are now one of the UK’s leading children’s hospices, providing care for over 350 children and their families every year. We believe that every baby, child and young person who is seriously unwell, and their loved ones, should have access to expert and compassionate palliative care from the point of diagnosis. Partnering with London’s NHS trusts and social care organisations, we have built a home, a community and a team to make that difference.

Our 2022 – 2025 STRATEGY

It is the duty of a caring society to ensure that children who are seriously unwell, and their families, have access to expert and compassionate palliative care. We are committed to making that difference for as many children and families as possible.

Noah’s Ark has been on a major upward trajectory in recent years – it’s been quite a journey. As we look to scale further over the coming three years, we think it’s more important than ever to ensure that we are focusing on our core mission of improving the quality of life and death for the children and families we support. We call this ‘making the most of every day’.

Our three-year strategy outlines our organisational objectives that will guide us to securing a sustainable future for the charity – because there will always be children who need our support. To achieve this, we will need the whole Noah’s Ark community to rally together once again. We hope you will join us on this next important stage of our journey.

view our strategy

The Ark

Set in a 7.5-acre nature reserve, The Ark is a place of light, life and comfort for those we support.

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Our People

Meet the faces behind all of the amazing services we offer at Noah’s Ark.

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Our Support

With an equal focus on holistic and clinical services, we offer the widest breadth of care of any children’s hospice in the UK.

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Our Approach

We put the children and families we care for at the centre of all we do, offering expert support, wherever it is required.

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“In my head, hospice care was all about end-of-life but actually it’s about much more than that. Nurses like Nikki help Isabella have fun and support her development. It’s just brilliant.”

ANDY, FATHER OF ISABELLA