THE mother of a young girl who is cared for by Julia's House has started working towards the construction of the new hospice in Devizes.

Rebecca Thursby, the surveyor for Wates Construction, has already started the financial management for the construction, but as well as just having a professional tie to the project, Mrs Thursby's daughter, three-year-old Sophia, is regularly looked after by the team at the children's hospice.

Mrs Thursby, 34, of All Cannings, said: “This is no ordinary contract for me, this is not just about doing a good job for the client, this feels like a very personal project because I know how much it will mean, not only to my family but to families all over Wiltshire.”

Sophia suffers from blindness and epilepsy, causing her to lose conciousness meaning she must be resuscitated. Mr and Mrs Thursby have said that before they started receiving support from Julia's House they felt like they were being abandoned by health and social services. 

Since the start of the Julia’s House appeal Mrs Thursby, along with her husband Damien and her two children Sophia and Harry, aged five, have been involved in the process and have visited the site along with the nursing team who will be working there once the construction is complete.

“We are all working really collaboratively which is so rewarding. I have even had some input in the design from my perspective as a parent. I am so pleased to be part of it all,” she added.

The Julia’s House team work closely with the Thursby family as Sophia suffers from multiple health problems, giving Mr and Mrs Thursby the chance to spend time with Harry, when a carer and nurse from Julia’s House takes care of Sophia.

To help with the costs of the project, Mrs Thursby and some of her team from Wates Construction took part in a sponsored cycle journey in a Hospice to Hospice Cycle Ride which raised nearly £10,000. Also taking part in a similar event last year, Mrs Thursby and other supports of Julia’s House cycled 100k from Corfe Mullins to Devizes.

Peter Whitmore, business unit director for Wates Construction Southern Home Counties and South West, said: “Our work at Julia’s House brings with it the opportunity to bring long lasting benefit to the local community.

"We are proud to be supporting one of our colleagues in the process and are set to apply our extensive expertise in the care sector to create an environment that takes into account the need for all children.”

This autumn Julia’s House will start looking for staff to join the team in preparation for the official opening in spring next year.