Our History

As other children's hospices have found, we embarked on a long journey to establish our vision of a comprehensive hospice service.  So, when Noah's Ark was established in 1999 by the current Chair of Trustees, Michael McInerney, following the death of a child in his extended family, all involved knew that it would not be an easy task.

Following some years of fundraising, a full-time CEO was appointed in August 2005 - Gill Dodge.  Coming from a commercial healthcare background, Gill worked with the Board to review the Development Plan which has, and continues to, direct our efforts in developing services for life-limited children and their families.

Whilst the original aim of the Board had been to raise money for a building, the new plan quickly identified that a comprehensive community outreach team was needed as soon as possible in order to meet the needs of the families.  Just six years on and we have now worked with over 120 families, have acquired some land for our hospice building and have a strong and diverse service, offering much needed support at a time when families need it most.