Ten years of holding the family holiday weeks in Davos every summer and autumn

Start of construction and progress on schedule for the new Flamingo children’s hospice in Fällanden/ZH

Realisation of the new market presence for the foundation and the Flamingo Children’s Hospice, resulting from the successful cooperation with the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and the creative work of a student project group. Based on a stylised animal world and the motto ‘holistic | supportive | unique’

Agreement reached with Zurich Children’s Hospital on medical care at the Flamingo Children’s Hospice

Intensive and successful fundraising to ensure the completion of construction and start of operations for theFlamingo children’s hospice

Assurance of an operating licence for a nursing home from the Health Department of the Canton of Zurich and thus inclusion on the list of nursing homes.

Launch of a support fund for cost contributions to affected families in financially strained circumstances – fuelled by a significant bequest in a will

Expansion of accounting and financial reporting to the Swiss GAAP FER 21 standard and consolidation of Kinderhospiz Flamingo AG

When the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation approached the ZHdK and the Trends & Identity department with an enquiry, it was a great opportunity for us – we were able to give the new children’s hospice building a ‘face’ together with young students. We developed an extracurricular, interdisciplinary module in which the students Noëlle Schmidt (Trends & Identity), Anja Rötheli Schmidt (Trends & Identity), Vera Oberholzer (Visual Communication) and Sandro Beti (Interaction Design) created a design concept that focused on abstract motifs from the animal world and won over all those responsible.

The colourful animal world integrates the children’s hospice’s namesake, the flamingo, and the foundation’s butterfly, thus combining new and old.

Today, the animal world is used in a variety of ways and I am delighted that the students, who have since graduated, continue to work for the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation.

All in all, it was a wonderful and committed collaboration between all those involved. I would like to thank the Children’s Hospice Foundation for their trust, their openness and their willingness to make the Flamingo Children’s Hospice a diverse, colourful place where every being can recover for a moment, find support and be accompanied.

Prof. Bitten Stetter, Zürcher Hochschule der Künste ZHdK, Dozentin, Leitung Master und Forschung Trends & Identity.

The main focus was on securing the financing for the construction project, the construction approval on 15 September 2023 and the decision by the Foundation Board Committee on 12 October 2023 to go ahead with the project. The ground-breaking ceremony on 5 December 2023, the actual start of construction on 8 January 2024, the necessary approvals for the environmental planning and the drilling work for the geothermal probes were further significant steps.

The excellent construction progress with the selected and commissioned contractors and suppliers and the continued successful, intensive collaboration with the general planning team from apb architekten AG and the construction trustee pom+ Consulting AG made it possible to ceremoniously lay the foundation stone at ground floor level on 27 June 2024.

Heinz Specker, foundation board member and construction project manager

The highlight was the decision to realise the project by the Board of Trustees committee in October 23; this triggered a great deal of joy, emotion and enthusiasm in the team – combined with the challenge of starting construction in a timely manner.

The Flamingo Children’s Hospice construction project has moved the entire apb team; the topic of ‘children’s hospices’ triggers many conversations – with planners and also entrepreneurs. Through personal reflection and confrontation with the topic of ‘life-limiting illnesses in children/young people’, we also identify very strongly with the project. We all have family and children in our private lives.

The definition of a children’s hospice is one of the most challenging tasks: What is a children’s hospice in terms of, for example, ‘utilisation, building law, construction technology, fire protection, standards and specifications…’. What is possible and what is necessary in terms of donations when planning and building a children’s hospice?

A children’s hospice is much more than a combination of living and care, such as in a retirement and nursing home – we can draw on a wealth of experience in this area. For our team, it is one of the most intensive and complex projects with numerous challenges at various levels.

We look forward to continuing our work at and for the Flamingo Children’s Hospice and are happy to accept the challenge.

Renate Feissli, member of the Board of Trustees and member of the construction project team in conversation with Pia Kiebel Schinkhof, Dipl.- Ing. Arch. TH/SIA, overall project manager general planner apb architekten ag.

Hygiene concept for care
Care and support concept
Psychosocial concept
Operational concept including mission statement
Personnel management
HUV concept (housekeeping, accommodation, catering)

The services in a children’s hospice are mainly financed by donations. We expect to be able to settle a maximum of 30 per cent of the costs incurred via the existing regulations in the healthcare and education sectors.

In recent years, new, forward-looking strategies for palliative care for all age groups have been developed. However, a breakthrough has not yet been achieved. We are therefore working with other partners and service providers in the field of paediatric palliative care (PPC) to find new and innovative solutions for the families affected.

Successful models abroad provide pointers for sensible solutions. Until new political decisions are made and implemented, children’s hospice work in Switzerland will continue to require significant donations every year.

The families are accommodated in two Davos hotels and can enjoy family time together, for which there is often little room at home. ‘The priceless memories and the opportunity to forget the stressful day-to-day care routine for a week give you new strength!’ was the feedback from one participating family. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, professional preparation and careful supervision of all those involved on site in Davos are required.

Jolanda Scherler, a long-standing employee of the foundation, makes sure of this. She carries out this responsible task with a great deal of empathy and joy. ‘It’s a bit like coming home every season – Davos has taken us to its heart and vice versa,’ says Jolanda Scherler. We were once again supported by a team of volunteers on site. They are used for accompanying tasks and provide valuable insider tips about the region.

How did the earmarked fund for the care costs of the children in need of the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation come into realization?

In her will, a single, wealthy testator from the city of Bern named the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation as her sole heir, with the specification that her estate assets be used to set up a dedicated fund. The Board of Trustees has laid the necessary foundations for this and is delighted to be able to realise the wishes of the testator in a targeted manner.

For what purpose can support contributions be requested?

The fund assets may be used in accordance with the provisions of the testator’s will as set out in the fund regulations, i.e. to cover the care costs of children in need who are not covered by health insurance and to cover the care costs of families in need.

What kind of support do you expect to receive from affected families?

We will assess applications from families with one or more children with life-limiting illnesses. We can imagine that these will include, for example, support contributions for recommended therapies for the afflicted child, contributions towards the costs of relieving the family’s burden through third parties or the provision of services for healthy siblings who often live in the shadow of the afflicted child.

Nicola Presti, Communications Officer of the Foundation, in conversation with the Vice President of the Foundation Board and Head of the Awards Committee, Prof Urs B. Schaad.

To the whole Interview

ABZ-Solidaritätsfond Anna Mueller Grocholski-Stiftung apb architekten ag Bethe-Stiftung CAMMAC-Stiftung Casal Bernhard Stiftung Christian und Inge Kracht Stiftung Davos Klosters Bergbahnen AG Ernst Göhner Stiftung Fondation Juchum Finanzdirektion Zürich (Gemeinnütziger Fonds) Fondation Pleinvent GDMA Stiftung HKH Stiftung IW-Stiftung Mensch und Zukunft Joreva Stiftung Junge Wirtschaftskammer Davos Karitative Stiftung Dr. Gerberten Bosch Kündig &Cie AG Futtermittel Lions Club Davos-Klosters Lotteriefonds Appenzell Ausserrhoden Lotteriefonds Appenzell Innerrhoden palliacura Petersburg Stiftung pom+ consulting ProLiberis Foundation Puhl-Stiftung für Kinder Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe Reformierte Kirche Zug Ref. Kirchengemeinde Herrliberg Rütli Stiftung Solaria Davos AG Stiftung Amaari Stiftung cerebral Stiftung denk an mich Stiftung STAB Stiftung Sanitas Stiftung St. Vinzenz Siedlungsgenossenschafte Sunnige Hof Silvain Wyler Stiftung Steiger Stiftung Thomas & Doris Ammann Stiftung Verena Boller Stiftung Vontobel Stiftung Wilhelm Doerenkamp-Stiftung ZKB-Bank

Many thanks to all donors and patrons!