As a vital children's hospice celebrates its tenth birthday, its co-founder looks back on its origins.

Daphne Hall, of Little Clacton, helped set up Little Havens in Thundersley after a decade at sister hospice, Fair Havens, which she co-founded with fellow members of a Baptist church in Westcliff.

The former nurse from St Osyth Road East explained: "At the tenth anniversary of Fair Havens, all the staff and trustees were wondering what God had in mind for us in the future.

"We had a call from a social worker, asking us to give respite to a family with a three-year-old girl who was suffering from a life-limiting condition.

"After thinking very carefully about it, we had to say no which was a very hard decision.

"So we realised there was a need for a children's hospice in Essex.

"When we presented the idea to the trustees, they said it looked like something else God was calling them to do."

After years of dedicated fundraising, the £3.9 million hospice opened its doors to sick children across Essex in March 1998.

"The support we had from the local communities across Essex was amazing," said Mrs Hall.

"It's always very emotive when children are involved."

Since the hospice opened, over 1,000 life-limited children and their families have been cared for through nursing, counselling and therapy, amongst other services.

It now costs around £2.1 million to run each year, with only limited funding available from the government.

Cerebral palsy and epilepsy sufferer Perry Harman-Page, 17, of Holbrook Close in Clacton is just one of the youngsters who has been looked after by the hospice.

Mrs Hall, who took early retirement in 1999, said: "People often think hospices are very sad places, but they are the happiest places I've ever worked in.

"There is always laughter - children like it when they hear us laugh."

She added: "Death is a taboo subject but positive things can come from a good death.

"It's so rewarding when you see that the family has been looked after and you know that everyone has been given the best care possible."

Mrs Hall was awarded an MBE in 1998 for her work with both hospices.

"I accepted it on behalf of everyone else involved with Fair Havens and Little Havens - the staff, patients, families and volunteers," she said.

"I made sure I told the Queen that no one person could have achieved it without the help of everyone else."

For more information about the work of the hospice, visit the link below.