Starship’s Consult Liaison rooms transformed thanks to Mercury
Children and young people being supported by Starship's child psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and therapists will benefit from the latest refurbishment project completed at our national children's hospital which has seen five rooms given a transformative upgrade.
The improvements, within Starship's Consult Liaison rooms, were made possible through funding from Starship Five Star Partner Mercury and its customers. Consult Liaison is the collective umbrella name for the team of specialists who support children, young people and their families as they navigate the emotional and psychological challenges that go along with chronic and long-term illness, as well as those facing acute trauma situations, through treatment and beyond.
Unchanged for 13 years, the upgraded, more welcoming rooms will have a positive impact for everyone who uses these spaces.
"The fresh and lovely rooms will make such a difference to the children and whanau that we see for psychological therapies and support. These families are often going through the toughest journeys of their lives and it really helps to be able to see them in nice surroundings. It reflects that we respect and value them and it helps to lift everyone's spirits during tough times," says Dr Leah Andrews, Acting Clinical Director, Starship Consult Liaison Service.
The backing from Mercury, through the Starship Foundation, has fast-tracked the $92,000 refurbishment at Starship. It is one of many projects completed at our national children's hospital thanks to Mercury customers who give to Starship by making a donation through their monthly energy bill.
"This refurbishment is a result of the power of collective giving. For almost 20 years now, our customers have been making a real difference to the lives of New Zealand's children," says Mercury's Chief Marketing Officer Julia Jack.
"Starship is vitally important to the health and wellbeing of many kiwi kids and we're really honoured to be supporting them on this journey," she says.
Starship Foundation Chief Executive, Aisha Daji Punga says,
"We are delighted that our partnership with Mercury has brought forward the completion of this valuable improvement work at Starship. By working together with people and organisations who share our vision of better health and brighter futures for our children, we can really accelerate the pace of change at Starship and increase our impact in whanau support. This refurbishment project is a great example of acceleration and impact."
