Welcome to Sophie’s place - the Martha Trust opens £3.5m site (From Hereford Times)

Welcome to Sophie’s place - the Martha Trust opens £3.5m site

1:30pm Monday 8th October 2012 in News By Lydia Johnson

AFTER years of planning and raising funds, the Martha Trust's second home has finally opened.

Sophie House has been built at a cost of £3.5 million and welcomed its first resident, 15-year-old Jack from Shropshire, last Monday – although it is still raising funds to fully equip the new building.

The new house, off Holywell Gutter Lane in Hampton Park, includes a hydrotherapy pool and spa, physiotherapy rooms, 14 beds and will eventually see another 80 jobs created when the home is fully occupied.

Sarah Sharp-Smith, who co-founded the Martha Trust in 1996 with her husband Richard, has named the second house after her 24-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

She said: “It is just absolutely exciting. We’ve been dreaming of having another house with more space for about seven years, so to have it finally here is amazing.

“We can care for more people now, offering life-long care as well as respite care, and help more people who find themselves in need of respite care in emergency circumstances.

“Our daughter can’t do anything for herself so we know how important the care that the Martha Trust offers is and want to see more trust houses all over the country in future.”

For more information on the Martha Trust, visit marthatrusthereford.co.uk