Dear reader
The financial year from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 was dominated by the construction progress of the Flamingo Children’s Hospice in Fällanden on the way to the start of operations at the end of 2025. Important milestones were the completion of the shell, the interior fit-out, the planning of the furnishings, the installation of appropriate building, security and building technology systems and the start of the landscaping work. All steps were completed on time and without any accidents – a great success. Thanks to strict cost management in collaboration with the general planner apb architekten AG and the client consultant pom+ Consulting AG, the available funds were used carefully. A big thank you goes to everyone involved for their great commitment – especially to our loyal and new donors and patrons. Without their valuable support, this unique project would not be possible.
What we achieved in the 2024/25 financial year
1. operational development:
The establishment of the Flamingo Children’s Hospice was driven forward by a highly qualified and motivated core team under the leadership of our Managing Director Elisabeth Brenninkmeijer.
The operating concepts have been finalized in accordance with the official requirements and the recruitment of care and operating staff has begun. The organizational and technical requirements for operation were also initiated. The entire team deserves recognition and many thanks for this important development work.
2. support fund:
The “Support fund for the care costs of children in need” has examined applications and distributed around CHF 20,000 to affected families. Most of the applications reach us via recommendations from the socio-medical advice centers.
3rd Family Holiday Weeks Davos:
Eleven years of successful family vacation weeks in Davos every summer and fall. This year we were able to invite 15 affected families.
4. communication:
The social media channels, particularly Instagram, were further expanded and regularly updated with news, testimonials, construction updates and stories. The frequency of the newsletter mailing has increased to 6x/year.
5. fundraising:
Our focus in fundraising was on securing the future operation of the Flamingo Children’s Hospice. We were able to raise around CHF 1.8 million and gain valuable experience for future fundraising. As our services will continue to be largely financed by donations, we would like to thank the many donors, both large and small, for their past and future support – also on behalf of the families affected.
6. organization:
The honorary members of the Foundation Board Committee met twelve times. There were also a large number of special meetings in the respective departments of Construction, Accounting & Finance, IT, Communications and Fundraising. I would like to thank my colleagues for their excellent and effective cooperation. I am always impressed by what a motivated and well-coordinated team can achieve.
Juerg Herren, for the Board of Trustees
President of the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation
September 2025
Review of the year in pictures
Finances
The annual financial statements of the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation are prepared in accordance with Swiss GAAP FER 21 accounting standards for charitable non-profit organizations. You can download the Foundation’s full revised financial report here.
Cooperation
Over the past three years, our collaboration with the client’s representative pom + Consulting AG has been very positive, efficient and goal-oriented. The company supports and advises us throughout the entire planning and construction process – from cost control and financial management through to preparation for acceptance and commissioning.
↦ To the interview with pom+
The intensive collaboration with the general planner apb architekten AG was characterized by a great understanding of the special conceptual requirements of a children’s hospice. Quality, efficiency, a comprehensive cost overview and good, tight construction management characterize this successful cooperation.
Flamingo Kinderhospiz: Construction
The completion of the shell, the interior fit-out with the installation of appropriate building, security and building services systems and the start of the landscaping work were the most important construction work.
What milestones were there during construction?
Laying of the foundation stone with a time capsule on June 27, 2024 on the first floor level
Construction of the shell with interior partitioning
Start and installation of all interior fittings
Installation of the extensive and varied house, building, security and lighting technology systems and installation of equipment
Construction of the PV system with battery storage as a supplement to the geothermal probe system
Implementation of two “Handwerker-Züni” on October 4, 2024 and June 19, 2025
Conclusion of the necessary easement regulations with the catholic parish and the municipality of Fällanden.
Preparatory measures of a personnel and organizational nature with regard to the takeover of the building and the structural/technical commissioning.
Flamingo Kinderhospiz: Operation
The operational structure of our children’s hospice is complex. We are delighted to have reached the following milestones together in the 2024/25 financial year.
What milestones have been reached in setting up the company?
1. working at Flamingo – recruitment
At the beginning of 2025, a series of webinars were held to show interested professional groups our values, goals and structures in order to present Flamingo Children’s Hospice as an attractive employer. This offer, which was held three times, was very well received. Based on the questions and many exciting thought-provoking ideas, we were able to launch a well-founded recruitment campaign that enabled us to find the right specialists.
2nd stay at the Flamingo
Our work focused on the planning and preparation of stays at the Flamingo children’s hospice. Various interfaces and synergies with partners were defined in order to optimize future stays for guests. To support the registration process, we produced a flyer that was primarily sent to specialist institutions, paediatricians and children’s hospitals in German-speaking Switzerland or handed out in person. In addition, we used our social media channels to provide information about the offer and the stay at Flamingo with short videos and testimonials. Raising awareness of children’s hospice work remains a key concern for us.
3. cooperation with: Office for Health, the IV, other partners
Potential cost bearers such as residential communities, health insurance companies and disability insurance were informed about our future work and the prevention and support potential of children’s hospice work was explained in detail. Together with the Office of Public Health (ZH), we worked out ways in which the Flamingo Children’s Hospice could be integrated into the cost structure of specialized paediatric palliative care. With a great deal of innovative spirit, we were able to show various specialist services – including the SPPC team at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich and Kinderspitex Canton Zurich – where the interfaces are and how cooperation can be successful in the interests of the families affected. The good communication between the various institutions and the openness of the Office of Public Health deserve special mention. The result of these negotiations is now being implemented in a pilot project.
4. cooperations
In addition, many valuable cooperations were initiated, such as pastoral care, the dream doctors of the Theodora Foundation, the outdoor classroom of the hospital school of the University Children’s Hospital Zurich and our Flamingo sibling group with the “Verein Raum für Geschwister Schweiz”, which will start at the end of October 2025.
5. operating license
The final concepts for obtaining the operating license as a nursing home were submitted to the Office of Public Health, Operating Licenses Department, at the end of this financial year. This means that nothing now stands in the way of confirmation to run a care institution. A tour by the authorities at the end of the year is still on the agenda.
Flamingo Kinderhospiz: Challenges
There are still significant gaps in the area of cost accounting for specialized paediatric palliative care in Switzerland. We held regular discussions with the Office of Public Health and the Disability Insurance Office. For families resident in the canton of Zurich, it is becoming apparent that the costs will be covered during a pilot project lasting several years. As a financial basis, a proposal was submitted to us by the Health Department together with the Disability Insurance and the municipalities of the Canton of Zurich. A one-off or recurring stay at the Flamingo Children’s Hospice should be low-threshold for the families concerned and involve minimal administrative effort. The collection and ongoing evaluation of service and utilization data will be an important part of our work. This information will form the basis for new and sustainable tariff solutions for the new service.
Family holiday weeks Davos
In summer and autumn 2024, a total of 15 families with children with life-limiting illnesses spent a week’s vacation in Davos. These are experienced as an important “time out” to gather new strength for the stressful everyday life at home. In October 2024, Jolanda Scherler, coordinator of the Family Holiday Weeks for almost nine years, took her well-deserved retirement. Barbara Weber took over this responsible role in January 2025.
↦ Click here for the interview with Barbara Weber, new coordinator of the vacation weeks.
Foundation: Facts and Figures
Foundation: Organizational chart
Partnerships
Dachverband Hospize Schweiz DVHS, Lucerne
Pro Fonds, Basel
Palliative ch, Bern
Paediatric Palliative Care Network CH (PPCN CH)
Deutscher Kinderhospiz Verein, Olpe, DE
Stiftung Mehr Leben, Basel
Universitäts Kinderspital Zürich
Stiftung allani Kinderhospiz, Bern
Stiftung Theodora (future)
Verein Raum für Geschwister Schweiz (future)
Subsidiary
Kinderhospiz Flamingo AG (100%)
Seefeldstrasse 19, Postfach, 8032 Zürich
Kinderhospiz Flamingo AG was founded in December 2022 by the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation. The public limited company is wholly owned by the foundation.
Revisionsstelle
BDO AG
Entfelderstrasse 1, 5001 Aarau
Foundation supervision
Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht ESA
Postfach, 8901 Urdorf
Thanks
We would like to thank all our donors for their fantastic support this year. They are both an inspiration and an obligation for us to work tirelessly for this important cause!
Donors
Bethe-Stiftung Casal Bernard Stiftung Ev. Kirchgemeinde Davos Good Fast Hotels Davos Joreva Stiftung Junior Chamber Internat Kath. Kirchgemeinde Davos Petersburg Foundation Stiftung Denk an mich Stiftung Cerebral Stiftung St. Vinzenz Therapie Klinik Impuls AG Verena Boller Stiftung And others
Many thanks to all donors and patrons!
Outlook
New challenges are already awaiting us!
What will happen in 2025/2026
Change of domicile of the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation and Kinderhospiz Flamingo AG to the new address at Sunnetalstrasse 6, 8177 Fällanden
Start of operations at the Flamingo children’s hospice from December 2025
Reception of the first guests and their families January 2026
Opening ceremony of the Flamingo children’s hospice in Fällanden/ZH in May 2026
Archiv
You can view our last annual report here.