Bear Cottage

Bear Cottage Bear Cottage is the only children’s hospice in NSW, one of only three in Australia, and the only one in the world affiliated with a children’s hospital.
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Bear Cottage provides support, respite and end of life care for children with life limiting conditions and their families. Located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in Manly, our vision is to be as far removed from a hospital environment as possible. Staff don’t wear uniforms and children’s rooms are designed to be like a normal bedroom. This ‘home away from home’ is complete with a therapy dog called

Beau, who is always around to provide some extra comfort. That said, Bear Cottage is set up to provide excellence in paediatric medical care 24-hours a day, and our affiliation to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network means we have access to some of the best medical resources in the world. Bear Cottage has ten children's bedrooms and three family units. Children may stay at Bear Cottage unaccompanied or with family or carers. There is communal tea room, lounge room and outdoor areas to relax and enjoy the view. There is a quiet room, spa room, multi sensory room, teen room with TVs and video game consoles, messy play area and an outdoor wheelchair swing and seesaw. With a wheelchair accessible pathway down to Shelly Beach nearby, it is possible to enjoy the beachside location and the city of Sydney is just a short ferry ride away. Bear Cottage has a Child Life Therapist, Music Therapist, Art Therapist, Physiotherapist and Social Worker as well as a full time chef and housekeeping staff. Families can do as much or as little as they choose whilst staying at Bear Cottage. There is no charge to families for their stay at Bear Cottage and we rely on the community for donations. For more information, please visit our website at www.bearcottage.org.au

We’re excited to introduce Jan Hancock, our new physiotherapist at Bear Cottage.Jan brings a wealth of experience in pae...
18/06/2026

We’re excited to introduce Jan Hancock, our new physiotherapist at Bear Cottage.

Jan brings a wealth of experience in paediatric physiotherapy, having spent much of her career at The Children's Hospital at Westmead working in rehabilitation, and later at Macquarie University, where she led the MQ Health Kids multidisciplinary team and taught within the physiotherapy program.

Her clinical expertise is in neurodisability, and she is passionate about supporting children with complex needs and working alongside families and carers to help children participate in meaningful everyday activities.

In addition to her role at Bear Cottage, she works privately in a community setting and as a sessional academic at ACU, combining clinical care, education, and research to support the best outcomes for children and families.

And . . . in her spare time, Jan is a keen netball player, kayaker and avid dog lover!

Jan is looking forward to meeting and supporting our children and families and developing some exciting new initiatives including and fun opportunities for movement and participation.

Please join us in giving her a very warm Bear Cottage welcome! 💕

Today we're wearing our brightest, boldest and most colourful socks to support Day - a day dedicated to starting impor...
05/06/2026

Today we're wearing our brightest, boldest and most colourful socks to support Day - a day dedicated to starting important conversations about mental health, wellbeing, depression and anxiety among healthcare professionals.

Working in healthcare can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also come with unique pressures and challenges.

Day reminds us that it's okay to talk about mental health, check in with one another and seek support when needed.

Find out more by visiting www.crazysocks4docs.com.au

✨Celebrate 25 years of Bear Cottage with us✨For 25 years, Bear Cottage has been a place of care, support and special mom...
04/06/2026

✨Celebrate 25 years of Bear Cottage with us✨

For 25 years, Bear Cottage has been a place of care, support and special moments for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. We invite you to join us as we celebrate this important milestone and look ahead to the future.

A Bear Affair Saturday, 1 August 2026 | The Star Sydney

Enjoy an unforgettable night of:
✨ Fine dining
✨ Entertainment
✨ Inspiring stories
✨ Fundraising alongside an incredible community

Funds raised on the night will support the vital care provided by Bear Cottage, helping children and families create precious memories together and access the services they need, when they need them.

We hope you can join us for this special celebration. 💕

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now. Secure yours today:
https://app.galabid.com/abearaffair2026/event-tickets

Last Thursday, we celebrated National Volunteer Week by recognising the incredible care, compassion and dedication of ou...
27/05/2026

Last Thursday, we celebrated National Volunteer Week by recognising the incredible care, compassion and dedication of our volunteers here at Bear Cottage. 👏

Despite the rain, traffic and delays, more than 30 volunteers - over half of our regular volunteer team - joined us for a very special evening of appreciation.

Our staff came together to serve delicious food prepared by our amazing Chef Tony, while we enjoyed wonderful entertainment from the Northern Beat band, who have generously donated their talents to Bear Cottage for the past 11 years. Guests also enjoyed an amazing cake kindly donated by Barb from Barbette's Feast.

We were honoured to present several volunteer tenure awards, including recognition for our longest-serving volunteers' dedicated service:

✨ Vivienne and Moya – 25 years
✨ Pat – 22 years
✨ Michael – 23 years

It was also a chance for our new volunteer manager, Amy, to sincerely acknowledge the empathy, kindness and unwavering support our volunteers bring every time they walk through the doors of the Cottage.

To all our volunteers - thank you. Your generosity, warmth and dedication make an extraordinary difference to the children and families we care for every day. 💕

24/05/2026

🦋 Today, we came together for our annual Remembering Day Service - a heartfelt occasion for families, staff and volunteers to honour and remember each precious child who has been part of our Bear Cottage family.

This year’s theme reflected something deeply special - that every child we have cared for has helped write the story of Bear Cottage. Through their lives, love, courage and the moments we have shared – their stories are forever woven into the heart of our home and will never be forgotten.

During the service, families were invited to reflect, remember, and celebrate their child in a way that felt meaningful to them, surrounded by our Bear Cottage community, who continues to walk beside them.

Each year, our staff create a short video message to be shared during the service - a reflection on the lasting impact these children have had on all of us. Their presence is still deeply felt at Bear Cottage, and their stories continue to shine brightly.

Today is a tribute from our team to the extraordinary children and families who have touched our hearts forever.💕

A huge thank you to the amazing team from Channel 9 for spending the day with us at Bear Cottage this week 💛 🧸 From cr...
21/05/2026

A huge thank you to the amazing team from Channel 9 for spending the day with us at Bear Cottage this week 💛 🧸

From creating beautiful cards to helping prepare special items for our remembrance service, the team threw themselves into every task with creativity, care and so much enthusiasm. Once the creative flow kicked in, they didn’t want to stop!

We’re incredibly grateful for their ongoing support and the genuine energy they bring each time they visit. It’s partnerships like these that make such a difference to our children and families.

During National Volunteer Week, we especially want to celebrate people who give their time, compassion and talents to help others. Thank you.

Sending a huge thank you to members of the amazing Waratahs team for joining us for a special visit to Bear Cottage. 🏉👏 ...
19/05/2026

Sending a huge thank you to members of the amazing Waratahs team for joining us for a special visit to Bear Cottage. 🏉👏

The players joined us for some fun activities, and we had the chance to show off our Waratah artwork that had been created by our children and families, Bear Cottage staff and volunteers. 🖌

Thanks for a great afternoon filled with fun and smiles, and we look forward to cheering you on at Friday’s match. 💕

What a fantastic day at the STRYDE4 walk! 👟Our amazing team from Bear Cottage took on the challenge today with huge smil...
19/05/2026

What a fantastic day at the STRYDE4 walk! 👟

Our amazing team from Bear Cottage took on the challenge today with huge smiles, plenty of energy and lots of fun along the way. From the activations to the atmosphere, it was brilliant to see everyone coming together in support of children and families who need us most.

Even the weather couldn’t dampen spirits - the team powered through rain and shine!

A huge thank you to everyone who walked, supported and fundraised for Bear Cottage - we are truly grateful.

VALUABLE VOLUNTEERS | For 25 years, volunteers have been at the heart of Bear Cottage.This National Volunteer Week, we c...
18/05/2026

VALUABLE VOLUNTEERS | For 25 years, volunteers have been at the heart of Bear Cottage.

This National Volunteer Week, we celebrate all of our incredible volunteers - and especially two who have been with us since the very beginning.

“Over the years I have met many wonderful people who have taught me to be a better person.” - Vivienne (right)

“Wednesdays are for Bear Cottage . . . and I would like to think that my music brings some joy to the children.” - Moya (left)

Their dedication, compassion and quiet moments of care have helped create the warm, welcoming place Bear Cottage is today. 💕

➡️ Read their story and celebrate 25 years of volunteering: https://tinyurl.com/4smyrs99

“Seizures are cruel and unpredictable. Seemingly grabbing hold of our beautiful Grace, causing pain, exhaustion and perm...
13/05/2026

“Seizures are cruel and unpredictable. Seemingly grabbing hold of our beautiful Grace, causing pain, exhaustion and permanent neurological damage to an otherwise perfectly healthy child.”

Within hours of Grace’s birth, her family noticed something wasn’t right. What followed was a life shaped by complex care, constant monitoring, and navigating a reality that often felt overwhelming.

As Grace’s mum and dad, Kimberley and Andy, share:

“As new parents, we were not only thrown into a world of hospitals, specialists and uncertainty, we were in shock at our new reality and devastated for our only child who would become profoundly disabled and not survive infancy or reach school-age.”

But alongside the challenges, there was also deep love and connection - the small moments that meant everything. “Her smiles and immediate recognition of her Mum and Dad.”

Bear Cottage became a place where those moments could be protected.

“For the first time in a long time, we could take a breath. We could sleep. We could spend time together as a family without the same level of pressure and fear."

“Palliative care isn’t about giving up. It’s about improving quality of life, however long that life may be. It’s about supporting the whole family and not just the child.

“And importantly, Grace could just be Grace.”

This National Palliative Care Week, we recognise that paediatric palliative care is about more than medical support. It’s about living, creating space for connection, and helping families hold onto what matters most, for every moment they have together.

➡️ Read Grace's story on our website https://bearcottage.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/articles/2026/04/national-palliative-care-week-graces-story

Address

2 Fairy Bower Road
Sydney, NSW
2095

Telephone

+61299768300

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