A BABY boy born with a rare genetic condition helped break ground for a new £250,000 home being raffled off to raise money for the charity which supports him. 

Freddie Halliwell, one, from Darwen, was with his parents who helped cut the sod at a ceremony in Blackburn today (January 26), marking the official start of work on the home donated to Derian House Children's Hospice by Kingswood Homes.

The three-bedroom detached house has been designed by HemingwayDesign, the company co-founded by Blackburn-raised Wayne Hemingway.

People can buy tickets from just £5 to be entered into a prize draw to win the house on the award-winning Green Hills development off Livesey Branch Road.

Freddie's parents, Kari and Sam, were delighted to be involved in the occasion and said that they have bought tickets for the draw themselves.

Kari, 26, said: "Freddie loves coming to Derian House. He smiled for the first time while in the hydrotherapy pool, which is a moment I will treasure forever.

"We all get so much out of coming to Derian. We've made new friends at playgroup and it's a lovely atmosphere.

"I always wanted to take him to baby sensory groups but didn't like the thought of people looking at him funny because he has a tube in his nose and looks a bit different, but at Derian it's not like that.

Lancashire Telegraph: (left to right) Paul Jones of Kingswood Homes, Freddie Halliwell with parents Kari and Sam, and David Robinson of Derian House(left to right) Paul Jones of Kingswood Homes, Freddie Halliwell with parents Kari and Sam, and David Robinson of Derian House

"You feel accepted and the staff are all so friendly and warm."

Also present at the ground-breaking ceremony were Paul Jones, managing director of Kingswood Homes, and Derian House chief executive David Robinson.

Mr Jones said: "As a growing Lancashire-based business we wanted to give back to the community and, having had personal experience of the support that children's hospices like Derian House offer, it was a natural fit.

"The idea of giving a home away may seem almost too good to be true, but it isn't. Now that work on the property is under way we expect there to be an increase in ticket sales as people realise they really could be a part of this development for as little as £5."

Mr Robinson said: "We are incredibly grateful to our friends at Kingswood Homes for such a generous donation and hope the prize draw raises a lot of money and awareness to help us look after children like Freddie and their families.

"At Derian House Children's Hospice, we receive only 12 per cent of funding from the NHS and so have to rely on the generosity of our supporters for the remainder."

For £5, ticket buyers will get a bundle of six tickets, with a guaranteed winner set to be announced at a gala ball in September.

Derian House is a charity offering respite, palliative and end of life care to children with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses, helping them to make the most of the previous time they have with their families.