The father of a child who passed away at Claire House Children’s Hospice has been appointed Liverpool area fundraiser at the charity.

Tony Langan has joined its Liverpool arm in the city centre.

His son Harvey suffered from the rare metabolic condition peroxisome biogenesis disorder and was a regular visitor to Claire House as he required round the clock care.

He passed away, aged four, at Alder Hey hospital in March last year and was brought to the charity’s Butterfly Suite before his funeral.

Tony, 38, left his job of 13 years as a mortgage adviser to take up the position at the hospice, which provides specialist and end-of-life care for babies, children and young adults with life-shortening conditions.

He said: “My partner Lyn and I first visited the hospice in November 2009 and were immediately struck at what a marvellous place it is.

"It has such a welcoming atmosphere and the care it provides is second to none.

“Harvey felt so happy whenever we took him to Claire House and we were always so well supported which helped us throughout his short life. "He used to call it Claire’s House which really sums it up – he felt like he was visiting a friend.

“Claire House continues to provide support and after-care to us more than a year after Harvey passed away and Lyn is a keen volunteer.

“We could never repay the staff for what they did for us but we saw first-hand how hard they work and how much support they need. When this position came up, it seemed a natural progression to leave my job and apply for the role."

Tony’s role will include organising events, liaising with businesses about corporate fundraising and helping to ensure targets are met – more than £2.5m is needed each year to meet running costs.

Pat Faragher, director of fundraising, said: “We had a number of candidates apply for the role and Tony went through a very rigorous procedure before we decided he was most suitable for the position.

“He has only been in the role a short time but he already brings so much to Claire House as it is a charity very close to his heart and one that he feels very passionately about.”

For details on how to fundraise, donate or volunteer for Claire House click the link to their website below or call 0151 343 0883.