Charity launches campaign to help save crucial funding
An urgent appeal has been launched to save funding which could see vital services at Acorns Children's Hospice cut unless the funding is confirmed.
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Acorns Children’s Hospice has launched the urgent campaign to save £2 million in government funding as the hospice said it faces the prospect of turning away a child in need for the first time in the charity’s 36-year history.
The future of the funding, known as the Children’s Hospice Grant, is uncertain, meaning Acorns may be forced to cut vital services for life limited children and their families, unless the grant is confirmed before November.
The Children’s Hospice Grant is a national £25 million NHS grant, distributed to children’s hospices across England and making up around 13 per cent of Acorns income, a total of £2 million.
The charity has launched a campaign called Children’s Care Matters, which is calling on the Government to confirm the grant and safeguard it for at least five years.
To launch the campaign, staff and volunteers from Acorns took giant orange “HELP!” letters on tour around well-known West Midlands landmarks, asking the public to add their name to a Change.org petition.
The tour began at the Bullring Bull in Birmingham on Monday, before travelling down to Diglis Locks in Worcester on Tuesday and concluded at the Saddlers Centre in Walsall on Friday.
Acorns Executive Nurse, Katie Burbridge said: “Every week that passes, the situation for Acorns and children’s hospices across the UK becomes ever more serious, affecting countless children and families.
“We’re here to say that children’s care really does matter and the Government needs to take action to safeguard the Children’s Hospice Grant, so vital services like ours can continue providing the care that families need.”
Ms Burdbridge said that uncertainty around the grant has come at a challenging time for Acorns, amid a background of rising costs and increasing demand for services.
In the past year, there has been a 47 per cent increase in demand for the charity’s end-of-life care service, and demand for post-death bereavement services have doubled.
She said: “Uncertainty around the grant, rising costs and increased demand is extremely challenging mix for us to deal with.
"It means we’re ever more reliant on the generosity of local people for funds - a situation that’s simply not sustainable.
“Whatever people can do to support our campaign, we would be incredibly grateful, so we can raise awareness of this issue and get our voice heard, before it’s too late.”
To find out more about the campaign and get involved, go to acorns.org.uk/campaign
