The Acorns Fragile Lives Appeal - securing the future of children's hospice care across the Heart of England - sees Acorns supporters across the West Midlands doing all they can throughout the year to raise vital funds and awareness for Acorns.
Against the odds the charity will continue with its vision to offer care and support to every life limited child and their family in the region, maintaining its position within children's palliative care as the largest West Midlands charity offering a range of specialist nursing care and family support that is desperately required by children whose future is uncertain due to serious illness.
Worcester Warriors players showed their support this week when first team stars Chris Fortey, Hal Luscombe and Graham Kitchener visited the hospice. The trio planted a symbolic Oak tree sapling in the garden at the hospice, enjoyed games with the children and even took part in a teddy bear's picnic.
David Strudley, chief executive of Acorns said: "It remains the primary purpose of Acorns Children's Hospice to offer the specialist nursing care and support that is urgently needed by the life limited children and their families living in our region, services that provide a lifeline for these local families who would face a much tougher challenge coping alone. And even though we now see ourselves working through a very fragile economic climate it remains Acorns vision that every child or young person thus affected in our region and their families should receive the specialist care and support they so desperately need.
"There are 1,600 life limited children living in our region. They do not have time to wait for the help that they need, we must reach them and help them through their situation. Acorns must not let these families down. Accordingly it is critical that Acorns survives this recession. We are doing all that we can and are now calling on the local community to think about all that they can possibly do to help us throughout the year, be it volunteering or fundraising, we need people to come forward and help Acorns."
The majority of Acorns income comes from donations. The Fragile Lives Appeal offers the chance for everyone in the community to get involved. Volunteers are needed to be ambassadors of the charity and help out within the community by using their spare time to help in Acorns retail shops, give talks, organise collections and events. The corporate community has opportunities such as sponsoring a variety of appeal materials, choosing Acorns as its Charity of the Year, encouraging its workforce to take part in exciting fundraising challenges and even support packages of care within the hospices.
Mr Strudley continued: "There are plenty of ways in which the local community can support the Acorns Fragile Lives appeal, and lots of fundraising ideas and tools, plus information about volunteering can be found on our website. We also have a calendar of events including the Triple Run, skydives, treks around the world, a shark dive and a firewalk."
It is Acorns mission to survive the current recession and continue to provide the best possible range of specialist palliative care services to life limited and life threatened children.
"Our residential care services will continue at their current levels, and providing we can raise the necessary funding we still intend to start offering our services within the homes of those who need us." Mr Strudley continued, "We will deliver these services in partnership with others wherever possible, to strengthen our roots within the community and champion the cause of children's palliative care.
"Acorns is a responsive and innovative organisation that puts children and young people and their families first, whilst embracing the diversity of our region and offer quality in everything we do. Without doubt, the period ahead will be challenging but, as in previous periods of difficulty, we aim to survive it and sincerely hope that the people of the West Midlands will take us to their hearts and offer us support throughout the year."
To support the appeal visit www.acorns.org.uk or email: fragilelives@acorns.org.uk To make an instant donation call: 0845 120 6892.
