Worcester mum taking petition to Downing Street to protect vital Acorns Hospice funding
Acorns Hospice help care for children throughout Birmingham, the Black Country, and Worcestershire.
A mum who lost her daughter aged just seven will deliver a petition to 10 Downing Street today on behalf of the children’s hospice where she received care.
The petition, launched by Acorns Children’s Hospice in July, is part of a campaign calling on the Government to safeguard a vital £2 million funding stream for the charity called the Children’s Hospice Grant.
Liz Bishop from Worcester, will join Acorns CEO Trevor Johnson on the steps of 10 Downing Street to deliver a box of signatures along with a letter to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting.
Public backing for the campaign has been growing, with the petition to save the Grant reaching more than 10,000 signatures in just four weeks and celebrities including Julie Walters and actor Adrian Lester lending their support.
Liz’s daughter Lily-Mai was supported by Acorns for the Three Counties, the charity’s hospice in Worcester as she bravely battled a brain tumour for many years.
She died at the hospice on 25th June 2018, aged just seven.
Liz said: “Acorns is such an amazing place. They were there for us and Lily-Mai, catering to our every need. They are still helping us now and will do into the future too. We’ll forever feel like part of the Acorns family.
“This campaign is so close to my heart. More and more families need Acorns for love and care at the most difficult times. To think there could be families like ours in the future who’ll miss out on these vital services is just unimaginable.
“I hope the Government listens to our campaign and does something urgently to make sure Acorns, and every children’s hospice is protected, this year and long into the future.”
The campaign Children’s Care Matters was launched in July in response to the uncertain future of the Children’s Hospice Grant.
Uncertainty around future funding comes as demand for end-of-life care provided to families like Liz’s at Acorns has grown by 47% in the past year.
Trevor Johnson, Acorns Chief Executive, urged people to keep supporting the campaign. He said: “Today is an important day, because we deliver a powerful message to the Government. In just a few short weeks, thousands of people have shown they recognise the importance of the vital care Acorns provides.
“We are so grateful that Liz could join us today. Her story is an example of just one out of hundreds of families every year who use our services. Every family we care for has a similar story to tell, and every one of them faces an uncertain future if this Grant is taken away.
“We may have delivered these signatures, but the petition will remain open, so please keep on signing, sharing, and writing to your local MP.
"Together we can make a difference for the countless families who rely on children’s palliative care.”
The future of the £25 million NHS Children’s Hospice Grant which is distributed annually to children’s hospices across England is uncertain.
The funding makes up around 13% of Acorns income, a total of £2 million.
Without the grant Acorns, and many children’s hospices nationally, may be forced to cut vital services for life limited children and their families.
In the past year, Acorns has cared for more than 750 children across the West Midlands, and supported almost 1,000 families, including those who are bereaved.