Swindon-based children’s hospice charity Jessie May has been awarded £10,000 by the Charlie Froud Foundation.
Jessie May, which cares for local terminally ill children in their homes, has received the donation in recognition of the work its nurses do across the area, including vital respite care, emotional support, end of life care, and bereavement support alongside family events.
The funding comes from the Charlie Froud Foundation, a charity set up in memory of Charlie, a 14 year old boy from Bristol who tragically died in an aircraft crash in 2008.
The donation will help fund the Jessie May nurses working across the city and beyond to support life limited children and their families. Currently the charity supports 72 families in the Bristol area, and a further 113 across the rest its service area, including South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
Trust and Foundations Fundraiser at Jessie May, Fiona Foster, said: “We are absolutely astounded at the foundation’s incredible support. This funding means we can continue to provide the essential nursing care we do, directly within the homes of life limited children, and ensure we can continue to welcome children to our growing caseload.
“This is a particularly moving donation, as Charlie was so local to us, and where many of the families we support are currently living. There is no worse pain than losing a child and our care team work to ensure we are providing the best possible service to families with a terminally ill child. Our mission is to ensure these children have the very best quality of life, and are provided with high quality respite and palliative care services in their homes.
“We are hugely touched by this gesture and look forward to working with the foundation, who have kindly pledged their support.”
Heather Froud, Founder and Trustee of The Charlie Froud Foundation said: “The foundation is a small charity, working hard to make a difference where we can in the local area. Because the namesake of our Foundation – Charlie – died aged 14 we feel particularly passionate about supporting other small charities who look after children.
“I heard about Jessie May from an ex-employee of theirs. Her experience was of a genuinely loving environment where children, their parents and siblings get vital support through the toughest of times as well as becoming part of the Jessie May family where they can meet and make friends with others in similar circumstances which they find invaluable.
“Jessie May receives very little government funding so the other Trustees and I are delighted to add our support, albeit in a small way.”
