East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) has three children’s hospice care services based at Milton in Cambridge, Quidenham in Norfolk and Ipswich in Suffolk, which also serves North Essex. EACH is a registered charity that relies on public support for approximately 72% of their required income of around £5.8million a year – this amounts to nearly £11,500 a day from voluntary donations.,p>There are an estimated 23,500 children in the UK who are not expected to reach adulthood. Caring for a child or young person with a life-threatening illness, often for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, can put a huge strain on family life. Life can become governed by the timetable of nursing and medical needs. Careers may have to be put on hold, healthy brothers and sisters can feel left out and regular family activities and holidays can be rare. During all of this, families are going through a process of grieving.

EACH’s three multi-disciplinary care teams help local children with life-threatening conditions and complex healthcare needs, and their families with the emotional and physical challenges they face, helping them to make the most of life. They welcome the whole family for a short break together or time to themselves in a home-from-home environment or in the comfort of their own home.