Charities Together is about bringing together Irish charities so we can help them through 2020. We are asking people to support our #20in2020 campaign where people donate 20 to a charity, or charities, that are important to them and then tell 20 people they know about it, to help the sector to get through these challenging times. Were also encouraging people to fundraise however they want to by selecting the start fundraising button above and creating your own fundraising page as part of this campaign.

As a result of the covid-19 pandemic, millions of euro in funding has been lost by Irish charities as thousands of fundraising events have been cancelled. Many of these charities have had to reduce or stop their services at a time when their services are needed the most. LauraLynn is one of them.

At LauraLynn we provide care and support to some of the most vulnerable people in our society, children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

LauraLynn receives no direct government funding and relies primarily on fundraised income to run our services.

We are projecting a 2.5 million loss in donations this year as a result of this pandemic. That equates to 54% loss in donations to support our hospice service.

For the 220 families that use LauraLynn, isolation and rigorous infection control are familiar aspects of everyday life but living with the threat of Covid-19 adds immense stress and worry to their lives.

Routine respite stays and short family breaks have been suspended at LauraLynn due to Covid-19. Our families are cocooning in the safety of their homes. These vitalrespite nights can be the only time our families get to re-charge, sleep, makespecial moments as a whole family and relax knowing that their child is safe and cared for by our team. Without this life-line many of our families are experiencing further isolation and in some cases, extreme exhaustion.

LauraLynn is open for End of Life and Crisis care during this unprecedented time. Ourcare team is ready to step in and support families who may need to avail of these services. Crisis Care applies if a parent or primary care-giver contracts Covid-19 and cannot care for their child or in the case of exhaustion.

Our CareTeam are embracing new ways of working using technology to allow us to virtually support our families and help bridge that isolation.

Our family supports team are connecting with families helping them to make moments that matter at home, providing Music Therapy, Counselling, Bereavement support and play activities through Skype. Our Care Team are conducting regular Wellness Check In Calls to make sure our families do not feel alone in any of this.

We have a nursing help-line operating 24/7 so our families know there is always a LauraLynn nurse, a friendly voice, at the end of the phone for any concerns they may have. Children with life-limiting conditions are vulnerable, they often get sick and their symptoms can change so having this support and access to expert advice during this time is vital for our families.

Registered Charity Number: 20003289

Website: https://www.lauralynn.ie/