COVID-19 has meant many of us have had to push stop on this year; cancelling holidays, postponing wedding and birthday celebrations and delaying house moves or renovations.

But for many families, supported by Richard House, there is no stop button, as life has to continue when caring for a child with a life limiting illness or condition. We hope you’ll consider supporting Richard House, so that they can continue to be there for families and don’t have to push the stop button on their services.

Throughout the pandemic Richard House has continued to stay open to support the families who rely on the services they provide, as it has done for over 20 years. As hospitals focused on COVID-19 patients, they were taking children with long term conditions from hospitals, both to provide more beds for the NHS effort, and also to provide a safer environment for these children.

More than ever, it is vital that Richard House is able to provide care for these families and children, many of whom are the most vulnerable and at risk in the present crisis.

Back in the Spring, when the full effects of the pandemic was still immerging, Richard House had already begun seeing a strain on their stretched resources and were foreseeing a significant loss of income. Almost every fundraising event and activity has been cancelled this year and they anticipate that many more will be cancelled in 2021.

The charity is facing an unprecedented financial crisis in light of the current COVID-19 outbreak, forcing the charity to make decisions they never imagined they would face just 6 months ago. Richard House is reliant on raising £3.5 million every year to fund our services and this will be a difficult target to meet if they cannot raise £300,000 by the end of 2020.

This is why we, as a family and close circle of friends, are fundraising for Richard House so that they can continue to be here providing care and support to the families with a child diagnosed with a life-limiting illness or condition.

When the pandemic started, we started providing hot meals to frontline staff. This was the first time we heard about Ricard House and the amazing work they do. We as a family and close circle friends, wanted to do our small ‘bit’ for this amazing charity. We have continued to support Richard House and now feel like one of the ‘Richard House family.’ We have pledged to continue our support for Richard House and are now asking everyone to do the same... Please join us and help the families who need the support from this extraordinary charity!

Richard House allows families to rest and recuperate. This has become ever more important during COVID-19 as we have all had to put our lives on pause and protect the ones we love. For some of us this may have meant not being able to go into work or visiting our family and friends. For many of the families Richard House support, they have been shielding all year and have become contained within this very small world.

Richard House has stayed open during the entire COVID-19 pandemic. They have been there to offer families a chance to rest, and a chance to have some form of normality. They have offered families the opportunity to expand this very small world that COVID-19 has enforced, opening their garden during the warmer months and offering a place to relax.

COVID-19 has meant many of us have pushed stop on our lives but our families can’t do this, life needs to continue on.

For many families, it is vital that Richard House still be here in the months and years to come. Will you support Richard House and help them not have to push cancel on their essential services?

The coming months will be a fundamental watershed for the future of the hospice.

£82 could help towards paying for one hour of respite care at the hospice. Respite care provides parents and care givers an opportunity to take a much-needed break from caring for their seriously ill child, around the clock.

We would be grateful for whatever you can afford to give, at a time when Richard House services are even more important to the families who rely on the care and the support they provide.

Don’t forget to Gift Aid it! Gift Aid enables Richard House to claim an extra 25% on every donation!