Our responsibility to the generations of children in our care extends farther than the boundaries of our nurseries as we continuously strive to support the communities in which we serve and attempt to meet need wherever it is found.
Every year, following a company-wide vote we adopt a charity for a focused fundraising and awareness drive in addition to grant aid and voluntary support for community causes.
Childbase Partnership is proud to support The Sick Children’s Trust, a charity that provides families with a warm, welcoming place to stay when their child is seriously ill in hospital.
Without this vital support, many families would face long journeys, sleepless nights in hospital chairs, or the cost of expensive hotels simply to remain close to their child’s bedside. The Sick Children’s Trust helps ease both financial and emotional pressures by offering safe, comfortable ‘Homes from Home’, where families can rest, cook meals, shower and regain strength so they can focus on supporting their child’s recovery.
Each year, the charity helps more than 3,200 families stay close to their children across ten homes in London, Cambridge, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle. As many children require specialist treatment far from home, these ‘Homes from Home’ support families from across the UK.
Founded in 1982, The Sick Children’s Trust was established to ensure families have somewhere to stay near their seriously ill child – a mission that continues to guide their work today.
Whilst it is free for families to stay, it costs £40 per night to support a family and the charity relies entirely on donations. Through its partnership with Childbase, The Sick Children’s Trust can continue to provide this essential service free of charge to families during some of the most difficult times of their lives.
Lily is our first child, and like many new parents we never expected that a routine health visitor appointment would change our lives so suddenly.
Following that appointment, we were sent to our local hospital in Northampton the very same day after some concerns were raised about Lily’s health. That evening, after initial investigations, we were told that the results were being shared with Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and that it was very likely Lily would require open heart surgery to correct the defects that had been found. Nineteen days later, we were transferred to GOSH in London.
Living in South Northamptonshire, GOSH is around 65 miles from home. As parents are unable to stay overnight with their children while they are in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), accommodation was arranged for us through GOSH’s family liaison team with The Sick Children’s Trust.
We stayed at Rainbow House, run by The Sick Children’s Trust for seven days while Lily recovered from her surgery in CICU. Being so close to the hospital meant we could be at Lily’s bedside within five minutes if needed, which was hugely reassuring at such a critical point in her recovery. Knowing we were nearby brought us real peace of mind during an incredibly frightening time.
Having accommodation arranged also eased the burden of trying to find and fund a hotel in central London with no fixed end date. Lily’s recovery had to be taken day by day, and not having to worry about where we would stay made a significant difference. There was also a phone in our room which meant we could be put directly through to CICU to speak with Lily’s doctors and nurses if needed, which helped us feel connected and reassured even when we weren’t physically in the hospital.
Not having to travel back and forth each day meant we were far less exhausted than we otherwise would have been. During such a stressful and emotional period, this meant everything to us. We didn’t have to worry about train times or travel disruptions, and instead we could focus completely on Lily and her recovery.
From a financial perspective, the support was also a huge relief. I was still on maternity leave at the time, so we were effectively a one-income household. On top of that, we already had additional costs for food and daily train travel for Alex commuting from Northampton to London, as only one parent could stay overnight while Lily was on the ward before her operation. Not having hotel costs removed a major source of stress at an already overwhelming time.
Rainbow House felt like a home rather than somewhere temporary. Being able to sit on a sofa in the evening, watch television, or cook a proper meal helped bring a sense of normality to a situation no parent ever wants to experience. These small comforts made an enormous difference when it felt like our world was falling apart. On two occasions while Lily was on the ward, we did manage to access accommodation provided directly by GOSH so that Alex could stay with Lily overnight, while I stayed in one of GOSH’s nearby rooms to get some much-needed rest.
Today, Lily is doing fantastically. At her one-year post-operation review this summer, her cardiologist told us that for all intents and purposes she is now “heart healthy.” While she will continue to have check-ups and take certain precautions, she is able to lead a normal, happy life – something we are endlessly grateful for.
GOSH were, of course, responsible for Lily’s treatment and recovery, and we cannot thank them enough. However, charities like The Sick Children’s Trust provide an invaluable service to families during times of incredible uncertainty. Removing the worry of accommodation and cost may seem like a small thing, but for families in crisis it makes a profound difference. The support we received is something we will never forget, and it is why The Sick Children’s Trust deserves greater recognition and awareness for the life-changing work they do for families across the country.
