Could your company sponsor a children’s hospice nurse this Christmas?
Children’s Hospice South West is calling on companies to help sponsor one of its children’s nurses this Christmas.
The charity, which runs children’s hospices in Bristol, St Austell and Barnstaple is asking firms to pledge £1,000 towards its ‘Sponsor a Nurse’ appeal and help make Christmas just that little bit more special for local families this year.
Suzanne Brown, a children’s nurse at Little Bridge House in Devon said: “By sponsoring one of our nurses, you’ll be helping us to provide special care to families whose children are not expected to live into adulthood.
“We support children and families from diagnosis for as long as they need us and that can be right into bereavement care as well. We’re there right from the start, walking alongside them and just being there for them when the need us, 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year.”
Whether families are using CHSW for respite breaks, emergency and palliative care, or end-of-life care and bereavement support, nurses play a key role. Jane Gick, also a children’s nurse at Little Bridge House, said the role was unique, and very different to that of a hospital nurse.
“It can mean playing as well as nursing – it’s all about having fun and making it a special day, every day.”
This year, CHSW nurses helped nearly 500 children with life-limiting conditions. It costs around £30,000 each year to fund a qualified children’s nurse at a CHSW hospice and the charity is almost entirely reliant on voluntary income.
Corporate Fundraiser Karen Mathie said: “Our Sponsor a Nurse appeal is a really simple way for your business or workplace to get involved and make a real difference.
“If just 30 companies were to pledge £1,000, collectively they will have sponsored a children’s nurse for a whole year. And by doing so, they will be helping families who face the most unimaginable challenges.”
In return for your sponsorship, you will receive; a certificate of your participation; the ‘Sponsor a Nurse’ Logo to use on business materials; and your business featured on the dedicated Sponsor a Nurse webpage. In addition, you and your colleagues will have the opportunity to meet the nurse you have sponsored at an open day.
Companies already involved in the initiative include AW Accountants, Research Instruments Ltd, James Miller & Associates, Persimmon, BAWA Healthcare & Leisure, Green Machine, Unite and Avon Group.
If you’re interested in sponsoring a nurse, please contact Corporate Partnerships Fundraiser Karen Mathie on 01275 866 600, email karen.mathie@chsw.org.uk or for more information, visit www.chsw.org.uk/nurse