Families being supported by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) are set to benefit from a four-year partnership extension between leading children’s palliative care charity Together for Short Lives and Center Parcs. Together for Short Lives supports the UK’s 54 children’s hospices, including EACH, and its relationship with the leading short break provider began in 2016.
In that time, the partnership has raised over £1.7m for the 99,000 children living with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families in the UK. As well as match-funding donations made by guests when making bookings, Center Parcs colleagues have taken on their own fundraising challenges across its five villages in England, including Elveden Forest, in Norfolk.
Each village is partnered with its local children’s hospice for fundraising and volunteering, ensuring colleagues can make a difference in their own communities. This has included using their specialist skills to help maintain the hydrotherapy pool at The Nook, as well as treating children and parents to spa treatments.
Staff have also given their time to run pottery sessions, enjoy some karaoke fun, volunteer at themed days for teenagers and help at Christmas parties. Center Parcs has also helped bereaved families and those caring for a seriously ill child have the chance to get away and make memories together.
Working with Together for Short Lives’ Family Support Hub, which offers practical, emotional, and financial support to families, Center Parcs has gifted over 100 breaks at its villages to families across the UK. EACH Corporate Fundraising Manager, Caroline Allen said: “This is wonderful news and we’re extremely thankful for the continued support of Center Parcs.
“This relationship has a lasting impact and directly helps the children, young people and families in our care and support. It’s resulted in some wonderful fundraising and meant some of our families have had the opportunity to take a break and enjoy special, quality time together.
“They’ve had a chance to create lasting memories and it’s impossible to put a price on something as powerful as that.”
Nicky Richardson, Village Director at the Center Parcs in Elveden Forest, added: “Our colleagues are so enthusiastic about fundraising for Together for Short Lives and EACH, so I’m thrilled we’re extending our partnership for another four years.
“It’s amazing to see the impact our fundraising has on families in the local area and I’m so excited to see what the next four years brings for our partnership.”
EACH supports families and cares for children and young people across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and North and West Essex. It has three hospices – The Nook, near Norwich, The Treehouse, in Ipswich, and at Milton, near Cambridge.
