A YEAR OF THREE PARTS

Julia’s House supports the most vulnerable children in our local community. But we don’t just care for the children; we are uniquely there for the whole family to help them navigate the exhaustion, stress, isolation and complexity of caring for a child with a life-shortening and highly complex medical condition.

January to March 2022 saw us continue to offer emergency overflow capacity to the NHS during the pandemic, while helping to keep the children safe from catching COVID and out of hospital.

From April onwards, it became safe for children to come back in groups to the hospices for respite care, play and group entertainment. A highlight of being able to open our hospice doors again was being able to have overnight stays and holding our summer events for the children and the families, bringing everyone together again for joyful and fun occasions.

As the seasons changed, the cost of living crisis took hold in the autumn. We increased our family support and advice to enable families to access vital benefits, grants or other emergency assistance.

While the year was divided, our care was a constant. When other services were cancelled or overwhelmed, our care was always there for the families. We were their constant companion in a world where they never expected to find themselves. And we were delighted to be awarded Charity of the Year at the National Business & Community Awards, an extraordinary achievement reflecting our care standards, the support we gave the NHS, our national research and mentoring of other children’s palliative care good causes.

But our care wouldn’t be here without our supporters and volunteers. It is your gift to the local community. It enables us to look after some of our society’s most seriously ill children, bringing comfort, compassion, and, where possible, joy to their daily lives.