Rainbow Trust Children's Charity

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity

At a glance

Causes

  • Children / families
  • Physical disabilities
  • Young people

Other details

Organisation type: 
Charity
Geographical remit: 
National - England

Objectives

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity is a Sunday Times Top 100 Not for Profit Organisation. They are the leading organisation providing emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness. 

Today there are an estimated 49,000 children and young people in the UK living with a life limiting or life threatening condition who may require palliative care (University of Leeds, 2011). Many of these children and their families are able to cope or are not in a ‘crisis situation’. However, thousands of families have to face the very real possibility that their child may die and struggle to cope on a day to day basis.

We support these families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness and are in the greatest need. Our Family Support Workers provide a life line to these families and children. We support the whole family including parents, carers, the unwell child, brothers, sisters and grandparents. They bring support and help to families who so desperately need it at home, in hospital and in the community. Any family can receive support from the moment of their child or young person’s diagnosis.

Rainbow Trust's support is hugely varied and depends on the needs of the family. 

Activities

  • Family support - 24/7 support, around the country from diagnosis and beyond
  • Sibling support - Support for brothers and sisters of very seriously ill children. Maintaining school attendance, arts & crafts, cinema trips, days out at the zoo, fun and laughter
  • Home support - Providing emotional and practical support to families in their home. This includes respite, countless meals cooked, baths run and storybooks read.
  • Hospital support – Providing transport to hospital and attending hospital appointments. Helping to organise appointments, explaining illnesses and treatment, looking after siblings and staying with sick children. We also support families in the neonatal unit.
  • Bereavement support - For the entire family: parents, grandparents and siblings, face-to-face and over the phone, at any time of the night or day.
  • Fundraising - Rainbow Trust relies almost entirely through generous donations from their supporters. They only receive 3% funding from the government.

 

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