Together for Short Lives and Morrisons have announced a new partnership that will provide vital support for families cared for by Derian House Children’s Hospice.
Out of more than 100 charities to apply, Together for Short Lives – the only charity supporting the UK’s 54 children’s hospices, including Derian House – won a Morrisons colleague vote to decide which charity would benefit from a three-year partnership aiming to raise around £10 million.
Children’s hospices like Derian House provide lifeline support to families facing up to the heartbreak that their child will die young. Money raised in Morrisons stores and sites will support children’s hospices with the vital funding they need to be there for the 99,000 families caring for a seriously ill child.
Together for Short Lives will become Morrisons’ new charity partner from February, when the supermarket giant’s current partnership with Young Lives vs Cancer comes to a close.
David Potts, CEO at Morrisons said, “It’s been a privilege to support Young Lives vs Cancer for the last five years and I’d like to thank our colleagues, customers and suppliers for their efforts in raising over £17m – in particular our Community Champions who’ve worked so tirelessly. We’re looking forward to teaming up with Together for Short Lives and providing vital support for children’s hospices across our local communities.”
Every single Morrisons store and site will be connected with their local children’s hospice, like Derian House, raising much-needed funds to help them provide families facing the unimaginable with vital care and the chance to make cherished memories together.
David Robinson, CEO at Derian House said, “We are delighted that Morrisons’ staff have chosen Together for Short Lives as their new charity partner and would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted. It costs us £5million every year to run services at Derian House and yet we receive only 12% of this from government and NHS funding. This means that for every pound we spend, we must raise 88p ourselves.
“This partnership will greatly benefit the hospice, helping us to continue to care for the children and young people who need us most.”
Derian House provides lifeline support to families facing up to the heartbreak of their child dying young, right in the heart of the North West.
Baby Muhammad-Zareb – or ‘Little Zed’ as his parents call him – was boring during the February 2021 lockdown with a rare disorder than meant part of his brain was missing. Fearful about the huge responsibility of caring for a seriously ill baby whilst also looking after their toddler daughter, Zahid and Rehena turned to Derian House Children’s Hospice for support.
The family were able to learn how to care for their baby whilst having a safety net of support when needed. Now home and settling into family life, the family continue to be supported by Derian staff and have been back for a respite visit to rest and make memories together.
Andy Fletcher, Chief Executive at Together for Short Lives highlights the difference this partnership will make for families like Little Zed’s supported by a children’s hospice:
“We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as Morrisons’ next charity partner. Their support is going to help us make a lifetime of difference in communities up and down the UK. Families of seriously ill children are pushed to their limits every day. This incredible partnership will help to ensure that lifeline children’s hospices who are there for these families, aren’t pushed to theirs. The partnership will also kick-start an exciting new project to help us reach every family who needs our help in local communities.
Every single Morrisons store and site will be connected with their local children’s hospice, raising much-needed funds to help them provide families facing the unimaginable with vital care and the chance to make cherished memories together. A partnership of this scale is just transformational – Together for Short Lives cannot save a child’s life, but with a little help from Morrisons colleagues and customers we can make sure that no family has to suffer through their child’s short life alone, and instead can treasure every moment they have together.”
