The new name for Act and Children’s Hospices UK
There are an estimated 23,500 children and young people across the UK unlikely to reach adulthood. Together for Short Lives is the only charity working to ensure that all of these children and their families get the best possible care and support whenever and wherever they need it.
Providing care – often 24 hours a day, seven days a week – can place families under enormous emotional, physical and financial strain. Relationships can suffer; careers may have to be abandoned; well brothers and sisters can feel left out; and normal family activities become almost impossible. These are ordinary people leading extraordinary lives.
Many remarkable organisations, including children’s hospice services, embrace not only the physical, but the emotional, social and spiritual elements of care, focusing on quality of life for the child or young person, and practical support for the family. However, while there are some excellent services available, many families struggle to access co-ordinated care when and where they need it.
Together for Short Lives is here to help. We:
- Help families to know about the range of care support available
- Support organisations to continue to offer the highest standards of support
- Raise and distribute essential funding to care organisations
- Give a powerful voice to children, families and providers, ensuring their views influence Government policy
