What We Do

WellChild is the national charity for sick children. We help sick children and their families throughout the UK as they deal with the consequences of serious illness and complex conditions. Our mission is to reach as many children and young people as we can, year after year. We focus on three key areas - care, support and research - and our involvement in so many aspects of children's health puts us in a unique position.

 

Our dedicated team of WellChild Children's Nurses work with sick children and their families across the country.

These specialist nurses help to ensure that children with complex needs can leave hospital and return home. They are vital in the prevention of frequent re-admissions.

Huge advances in medical care mean that today, more children are surviving what would have been terminal illnesses in the past. But survival does not always mean cure.

Many children are left with long term care needs. They may have neurological problems, metabolic conditions, chronic organ malfunctions or rare syndromes. Many depend on medical equipment such as ventilators, monitors and feeding pumps. Often they need constant observation and support.

WellChild Children’s Nurses carry out wide ranging work which includes: helping the child get home from hospital and back to their family, making sure the family gets regular respite time, arranging for carers to help with feeding, organising new equipment for children and supporting through bereavement.

See some of the familiy stories here.

 

 

Caring for a chronically sick child is a huge challenge, not just for the parents but for the whole family. Tasks many of us take for granted such as decorating a bedroom or making a garden suitable for your child’s needs can be too much to take on – simply because there isn’t enough time in the day. Yet these are the small things which can make a sick child’s life easier to bear.

WellChild’s Helping Hands scheme enlists the support of volunteers from companies and organisations across the country to tackle individual home development projects – and help make the lives of sick children that little bit more comfortable.

We create some truly fantastic makeovers to gardens, children’s bedrooms and other rooms in the home.

Each project is carefully designed for the needs of each family. For example, one garden may just need tidying up while another project requires a sensory garden to stimulate the child.

Helping Hands projects could not take place without the kind volunteers from companies across the UK, many of whom come back to help again and again.

 

 

Research into children’s illness can bring huge rewards which benefit not just one child – but many, and for years to come.

WellChild has invested more that £20 million in ground-breaking children’s health research projects over the past 30 years. This investment has led to developments spanning everything from pain relief to liver and kidney disease, from cancer and diabetes to rare disorders.

Not restricted to any one condition we are able to support those areas where there is priority need and researchers whose innovative ideas are most likely to make a difference to sick children and their families.

As well as funding research projects we have provided funding for the development of the Neonatal Unit at King’s College Hospital, the WellChild research Laboratory at Evelina Children’s Hospital, the WellChild Pain Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Children’s Research Centre at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

 

How do we do it? 

With the help of countless people who care as deeply about children’s health as we do. Our work relies entirely on the generosity of public donations, and on the life-affirming selflessness and energy of the many who contribute so much time and effort to help us.

For more information about what we do and how we do it download our latest annual review.