WellChild ‘Ready to Respond’ with launch of Impact Report

WellChild launches its latest impact report today reflecting on an historic year for the charity and the families it supports.

When the COVID-19 crisis took hold, WellChild had to respond quickly to an urgent and unprecedented demand for help from families caring for children with complex health needs. Meanwhile, the charity faced a loss of 60% of forecasted income.

Ready to Respond – Our Impact 2019-2020 (PDF/2.56 MB) celebrates the amazing work of our staff, nurses and volunteers, who stepped up for families when they needed us most.

The report also includes a letter from WellChild Patron, The Duke of Sussex who praises WellChild for its work during the pandemic and calls for children with complex health needs not to be forgotten.

Highlights from the report include:

• 289,000 items of Personal Protective Equipment sourced and sent to more than 1,000 families to allow carers back into their homes.
• 57,500 visits to the charity’s COVID-19 information and guidance for families.
• 20% growth in membership of the WellChild Family Tree online family peer-to-peer support network.
• 2,711 families supported by WellChild Nurses across the country.
• 449 people trained through the WellChild Better At Home Training programme
• More than 36 Helping Hands bedroom and garden transformation projects completed.

The report is also a huge thank you to our amazing supporters who have helped us in so many ways during a challenging fundraising year.

WellChild Chief Executive Colin Dyer says in the report: “As we enter 2021, I am immensely proud of the way our team responded and found fresh, inventive ways to make a positive difference for seriously ill children and their families across the UK.

“WellChild’s programmes have adapted and expanded to take on the challenges presented by COVID-19. The world and the way we work changed, but our mission to give children and families the best chance to thrive at home was more important than ever.”

Whilst we have achieved so much, we must be ready to respond again in order to ensure our future in 2021 and beyond.