Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

The Sick Children's Trust

Strictly Come Dancing's Anton Du Beke appeals on behalf of The Sick Children's Trust, a charity that provides free 'homes from home' for families with seriously ill children in hospital.

9 minutes

The Sick Children's Trust

The Sick Children's Trust

The Sick Children’s Trust is the charity that gives families with a seriously ill child in hospital a comfortable place to stay and a friendly ear to listen in one of their ten ‘±«Óãtvs from ±«Óãtv’. Hospital can be a lonely and scary place for anyone, but especially a child. By providing families with somewhere to stay just minutes from their sick child, the charity gives them one less thing to worry about.

The Sick Children’s Trust was founded in 1982 by two paediatric doctors who witnessed first-hand the families that were unable to stay near their sick child. In the 40 years that have followed, the charity has gone on to support over 73,000 families in their ‘±«Óãtvs from ±«Óãtv’ in London, Cambridge, Sheffield, Leeds, and Newcastle. Without them, these families faced the prospect of sleeping in hospital chairs or even in their cars. The alternative would have been expensive hotels or very long drives, with the average journey time for families being 79 minutes from their homes to hospital.

This year The Sick Children’s Trust is celebrating 40 years of keeping families together. Relying entirely on voluntary donations to keep their ‘±«Óãtvs from ±«Óãtv’ running, it costs them approximately £40 to support one family for one night. With a calm place to rest and a friendly ear to listen just a stone’s throw from their child’s hospital ward, The Sick Children’s Trust provides so much more than just a roof over their heads. 




Anton Du Beke

Anton Du Beke

"I’m truly honoured to support this appeal for The Sick Children’s Trust, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. As a dad to twins I can only imagine what it must be like for families thrown into chaos when their child suddenly becomes ill. But this charity provides a crucial service to families that have a seriously ill child in hospital, with their ‘±«Óãtvs from ±«Óãtv’ being so much more than just a place to stay close to the ward. They are a sanctuary for parents and carers at the most distressing of times, a warm, welcoming place to get some much-needed rest with staff on hand to provide a shoulder to cry on when things become too much to bear. 

By removing the prospect of long car journeys or expensive hotels, the ‘±«Óãtvs from ±«Óãtv’ are worth their weight in gold to the families they support. I hope this appeal will help them fulfil their wish to support thousands more families in the years ahead.â€

Jimmy, Lana and Jasmine

Jimmy, Lana and Jasmine

Jimmy and Lana Cross stayed at The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘±«Óãtv from ±«Óãtv’, Chestnut House in Cambridge when their daughter Jasmine needed surgery when she was just a few days old. Jasmine who has myelomeningocele, a form of spina bifida was born in Cambridge, some 70 miles away from their home in Norwich, at the height of the Covid-19 global health pandemic.

The surgery removed a sac from the base of her spine that was the size of a cricket ball. With the ‘±«Óãtv from ±«Óãtv’ being located on the hospital site just minutes from baby Jasmine’s bedside, Chestnut House made sure that the family could stay together while she recovered from her ordeal. Jimmy and Lana stayed at Chestnut House for three weeks, where they were given the help they needed to support Jasmine, giving them one less thing to worry about.

Yvette, Jonathan and Gracie

Yvette, Jonathan and Gracie

When their daughter Gracie needed a pioneering medical procedure, Yvette and Jonathan Mellalieu needed to make the 250-mile journey from their home in North Wales to London. Gracie has a rare disease called Morquio Syndrome, which comes with numerous complications including stunted growth. Gracie’s airway was becoming increasingly kinked and narrow as it grew inside her small frame, restricting the airflow to her lungs. Gracie needed pioneering surgery to fix it.

During Gracie’s operation and recovery, Yvette and Jonathan were given a place to stay at The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘±«Óãtv from ±«Óãtv’, Guilford Street House. Being able to stay just minutes away from Gracie’s hospital bedside removed the financial stress of expensive hotels and allowed them to give Gracie all the support she needed. For teenager Gracie, knowing that mum and dad could be there throughout her stay proved invaluable for her own mental health and wellbeing.  

Sarah, Thomas and Finlay

Sarah, Thomas and Finlay

Sarah and Thomas Pollock’s son Finlay was diagnosed with a serious heart condition when he was eighteen months old. The family from Northern Ireland spent more than 300 days in hospital at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and then travelled the long distance to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

The Sick Children’s Trust supported Finlay’s parents, Sarah and Thomas, on numerous occasions when they stayed at the charity’s ‘±«Óãtv from ±«Óãtv’, Scott House in Newcastle. Scott House, located onsite at the Freeman just a couple of minutes away from the ward, meant they were never far from Finlay’s bedside. The ‘±«Óãtv from ±«Óãtv’ provided Sarah and Thomas with a sanctuary for the duration of Finlay’s long wait for a heart transplant, giving them much-needed support. 

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Anton Du Beke
Series Producer Hardeep Giani
Director Arif Mahmood

Broadcasts