Our yearly Easter fundraiser has come to an end and we are thrilled to announce that we have successfully raised 415 Easter eggs for the Demelza charity, which provides end-of-life care for children and young adults with various medical conditions. This has beaten our 2022 donation by 55 chocolate eggs! We extend our sincere gratitude to the Tesco’s Sidcup Community Champion, Sonia Davies and her colleague Katie Pell, Tesco’s Maidstone Community Champion, Tina Deveroux, Morrisons’s Maidstone Community Champion, Lauren Willson, our dedicated staff members, and Mark Haggan, Clair Martin, Brad Thurston and Chris Trickett who contributed to this donation.
Samantha Gilham, our Managing Director, along with her daughter Florrie, personally delivered the chocolate Easter eggs to the Demelza site located in the nearby Sittingbourne. She shared her thoughts by saying, “It is heartbreaking to witness young children and their families struggle with serious illnesses, but it warms my heart to know that the Demelza charity is there to provide them with support during these challenging times. I hope that our contribution can bring a smile to their faces this Easter.”
About Demelza:
Demelza provides clinical care, therapies, specialised activities and practical support across Kent, South East London and East Sussex.
They have two beautiful hospices and provide a range of community-based support in the home, as well as a programme of online activities. Their end of life care for children and young people, and their bereavement support for family members of all ages, is available to all.
But this is only part of what they do, they are there across whole lifetimes, adding to the happiest moments as well as supporting in difficult times.
Every year their work is a lifeline to over 575 children, young people and families. From babies to young adults, they care for children with a range of different conditions, some of which are very complex and so rare, they have no name.
When a family desperately needs support, Demelza can give them the time, space and attention to cope. From diagnosis, for as long as they’re needed, they deliver specialist care with compassion. If a family chooses for their child to die at Demelza, they make sure they have the support they need to focus on loving each other and make lasting memories.
Their ethos is to work for the whole family – parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents and other loved ones – because the whole family is integral to a child’s life.
Everyone working at Demelza strives to bring the most joy, fun and relaxation to the lives of children and families they meet. Their network of volunteers brings energy, passion and dedication to help make Demelza all about life.
They provide specialist care services across the region, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, completely free of charge to those who use them. The unique support they give comes at a price, and at present they’re only reaching 20 per cent of the children who desperately need their help.
As a charity, they’re almost entirely dependent on the generosity of their supporters to provide the funds that keep our services going. Please make sure every family and child can depend on them when they need them most.
