This Friday (3 April), Tŷ Hafan is hosting a Disney© virtual quiz to support its hospice for children in Wales.
The charity is asking people at home to get behind an urgent appeal to help fund the charity’s care for life-limited children who are some of the most “at risk” in the country.
The quiz, which is not only a lovely thing for families to do and get involved in, but it will also help to raise vital funds for the hospice. Tŷ Hafan are asking for a £2 donation for people to join in.
The charity, which provides care and support for life-limited children and their families across Wales, has already seen a significant drop in income and requires urgent support as they battle through the most challenging period in 21 years with a forecasted income loss in excess of £2m this year.
With just 6% of their annual funding coming from the government, Tŷ Hafan is reliant on the generosity of the public to help keep services afloat. Staff continue to provide end-of-life care at the hospice, and they are adapting to the new circumstances by providing ‘virtual care’ to families who are isolating in their homes over the coming months.
The charity had a number of big fundraising events planned for the coming months to build on its £1.5 million hospice refurbishment project, which began in January this year. With these events now cancelled and limited fundraising activity underway, Tŷ Hafan now faces up to the twin challenges of trying to complete the necessary work by July, and keep frontline services fully funded.
Ty Hafan’s fundraising and retail director, Julian Hall, explains:
“Times are tough for everyone right now, but this emergency does represent something of a perfect storm for us here at Tŷ Hafan. We are in the middle of a refurbishment, care is more difficult to provide under new rules, and much of our fundraising is at a halt. Lots of our avid supporters who had fundraising events and challenges planned over the next few months have had to cancel or postpone their activity, meaning that our income has stalled. We’ve also had to close our 25 shops across Wales and can no longer receive any donated goods.”
Staff at Tŷ Hafan have already had to cancel some of the biggest events in the fundraising calendar, including the original Welsh3peaks Challenge which has been running for 22 years, the 10nTaff Challenge and an overseas trek to Cambodia that was set to raise over £70,000 alone.
Julian added, “It’s going to be a testing year for us, but we’re already encouraged by the support that we’ve received. We’re lucky enough to have so many loyal supporters who are going above and beyond for us by coming up with creative fundraising activities that they can do from their homes. We are hoping to get lots of people signed up to our Virtual Marathon in May, a challenge that can be completed at home, and I’m sure there will be other ideas in the pipeline.”
Despite all of Tŷ Hafan’s families living in isolation at the moment, staff are ensuring that they are still connected to the charity and have a strong support system at this time of uncertainty and worry.
To help to Tŷ Hafan, please visit www.tyhafan.org/fitforfuture to make an online donation to their urgent appeal.
