Acorns Appeal Celebrates One Year of Incredible Support as Fundraising Total Hits £885,000

A £2 million appeal to save a Black Country children’s hospice is marking its one-year anniversary by paying tribute to the incredible fundraising efforts of the local community.

Despite the understandable disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Acorns Children’s Hospice have announced that an incredible £885,000 has been donated to their Save Acorns Black Country Hospice Appeal over the past 12 months.

Thanks to this amazing generosity, the Walsall-based hospice has been providing vital front-line care for some of the region’s most vulnerable children and families throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over the course of lockdown, the hospice has also been providing expert psychosocial and counselling support to around 200 local families who normally use the hospice but have been shielding at home for the protection of their children.

Acorns has also coordinated a substantial delivery programme of care packages of food and household essentials, receiving items donated by the local community and delivering them to the doorsteps of the families that need them.

Donations large and small from members of the public over the past year have enabled the hospice to continue through the most challenging times. Toby Porter, Acorns Chief Executive paid tribute to the Black Country community and urged people to help the charity reach its next milestone of £1 million. He said: “Words can’t describe how grateful I am to the Black Country community for their support as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Appeal.

“And not just in monetary terms either. We’ve seen incredible demonstrations of generosity from local people as the hospice became a donation hub for the distribution of food and essentials to self-isolating families. It has been so inspiring to see us work together with the local community at a time of intense crisis.

“We have obviously not promoted our Save Acorns Black Country Hospice Appeal since the start of the pandemic in March. But, as lockdown eases, we hope that there will again be opportunities for individuals and businesses to think of innovative and safe ways to raise funds for our appeal.

“Please do what you can and help us reach the next milestone of £1million. Your generosity has inspired us and gives us hope. Because of you, we have been able to continue supporting children and families when they need us most.”

Thanks to the success of the Appeal which launched on 19 July 2019, Acorns in the Black Country has been at the centre of the charity’s Covid-19 emergency response, with the Walsall-based facility having been set aside for children from local hospitals with complex care needs to help acute trusts maximise their intensive care capability.

Toby added: “Since last summer, so many people have supported our Appeal. It is thanks to their enduring commitment that we were able to adapt this vital local service in response to the coronavirus crisis and provide crucial support to children and families in their hour of need.

“Put simply, we could not have supported the wider emergency response and our colleagues in the NHS in this way had it not been for the public’s fierce determination to save this hospice.”

The £2 million Save Acorns Black Country Hospice Appeal was launched by Acorns following pledges of additional NHS support, that should ensure the hospice – which had been under threat of closure – is adequately funded from 2023/24 onwards.

The urgent call for donations has seen the local community mobilise into action, with numerous individuals, celebrities, businesses and sports teams all stepping-up to support the charity.

To find out more about the Appeal and to make a donation, please visit www.acorns.org.uk/appeal

Adil’s thanks for supporters of the Save Acorns Black Country Hospice Appeal

I’ve had a wonderful morning visiting the Walsall hospice. We’ve all been through a really tough time in the last few months and who knows what lies ahead.

I think seeing what is happening here puts everything into perspective how fortunate so many of us are and how unfortunate and how dire the situation can be for the most vulnerable. And if you need an example of those people, they’re right here at Acorns hospice. I’m totally inspired by the families here, I met a couple of young lads today talking about Formula 1 and all sorts of things, not realising what they’re going through on a daily basis and some of the staff here, who are just incredible.

We know that Walsall has really, really been in a terrible situation for a while now but has turned it around and the reason why it has turned it around is thanks to the community and thanks to everybody who’s donated an amazing amount of money to keep this hospice going.

They’ve got a target of £2million and so far, they’ve raised £885,000 and they tell me it is purely from the people in the local area, which is just fantastic.

They would not have been able to look after the children in the last few months during this coronavirus pandemic if it wasn’t for that support and those kind donations.  

They’re almost there for the full amount so please, please try and dig deep. I know it’s incredibly hard but whatever you can do will help these children and the staff here immensely. So, on behalf of Acorns hospice, thank you.