Acorns Children’s Hospice has teamed up with a national movement to beat the January blues.
Acorns in the Black Country, based in Walsall, is taking part in RED January, which encourages people to get active every day in January to help boost mental health.
Staff and volunteers at the hospice have joined the growing list of ‘Redders’ supporting the month-long community campaign, which raises money and awareness for mental health charity Mind.
Last week, RED January founder Hannah Beecham visited the hospice in Walstead Road to meet staff and children and learn how the charity has been using the initiative to further support families using Acorns.
Carmel Forrest, Deputy Head Nurse at Acorns in the Black Country, said: “It was lovely to welcome Hannah to Acorns and show her some of the fun activities we’ve been enjoying for RED January!
“At Acorns we recognise that a lot of our families have additional pressures because their child’s needs are more challenging. This can lead to feelings of isolation and even depression.
“We’ve used RED January not only to raise awareness of mental health issues but to give families a safe space to discuss their feelings and share their stories. It’s a great way of complementing the work we already do at Acorns with families, for example through the various Acorns support groups we run.
“It’s also given us a really good opportunity to explore how different activities and exercise can help improve mental health. The children have loved joining in too – we’ve had welly wanging, circus skills, snowball fights and dance parties. We’re already looking forward to next year!”
Hannah Beecham, RED January Founder said: “We pride ourselves on being an all-inclusive community initiative, so it was an absolute pleasure to witness firsthand how staff, children and parents at Acorns in the Black Country have been getting involved with RED January.
“Seeing the joy being active was having on the whole Acorns family was wonderful. Joining in an ‘I am the Music Man’ sing-a-long and dance with children and staff, will be a RED January memory I’ll cherish forever.”
Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care to children and young people with life limiting and life threatening conditions, as well as support for their families.
In the past year, the charity has cared for more than 870 children and supported more than 1,140 families, including those who are bereaved.
For more details about RED January and Mind, visit www.redtogether.co.uk
To find out how you can support Acorns, please visit www.acorns.org.uk
ENDS
Photo caption: RED-y, steady… Acorns in the Black Country is taking part in RED January.
For more information or for interview, photograph or filming opportunities, contact the PR and Communications team:
David Chamberlain: 01564 825020 / 07817 612422 / david.chamberlain@acorns.org.uk
Nicki Robinson: 01564 825062 / 07814 302153 / nicki.robinson@acorns.org.uk
Notes to editors:
Due to the sensitive nature of Acorns care services it refrains from using the words ‘terminal’ or ‘terminally ill’ in its press releases and public communications when describing the children who use Acorns and the conditions that they have. Instead, Acorns uses the words ‘life limited’, ‘life limiting’, or ‘life threatening’. Acorns kindly requests that you respect this in your communications when referring to Acorns Children’s Hospice. Acorns children have a lot of living to do. Thank you.
• This year Acorns is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Acorns in Birmingham, Selly Oak was opened in 1988 by HRH Diana, Princess of Wales. Acorns in the Black Country, Walsall opened in 1999 and Acorns for the Three Counties, Worcester opened in 2005. To find out more visit www.acorns.org.uk/30years
• Acorns is currently the UK and the world’s largest children’s hospice charity, as measured by the number of children it is helping to care for.
• It costs £27,000 every day to run Acorns services providing care for children and support for their families. The charity relies heavily on donations to fund the majority of its activities.
• To find out more about Acorns, please visit www.acorns.org.uk
