Acorns welcomes capital boost but continues calls for vital sustainable funding

22nd July 2025

Acorns Children’s Hospice has welcomed a ‘one-off’ allocation of capital funding from the Government towards upgrading buildings, facilities and digital infrastructure – which will help ensure it has the ‘very best facilities’ to deliver care to children across the region.

But Chief Executive Trevor Johnson has continued to call on the Prime Minister to provide long-term sustainable funding to help deliver vital care to children with life limiting or life threatening conditions and support for their families.

Acorns is set to receive £906,009 for 2025/26, which can be spent on modernising hospice buildings and facilities.

Trevor said: “We appreciate this one-off investment because it is important that we have got the very best facilities to deliver care to children across the region who are seriously ill. But we are not allowed to use this money to pay for a single nurse, or a single minute of care.

“At Acorns, the thing that makes the difference is the specialist palliative care we provide for children and support for their families who are facing the darkest times in their lives. This money does not help us with that.

“For these families the future is uncertain, and that’s why we are continuing to call for the Government to guarantee the Children’s Hospice Grant, or equivalent sustainable funding, to enable us to continue to provide the care they deserve for years to come.”

As part of this campaign Acorns unveiled a powerful portrait of the Prime Minister – made entirely using the handprints of children cared for by the charity.

Acorns Chief Executive Trevor Johnson at the launch of the savethegrant.com campaign in London.

Trevor said: “We’re asking everyone to support our campaign at www.savethegrant.com to secure the future of all children’s hospices, like Acorns, across England. Without this funding, we fear a future where we may be forced to turn a child or family away.”

Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care for babies, children and young people with life limiting and life threatening conditions, and support for their families.

In the past year, the charity has cared for more than 780 children across the West Midlands, and supported over 1,000 families, including those who are bereaved. Children visit Acorns for rehabilitative respite, symptom management, emergency and end-of-life care. This care and support is provided from Acorns three hospices, based in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester, and in the community.

Acorns needs around £35,000 each day to provide its children’s hospice care, with two thirds of that amount coming from generous donations and fundraising by the local community.

To support the campaign visit www.savethegrant.com. Every click counts.