Acorns CEO, Trevor Johnson has warned of funding challenges in a series of interviews with the media today. The interviews followed a Hospice UK report which revealed the sector is facing a collective £77 million deficit.

Trevor said: “Acorns provides vital care to hundreds of children across the region every year, and the demand for our services is growing. Help can’t wait for the families who desperately need Acorns, but limited funding and rising costs present a huge challenge to our ability to continue to be there when families need us.

“As a charity, we can’t pass rising costs on to the consumer and depend on generous people taking part in fundraising activities and the profits from our charity shops for the bulk of our income.

“Hospices like Acorns are essential, but the situation for us is not sustainable. We support Hospice UK in calling on the Government to introduce a new model of long term funding for hospices, in recognition of the invaluable services they provide, and the essential part they play within the healthcare system, before it’s too late.”

Read a BBC news article on the report here.