Our facts and figures page references statistics. At the bottom the page, you’ll find an appendix that supports the statistics throughout.

What we do

Acorns provides a network of specialist palliative nursing care and support to babies, children and young people aged 0 – 18 years who have life limiting or life threatening conditions.

Eligibility for children is based on the four categories of life limiting or life threatening conditions as established by Together for Short Lives[i]:

  • Conditions where curative treatment may fail
  • Conditions where premature death is inevitable
  • Progressive conditions without curative options
  • Irreversible conditions causing severe disability

Please do not use the phrase ‘terminally ill’. ‘Not expected to reach adulthood’ is preferred.

A holistic service meets the needs of both the children and young people and their families, including the bereaved. This includes short break provision; emergency and end of life care; therapeutic and psychosocial support; sibling services; and family support.

Acorns serves the areas of Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Sandwell and Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Shropshire and Staffordshire.

The children we support

In the past year[ii], Acorns supported 806 children and 1,112 families from across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire, including those who have been bereaved.

In the past year, Acorns has supported:

  • 329 children and 441 families at Acorns in Birmingham
  • 246 children and 341 families at Acorns in the Black Country
  • 231 children and 330 families at Acorns for the Three Counties

In the past year, Acorns has supported 2,292 individual family members, including children, brothers and sisters, parents, carers and grandparents.

On average, every month, eight of the children Acorns cares for will die.[iii]

Around 37% of the children and families at Acorns are from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds.

Approximately 3% of the children Acorns cares for have cancer.

Prevalence of life limiting conditions amongst children in our region

The prevalence of life limiting conditions amongst children and young people in our region was calculated in a recent study led by Professor Lorna Fraser at the University of York[iv]. The research showed that:

  • There are an estimated 11,079 children aged 0-19 with a life limiting condition in the West Midlands and Gloucestershire. This prevalence is slightly higher in the West Midlands and Gloucestershire than it is in England as a whole[v].
  • The number of children with life limiting conditions in the region has increased significantly over 10 years (56 percent)[vi] and is expected to continue growing[vii].

The data highlights that a significant proportion of childhood deaths continue to be babies under one year old. However, the research also suggests that an increase in numbers of children with palliative care needs is due to improvements in life expectancy. The general trend is towards there being more children living longer, with more complex care needs.

Our facilities and services

Working with a family, Acorns undertakes a comprehensive, holistic assessment, from which we determine the outcomes they need to achieve for them and their child. A bespoke package of support is then delivered in response to the family’s requirements.

Care is tailored for each child, including all their clinical, emotional, cultural, religious and spiritual needs. Our care can be provided in the hospice, a family’s home or elsewhere in the community.

Our care

Acorns has three children’s hospices:

  • Acorns in Birmingham (located in Selly Oak) opened in 1988 (the third children’s hospice in the world at the time).
  • Acorns in the Black Country (located in Walsall) opened in 2000.
  • Acorns for the Three Counties (located in Worcester) opened in 2005.

The hospices are purpose-built with specially decorated and furnished bedrooms designed to cater for children and young people from birth to 18 years of age – providing a warm, welcoming and comforting space to make the most of every day.

On-site hospice facilities include hydrotherapy pools, multisensory rooms, complementary therapy rooms, and spaces for palliative play, music and art therapy and other fun activities.

Each of the hospices benefits from landscaped gardens, designed to provide a safe environment for children and families to have fun, reflect and enjoy the outdoors.

Designated areas for older children and teenagers ensure privacy and a managed level of independence.

Separate on-site accommodation for families allows them to stay with their child if they wish.

The hospices each have ‘special bedrooms’ in a separate area within the building where children can stay after they have died. These rooms can be personalised by families and are a place where they can say their final goodbyes and make precious memories before their child’s funeral.

In the past year, Acorns accepted 186 children referred to our services.

Each hospice has a team comprising:

  • Activity / Play Workers
  • Administrative, Housekeeping and Facilities team
  • Consultant Paediatrician in Palliative Medicine
  • Family Practitioners
  • Family Service Team Managers
  • GP (supported by the Acorns Paediatric Consultant)
  • Health Care Assistants (HCAs)
  • Hospice Nurses (experienced in palliative care)
  • Matron and Deputy Matron
  • Physiotherapists
  • Registered Nurses
  • Sibling Workers
  • Trained volunteers
  • Volunteer Managers
  • Young Persons Workers

Specialist care is provided during a hospice stay (whether this is a planned palliative rehabilitations stay, day therapy, emergency admission or for end-of-life care) including:

  • Personal and nursing care
  • Medical support
  • Symptom pain management
  • Physiotherapy, including hydrotherapy
  • Complementary therapies
  • Play and activities including creative sessions/workshops such as art and craft, music, drama and dance
  • Therapeutic intervention, including play sessions such as art and craft, and music
  • Access to IT equipment, toys, books, games, music and films
  • Access to outdoor space and gardens

Acorns Community Nursing team provides support to families within their home. In the past year[viii], Acorns conducted 1,275 community nursing visits to families across our region.

Acorns Family Services team

On acceptance to Acorns, every family receives an assessment of their needs from the Acorns Family Services team. This will be undertaken by a professional who has a health or social care background.

An Acorns Family Practitioner will work with the family to determine the services that will best meet their needs at the current time and agree a plan of care and support that may include: counselling, psychotherapy, social and practical support, advice, advocacy, short rehabilitative respite breaks in the hospice or at home, sibling support and a range of support groups for all members of the family.

End-of-life care and bereavement support will be available whenever is it needed and all families will have access to emergency support via the hospices, 24 hours a day.

In the past year the Acorns Family Services team provided 13,973 instances of vital emotional and practical support to family members and siblings, including one-on-one therapeutic work, bereavement support, group work and advocacy.

Sibling Workers provide support to siblings through focused groups, individual therapeutic based sessions and bespoke programmes, according to assessed need. In the past year[ix], over 230 siblings were supported at Acorns.

Acorns runs a programme of specialist support groups for:

  • Grandparents
  • Bereaved parents
  • Mums, dads, and carers
  • Siblings

These support groups bring together those in similar situations, reducing isolation and helping develop resilience, self-esteem and a sense of identity.

In the past year the Family Services team has worked with 786 bereaved family members, including mums, dads, brothers and sisters.

Governance, regulation and representation

Acorns is an independent charity managed by an appointed Chief Executive and a senior management team who are accountable to a board of trustees. To learn more, please visit our governance page.

Awards and accreditations

Acorns is a UNICEF – Rights Respecting organisation (Gold awards), recognising our commitment to the Rights of the Child. We are the first children’s hospice in the UK to receive this award.

Acorns is an accredited Thrive at Work organisation (Foundation award), in recognition of our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our people.

Acorns holds an International Diversity Champion mark, for our commitment to recognising diversity and promoting inclusion.

Funding

It costs around £14 million a year to run our care services in the hospices and community, providing care for the child and support for families.

It costs around £40,000 per day to run Acorns care services.

It costs around £10,000 a day to run care services within one hospice.

Acorns relies heavily on donations to fund the majority of our activities. In the past year  the local community provided around 77% of the money needed to run our care services.

Income from Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and other statutory bodies represents a contribution of around 21% towards the total cost of our care services.[x]

Our last set of audited accounts show:

  • 83p in every £1 we spent went on charitable activities (i.e. care services);
  • We raised £3.50 of income for every £1 we spend on non-charitable activities (i.e. fundraising);
  • £7.70 out of every £10 we need to run our care services comes from donations and fundraising from the local community.

Acorns participates in two lotteries: TLC in Birmingham and the Hospices Lottery in Worcestershire.

Acorns is part of Childlife, a fundraising partnership between four charities working with children, young people and their families throughout the UK.

Our people

Acorns employs just over 460 people in our three hospices, network of shops and head office[xi].

Acorns has around 1,700 active volunteers[xii] who work in all areas of the organisation[xiii]:

  • 180 across the three hospices
  • Around 200 in fundraising
  • Around 1,300 in our shops

Last year[xiv] our volunteers contributed 302,402 hours of their time to Acorns – equating to an economic value of £3,692,328[xv].

Appendix

Figures last updated October 2025.

[i] Eligibility criteria (as outlined by Together for Short Lives on our refer a child page)

[ii] From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

[iii] In the year to 31 March 2025, 97 children cared for by Acorns died

[iv] Fraser L. K. et al (2020) Make Every Child Count: Estimating current and future prevalence of children and young people with life-limiting conditions in the United Kingdom

[v] In 2017/18 there were an estimated 11,079 children aged 0-19 with a life limiting condition in the West Midlands and Gloucestershire. This gives a prevalence per 10,000 of 68.4. This is slightly higher than the prevalence of 66.4 for England as a whole.

[vi] There were an estimated 4,154 more children in area with a life limiting condition in 2017/18 than there were in 2008/9. The equivalence measure for England is 46 percent.

[vii] It is estimated that by 2030, prevalence in the West Midlands (excluding Gloucestershire) will have increased to between 68.9 and 93.8 per 10,000. This amounts to between 891 and 4,384 more children with life limiting conditions in the region than there was estimated to be in 2017/18.

[viii] From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

[ix] From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

[x] In the year ending March 2025, our fundraising and net retail profit income was £11.3 million. Statutory income was £4.7 million

[xi] As of the end of September 2025 our headcount number for employed workforce was 463 people (not including bank)

[xii] As of 31 March 2025

[xiii] Volunteers may cross over different areas of the organisation

[xiv] From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

[xv] Financial figures are based on 2023/24 accounts as reported online.

[xviii] Economic value calculation based on a minimum wage of £12.21