It’s been a summer to remember

This summer, we’ve been supporting our families to make as many memories together as possible. Activities are at the heart of that work, creating a space for children and young people to just be themselves and live life in the moment. Here’s a round-up of what we’ve seen so far in the summer of ’25.

Above: Chestival is our annual day-long celebration of music, dance and all things creative.

Being a child at heart is a core part of my role. It’s my job to think: ‘what will be the most fun?’, ‘what will get the biggest smiles?’ and often ‘what might we not have been allowed to do elsewhere?!’. At Chestnut Tree House, you see, we are in the ‘yes’ business, so coming up with ways to make all these things happen is my 9-5.

Bonkers bingo landed in first place

Nothing quite says fun and nonsense like an afternoon of Bonkers Bingo. Singing and dancing comes with the territory, but a vision I’ll never forget is one of our healthcare assistants volunteering to run through our marquee wearing a huge pair of clown pants! Children and adults were lobbing brightly coloured balls across the tent, aiming for the giant bloomers – what a sight!

We gave awards, too, and one child’s sibling won the best dancer award. He had been giving it everything all afternoon, and when I thought I had seen it all, he then began to parade the award around the marquee to the adulation of his adoring crowds – total legend!

Above: We round off our mega messy play day with a colour run!

Mega messy play – we’re still finding the paint, glitter and foam 

So this must be the craziest day of the year – and I think it’s the day that sums up Chestnut the most. It’s sheer chaos. It’s sheer joy. All manner of sensory fun and games were on hand. And everyone can take part, however works best for them. I’ll not forget one girl laying on a supportive mat, her feet swishing about in a mini paddling pool of goo; one Dad using a foam spray to create a fountain of mess – his little boy, waving his arms in the air, trying to catch it all. You stop and look around in amongst the chaos, and it is these moments that catch your eye and you think, yes, this is magic.

One child was a little nervous of the mess. He spent the first ten mins scouting around all the activities at a safe distance in his walking frame, sussing out the mess levels. Settling on the sand and shell sorting – a safe start – he worked his way around the activities. I was delighted to see him at the end of the day getting involved in our now infamous colour run: a dash of paint on the arm, and smidge of paint on his parents, he did the fun his way and that’s what it’s all about.

Meanwhile, I also won’t forget our student nurse stepping forward for the colour run in her white uniform…what could possibly go wrong? Well, what are washing machines for?!

You can watch the chaos unfold on this Instagram reel!

Above: Staff and families from Chestnut Tree House marched at Pride with Martlets, another hospice in our group

Brighton Pride brings our hospices together

We were delighted to march side-by-side with colleagues from Martlets for Brighton Pride this year – what a day of celebration! One family created their very own float so their young person could be at the heart of the party. A samba band played on behind us helping staff, volunteers and families keep the beat and our hospice flags shone bright in the sunshine in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Onlookers cheered our marchers and the photos were just so joyful and bright!

Above: Jack gets roped* into performing with the Ladies that Boogie while one of our families listens on

Move over Glastonbury, we’ve got Chestival

The sun has greeted us so much this summer – Chestival was a hot one! But I must say I am still taken aback by the atmosphere in the marquee. It was pure magic. There was so much love and joy in that room. We had singing, dancing, a steel band, a dancing choir – a festival for everyone.

And variety is at the heart of Chestival’s success. Whatever your ability, or whatever brings you joy, there is something to experience. For one young person, the trill sound of the steel drums was all his Christmases come at once! For another, the Bollywood workshop had toes tapping and little hand gestures joining the fun.

It’s about being in a space where it feels comfortable to be yourself and individual.

One young person’s Dad performed in a samba reggae band, and to watch him jump up to join in a rap with his Dad was truly wonderful. We’ve got an idea about a Brazilian-style party for next year already!

Watch this reel from Chestival 2025 to see more of the performers and fun!

*Minimal persuasion actually needed to join in.

Above: Our Wild West party had hobby horses, line dancing and a country band.

Wild West comes to Sussex

We have a whole day of Wild West fun at Chestnut, too. At one point, our line dancers were showing everyone the moves. Before you could say ‘yee-haw’, staff were encouraging those in wheelchairs to come forward and join in. You know, there are so many occasions where these young people wouldn’t feel able to get involved – weddings, parties – they can feel left aside. But before we knew it we had about five wheelchairs and a volunteer with a young person in his walker all throwing Wild West shapes!

Because these events are focused on the young people that can’t. With us, they can dance, they can sing, they can win a trophy, they can do line dancing, they can ride a hobby horse, do a rap in front of everyone. This is a place where we say: ‘yes you can’. When they live in a world that regularly says, ‘no you can’t’, these are the memories we want to create.

Our volunteers make the fun happen

We couldn’t do all of this without our volunteers. They are an extension of our activities team. Watching our volunteer team pose for a Wild West portrait, or make their millionth cup of tea, or tidy up after mega messy play (sorry!) they do it all with a smile, and then turn to ask me ‘what’s next?’. They get so much from taking part, supporting all the incredible work, and leave Chestnut with a smile on their faces too.

Above: Images from the summer

Living life in the moment

Children’s hospice care isn’t just about looking after children’s health. It’s also about having fun, finding beauty in the moment and making memories that last a lifetime. Children with life-limiting conditions – and their siblings – often need to grow up fast. Our summer of fun, and our year-round activities, give them the space to enjoy being children again.