Life here at Chestnut Tree House is nothing like normal. So much of the daily noise and energy of the children has gone.

Our wonderful sensory swimming pool is silent. And our colourful playrooms are open only to families no longer shielding, for a few hours of welcome relief after long weeks at home. But even though Chestnuts is quiet, our care services must continue. Because while our families are coping with caring for their poorly children full time, they need our support more than ever.

Now, as coronavirus restrictions affect us all, many families can’t come to us – so we’re doing everything we can to take our team to them during this stressful and exhausting time. But we need your help.

For the parents, anxiety is very high – the impact of having little or no time off means they’re being pushed to the limits. And for the children, the loss of their freedom to play and explore in the safety of Chestnut Tree House is confusing and upsetting.

However, while there are things we can’t do, there are plenty of things we can. We’ve been ringing each of our families regularly, offering a listening ear. It might sound simple, but having someone to talk to who knows your child and the situation at home can feel like a huge weight has been lifted.

Our activity team has been amazing at thinking outside of the box! They’ve been driving around delivering activity packs full of games and puzzles tailored to each individual child. For children – like Jack (pictured below) – who are shielding and haven’t been out for weeks on end, a bottle of bubbles can bring an afternoon of sheer joy.

Where we can, we’re also making home visits – to give parents a few precious hours of respite to spend with siblings, take a bath or just hang out some washing. These moments can feel life-saving when you’re caring around the clock. With your help, we can ensure we have the necessary PPE equipment, and cover the additional travel expenses to make these visits possible.

Please help us continue to offer visits, calls and moments of joy for families while they’re isolating. Together, we can give more children like Jack the chance to live their best lives through this crisis.

Donate Now

£25 which could help pay for phone calls to struggling families.

£50 which could help pay for PPE masks, gloves and aprons to keep children, families and nurses safe.

£70 which could pay for a nurse to make a home visit.

£5 could provide an activity pack for a child shielding at home.

Thank you, from all of us at Chestnut Tree House.

You can help to support Chestnut Tree House by buying gifts from our Amazon wish list, which will help to fill the activity packs we are delivering to families.