Earlier this year, we donated a number of our EcoLight rainbow all-in-ones to the Rainbow Trust, a children’s charity who support families who have a child with a life-threatening terminal illness.

There are an estimated 86,625* children in England with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. This number has trebled over the last 17 years and is rising. We asked Family Support Manager, Charlotte Sturgess from the Rainbow Trust to tell us more about this inspiring charity and the work it’s doing to support families at their time of need.

What is the Rainbow Trust and what do you do?

We are a charity providing bespoke emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness. We offer support to the whole family from diagnosis through to treatment and beyond. Rainbow Trust pairs each family with an expert Family Support Worker who enables them to make the most of time together, giving them practical and emotional support, whenever they need it, for as long as is needed. The type of support can include:

• listening to a family’s fears and anxieties
• helping to explain illnesses, diagnoses and treatments
• keeping a seriously ill child company during hospital stays
• driving families to medical appointments to help save time and money
• organising fun activities to help sick children, their brothers and sisters
• support through bereavement and grief.

What types of families do you help?

We help anyone who meets our criteria from age 0 through to 18 years old. We support children with genetic conditions, undiagnosed children, childhood cancers among many other illnesses.

How can families get involved in supporting you?

We welcome any support of the charity and have many ways in which to support us through fundraising events, gift gifting, leaving money to us in Wills, encouraging your child's school, college, or your own workplace to raise funds for us. We have a yearly Big Hour challenge and our Great Rainbow Bakes. We also welcome volunteers to join us.

How can families fundraise for the Rainbow Trust?

It's very easy, we have a fundraising information page on our website which details how you can help us and the many different and innovative ways people have supported us. We have 6 teams in total (North East Team, North West Team, South West Team, Essex Team, Southampton Team and London and South East Team). You can find out more information about the Rainbow Trust here.

*Make Every Child Count study, University of York, 2020