Acorns Children’s Hospice has launched a major fundraising appeal to help modernise and transform its Black Country hospice for local children and families.

The Acorns Room to Grow Appeal will focus on the charity’s Walsall-based hospice, whose long-term future was assured last year thanks to the support of the local community after being put at risk of closure due to financial problems in 2019.

The Appeal will aim to raise £750,000 over the next 12 months towards much needed improvements, helping enhance the spaces where every year 200 local children and their families receive vital love care and support.

Due in-part to past financial constraints, this will be the first-time major refurbishments will have taken place at the hospice since it opened, over 20 years ago. Acorns Chief Executive, Toby Porter, said:

“This really is an exciting project. The hospice has been part of the community for well over two decades, touching the lives of countless children and families.

“Now the future is secure, and with the help and generosity of the local community, individuals and businesses, we can dream about transforming the areas children and families spend precious moments. This is about offering our wonderful children’s hospice care to a new generation.”

The Room to Grow Appeal will raise funds towards a number of significant upgrades at the hospice, including the ten children’s bedrooms where children stay for short breaks, emergency or end-of-life care. There will also be a brand-new, purpose-built arts and crafts room, called Isabella’s Place, where children will enjoy the freedom of expression through art.

The room was named ‘Isabella’s Place’ in 2021, in honour of Isabella Lyttle from Walsall, who spent many happy hours among the glitter and crayons, and in gratitude to the huge efforts of her parents Mark Lyttle and Jen Day as part of the community effort to save the hospice. Isabella’s mum Jen, said:

“When I heard the news about this Appeal I was so thrilled. We’ve had such wonderful care and support over the years from Acorns, like so many local families. I don’t know what we would have done without them.

“It’s amazing to think that not long ago we were talking about saving the hospice, now we’re talking about investing in its future for more families, which is incredible.”

Acorns in the Black Country, which had been placed under threat of closure due to financial difficulties, was saved in April 2021 thanks to the actions and amazing generosity of numerous individuals, businesses, celebrities, and sporting teams from across the local community.

During the pandemic, the hospice remained open every single day, providing the vital services local children and their families needed, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Toby added:

“The local community have been incredible and once again they will be integral to the success of this new appeal. So many local people responded when the hospice was under threat in 2019.

"They pulled out all the stops to help save this vital children’s hospice. We hope that that this new and exciting Appeal will capture the imagination just as powerfully.

“The level of nursing care and emotional support our teams provide at the hospice is second to none. With the support of the local community, we can create a hospice building where children and families can enjoy the highest standards of décor and facilities to match.”

Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care for life limited and life threatened children and support for their families from its three hospices, based in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester, and in the community.

In the past year the charity has cared for more than 700 children and almost 1,000 families across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire, including those who are bereaved.

To find out more about the Acorns Room to Grow Appeal and how you can support it, you can visit acorns.org.uk/roomtogrowappeal.