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Gloucestershire Business News

Lottery fund cash will help charity’s vital work for children and families during Covid-19 crisis

Cheltenham-based WellChild has received support from The National Lottery Community Fund for its vital work for seriously ill children and their families during the coronavirus pandemic.

The charity was allocated a grant of nearly £90,000.

Since the start of the pandemic, WellChild has sent out more than a quarter of a million items of PPE to families caring at home for children with long-term complex health needs. The PPE is being shipped out from the charity's Cheltenham headquarters all over the UK to keep children safe. WellChild has also been an important source of advice and guidance to families throughout the crisis - including webinars and advice pages on its website.

The grant of £89,709, from the Community Fund will allow WellChild to continue the work of its Covid-19 Direct Response Service, making sure it reaches as many families with complex needs children as possible and gives them the support they need during these tough times.

Many of the families supported by WellChild are delivering round the clock medical care to their children and are totally reliant on external carers coming into their home. Many have been shielding since the start of the crisis and have struggled to access the PPE they need to let carers safely into their home. This has forced many to have vital care stopped, leaving families to deliver complex medical procedures and 24/7 care regimes on their own.

As the rest of society continues to ease out of lockdown, many of these families will remain in isolation for the foreseeable future.

Colin Dyer, chief executive of WellChild, said: "We are grateful for the funding from The National Lottery Community Fund towards the important work we are doing during the current crisis. These continue to be incredibly challenging times for the families we support, many of whom are continuing to shield. The funding is especially important at a time when our organisation is expecting to lose 60 per cent of income this year due to the economic effects of the pandemic."

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