Our partnership with Together for Short Lives to reach 10 years!
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Since 2016, Together for Short Lives has been our corporate charity partner, raising an unbelievable £1.7m for the 99,000 children living with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families in the UK. The funds raised (from our guests, match funding and employee fundraising) support the 54 children’s hospices across the country, including hospices located near to our UK villages.
The enthusiasm and commitment that we’ve seen from our colleagues and guests over the years has been incredible, and that support is still as strong as ever. We’re thrilled to announce that we have now pledged to support the charity until April 2027, taking the partnership to a phenomenal 10 years.
Since the partnership began, our colleagues have found incredible and unique ways to raise money, challenging themselves for families that need it the most. From running marathons and sky diving to holding duck races and ‘all in a day’ fundraisers, our colleagues are constantly coming up with new and innovative ways to raise vital funds. They’ve also volunteered their time to their local children’s hospice, including renovating sensory gardens and using their skills to help maintain hospice equipment like hydrotherapy pools.
About Together for Short Lives
When a child’s life is expected to be short, there’s no time to waste. Together for Short Lives is there to make sure the 99,000 seriously ill children and their families across the UK can make the most of every moment they have together, whether that’s for years, months or only hours. They stand alongside families, supporting them to make sure they get the vital care and help that they need, connecting them with support services and other families who understand what they are going through, so they don’t feel as alone.
99,000 babies, children and young people in the UK are living with health conditions that are life-limiting or life-threatening - and the number is rising. Many of these children have complex conditions and need specialist care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The impact is enormous. Parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, and the wider family make up an estimated 790,000 people who are actively involved in care. For those who love these children, accessing help and the right care can be emotionally stressful. For those of us who haven’t faced it, it’s unimaginable.
Getting the right support can make a lifetime of difference and that’s what Together for Short Lives are there for.
Colin McKinlay, CEO, said: “Spending time with those you love and making memories together is at the heart of everything we do at Center Parcs, and that is especially true for families caring for seriously ill children, because the time they have together is heartbreakingly short. I’m looking forward to continuing working together, supporting the incredible work Together for Short Lives do, raising even more vital funds and welcoming more of their families to our villages.”
Did you know each UK Center Parcs village is partnered with a local children’s hospice?
Head Office and Sherwood Forest – Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice
Elveden Forest – East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices
Longleat Forest – Children's Hospice South West
Whinfell Forest – Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice
Woburn Forest – Keech Hospice Care
We want to say a massive thank you to all our wonderful guests who have helped support Together for Short Lives over the past six years, contributing to our fundraising total through donations at the point of booking and throughout your break. We’re so excited to be able to continue our partnership with this amazing charity for another four years.
To find out more about Together for Short Lives and the families they support, please visit their website here.
