Anna Dixon joins Parliamentary Meeting with Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice to Advocate for Essential Support for Families Facing Life-Shortening Conditions

Anna Dixon MP for Shipley constituency, joined a Parliamentary meeting with Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, and fellow West Yorkshire MPs, to address the urgent funding and support challenges facing children’s hospices across the region. 

MPs were also joined by Steve, a local father who uses the services provided by

Forget Me Not. The discussion focused on the vital services provided by the hospice to families dealing with the emotional and practical demands of caring for children with life-shortening conditions.

Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice provides comprehensive care that goes beyond medical support. It offers a wide range of services starting from pregnancy, including exceptional nursing care, respite and short breaks, hydrotherapy, creative therapy, days out, memory making, end-of-life care, and bereavement support for the whole family.

However, with only a small portion of its £6 million annual operating costs covered by government and NHS funding, the hospice relies heavily on community fundraising to maintain its services.

During the meeting, the hospice’s role in the community and the significant impact of its services for families navigating the profound challenges of childhood illness was emphasised. Anna Dixon MP said, “For families facing the unimaginable, Forget Me Not offers clinical care and crucial, compassionate and life-enriching support, making every moment count. 

“This week’s meeting was important in ensuring this essential organisation receives the resources and awareness needed to continue making a difference across Shipley constituency and West Yorkshire. We need some sustainable long-term funding. 

“We put contributions from this week’s discussions to the Health team, and there were some positive discussions around that.” 

Gareth Pierce, CEO of Forget Me Not, highlighted the precarious funding landscape for children’s hospices, noting that only 10% of their funding comes from the National Children’s Hospice Grant. This source is not guaranteed in future years. “The support we provide to families is irreplaceable, yet our services are at risk without sustainable funding. We were pleased to discuss these issues with West Yorkshire MPs and hope to secure a future where every family can access the care they need.”

The MPs attending expressed their commitment to advocating for increased support and sustainable funding solutions to ensure that families in West Yorkshire continue to receive this indispensable care. 

The meeting concluded with calls to action to raise awareness, explore additional funding avenues, and work collaboratively across Parliament to support children’s hospices like Forget Me Not.

For more information about Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice and its vital work, visit https://www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/.