The Light Fund who are donating the funds raised to the charity Friends of Pitcheroak special school in Redditch, Worcs.
The Light Fund is the brand licensing industry's charitable fund raising body who donate all funds collected on to registered charities selected by the Committee. They are a marvellous group supporting less well-known charities who find it hard to raise funds, like Friends of Pitcher Oak Special School, for example.
The Friends is a registered charity which supports the Redditch-based school of that name in ways which bridge the significant gaps in State funding. The school is simply amazing - I was humbled when I walked round it with Michael, my son, who was accepted there a year ago after 9 years of battling. But the sad truth is that he was lucky for 2 reasons; not only was Michael able to trial, and be trialled by, Pitcher Oak on a part-time basis whilst still at his mainstream school without funding from a statement of needs, but he was also able to share a lift between the schools with somebody else who already had the funding to do this. Pitcher Oak was able to use Michael's trial to help push through an emergency statement of needs for Michael and he is now happy at school for the first time ever. At my request, the Friends will look to earmark your donations towards a fund to help trial other children in the same position as Michael.
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) - an independent charity providing free 'home away from home' accommodation at hospitals across the UK, enabling families to stay close to their seriously ill children and maintain a normal degree of family life.
The angst of having a seriously ill child in hospital is increased tenfold if it's a hospital far from home. Often, in such situations, parents are forced to sleep on hospital chairs or floors, or can’t be there for their sick child because of the need to look after other children. RMHC provides an impressive offering across the nation of no-strings-attached on-site accommodation for families for as long they need it, be it two days or two years. RMHC is an entirely independent charity and is run beautifully - they take extreme pride in making sure donations make a difference and aren't swallowed up with red tape and poor and expensive administration. The Charity has achieved a lot in the last 20 years. Fourteen Ronald McDonald Houses have been built which, along with 29 sets of Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, provide over 400 bedrooms every single night of the year. However, there is still a great deal to do. Many families do still have to sleep on camp beds or in their cars in order to be close to their children, and RMHC is determined to help as many of these as possible.
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