Support Acorns - your local children's hospice

It's hard to imagine how you would cope if a child in your family had an illness for which there is no cure - a condition that would prevent them reaching adulthood.

Yet this is the situation facing hundreds of families within our communities. These are the children and families to whom Acorns offers help and support.

Acorns provides respite, emergency and end-of-life care for children from Halesowen and across the West Midlands regions from its three hospices located in Selly Oak - Birmingham, Worcester and Walsall.

There is also a community team offering 24-hour support to families in their homes including practical and emotional support for parents, special help for siblings and bereavement counselling.

Acorns Selly Oak has been offering care and support to life-limited children and their families for 18 years now.

The hospice was the third in the world when it opened its doors in 1988 and it continues to be at the forefront of children's palliative care.

All three Acorns hospices are a real home-from-home. The 10 bedrooms at Worcester are specially equipped, and the hospice has an adolescent wing. Families are encouraged to bring toys and bedding from home to decorate the bedrooms during their child's stay.

Nursing staff don't wear uniforms and staff, volunteers and families eat and play together. Importantly, the hospice offers therapies and opportunities not always available at home.

There is a hydrotherapy pool; a multi-sensory room; a Jacuzzi/spa; and fully equipped family accommodation so parents can stay, knowing that their child is receiving professional nursing care nearby.

Acorns aims to offer a variety of activities that reflect the needs and interests as well as age, gender and culture of each child.

This is illustrated by African Caribbean Days that recognise the responsibility of staff and volunteers to provide a culturally sensitive and responsive service, and the Asian Liaison Officer whose role is to ensure the needs of Asian families are met.

Acorns services are available to all families with life-limited children and it currently cares for around 600 - although it is estimated that 1,600 families across the West Midlands qualify for Acorns support and the demand for these vital services grows daily.

Acorns has helped 1,200 families since its inception in 1998.

All Acorns' services are provided to families free of charge. It costs £4,500 a day to run each hospice, a total of £6m a year, and yet less than 10% of Acorns funding comes through Government and statutory sources.

Nigel Pitt, Chairman of Halesowen Town Football Club:

When Acorns approached Halesowen Town Football Club Ltd to host their Charity match we had no hesitation at all in offering the ground to them.

We have tried to support Acorns wherever possible and recently we were fortunate enough to receive money raised from the FA Charity Shield for Halesowen Town Football Club Ltd reaching the 1st round proper of the FA Cup last season, we split this money between three local charities - Acorns being one of them.

As a local football club we are constantly striving to keep football in the community and hosting this match will not only raise well deserved and needed money for Acorns but will hopefully bring a whole new group of spectators to the ground benefiting both Acorns and the Club.

Halesowen Town Football Club will continue to support Acorns in whatever capacity they can, no-one can imagine what it must be like to have a terminally ill child so to know that Acorns is available in our community is a true blessing.