Acorns hospice has overcome great difficulties but challenges lie ahead, says charity boss
In just four years a Black Country hospice has gone from facing closure to getting a £2 million refurbishment, thanks largely to the generosity of local communities.
Acorns Children's Hospice in Walsall was on the verge of closing forever in 2019, due to rising costs and falling donations, which sparked fundraising campaigns across the region and an incredible response from the public.
But it stayed open during the pandemic and managed to rally the community together to raise £750,000 through its Room to Grow Appeal so it could carry out a major refurbishment to its Walstead Road hospice.
It has now been nearly three months since the hospice officially reopened, boasting completely modernised bedrooms, corridors, dining room, reception and a purpose-built arts and crafts room.
Trevor Johnson, who took up the position of CEO of the charity in March, replacing Toby Porter, said Acorns had "overcome great difficulties" but has also spoken today about the challenges which lie ahead.
He said there were families who needed Acorns more than ever, but the cost of living crisis is continuing to mount pressure on the charity.
Meanwhile, statutory funding for children’s hospice care sector-wide in the future also faces uncertainty.
But he has pledged to plan for the unexpected and be "agile and adaptable" to allow the charity, which also has hospices in Birmingham and Worcester, to keep supporting life-limited and life-threatened children and their families long into the future.
"Acorns has overcome great difficulties, and as I look to the future the way ahead is exciting and full of opportunity," said Mr Johnson, who lives in Worcestershire and is the former CEO of Katharine House Hospice in Banbury, Oxfordshire.
