Acting legends join in campaign to save Acorns

Dame Julie Walters and Adrian Lester have joined the Children’s Care Matters campaign, which is calling on the Government to safeguard the Children’s Hospice Grant, a vital £2 million funding stream for Acorns, which the charity needs to continue providing its care to hundreds of local children.

Public support for the campaign has been increasing, with a petition to save the Grant reaching more than 8,000 signatures in just four weeks, and Acorns will be delivering a batch of signatures to 10 Downing Street with a letter to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting.

The Children’s Hospice Grant is a national £25 million NHS grant, distributed to children’s hospices across England and makes up around 13 per cent of Acorns income, a total of £2 million.

Adrian and Dame Julie have joined a number of leading names, including multiple award-winning restaurateur Aktar Islam and TikTok star, Poppy O’Toole aka Poppy Cooks, calling on the public to keep signing the petition.

Dame Julie has supported Acorns in the past and in 2019, when the charity’s Walsall hospice was under threat of closure, helped rally the community.

Dame Julie Walters said: “For families going through the most difficult times, the care and emotional support provided by nurses and staff at Acorns is crucial.

"It makes all the difference in the world, allowing families to focus on cherishing moments of joy and love knowing they are in safe hands.

“All children’s hospices are under threat from the loss of the Children’s Hospice Grant, so I hope everyone signs the petition to help protect these wonderful places.”

Adrian Lester said: ”How are we supposed to look after our hopes for the future if we don’t take care of our vulnerable children.

"The essential work Acorns Children’s Hospice does, must continue.

"It is a tragedy that organisations like these are starved of funding.”

Aktar and Poppy gave their active support to the campaign at a petition gathering event on Thursday in Paradise Square in Birmingham alongside giant orange HELP letters.

Aktar Islam whose flagship restaurant Opheem received its second Michelin star in February, said: “I’m well aware of the amazing work Acorns does across the region in the lives of local families.

“The skill, expertise and compassion shown at their three hospices is irreplaceable and the fact they could be faced with turning children away due to lack of funding just doesn’t bear thinking about.

“I’d urge everyone to support this campaign, sign the petition and help safeguard this vital local charity, before it’s too late.”

Michelin-trained chef and TikTok star, Poppy O’Toole, author of four cookery books, the latest of which is due to be published this year, said: “Come on everybody, join me in signing this petition to save the grant and protect the amazing Acorns Children’s Hospice.

“It’s a wonderful organisation that helps children and their families and brings a lot of happiness and joy even when things are tough.

"They need you and me and everyone to sign their petition so that they can carry on doing their incredible work”.

The future of the Children’s Hospice Grant, a central NHS England funding stream is uncertain, meaning Acorns and many children’s hospices nationally, may be forced to cut vital services for life limited children and their families.

To raise awareness of the campaign, staff and volunteers from Acorns have been taking giant orange “HELP!” letters on tour around well-known West Midlands landmarks and asking the public to add their name to the petition.

Trevor Johnson, Acorns Chief Executive, said: “We are overwhelmed by the support we’ve received so far for this important campaign and I’m delighted that Adrian, Dame Julie, Aktar, Poppy and so many others have understood the urgency of the situation and given their backing.

“This support will help raise awareness of the hundreds of local children with serious and life limiting conditions who rely on Acorns, and who without this Grant risk losing the care they desperately need.

“I appeal to everyone: keep signing and sharing our petition.

"Every voice counts, and together we can ensure that Acorns and every organisation like ours can continue to offer vital care to those who need it most."

To find out more about Children’s Care Matters and get involved, go to acorns.org.uk/campaign