WellChild: Helping families support other families

WellChild is the national charity giving children and young people with serious and complex health needs the best chance to thrive – at home with their families.

The team at WellChild shares with KtoA Magazine how their Family Tree, Parent Ambassadors, Information Hub and In Your Area platform offer practical and emotional support and builds a network of families to come together and connect.

The WellChild Family Tree

The Family Tree network allows parents to connect with others who ‘get it’ for mutual support, advice and friendship.

By registering with the WellChild Family Tree network, you can benefit from:

Joining our closed Facebook group: by WellChild, our group is a safe space to connect with and seek support from other parents, share experiences, find information and identify other parents in similar stages of their journey. The group allows you to speak freely any time of the day or night, with others who just ‘get it’.

Meeting up, making friends and sharing experiences: We have a wide range of events on offer throughout the year, whether it’s a sailing experience, horse riding, zoo trips, virtual workshops, family craft club or our virtual Tea and Talk series!

Taking part in family activities: This may range from making friendship bracelets for our celebrity ambassadors, designing our next medal for our challenge event participants, or sending us your family snapshots to help us fill our social media channels with all your amazing stories.

Keeping you updated: You will receive our monthly newsletter, packed with lots of helpful information, along with our monthly Wellbeing mailings full of great ideas and inspiration on how to support your wellbeing, and ad hoc mailings full of WellChild updates, events, and other family focused information we think you’d like to know.

Last year, 3331 families received peer-to-peer support through the Family Tree network.

Hayley, a mum and Family Tree member, says the network means: “You are never alone. There will always be someone else in the WellChild Family Tree to offer advice and support.”

Parent Ambassadors

The Parent Ambassadors help WellChild to reach out to more families, elevate the voices of parents and carers, and support us at events to raise awareness of the work we do.

Our Parent Ambassadors have represented us at beneficiary events and even funding pitches. By speaking openly about their experiences of caring for a child with serious health and complex medical needs, and the positive impact WellChild has had on their lives, they have helped raise awareness of the support we provide and helped us raise much needed funds to continue our work.

They are also vital in helping us understand the challenges parents and carers are facing. By keeping us informed of local challenges, they are invaluable in shaping our ongoing projects and strategy.

Information Hub and the In Your Area platform

WellChild have an extensive Information Hub, with resources about looking after a child with complex needs, from diagnosis to transition to adult services, as well as wellbeing information for parents, carers and siblings.

We also have the In Your Area platform where parents and carers can find services and activities that help families like theirs. You can choose filters such as if there is a quiet space, changing places, or disabled parking available, and if it’s autism, learning disabled, BSL, wheelchair or walker accessible.

Most importantly, you can review and comment on a service to let others know how well it meets your needs.

Find out more about how WellChild can support you and your family, and how you can work with them to build a network of support for others at www.wellchild.org.uk