&
NEWLIFE YOU
AUTUMN/WINTER 2020-2021
£25,000 MILESTONE F O R E L LY
THE FACES BEHIND THE NUMBERS
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HOW NEWLIFE
HELPED ROSIE WITH YOUR SUPPORT
NE WLIFE STILL NEEDS YOUR HELP In April this year Newlife launched its COVID-19 appeal as services were put under strain by the effects of the pandemic, to help ensure its services could cope with increased demand from families whose children who are most at risk from the effects of COVID-19. With the effects of the pandemic far from over, families still need Newlife’s help and support more than ever. There has been an increase in calls to Newlife’s nurse-run helpline from worried families seeking help over recent months as they struggle to get the support and equipment they need, often because of the huge strain being put on statutory services. Newlife has continued to deliver specialist equipment to families with disabled and terminally ill children around the UK throughout the pandemic. In line with social distancing measures in place across the UK, Newlife’s seven stores were closed for three months, with income stopping virtually overnight, before most stores opened again
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to the public with new social distancing and safety measures in place. The store closures during this time led to a loss of over £2 million. To make matters worse, many of the fundraising events supporters had pledged to take part in this year have been cancelled. Newlife was also not initially eligible for funding pledged I M PA C T O F by the government COVID-19: CALLS to support charities TO OUR NURSE throughout the pandemic, as there is a statutory duty HELPLINE UP, to provide the equipment INCOME £2M Newlife provides. In April Newlife wrote an open letter DOWN to the Chancellor to plead for an emergency grant to support its vital services.
N E W L I F E C H A R I T Y. C O. U K
Fo l l o w i n g N e w l i fe’s a p p e a l , g e n e r o u s supporters donated to help support N e w l i fe’s v i t a l s e r v i c e s : e m e r g e n c y loans, equipment grants, loans of specialist toys and nurse helpline.
Newlife provided an emergency loan of a specialist adjustable cot for fourmonth-old Rosie Harris from Essex, which allowed her to leave hospital. The cot helps her breathe and keeps her in a safe position while she sleeps. Mum Charlotte said: “Rosie was in isolation in hospital due to her condition putting her at high risk if she caught COVID-19. She’s safer at home, but they wouldn’t discharge her unless we had a specialist cot. Now we are finally enjoying time together as a family.” Newlife needs your continued support to help children like Rosie and their families. There are lots of
w a y s y o u can support Newlife. If you are working from home donating the amount you would usually spend on your daily commute or buying a coffee, or setting up a direct debit and giving a regular donation can really help change children’s lives through continual support.
NE WLIFE AUTUMN R AFFLE You’ll find some raffle tickets for you to buy or sell in your Newlife & You pack. By entering our raffle, not only will you be in with a chance of winning one of our fabulous cash prizes, you’ll also play your part in making a life-changing difference to children with disabilities and their families across the UK.
1st
£1,000
2nd
£250 River Island Voucher
3rd
40 Ted Baker Jewellery Winners
THANK YOU FOR BEING ALONGSIDE US
E VERY STEP OF THE WAY AND HELPING TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE
THE FACES BEHIND THE NUMBERS A picture says a thousand words… just look at those smiles. Every penny Newlife receives from our supporters goes straight to helping children in desperate need. We love hearing back from our families and being able to share their gratitude with you.
STE VEN’S CAR SEAT “Hello, I am writing to let you know about my son Steven’s car seat you funded for him. He is now enjoying travelling safely and comfortably. The swivel base allows us to put him in much more easily as he cannot climb into the seat himself due to having Cerebral Palsy. As you can see, he’s super happy with it.” From Ellie Bailey
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DEX TER’S BUGGY “I wanted to share photos of Dexter in his new buggy. Thank you so much, now he is so happy and safe and actually enjoys going out for longer, meaning more family time. His new buggy is amazing. We are so happy so, once again, thank you - what you do is amazing. Kindest regards, Natasha Brooks, Neil Brooks and of course Dexter xx” From Natasha Brooks
ELIZ A’S BUGGY Thank you so much for our new pram for Eliza! It is amazing. Eliza loves it and it’s just so perfect and what we needed and more! Your team have been brilliant and Eliza and her mummy and daddy are so happy that we have a bit of freedom now!” From Amy Hopkins
N E W L I F E C H A R I T Y. C O. U K
OUR FUNDR AISING HEROES £25,000 MILESTONE FOR ELLY Elly Hance, and friend Rosemary Skinner from Deanshanger, have been raising funds and spreading the word about Newlife’s vital work since 2014. Elly’s fundraisers have now raised £25,000 to help improve the lives of disabled and terminally ill children, through activities such as Elly’s pyrography work (burning pictures into wood) and craft fairs. She explained: “It all started when I saw an article in a local newspaper about Newlife in my local Costa. I read about a little boy called Ross. I felt so compelled to help others like him, and when I found out that 100% of all the money raised went directly to supporting the children I was so thrilled.” Elly has continued to support Newlife throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by making her own face masks with the help of friends Sophie Nobes, Helen and Jo, and asking for donations to Newlife in return. In five
months Elly and her friends have made over 1,900 masks and raised an additional £4,782 for Newlife. Elly said: “With coronavirus restrictions and fayres being cancelled I needed to come up with alternative fundraising ideas. I was a sewing volunteer for the NHS but they had so many people come forward and I had lots of material left, so I had the idea of sewing face masks in order to raise funds for Newlife. Lots of people in the community wanted them and were delighted to donate. With their support we have helped more children than we ever thought we would.” Thank you, Elly!
FAMILY’S PLEA FOR HELP AFTER SON, 3, CAN’T EAT AT DINNER TABLE Nottingham Post
Thanks to your support, Newlife have been able to continue to provide equipment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to children who need it, children just like Phoenix. Three-year-old Phoenix from Nottingham can now eat with his family at the dinner table after his local community generously donated funds towards a specialist seat. Phoenix has decreased muscle tone which means he struggles to eat, as well as developmental delay, sensory overload and suspected autism. Phoenix was at risk of choking while
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sitting in a dining room chair as his posture was not supported so he would kneel and slump. Even using a feeding tube a majority of the time was dangerous as he could not sit still unsupported. Phoenix’s family were told it could take 18 months for statutory services to provide the specialist chair, so Newlife appealed to the local community through the media to raise the funds. You have raised more than the £954 needed to provide the family with the specialist seat that allows Phoenix to eat safely, with the rest of the donations able to go towards helping other children.
Now Phoenix can sit with his sisters and eat at the table safely, included with his family in an appropriate seat rather than his buggy, and they can have a positive dining experience together knowing that he is safe and no longer at risk while he eats.
N E W L I F E C H A R I T Y. C O. U K
Nine-year-old denied NHS walker needs your support to fulfil her walking wish
LEICESTER Mercury LEICESTERshire LIVE
Thanks to your amazing support, nine-year-old Macy Page has been given the chance to walk. Macy had already endured multiple surgeries to repair three holes in her
heart and rebuild her hip joints. All she wants is to be able to walk – but Leicestershire NHS Trust refused to provide the walking frame she needed, despite doctors saying it’s her only hope, because she is only expected to ‘walk for leisure’. Macy, who has Down syndrome, must have daily physiotherapy to build the strength in her legs to enable her to stand and walk, but policy dictates she’s only allowed to use a local education funded walking frame in school – and staff shortages
mean she spends just half the time in it she should. When Newlife appealed for the £2,310 needed to buy Macy the specialist frame and give her the chance to walk, the local community were quick to respond – and thanks to their support
Macy now has the walking frame she needs to practice
her walking.
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