WellChild
WellChild is a charity that provides care for seriously ill children and young people in the United Kingdom, founded in 1977.
History
The charity was founded in 1977 with the name "Kidney" to fund research into kidney disease by someone whose friend's daughter died of it. "Kidney" later changed its name to "Children Nationwide Medical Research Foundation", and supported more areas of paediatric research.The charity was renamed "WellChild" in 2003 and began to offer more support to sick and seriously ill children, including children's nurses and the Helping Hands projects.
COVID-19
During the 2020 Coronavirus outbreak, the charity launched a direct response service to source and deliver Personal Protective Equipment for families caring for seriously ill children at home. The service also provided advice on how to access food and medicine deliveries.Activities
WellChild works with the children and the families of children with various long-term and complex health conditions.The charity introduced and funds WellChild Nurses, who provide care and support to children and young people needing long-term or complex care, helping children to leave hospital and be cared for at home.
The charity also operates Helping Hands, a home improvement scheme which, with the support of volunteer teams from local companies and organisations, provides home and garden improvement projects to make homes more suitable for their needs. The group also invests in children's health research and projects, hosts online and face-to-face groups for families, campaigns on behalf of ill children and support professionals, and supports families who have children with the rare genetic condition Wolfram syndrome.