Fair Play For Children's Hospices

One of my oldest friends, Neil Bruce Copp OBE, (we were at school together), has set up a charity called Fair Play For Children's Hospices (charity reg. No: 1064582), to campaign for a change in the law relating to long-term government funding of children's hospice services.

Thousands of children who will die before they reach adulthood, and their families, depend on the essential and free services provided by children's hospices. Without a government commitment to provide sustained, long-term funding, many hospices will face cut backs or closure. Children's hospices receive 0-3% of their overall funding requirement, and of those, only a few get 3%. There are 40 such hospices in England. Adult hospices get between 40-50% of their funding requirement.

Currently, children's hospice services rely overwhelmingly on public support, supplemented by only this small, unpredictable contribution from the government. While short-term, ad hoc government funding is welcome, a guaranteed system of funding is needed to ensure all children's hospices can continue to provide their essential services to the children and families who need them.

The campaign needs one million signatures on their website to send a clear message to all the major political parties. Fair Play is NOT asking for donations, just that you show your support by clicking on www.fairplayforchildren.org.uk Get clicking!