Children’s charity launches match-funding week appeal to support 11 new families

Bristol-based Jessie May urges supporters to donate this week when donations are doubled through The Big Give Christmas Challenge.

Children’s hospice at home charity Jessie May is rallying supporters to donate from midday today (November 27th) when all donations will be doubled through The Big Give Christmas Challenge. 

The charity, whose nurses are currently supporting 139 children with a life limiting condition and 49 bereaved families has set a £23,100 target for the week-long match-funding campaign, which will enable its nurses to welcome 11 additional terminally ill children to their services.

From midday today (November 27th) – Giving Tuesday – supporters have the opportunity to have their donation to Jessie May doubled on theBigGive.org.uk.

Supporters must donate on the charity’s Big Give webpage to get their donation matched and doubled, found at https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/project/jessiemay

Julian Withers, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Jessie May, said: “From midday today, up until midday next Tuesday (December 4th), every penny you donate to our charity will be doubled through The Christmas Challenge. This is an extremely exciting week for us as we have the special opportunity to have each donation literally make twice the impact. 

“We’ve set a target of £23,100 through this campaign, as this is how much it will cost to welcome 11 new children to our services. This vital funding will mean 11 more families will be supported by Jessie May Nurses, and offered a lifeline to the outside world, through regular respite visits in their homes and emotional support. 

“If we can raise this money during The Big Give week, 11 additional families caring for a child with a life limiting condition will no longer be housebound, isolated and exhausted, and their child will be supported in the comfort and safety of their own home. Eleven more families will receive the support they need, and the continuity of care that can make a world of difference to their everyday lives. 

“Ahead of the Christmas Challenge campaign, we’ve successfully raised £11,025 in pledges, including £5,250 from our ‘Champion Pledger’ Candis magazine. All our pledgers will only have to pay if we can raise the same amount they’ve pledged during The Big Give week, so please donate what you can so we can raise as much as possible!

“For your donation to be doubled, it must be processed through our Big Give profile, found at: https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/project/jessiemay.  Alternatively, visit our website at www.jessiemay.org.uk/the-big-give where you’ll be linked through to the all important donation page.

“Huge thanks to all our pledgers and supporters so far – now we need your help to spread the word and get people donating while every penny will literally be worth double!”

Debbie Attewell, Candis Editor added: “We’re very excited to be championing so many worthwhile health charities through The Big Give this year – we wish them all the best of luck in the run up to the Christmas Challenge and look forward to supporting them over the next 12 months.”

Donations to Jessie May will be doubled from midday Tuesday 27th November to midday Tuesday 4th December. Donations must be submitted on the Jessie May profile at theBigGive.org.uk in order to be doubled – the link can be found at: https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/project/jessiemay.  

Jessie May offers terminally ill children and their families regular respite and palliative care throughout a child’s illness and bereavement support for up to 5 years after a child’s death. The charity’s nurses provide this support throughout Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset. 

The Christmas Challenge, founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Alec Reed CBE, is the UK’s biggest online match funding campaign. Since the Big Give launched the campaign in 2008, the Christmas Challenge has raised over £90 million for thousands of charity projects.