Winston’s Wish is delighted to announce its new partnership with cancer care charity Maggie’s. These two national charities are pleased to join hands to help ensure that children and young people receive true wraparound support when someone in the family or friend circle is living with advanced cancer.  

Maggie’s has 24 cancer centres built in the grounds of NHS hospitals throughout the UK.  The charity provides expert support from diagnosis onwards for the person with cancer as well as family and friends.    

Maggie’s Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee said: “Our experts are there for people at possibly the hardest time of their lives, offering free practical and psychological care and support when they need it most. We are here for people with cancer and those who love them for every stage which includes pre bereavement or when bereaved.  

“In 2023 we supported people living with cancer more than 300,000 times and we know that number will only rise as more people find themselves living with cancer.”  

Each year Winston’s Wish supports and impacts the lives of more than 80,000 grieving children and young people when their lives are turned upside down by bereavement.   

As well as providing support with bereavement, whether it is from traumatic circumstances, illness or other circumstances, the charity also provides advice for pre-bereavement when there is a terminal diagnosis including offering expert support surrounding how adults can talk to younger children about death and dying, the importance of using direct language and tips about how to remember their special person.   

In a similar vein, Maggie’s supports the entire family when there is a cancer diagnosis and offers support to young people when somebody in their circle receives the news that someone they love has cancer.  

 Winston’s Wish vision is that no child is left to grieve alone and as such, Winston’s Wish is pleased to be joining forces with the national cancer charity, in order to be visible and accessible in relevant spaces. As part of the partnership, each charity’s services will be signposted to service-users to ensure that they know of the specialised support available to them.  

Letizia Perna, Director of Services and Service Transformation at Winston’s Wish is pleased to officially announce the partnership between the two charities. She says, “As we publicly announce the partnership between Winston’s Wish and Maggie’s, we will be combining expertise in childhood bereavement and cancer support.  

“This strategic partnership between our two charities demonstrates a profound commitment to supporting children, young people, and families impacted by cancer, particularly those navigating the challenges of bereavement. Together, we will offer a compassionate network that embraces bereaved children, young people, and families, ensuring they feel seen, understood, and supported through their grief journey.”  

Maggie’s Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Winstons’ Wish.  By working together, we will ensure that thousands of children and young people experiencing bereavement through cancer get exactly the right support they need.  

“We see and hear in our centres everyday how the impact of a cancer diagnosis ripples out through families.”  

Together with Maggie’s, Winston’s Wish is keen to ensure that its services are visible and accessible to the countless children, young people and their families throughout the UK whose lives are turned upside down by grief. With support from Maggie’s and their expert cancer support, the charities are pleased to announce their partnership and work together to improve the accessibility of support for young people when cancer is close to home.  

“Together, we will offer a compassionate network that embraces bereaved children, young people, and families, ensuring they feel seen, understood, and supported through their grief journey.”  

 

Letizia Perna, Director of Services and Service Transformation

You might also be interested in

Support for Parents and Carers

Caring for a bereaved child or young person can be complex. While we can’t take away a young person’s loss, we can help you to help them thrive again.

We offer a range of support to families, so you can help the child or young person in your life, navigate their grief.

Support for Schools

Teachers play a vital role in the lives of bereaved children and young people, and often many don’t receive bereavement training.

At Winston’s Wish, we want to change that, which is why we provide guides, resources, free online learning and tailored training sessions for schools and professionals.

Winston’s Wish is delighted to announce that we have been made the Cheltenham Running Festival’s official partner for 2024! 

Each year the Cheltenham Running Festival, hosted at the Cheltenham Racecourse, extends the opportunity for marathon masters or novices to join the champions and run the distance of 5K, 10K or half marathon for charity.   

This year Winston’s Wish has been chosen as the official partner for this special running event which will be held on Sunday the 16th of June – a date that many recognise as Father’s Day.

This year’s event is especially poignant as many will recognise the 16th of June as Father’s Day. Many of the children and young people we support are bereaved of their fathers and so this day will not only stand as a powerful reminder for all those who are grieving the death of their dads but especially as a uniting moment for those who come together to help us support them.

Kerry Waite, Sporting and Challenge Events Officer

Participants have until the 6th of June to register, and the minimum sponsorship fee starts from £125 for the 5K distance plus a nominal £10.40 booking fee. To find out more information including how you can register, don’t forget to have a look at the dedicated Cheltenham Running Festival page under the Events section of the Winston’s Wish website.  

Whether you are an avid marathon runner looking to take on the opportunity of running in different surroundings, fancy a new fitness goal or want to take part with your friends and colleagues, then why not register for Cheltenham Running Festival this June? 

With your kind support, Winston’s Wish can continue to give hope to grieving children and young people across the UK.

Kerry Waite, the Sporting & Challenge Events Officer also commented, “We are delighted to be joining with the Cheltenham Running Festival as their official partner this year. We know that runners from far and wide love the opportunity to come together to run at the Cheltenham Racecourse and gain rare access to a very special venue in the Cotswolds.  

“Many of those who also chose to run under the Winston’s Wish banner are champions of our cause too – we as a charity provide direct support and give hope to grieving young people and it’s amazing to see so many people join our community and help us to continue providing the right support at the right time for these bereaved children and young adults. We look forward to seeing lots of people wave the Winston’s Wish flag this Father’s Day.” 

Matt Wood, Co-Founder of RunThrough, commented “It is fantastic for RunThrough to be partnering with Winston’s Wish as our Charity of the Year for Cheltenham Running Festival. Winston’s Wish does incredible work supporting grieving children and their families, providing them with the help and guidance they need during challenging times. As a community-focused organisation, we believe in the power of running to make a positive impact, and we are thrilled to contribute to Winston’s Wish’s vital mission.” 

On your marks, get set…GO! Join the hottest running festival for 2024 and make your mark on the iconic Cheltenham Racecourse this June, all while helping bereaved young people find their feet when their worlds are turned upside down by grief.