The Co-op Property Awards raised more than £95,000 for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, which helps families with seriously ill children.
The charity’s support workers provide practical and emotional support for families, enabling them to make the most of their time together. They listen to a family’s fears and anxieties, accompany or drive to hospital appointments or take siblings to school and organise fun activities to support brothers and sisters. The charity can also offer support if a child dies, including helping arrange a funeral or visiting the child’s grave with the family.
Last year Rainbow Trust, which relies almost entirely on voluntary donations, has helped over 2,300 families through its nine care teams of family support workers across England.
One of the parents to receive support from the charity, Clare Finch, described her family’s journey and the help they received from Rainbow trust.
Speaking at the Co-op Property Awards ceremony, she said: “The emotional support offered by Rainbow Trust has had an incredible impact on all our lives, not only through their visits, but also being at the end of the phone and just being confident that there is someone who can help if we need it”.
She added that the two support workers who helped the family had made a real difference to their lives.
“When Sean and Callie came into our lives, the difference it made was instant, to all of us,” she said. The job of a Family Support Worker is so unique and highly skilled. Adam instantly clicked with Sean, and my daughter Megan with Callie too, which offered me such relief.”
Co-op Property, which is responsible for buying, selling and looking after the buildings owned by the Co-op Group, chose Rainbow Trust as the beneficiary of its awards and charity event. Over 600 people attended the awards hosted by ex-footballer John Barnes.
David Roberts, the Co-op Group’s managing director of property, said: “Our aim is to make a difference at the heart of local life, and so I would like to thank everyone who helped us to raise such a fantastic sum for Rainbow Trust.
“The charity provides a life-line for families in our communities who are struggling to cope, providing the support needed for families who have a child with life threatening or terminal illnesses, and helping them to make the most of their precious time together.
“The money raised will support the charity’s work and help it to make a difference to many more families whose lives have been turned upside down by illness.”
Oonagh Goodman, director of fundraising and marketing at Rainbow Trust, added: “We are incredibly grateful that Co-op Property held such a fantastic event to help us fund our vital support for families with a seriously ill child.
“We would also like to give special thanks to Clare Finch, whose moving speech touched us all here at Rainbow Trust. We are proud that the support that we provided made the Finch family’s lives a little easier during their hardest times. All the money raised from the event will help Rainbow Trust to support families to make the most of the precious time they have together.”
