MELKSHAM charity, Evie’s Gift, has celebrated helping 1,000 families who have a child with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions.
Alongside the milestone, the local charity has also announced plans to expand its reach and become a nationally-recognised charity, supporting families across the UK.
Its ambitious plans would see the number of families it currently helps increase from 30 to 40 a month up to 150.
To support its work, Evie’s Gift has recruited its first part-time staff member – a manager that will coordinate casework and the administrative activities of the charity.
Evie’s Gift was set up by Melksham parents Bryan and Patsy Clover, in memory of their daughter Evie, who died in 2018 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 13. The charity offers support to families whose children have been admitted to hospital, helping with the cost of accommodation, food and travel.
Evie’s father and chairman of the charity, Bryan, told Melksham News, “Reaching the milestone of 1,000 families helped, is a bittersweet moment for all of us. On the one hand, we have helped such a significant number of people that we feel very proud that we have achieved this so soon. On the other hand, it’s terribly sad that it took the death of a 13-year-old for us to realise that there is such a need out there.
“However, now that we are here and we’ve realised that the need for our type of support is so great, with so many critically ill children in hospital, we’ve taken the decision to take the charity to the next level.
“Within three years we want to be the go-to charity for the parents of critically-ill children and reach a new level of operation whereby we are helping thousands of families every year, not 1,000 families in four years.
“It’s going to be hard work and a huge challenge, but it’s one that we are ready for.”
For more information about the work of Evie’s Gift, please visit their website: www.eviesgift.org.uk
