Partners in Hope Building a Brighter Future for Families in Need

Partners in Hope: Transforming Lives Together

When I joined Tree of Hope as CEO earlier this year, I quickly realized the unique position our charity occupies. For over 30 years, we’ve supported thousands of families across the UK, raising millions of pounds for life-saving treatments, therapies, equipment, and home adaptations for disabled or seriously ill children.

Our mission is simple but vital: ensuring that no child’s health is compromised due to a lack of resources or support.

However, supporting both individual families and sustaining our own operations poses a unique challenge. Tree of Hope operates as an umbrella organization, helping families fundraise for their child’s healthcare needs. At the same time, we need funding to support our core services and cover operational costs. Balancing these two objectives requires creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

Introducing ‘Partners in Hope’

To address this challenge, we developed Partners in Hope, a new fundraising initiative designed to support both the families we serve and the sustainability of Tree of Hope.

This initiative is a cornerstone of our three-year strategy, Bridging the Gap. Launched in October, this strategy focuses on expanding our reach to ensure more children and families across the UK can access the support they need. Our goal is to help families secure life-changing healthcare faster and with less stress.

The Vision Behind ‘Partners in Hope’

Partners in Hope is about building meaningful partnerships with corporate organizations. These partnerships help establish dedicated funds for children’s healthcare needs while also supporting Tree of Hope’s operating costs. Through this initiative, we aim to:

• Ease the Burden on Families: Providing immediate access to funds allows families to focus on their child’s wellbeing instead of lengthy fundraising efforts.
• Increase Accessibility: Not all families have the resources or networks to fundraise. Dedicated funds help us reach those who need it most.
• Ensure Sustainability: Corporate partnerships contribute to our core operating costs, enabling us to sustain and expand our services.
• Align with Corporate Goals: We offer companies a way to fulfill their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives while making a direct impact.

Hope in the Home: Our First Initiative

Our first project under the Partners in Hope series is Hope in the Home, launched in October. This initiative focuses on funding essential home adaptations and equipment for families, ensuring their homes are safe and accessible.

Why start here?

1. Growing Need: Many families struggle to fund home adaptations, as local funding rarely covers the full cost of creating accessible spaces.
2. Strategic Partnerships: By focusing on industries like construction and property development, we can develop tailored partnerships with sectors naturally aligned to this cause.

How We’re Building Success

Our approach to Partners in Hope is focused and strategic:

• Making a Strong Case: We’ve gathered research, family stories, and data to illustrate the urgent need for home adaptations, ensuring our message resonates with potential partners.
• Testing and Refining: Through industry feedback, we’ve fine-tuned our approach, ensuring it aligns with corporate values and priorities.
• Visibility in Key Spaces: Engaging directly with industry professionals at events like construction expos has helped us spark curiosity and build connections.
• Telling Impactful Stories: By sharing real-life stories, we help partners understand the tangible difference their support makes to families.
• Creating a Ripple Effect: Even if initial contacts aren’t decision-makers, we inspire them to champion our cause within their companies, opening doors to new opportunities.

Building a Community of Hope

At the heart of Tree of Hope’s work is the sense of community we create—for families and donors alike. For families, this community offers support, solidarity, and a sense of belonging during challenging times. For donors and corporate partners, it provides a meaningful connection to the lives they’re changing.

We celebrate every success, provide personalized updates, and collaborate with partners to develop employee engagement initiatives. Feedback from corporate supporters has been overwhelmingly positive, with many valuing the personal touch and the visible impact of their contributions.

Looking Ahead

We know the road ahead won’t be without challenges. The pressures on charities and the broader societal landscape require resilience and adaptability. But we believe in the potential of Partners in Hope to transform lives and create lasting change.

My hope is that in a year’s time, we’ll be sharing headlines like: ‘Tree of Hope and Construction Industry Unite to Bring Hope in the Home to Families Across the UK.’ Together, we can make this vision a reality.