A recent fundraiser at the TH March Yelverton office has successfully raised over £360 for Francis House Children’s Hospice, a Manchester-based charity providing palliative and respite care for children with life-limiting conditions.
The initiative followed a deeply personal volunteering experience for our Head of Customer Experience, Nat Brown, who lost her son Bobby just before his second birthday. Last year would have marked Bobby’s 30th birthday, and in his memory, she and her family took part in November’s Francis House Open Day.
During the visit, she was given a tour of the hospice by a nurse who had cared for them decades ago and still works at the facility today. The hospice has expanded significantly over the years, now offering a teenager-friendly space, complete with a cinema designed to accommodate hospital beds, additional craft rooms, and more family-friendly accommodation. Special features such as jacuzzis in older children’s rooms and fully electric hoists highlight the charity’s dedication to ensuring comfort and accessibility. A particularly moving moment of the tour came when she discovered that Bobby’s favourite jacuzzi remains in place, lovingly restored but still recognizably the same.
Following the tour, she, her husband, and her sister volunteered at the pop-up café, serving visitors tea, coffee, and baked goods while raising funds for the hospice. The café, stocked with treats from the staff’s bake-off competition, also sold Christmas cards and other merchandise, raising over £1000 on the day.
To build on this success, back at TH March a charity bake sale was held in the Yelverton office together with a quiz, raising an impressive £288.73. The FAF Charitable Trust then contributed an additional £72, bringing the total to over £360!
In addition, Francis House recently received an incredible £1,250 donation in January from the FAF Charitable Trust, awarded through #TeamTHM Chosen Charities, thanks to Nat’s successful nomination submission.
Francis House operates entirely on donations, receiving no government funding. The hospice requires £4.8 million annually to provide 24/7 care, with 92p of every pound raised going directly towards supporting families.
Find out more or donate here: https://www.francishouse.org.uk/
A huge thank you to everyone who baked, donated, or participated in any way—your generosity will help Francis House continue its invaluable work for families in need.