Acorns Children's Hospice Trust is a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

, offering a network of

palliative care Palliative care (derived from the Latin root , or 'to cloak') is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Wit ...

and support to life-limited and life-threatened children and their families across the West Midlands region and part of

South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities ...

. Acorns has three hospices, situated in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield. Walsall is th ...

and

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

as well as a community team that offer support to families in their homes. The catchment area for the Hospices comprises the counties of

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avo ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouths ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of ...

as well as parts of

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands C ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

, and the West Midlands. Acorns provide a network of specialist palliative nursing care and support for babies, children and young people aged 0–18 who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and associated complex needs. In the year 2018–19, the hospice supported 787 children and 1,223 families, including those who are bereaved. Acorns relies on the community to fund the majority of its activities. Festive Photo - Donating gifts to youngsters (8294480186)

Festive Photo - Donating gifts to youngsters (8294480186)

Hospices

Acorns operates three

hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life b ...

s * Birmingham; location:

Selly Oak Selly Oak is an industrial and residential area in south-west Birmingham, England. The area gives its name to Selly Oak ward and includes the neighbourhoods of: Bournbrook, Selly Park, and Ten Acres. The adjoining wards of Edgbaston and Harbor ...

; opened 1988 *

Black Country The Black Country is an area of the West Midlands county, England covering most of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall. Dudley and Tipton are generally considered to be the centre. It became industrialised during its ...

; location:

; opened 1999 * Three Counties; location:

; opened 2005

Shops

The trust runs over 50 shops across the " Heart of England." Acorns has the largest regional charity retail chain and in 2015-2016 they raised over £1.5million. Acorns now have two furniture shops in Chelmsley Wood and at Beckett's in Wythall. Acorns also have a boutique retail outlet in Station Road,

Solihull Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blyth ...

and in Barnt Green, that deals in high-quality ladies' wear and fashionable accessories.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa P ...

have supported ''Acorns'' since 2006 and has already paid for 230 days' worth of hospice care. Several players have visited the children and families who use Acorns. Acorns highlighted the need for further assistance to aid the extra thousand children in the local area who needed the assistance of Acorns. Aston Villa responded by offering a platform to advertise the Hospice to a wider audience. On 7 July 2008, the club unveiled the kit for the 2008–09 season which has the Acorns logo in the position associated with the main kit sponsor. An Acorns spokesperson said "We are absolutely delighted that our logo will be seen at every home and away match during the 2008–09 season, helping to raise awareness of our work and of the constant need by all children's hospices to fundraise. This really is the beginning of an amazing partnership, believed to be the first of its kind in the

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

." The deal was extended for the 2009–10 season. For the 2010–11 season onwards, Acorns is Aston Villa's Official Charity Partner. When

Marc Albrighton Marc Kevin Albrighton (born 18 November 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger or wing-back for Championship side West Bromwich Albion, on loan from Premier League club Leicester City. Albrighton joined Aston Vill ...

scored the 20,000th goal in Premier League history, he chose Acorn's as the charity to receive the £20,000 prize donation.

References

External links

*{{Official website Organizations established in 1983 Charities based in Birmingham, West Midlands Buildings and structures in Worcester, England Hospices in England 1983 establishments in England Health in Birmingham, West Midlands Health in Worcestershire