M&S Byker Newcastle Outlet

We are hoping to raise £40,000 to fund the refurbishment of the kitchen and dining areas in Crawford House. Since 1996 The Sick Children's Trust has been supporting families from across the North East and Cumbria by providing them with 'Home from Home' accommodation at Crawford House. Every year, around 800 families stay in our 'Home from Home' so that they can be there for their child. When your child is seriously ill and requires specialist care, suddenly life for the whole family is turned upside down. The Sick Children's Trust exists to alleviate the emotional, practical and financial strains a family will face during a very difficult time. Every family has their own private bedroom and access to shared bathrooms, living areas and a fully equipped dining room and kitchen. This means that parents and siblings can get a good night's sleep, wake up and have a hot shower and eat family meals together. Crawford House is based on the hospital grounds and is a short walk from the wards. Each bedroom has it's own telephone so should a child's situation change during the night, parents can be contacted and can be at their child's bedside in a couple of minutes. For some, their stay at Crawford House will be for a couple of nights but for many, they will stay for months at a time. We believe that keeping families together will help a child to recover. Knowing that their family are by their side helps at a very frightening time. Crawford House is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment programme with the bathrooms, WCs, shower rooms and vanity units all scheduled to be updated this year. We will be updating the kitchen and dining facilities as well as the living areas during 2018/19. This will bring the 'Home from Home' to a similar standard experienced by families at Scott House, our purpose built house at the Freeman Hospital for the children's heart unit.

Maggie's Cancer Centre is based in the grounds of the Freeman Hospital but we cover teh whole of the North East and Cumbria with our services. Almost everything our building, gardens, weekly programme and team of experts is funded by our local community. Every pound really does make a difference. Maggies is for anyone affected by cancer, including family and friends. You can pop in for a cup of tea, find a peaceful spot in the garden or speak with their team of experts. Our cancer support specialists offer a daily drop-in. You don't need an appointment or referral, you simply just come in. We offer practical, emotional and financial support to anyone affected by cancer, at any stage, free of charge. Maggie's relies on the generosity of our supporters in the local community. We want to focus on the things that really make a difference, such as financial worries, help with managing stress and anxiety as well as side effects of treatment and a full programme of support.

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation funds projects within the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that directly benefit patients from across the North East and Cumbria - and which contribute significantly to international efforts and research into fighting cancer.