Fundraiser for GOSH

[NannyOggsKnickers]

Hi All

I've suggested to MNHQ that we start a campaign to raise money for GOSH and the incredible work that they do. Recent events have got me thinking more and more about the terrible situations some parents find themselves in and it would be great to raise money to support treatment and care for parents and children who find themselves dealing with illness.
What kind of fund raising could we do? Would anyone be interested in seeing a MNHQ campaign to raise money for this kind of charity?

[NannyOggsKnickers]

Don't worry. I am super slow too. Am going to have to start couch to 5k to do this! Any other takers?

[Mamagin]

If there are any other very slow people, then I would be interested in joining a Mumsnet team for the 5k.
How long do we have to leave it before we start to do something good? I agree that there are other options, and it would be great to support children and parents country wide.

[NannyOggsKnickers]

As a starting point there is this 5k in London in October for GOSH. We could create a team
www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/rbc-race-kids?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=rftk_2017&utm_content=GOSHpagelikers_running_20_jul

[NannyOggsKnickers]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm just looking to see what interest there is and iron out some of the details. From what people have said there is interest in raising money for GOSH and for smaller PICU units/ family support services.
What I'd suggest now is maybe doing the GOSH fund raiser separately from MNHQ but getting them on board with a campaign for better support on services for parents in PICU.
If anyone is interested in joining the GOSH fundraiser then let me know and I'll start to get something organised. Keep going on this thread though with idea of what we might want HQ to do as a campaign. So far people have mentioned:

1. raising awareness and the profile of smaller PICU and hospital units.
   
2. a campaign to support either Ronald McDonald house or one of the other charities that support parents with children in hospital.
   Or
   
3. perhaps starting our own MN based campaign. Not sure about this one.

[erinaceus]

If one wants to organise a fundraiser, one has to actually do it. Maybe discuss with GOSH and see if they can offer any support for a fundraising activity? MNHQ do not need to support something formally, in order for it to get off the ground. See also: Let Toys Be Toys, which I believe had its origins on MN.

[Cheby]

I'm in.

The NHS had been royally screwed over. Specialist hospitals are in even more trouble as funding mechanisms don't adequately cover rare and unique work. A huge amount of what GOSH do on a day to day basis for NHS patients is paid for by charitable donations. It shouldn't be that way but it is. Patient care will suffer if their donations drop.

[teawamutu]

I was going to suggest what Bore outlined; practical support for parents to take at least one pressure off their shoulders and give them at least some material comfort. I was much moved by the same poster's story.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Maybe MN could work with R McD House and/or Sick Children's Trust.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

There is a poster who has a child with a mitochondrial disease. A couple of weeks ago her child was dangerously ill with sepsis on top of her illness. The poster was, of course, staying with her child as much as possible, as she has had to do so often throughout the course of her illness.

Her child was not in a hospital with a R McD House or much in the way of facilities for families of very sick children. Travel, accomodation costs, loss of work etc all mean that having a very sick child in hospital is a costly business. The poster had not had a hot meal for a week.

I would far rather support a charity/organisation that ensured that parents of children in ITUs anywhere in the country could obtain practical assistance without feeling that they were begging. I do think that is something that MN could and should get behind.

[Enchantedflamingo]

I agree with the idea of all children's hospitals or perhaps the children's hospice association.

[IHateUncleJamie]

You make some good points, Gobbolino - I do stand by my earlier points though; especially not potentially penalising countless OTHER parents just for fear of upsetting one high profile family. All over the country - including at GOSH - there are other families with terribly poorly children, and dedicated hardworking staff looking after those children.

[NannyOggsKnickers]

Your objection is noted. Thanks for the input.

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

I'm not quite so short of brain cells that I don't understand that a campaign cant start less than an hour after your original post. But thank you for clarifying.

The timing is really very inappropriate and quite tin-eared. I'm sure waiting a few days in launching this campaign won't cause a critical reduction in donations and I'm also sure that any PICU/hospice/GOSH will not want to be the recipient of a campaign that (whilst meant to or not) could quite obviously be seen as a bit of a poke in the eye of two bereaved parents whose actions are implicitly deemed to be the cause of any reduction in donations. That may well be the case and that is very regrettable. But I do not think it is necessary to start planning this campaign on a parenting site just as the order to withdraw their son's treatment is published

[NannyOggsKnickers]

The campaign is not going to start today. I don't think it is crass at a time like this to think about supporting other parents with children in PICU.

This thread is for a future campaign.

[MadamePomfrey]

Maybe a good compromise for now would be to support a charity like this sick children's trust they provide support and accommodation for families of acutely ill children all over the country and in my experience don't have the same profile as GOSH so struggle more with fundraising maybe for now it would be better to look at something like this and then if people wish the idea of supporting Gosh can be looked at again later! That's my 2 cents anyway

[TheFirstMrsDV]

I have said this on the other thread.
GOSH is already well funded. It is not a charity desperate for statutory or charitable funding.
Children's hospices are not funded and have to raise money themselves to provide free services to our children.

It costs millions to keep a hospice afloat. One night's care for a complex child costs around £800.
If MN is going to support a charity campaign based on recent events then surely the money should be directed where it is most needed?

This little lad will be transferred to a hospice where highly specialised care will be provided for free and none of your taxes will go towards paying for it.
Unlike the excellent care provided at GOSH

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

has totally broken down

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

jamie - how do we know that? It maybe that the silent majority may well be inclined to donate. We don't know either way.

As I said in my post - people can and should support any charity that they want. But for goodness sake, a much loved child is going to die today. His parents are grief stricken and their relationship hasn't totally broken down with GOSH (for whatever reason) and today, of all days, mumsnet is to start an official fund raising campaign for GOSH. Come on.

[IHateUncleJamie]

But it will surely be receiving fewer donations, Gobbolino - even a pps here considered stopping donating.

If GOSH's PICU is anyone's nearest PICU, why should it not be supported along with other units?

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

As far as I am aware, the hospital won't have "lost" money. The cost will have come out of the central litigation fund - or tabtvwas certainly the case when I was doing healthcare work.

I am generally sympathetic to GOSH but absolutely agree. I think this is rather crass; particularly given the date

No issues with threads suggesting donations and fundraising etc so long as they don't take over the place but I don't think that Mumsnet as a site should be supporting it.

Anyone who wants to donate can do so anyway without needing to go via mumsnet

[NannyOggsKnickers]

I'd like to re-frame the debate slightly and focus on all of the parents who have children in PICU beds at GOSH. I'd like to do something for them. I really want to make sure that there is enough support for them and enough money to research childhood diseases.
This campaign comes from the stories very bravely shared by a number of MNers who have had to sit in PICU with their DC.
This is not about Chatlie Gard. It is about the fact that today there are parents and children in PICU units all over the country, but also GOSH worrying and wondering and going through a terrible time. I want to support them. I'm not sure how people think that they can punish GOSH by withdrawing money but not realise they are actual punishing vulnerable children and parents.

[IHateUncleJamie]

This is such a tricky issue. While I can see that a campaign aimed solely at raising funds for GOSH could be seen as insensitive timing, the sad fact is that GOSH and its funding may have been materially harmed by the (often outrageous and libellous) allegations by CA and their supporters. That is bound to have an impact on many many other parents whose children are cared for at GOSH.

MN is a site for parents and I take on board pps opposing opinions to this campaign but as we know, there is not just one set of parents in the awful, unthinkable position of having a terminally ill child. Do we not raise money for a hospital whose reputation has been shredded, and the countless other parents and children that hospital cares for, for the sake of seeming insensitive to just one family?

Could we perhaps therefore aim the campaign at fundraising for GOSH AND people's local PICUs?

[SJaNH]

Don't want to turn this into a debate....but considering stopping giving to GOSH because of one appallingly publicised case? How many families do they support and provide care for every day?! How many parents, children, loved ones are eternally grateful for the work they do?! I think it's extremely sad that people allow the controversy that has surrounded the recent case to affect their perception of this hospital to such an extent.

[LucyLocketLostIt]

I agree with @Noeuf on this I'm afraid.

I don't think it's the right timing and not something mumsnet should officially back given current sad events.

[derxa]

I'm going to be a dissenting voice. As a forum meant to be supportive of parents and as readers and reactors to news rather than knowing the full story, it feels pointed. I agree. I already give to GOSH monthly but was considering stopping because I don't understand why the communication between the parents and the hospital was so disastrous.
I probably will continue though.