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?

[mydogisthebest]

Great idea, I'm in

[SouthWestmom]

Ok op,I think we can agree to disagree? You'd have to live in some bubble not to have put the two together though.

[JonSnowsWhore]

You really don't have to trawl any dark corners to find this kind of behaviour, it's been all over the news about the accusations & threats. But yore right you do have the right to put your opinion across, I was just saying that this doesn't have to be done in an 'anti Charlie gard' way, it's just a bit of support for a good cause

[NannyOggsKnickers]

Agreed Noeuf. I was going to suggest that we leave it for a bit. Starting and active campaign right now would be a touch disrespectful.
Thanks for your in out though. It helps. But I think that we can't ignore the fact that there are many families going through a similar thing and I'd really like to help them.

[AuntieStella]

I don't think MNHQ should campaign on this.

Those who want to donate to GOSH will have no difficulty in finding ways to do so.

MNHQ had a giving week a while ago, where MNetters voted for which charities to support, pages were set up and MNHQ matched donations (to the target ceiling). If they decided to do that again, perhaps enough people will vote for GOSH to be one of the chosen charities.

[CaveMum]

Id be interested.

We did talk about this in the early Charlie Gard threads and some posters felt it was better to do something for the Ronald McDonald Houses that offer accommodation to parents of sick children.

If you go on the Amazon website and search the Wish Lists for "Ronald McDonald House" you will see each of the houses has their own list of things like toilet rolls, cleaning products, tea, coffee, etc. So that could be an option if people don't want to do something specifically for GOSH.

Link: <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/search.html?ie=UTF8&type=wishlist&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">//www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/search.html?ie=UTF8&type=wishlist&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[NannyOggsKnickers]

Hi Auntie what you suggest is one of the options open to us. I think this thread is really to see how much support there is and hash out the details. Remember that the whole idea is to support care for sick children. Hopefully we can all agree that is a worthy cause.

[sashh]

I'm half in.

Can we do something for ALL the children's hospitals in the UK?

I know GOSH take patients from all over but if you live outside London you may be sent to Birmingham or Liverpool or another children's hospital. One thing these hospitals don't have (or have less of) is the funding from private patients that GOSH can access due to its world wide reputation.

If your child is referred to another hospital 50 miles from home you will have exactly the same problems re accommodation, food, keeping in touch with family.

Also can someone ask them what they need? I know some charities value £5 per month direct debit more than lump sums because they can plan better.

[NannyOggsKnickers]

Ronald McDonald would also be an idea. I was just reading the fund raising stuff in the GOSH website. There are some really interesting things that I didn't know they did for the children- play specialists to help the children on ward relax while in hospital etc. I really feel that is something I'd like to support. They also have their own accommodation for parents, seperate to Ronald Mcdonald

[AuntieStella]

No, I'm not sure everyone would.

Not because they disagree with supporting GOSH per se, but because they know it is large and incredibly well-organised for fundraising.

And there are many hospices, PICUs, charities supporting particular conditions (both for those with the conditions and medical research into them) - the list could go on - who aren't mentioned in the headlines.

I voted for smaller charities quite deliberately last time round, and would do so again.

[NannyOggsKnickers]

Not a bad idea sashh. Would that maybe assuage any fears about connections to the recent case? It would be nice to really support parents who are in the position of needing the services of these hospitals.

[WillowCreek]

I think fundraising for GOSH is a great idea, but I do feel as a parenting forum that should be mindful of how everyone feels, I don't think it should be officially run as a mumsnet fundraiser for them. No reason it can't be shared here but it will feel to some that mumsnet are against CA etc, and I don't think that is good for anyone.

[SJaNH]

Totally in for fundraising for GOSH.

[chipscheeseandcurrysauce]

I'm half in... I'll donate to my local children's hospital charity as they helped me between 2-19 years old and to Ronald McDonald's charity!

[noenemee]

@sashh I don't know if you'd be interested, but in specific response to your points, I support sickchildrenstrust.org
With regular donations and gifts from their wish lists. I like to think it helps everyone concerned at such an awful time.

[JonSnowsWhore]

I like sash's idea too. Gosh are local to me & ive had family members treated there but around the country it might have been a different children's hospital for others

[lucyloopy]

I'm in

[CaveMum]

This link takes you to Google Maps with a list of the PICU Units across the U.K.:

goo.gl/maps/Hk3JPxKgMLF2

[TheDevilMadeMeDoIt]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions!!

I think what the posts on here have already shown that this can be seen from two angles.

One is should GOSH be openly supported at a sensitive time. Well maybe not right now, but what I've read on all the CG threads is that many posters are very disturbed by the vitriol directed at GOSH by Charlie's Army. They have called GOSH and their staff murderers, targetted them personally, and as a result many people have said that they will no longer support GOSH financially. So some people (and I am definitely one of them) would like to show open support specifically for GOSH, and to ensure that their funds don't suffer - and therefore that their future patients don't suffer - as a result.

The second angle is that GOSH aren't by a long way the only organisation caring for sick and dying children and supporting their parents. And I also support the idea that something good to come of the CG case could benefit many more of those places. Because one thing that has come about as a result of this is to highlight the incredible personal and professional difficulties faced by parents and medical staff throughout the country, not just at GOSH.

So I suppose what I'm saying is, does it have to be an either/or? Can we not aim for a target that would allow a significant donation to GOSH and to one or more charities working with terminally ill children and their families?

[Pandamanda3]

Im in its a lovely idea

[erinaceus]

Gala dinner?
Auction?
Both, combined?

[Ceto]

I'm in. I really don't think that the fact that one set of parents (no matter how tragic their circumstances) might dislike this is in any way a valid reason not to do it. If it must be tied to that case, I think it is particularly important to demonstrate that the view that they are murderers etc is not in any sense a general one and that the value of the work they and their staff do is fully acknowledged.

[NannyOggsKnickers]

Devil good post. It pretty much articulates the two main points so far. I posted this really to get a concensus of what people would want.

But we probably need more people to support. Does this thread appear under active? Am I asking for a bun fight to post this in Chat?

[Letitrain]

I'm in

[BeyondDrinksAndKnowsThings]

If there has been a breakdown in communication in 'recent events' (which looks like a bit of a given!), could we fundraiser particularly towards that area? So we are then both supporting parents (as mns tag line) and doing something for gosh?