Child in hospital bed with his mum by his side, in front of them is a staff member giving them updates.

Your donation can help keep 300 families together this winter

While most people are preparing to spend Christmas with their loved ones, some are facing a very different reality. The Families Together Appeal means you can support families through the hardship fund, helping them stay close to their loved ones when it matters most.

Donate today

You can make a remarkable difference

Total raised: £2

Target amount: £65,000

Help raise funds so 300 families can stay together this Christmas.

A Christmas together can mean everything

A sudden, life-threatening illness can turn a family’s world upside down in an instant. A loved one may be receiving urgent treatment in hospital, recovering from major surgery or receiving end-of-life care.

For many families, staying close comes at a significant and unexpected cost. Travel to and from hospital, overnight accommodation, meals away from home, and days away from work can quickly add up. These financial pressures can leave families facing impossible choices at an already difficult time.

The Families Together Appeal supports the hardship fund to help families meet these unexpected costs, so they can stay close to their loved ones.

Reverend Sharpe at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Chapel, he

Reverend Sharpe, a member of the hardship grant panel at Guy’s and St Thomas’

Help families stay close this Christmas

Being near a loved one in hospital is about more than just visiting. Families provide comfort, reassurance and advocacy for loved ones during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. They are there for conversations with doctors, treatment decisions, important updates and precious moments together that can never be replaced.

Reverend Sharpe, a member of the hardship grant panel at Guy’s and St Thomas’, sees the difference the grant can make for families: “For some, the fund is the difference between being able to kiss their loved one in hospital goodnight and being apart in their darkest moments.”

By removing these barriers, families can focus on what truly matters: supporting their loved one through treatment, recovery or end-of-life care.

Support families this Christmas

“For some families, the fund makes a huge difference. They're already struggling and bills at home don't change just because they're in hospital for three weeks."

Ellen, Matron and a member of the hardship grant panel at Guy's and St Thomas'

Josh and Amber's twins*

Supporting families like Josh and Amber's

When Josh and Amber’s twins arrived prematurely, their world was turned upside down as the twins needed urgent hospital care.

Instead of celebrating at home, the family were facing anxious days in hospital, waiting for updates and hoping their newborn twins would grow stronger. Josh wanted to be there every moment he could, supporting Amber and staying close to his babies during this critical time.

With support from Guy’s & St Thomas’ hardship fund, Josh was able to stay in nearby accommodation for three nights, giving him precious time with Amber and the twins and ensuring the family could stay together when it mattered most.

*Name, image and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy.

Help families like Josh and Amber's

This Christmas, support the Families Together Appeal

Your donation can help keep families together during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Your support could help fund:

travel to and from hospital
overnight accommodation near the hospital
food for families while they are away from home

Donate this Christmas

Will you donate today to support the hardship fund and help families be together this Christmas?

One-off donation

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Could help a parent travel to be by their child’s hospital bedside

Could help a family stay nearby, so they can be close to their loved one during treatment

Could help families stay close when being together matters most