CHAS at 30: Jack and Nancy Blaik

This year marks a major milestone for CHAS; 30 years of supporting children with life-shortening conditions and their families across Scotland. We are proud to say that to this day, three decades in, we remain focused on our founding vision of reaching every dying child by providing the highest-quality children’s palliative care and hospice services.

During this year of celebrations, we are recognising those who made the organisation what it is today. CHAS simply would not be here without people such as Nancy Blaik and her husband Jack; two of CHAS’s founding parents. Their son Daniel was left profoundly disabled from a metabolic trauma caused by the rare and degenerative condition, Leigh’s Encephalopathy.

Jack kindly spoke with us and reflected on how their son Daniel was the driving force behind their efforts and how the idea of creating a children’s hospice in Scotland became a reality.

Jack said: “A number of parents and professionals came together and in November 1991, a meeting publicly calling for a children’s hospice in Scotland was held at Edinburgh University.”

In March 1992, this informal group became a charity – namely CHAS, and had a fundraising target of £10 million.

Jack continued: “Nancy had such drive and arranged the first public meeting. As part of this work, Nancy engaged with local and national media to promote the early efforts whenever she could. The public response was hugely positive. Initially, the group met in people’s own homes but this expedient had its limits. Nancy managed to secure free office space in 1992, and contacted a friendly solicitor for the purpose of formally establishing a charitable company.

“As an early volunteer fundraiser, Nancy’s aim was to see CHAS raise its first £30,000 while ensuring that the new charity spent none of it… All its facilities and resources had to be begged, borrowed or otherwise acquired!

“Starting from nothing, CHAS needed to cherish every penny. Often it was the unknown passer in the street who gave generously. That fundraising culture, embedded early by Nancy, continues today even as CHAS has raised millions. For her efforts at the very beginning of the CHAS journey, Nancy was awarded an MBE. That recognition was not limited to her alone and was a tribute to all of the people who made the early years possible.”

Together, the group worked hard to secure the funds needed to build the very first children’s hospice in Scotland, Rachel House, which opened its doors to children and families in 1996. This was also thanks to the MacRobert Trust which generously donated £2 million, and the Daily Record which ran a hugely successful campaign and raised £4 million over 13 months, plus the thousands of generous and loyal supporters across Scotland.

Jack continued: “Daniel was 18 years old at the time, so he got to enjoy the beauty of Rachel House and the tranquillity that surrounds it for a part of his life. He was always Nancy’s inspiration and the driving force that brought her to life.”

Daniel died in 2009 at the age of 31, more than 20 years beyond the prognosis given him as a child. Nancy (84) and Jack (74) still live in central Edinburgh.

Daniel remains with them in love and in memory. And both have faith they will be much more fully with Daniel again. Jack says: “Our separation is only for a while.”

Our mission has always remained the same as it did when Nancy and Jack, alongside the other founders, set up CHAS all those years ago – to help children just like Daniel, all over Scotland, ensuring that no-one has to face the death of their child alone.