Behind the Transformation: How Trusts Help Shape the Future of Children's Palliative Care
Sarah Johnston, Trusts Manager at CHAS, explains how trusts help shape the future of children's palliative care
"So, what do you do?"
It's a question I'm often asked, and in this digital age, I know I’ve got roughly three seconds to capture attention and share the breadth, complexity and (yes!) excitement that is trust fundraising for a national children’s hospice charity.
I bring charitable funders closer to opportunities that make a life-changing difference for children with life-shortening conditions and the families who love them.
I wear many hats and I’m often the organisation’s every person connecting with all teams across the board to support project delivery implementation, budget oversight, external communication, impact measurement and helping donors get closer to the work we do by sharing humbling and sometimes heart-breaking family stories.
To the outside eye - trust fundraising may seem like a world of written applications, reports and budgets. While those things are certainly part of the job, the reality is far more complex, wide-ranging and human. It's about building relationships and bringing together people who share a common goal to ensure every child who may die young and their family has access to world-class holistic care and choice wherever they live throughout their journey with CHAS - from diagnosis to end-of-life care.
At CHAS, we support families through some of the most challenging times imaginable. Whether providing excellent clinical care, supporting siblings, creating opportunities for respite or helping families make memories together, our work is about helping families live well together for as long as possible.
That is why the support of charitable trusts and foundations is so greatly important.
At CHAS, we support families through some of the most challenging times imaginable.
Many of the most significant developments across the charity sector happen because funders choose to invest in a bigger future with transformational gifts and longer-term strategic support. They recognise that lasting change requires organisations not only to maintain services, but to evolve and adapt to meet future needs.
This sits right at the heart of CHAS' More Than A Hospice Appeal.
The appeal is about much more than improving buildings. It is about creating spaces and experiences that reflect the needs of today's children and families while ensuring world-class children's palliative care remains available for generations to come.
Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with funders about this vision, and I’ve been continually inspired by their willingness to think boldly alongside us.
One recent example is the fantastic support that we’ve received from the Wolfson Foundation. Their investment reflects a shared belief that the environments in which care is delivered matter deeply. High-quality spaces can provide comfort, dignity and opportunities for families to spend precious time together during some of life's most difficult moments.
Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: "For thirty years, Rachel House has cared for children and families during dark and difficult days. We are delighted to be partners of CHAS as they rebuild the hospice in line with their commitment to continue meeting families' complex and growing needs, creating a space that gives every family the care and support they deserve, for another generation."
Wolfson's support is one example of the confidence that trusts and foundations are placing in the More Than a Hospice Appeal. Alongside a number of other significant commitments, it demonstrates a collective belief in the future of children's palliative care in Scotland.
One of the things I enjoy most about trust fundraising is helping build connections both within CHAS and beyond it.
And it's about helping transform children's palliative care in Scotland, one relationship at a time.
Every funding application begins with the expertise, compassion and dedication of colleagues across our organisation. My role is to help bring their work, ideas and ambitions to life for charitable funders. By understanding both the priorities of trusts and the needs of CHAS, I can help identify opportunities where those goals align.
When that happens, trusts and foundations become more than funders. They become partners in a shared mission to improve the lives of children with life-shortening conditions and their families.
Behind every redesigned bedroom, improved family space and enhanced care environment is a simple but powerful act of belief: a funder choosing to invest in a future where every child and family can access the care they deserve.
For me, that is what trust fundraising is really about.
It's about building partnerships.
It's about connecting generosity with possibility.
And it's about helping transform children's palliative care in Scotland, one relationship at a time.