Froggy fundraising 2013

Every year at Leapfrogg, we choose a charity to raise money for. Not only does this help with motivation and encourage teamwork, but we also know that all our hard work and effort is helping and supporting a worthwhile cause.

This year we decided to keep it local and have chosen to support The Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice in Arundel.

The Chestnut Tree House is the only children’s hospice in Sussex and cares for 280 children and young adults (aged 0-25) with progressive life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. Not only do they care for the children by creating a ‘home from home’ environment with 10 children’s bedrooms and a range of great facilities, but they also have eight family bedrooms for parents and siblings. As well as care and support within the hospice for children from all over the county, they also provide home care to those that would prefer or need it.

The hospice costs £2.5 million per year to run. Families are never charged for their care and less than 8p in every pound is funded by the government, so Chestnut Tree House rely heavily on the generosity, help and support of the people of Sussex and local businesses.

The other day I was lucky enough to take a trip to Arundel to meet Sarah Arnold, the Corporate Fundraising Manager at Chestnut Tree House. Sarah gave me a tour of all the facilities including the sensory room which can provide either a stimulating and exciting or calming and relaxing environment for the children; the wet play area where creativity and expression happen; and the ‘Stars’ bereavement suite for end of life care, a tranquil place where families can take time to say goodbye in their own way and in their own time.

Having the chance to actually see what the wonderful staff at Chestnut Tree House do and hear some uplifting and amazing stories made me excited to return to the team and get everyone enthused about supporting such a great cause. Chestnut Tree House is a place for living, being happy, having family time, laughing with friends and most importantly for encouraging hope. These are things that we all cherish and are exactly what these children and their families need to be able to experience in order to cope during difficult times.

All of the above is why we want to raise funds for Chestnut Tree House this year and are looking for support from you, our business connections and friends and family. Not only is it Leapfrogg’s 10th birthday this year but it’s also Chestnut Tree House’s – so it’s a double celebration and even more reason to get stuck in!

We have a lot of ideas and events planned so do keep your eye out on Twitter and on the Froggblog to either get involved or sponsor and donate. If you would like to donate then you can do so on our JustGiving page here.

To keep up the fundraising and because it is Children’s Hospice Week we will be dusting off our capes and polishing our masks ready for Super Hero Day on Friday 3rd May. Leapfrogg towers will be transformed into hero headquarters so please do support the cause and donate anything you can. I am sure there will be some cracking photographs to share!

Thank you for your support in advance!