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Our highlights 2024-25

Families raising disabled and seriously ill children and young adults continue to face huge challenges. In the financial year 2024-25, we offered more support than ever before, providing over 200,000 grants and services to families in need.

Photos of many children, young people and families supported by Family Fund

Parents and carers faced the daily strain of higher caring costs. They lost vital social and learning opportunities for their children because of shrinking local support services. The ongoing intensity of caring, without a break, means not being able to work or earn more. This leads to continuous stress, exhaustion and burn-out, as well as loneliness and isolation.

Thanks to you – our funders, partners and supporters – we provided life-line grants and tailored services to families most in need. Whether you donated time or money, shared our work or your personal story, you helped us make a vital difference this year.

We provided essential items to families in need

A little boy with blond hair in a bike trailer — “Family Fund gave us the break we needed from life and appointments. A chance for William to be a little boy again. It was a special time for us all. We went swimming and William was even included when we did bike rides together as he’d sit in the trailer on the back of a bike.” (Danielle – William’s mum)

We delivered 89,493 grants across a diverse range of grant programmes. These grants gave families essential, practical support and improved wellbeing in a time of urgent need. Giving wide-ranging items, from white goods, furniture or specialist equipment and technology to day trips and longer family breaks, our grants eased daily pressures on households and boosted parents’ and carers’ capacity to care.

We expanded our services and support

A girl with long hair holding an owl — “I couldn’t believe how engaged they managed to keep Nevaeh during the workshop…she was having so much fun. At no point was she told ‘no’, or told to do something else. At school, she got a lot of no’s. She finds learning difficult, but at the workshop, she was allowed to do her own thing at her own pace. Nevaeh was allowed to be Nevaeh. In fact, she was embraced for being Nevaeh. It makes me quite emotional.” (Sheridan – Nevaeh’s mum)

Our expanded services include seven new workshops and our brand new Discover more support tool. We unlocked household funding for families, fostered learning and development opportunities and reduced loneliness and isolation. In total we provided over 110,000 instances of support for families.

Our Discover Digital Summer Festival was bigger than ever

A boy with his device — “Ibrahim attended the Documentary Dynamos workshop at the Discover Digital Summer Festival. The workshop showed Ibrahim the logistics of creating a video and uploading it which neither of us were aware of before. Those nuggets of skills that he learnt have proven to be very empowering for him. The workshop provided a bridge between Ibrahim wanting to do something and actually doing it. Ibrahim finished the workshop feeling more digitally confident.” (Aliya – Ibrahim’s mum)

More than 100 families and 170 children took part in the Discover Digital Summer Festival and told us it helped them build new skills, make new connections and have fun together in a safe, educational space.

We worked with clients and partners to further grow Family Fund Business Services (FFBS), our trading subsidiary, which gifts all of its profit to fund crucial Family Fund activity.

We increased our number of clients by 18%, demonstrating that they clearly understand the tangible benefits of partnering with us. We supported clients across the housing, public and charitable sectors, helping them get more 600,000 essential items such as beds, food vouchers, and appliances to their customers.

We gave families a voice

Aaryan, mum, dad and dog stood smiling in front of an old building — “Family Fund acknowledged us and supported us when we needed it, allowing us to create lots of happy family memories.” (Pronita – Aaryan’s mum)

We partnered with hundreds of the families we support, raising their voices to advocate for change with a new government in place and to increase much-needed public awareness about the reality of caring for a disabled or seriously ill child.

We increased inclusion and accessibility

Our new Disability Confident Leadership status is an important part of how we create a workplace where disabled people thrive and experience true inclusion. And our supported internship scheme makes Family Fund an even better place to work for all.

Grace, supported intern at Family Fund, sits at her desk. — “Being a supported intern at Family Fund has been an amazing experience and everyone has been supportive.” (Grace)

We’ve partnered to champion disability inclusion across our sectors, and beyond, and worked hard to develop our website, recently winning an international WP-Engine Agency Partner Award for Inclusive Design.

Thank you

Thank you for helping us be there for more families. Together, we’ve achieved so much.

With so many families still in need, your continued support is vital. With your help, we can keep delivering life-changing opportunities and support to families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people across the UK.