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A message from Cheryl Ward CBE, Group Chief Executive of Family Fund
As 2025 draws to a close, I want to pause and reflect on the extraordinary difference our supporters have made this year.
Every act of support – whether funding a programme, donating, taking part in an event, raising awareness of our work, or sharing lived experience – helps transform the lives of families raising disabled or seriously ill children. None of this happens without you. On behalf of our whole team and the families we support every day, thank you.
We simply could not do what we do without your commitment, generosity, and belief in our work.
A startling statistic
Just before Christmas, the Government published its Child Poverty Strategy, revealing that around 4.5 million children in the UK are now living in poverty. Behind that stark figure are families doing everything they can to care for their children under immense pressure. Sadly, the high cost of caring means that many disabled or seriously ill children are among those affected.
The need for continued support
At Family Fund, we are determined to respond. The scale and complexity of need facing families continue to grow, and meeting it requires sustained commitment and collective effort. With your continued support, our ambition to reach more families, provide timely help, and ease the pressures of caring can move from vision to reality.
Throughout 2025, backed by your generosity, we extended existing grant programmes and launched new ones. This meant we were able to provide a range of essential grant items and much-needed family breaks to more than 95,000 families. We also had a record-breaking year for practical support, with our workshops and online information accessed 190,000 times. Alongside this, our policy and research work ensured families’ lived experiences were heard directly by policymakers, helping to shape longer-term change.
With your help, we can keep making a difference
The messages we receive from parent carers leave no doubt: practical, timely support can be life-changing. While families with disabled or seriously ill children often face profound disadvantage, Family Fund support helps ease pressure, restore dignity, and create moments of relief and hope.
We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together so far, but there is still much more to do. With your continued support, we can keep standing alongside families – ensuring disabled children and their families have the opportunity not just to cope, but to live well and thrive.
Thank you once again for being such an essential part of our journey.
