Recently, we were delighted to receive a grant of £3,000 from the Sovereign Health Care Community Programme towards our Candlelighters Together Tin, to fund our adapted Family Support Services during COVID-19.

Sovereign Health Care has a long history of charitable giving, choosing to donate up to 10% of their annual turnover to community or charitable initiatives with a health and wellbeing focus. Based in Bradford, they support charities and voluntary groups who are tackling problems, improving the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people, and providing opportunities and facilities that can transform quality of life.

Sovereign Health Care has been a wonderful supporter of Candlelighters for several years, previously awarding grants to The Candlelighters Bus and The Candlelighters Cottage. This most recent grant will enable us to provide our adapted virtual Family Support Services from talking therapies, to arts and crafts sessions, to peer support groups.

With patients shielding at home, one of our Mums told us how important this socialisation was for her child:

“My little girl really enjoyed today’s 1 to 1 craft session, it was great to see her so at ease with the ladies, as when she has been talking to her friends on video chat she can be quite shy. She enjoyed being able to talk about her favourite things and was pleased she had managed to make a frog (cardboard craft) all on her own. I and my husband are very grateful for your services, it is nice to see our little girl being sociable still when it is one of the things you worry about most in lockdown”.

We have seen just how much of an impact our adapted services are having during this challenging time and are so grateful to supporters such as Sovereign Health Care for enabling us to keep our candle burning and bring light to families in these darkest of times.