Back in September, The Kentown Wizard Foundation announced that they would match fund up to £250,000 towards the Candlelighters Cottage project, meaning that every penny raised by supporters would be doubled.

The Cottage Campaign, to raise half a million pounds, was launched in May this year by the Lord Mayor of Leeds and will fund the renovation of a cottage, just a stone’s throw away from Leeds Children’s Hospital. The Cottage will provide accommodation to enable more families facing childhood cancer to be together at what is a very upsetting and distressing time.

Since then, the fundraising team and our wonderful supporters have worked incredibly hard to raise just over £250,000. In early April, The Kentown Wizard Foundation came to visit Candlelighters with the £250,000 match funding cheque.

The Kentown Wizard Foundation exists to benefit children and young people who are living with life threatening and life limiting conditions and disabilities and was set up in 2015 by philanthropist Ken Townsley who has since pledged in the region of £100 million to the Foundation.

Margaret Ingram, CEO of the Kentown Wizard Foundation said, “Candlelighters Cottage is a fantastic project and we are delighted to hand over £250,000 for the renovation work to begin. We’re really looking forward to seeing it finished as we know it will benefit so many families from across Yorkshire”.

Head of Income Development, Marie Peacock also added, “We cannot thank the Kentown Wizard Foundation enough. This incredible match funding is going to allow us to provide families with a comfortable, welcoming home from home for them to use while their child is being treated at Leeds Children’s Hospital. Having siblings and both parents around during this time is absolutely invaluable to a child and makes the awful cancer journey a little bit easier.”

The generous match funding has allowed Candlelighters to begin work on the cottage and we are hoping it will be open in September 2018.