EACH launches its powerful new awareness campaign, ‘I wish you knew…’
February 15, 2024
A children’s hospice organisation has teamed up with family members to launch a myth-busting awareness drive about the services it provides.
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ (EACH) ‘I wish you knew…’ campaign aims to provide a “full, accurate and honest” picture of life at its Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk bases.
Family members, including children, were asked to get involved by completing the sentence ‘I wish you knew…’ A vault of powerful responses has now been published on the charity’s website and they tackle subjects like bereavement, accessibility in public places and the way people speak to parents after the death of their child. Others shine a light on the invaluable help and support they receive from EACH.
Thought-provoking replies will be posted on the charity’s social media channels over the next three weeks to increase public awareness and provide a greater understanding of the work it does.
“This is a new, exciting and important campaign,” said Lois Livoti, EACH’s Senior Digital Communications Coordinator.
“Its overall aim is to give our care service and families a greater voice, by highlighting the things they wished people knew about the realities of having a child requiring hospice care and the support they need and receive. Every person experiences something different and it’s impossible to capture in one specific public message what our care means to families. Instead, we’ve created this concept to showcase many different messages and help get across a full, accurate and honest picture of the services we provide.
“It was a way for each person to be completely honest, saying exactly what they wish the public knew, or what they’d like to share, and their responses relate to all aspects of family life.”
Awareness posters and flyers have been on display in the hospices and staff have also been invited to share their thoughts. Across its various social media accounts, EACH has around 40,000 followers.
“We want to raise awareness of the realities families face, help dispel myths and shine a light on what good children’s palliative care looks like,” added Lois.
“We believe education is central to change and by giving families a voice to express what they wish others knew, the public will gain a greater understanding. Hopefully this inspires acceptance, advocacy and support. Together, we can make a difference.”
EACH’s supportive care for babies, children, young people and their families is all-encompassing.
Its range of services is comprehensive, for both bereaved and non-bereaved families, and includes expert nursing care and short breaks, symptom management nursing, family activities and events, physical therapies, wellbeing, care at end of life, bereavement support and practical help in the family home.