Children from primary schools and community groups across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire have helped raise a staggering £27,193 for Risley-based charity Treetops Hospice.
For the third year running, over 4,300 children donned reindeer antlers and completed the Reindeer Dash, the hospice’s annual festive fundraiser. Children were sponsored to complete obstacle courses, play reindeer football matches, dance at discos, or simply dress up for the day.
Treetops Community Engagement Officer, Amy Sykes, has sent a note of thanks out to everyone who had taken part.
She said: “I’m so thrilled with the final total raised in the Reindeer Dash. It’s more than we’ve ever raised before, and we want to thank everyone who has been involved. The amount raised will help fund 788 bereavement counselling sessions for children struggling after the death of a loved one.”
Treetops Hospice provides nursing care and emotional support for adults with life-limiting conditions, those who’ve been bereaved, and their families.
Last year, Treetops bereavement counsellors provided almost 3,000 counselling sessions – more than 1,200 of them to children and young people.
Bereavement counselling for children takes place in a bespoke counselling and therapy centre called The Saplings. The centre was built in 2023 by the DIY SOS team for BBC Children in Need with the help of hundreds of tradespeople.