Children's Care Matters

In 2024–25, the Acorns Children’s Hospice in-house MarComms team created and spearheaded the 'Children’s Care Matters' or Save the Grant campaign - a sector-wide marketing and PR campaign that not only safeguarded the future of UK children’s hospices but delivered unprecedented awareness, engagement and political impact.

What began as a fight to protect Acorns’ own Government / statutory funding became the unifying voice for all UK children’s hospices across the country. Faced with the imminent loss of a vital government grant, the team developed and delivered a multi-channel campaign combining emotive storytelling, compelling data, high-profile media engagement, PR stunts and impactful grassroots mobilisation.

The results were extraordinary. The campaign directly influenced the UK Government’s decision to maintain the £26 million annual Children’s Hospice Grant for a further year (in 2025/26), securing essential care for thousands of children with life limiting and life threatening conditions. In addition, the government announced a one-off £100 million capital funding package for the wider hospice sector.

Public engagement soared: a petition gathered over 30,000 signatures in weeks, culminating in its delivery to 10 Downing Street and engagement with the Prime Minister. Media reach exceeded 285 million, with an AVE of £2.1 million, ensuring the campaign’s message dominated the national conversation.

This achievement underscores the strategic and creative excellence of a small, agile in-house team, punching far above its weight. Children’s Care Matters stands as proof that well-executed, insight-driven communications can deliver real-world change at scale, not just for one organisation, but for an entire sector.