HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has recorded a video message to celebrate and mark the beginning of Children’s Hospice Week. Children’s Hospice Week (22-28 May) is organised by the UK children’s palliative care charity Together for Short Lives.

Rainbows is one of the charities joining The Duchess to mark Children’s Hospice Week 2017. The Duchess’s message and support will help the hospice reach out to families caring for children with life-limiting illnesses across the East Midlands. Rainbows is one of the UK’s specialist children’s palliative care and hospice services.

The Duchess’s video message will be released on 22 May 2017, and can be viewed at Together for Short Lives’ and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ websites www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/royalfilm and www.each.org.uk/childrens-hospice-week

Andrew Ball, Director of Income Generation at Rainbows, said: “We are delighted that the Duchess of Cambridge is helping to raise awareness of hospices like Rainbows by supporting Children’s Hospice Week. This support can make a world of difference to the families who use Rainbows and we hope others will feel encouraged to support us.”

The Duchess, as Royal Patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), talks about her personal experience of the incredible difference that children’s hospices and palliative care services can make for children and families, and asks everyone to join her this Children’s Hospice Week by shining a light on these lifeline services.

In an excerpt from the video, The Duchess says:

“Across the UK more than 49,000 children and young people have life-limiting conditions. For these families, having expert care and support is vital, and this is what children’s hospices provide. They deliver first class care in a safe environment that feels as close to home as possible, full of colour, warmth, love and support.

“Today as we mark the beginning of Children’s Hospice Week – I hope you will join me in shining a light on the dedicated and inspirational staff and volunteers, and the lifeline services they provide for children and their families.

“The work they do is extraordinary, and it really does make a world of difference.”

Welcoming The Duchess of Cambridge’s message of support, Barbara Gelb OBE, CEO for Together for Short Lives, the charity behind Children’s Hospice Week said: “We are so thrilled that Her Royal Highness is supporting Children’s Hospice Week. The Duchess’s words, and her amazing support for Children’s Hospice Week since 2013, have been transformational, helping to raise awareness of the needs of seriously ill children and families and to show that help is at hand.

“Families coming to terms with the heart-breaking news that their child will die young often say that it is the most isolating time and they simply don’t know where to turn for help. That’s why the Duchess’s words are so poignant – it’s a clear message that help is available from the remarkable children’s hospice and palliative care services right across the UK. This support can make a world of difference for families.”

Children’s Hospice Week (22-28 May) is the UK’s only awareness and fundraising week for children with life-limiting conditions and their families, and the hospice and palliative care services that support them. Children’s hospice services are all charities and rely on the generosity of the public to deliver their lifeline care and support. This year Children’s Hospice Week will be turning up the volume on children’s palliative care to show what life is like for families caring for children with life-limiting conditions, and to amplify families’ voices. It’s also a call for support: these families don’t have time to wait to get the care and support they desperately need.

Siblings Freddie and Lexi Hill have set themselves a huge challenge because they wanted to help “poorly children”.

On Saturday 8 July, Freddie (7) and five-year-old Lexi, of Duffield, will be taking on our Derby Bubble Rush at Markeaton Park.

Freddie said: “Some children are hurting a lot from being ill, I want to do this race because it is going to hurt my legs to run it and I can get money to help them at the same time”

And Lexi added: “I want to raise enough money to send a poorly child to Disneyland.”

The pair originally set themselves a fundraising target of £200 but have already smashed this.

Clocking up 10k between them, the brother and sister will go round the 5k course with their parents, Eleanor and Chris, and 18-month-old sister Pippa in her pushchair.

Eleanor said she was very proud of her children. “We had spoken to Freddie and Lexi about charity and they said they wanted to do something to help,” she said. “They said they wanted to do something to help children who were poorly. They also wanted to do something that would be challenging, something they would have to practise for, so we signed up to this event.

“They are both so excited and people are being very supportive of them, it is a long way for their little legs. They recognise that they are healthy and lucky children and they understand that is isn’t so easy for other children. We are very proud of them.”

Last year was the first time the we held the event in Derby and more than 1,600 people took part running through colourful stations of frothy bubbles.

Victoria Brunt, Events Coordinator at Rainbows, added: “We are so happy to have Freddie and Lexi on board and think they are a wonderful example of fundraisers. We know they will have a great day and on behalf of all of the children, young people and families who use Rainbows, I thank them for their incredible efforts. We look forward to cheering them on on the day and we hope their story will inspire others to take part.”

The route is wheelchair, pushchair and child friendly. There will be live entertainment throughout the day. Entry is £25 for over 16s, £7.50 for under 16s and under 3s go free.

To sponsor Freddie and Lexi, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/FreddieandLexiHill

For more information, visit www.rainbows.co.uk/bubble

Serious strollers and amateur amblers are needed to get rambling for Rainbows as we launch a new fundraising initiative.

Off the back of our successful Walk of Life event, we have launched Ramble for Rainbows. The idea is for walkers to plan their route, get family and friends together and take on the sponsored walk in their own time.

Jess Dixon, Rainbows Community Fundraiser, said: “We are very excited to be launching this fundraising challenge. We have tried to make it as easy as possible by encouraging you to do your sponsored walk in your own time, on a date to suit you. You can walk to challenge yourself, to commemorate a special occasion, in memory of a loved one or even just for the joy of seeing some beautiful countryside and getting out in the fresh air.

“May is also National Walking Month so it is a perfect time to get thinking about it. Everyone of all ages and abilities can take part. It doesn’t matter if you are walking one mile or 20 – if we all get out there, ramble and raise some money, together we can have a truly massive and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people in the East Midlands.

“We’re hoping that as many participants as possible will join us at our annual Open Day on Saturday 16 September 2017, where there will be an opportunity to hand over your sponsorship money in person and – most importantly – see the amazing place that you are supporting.”

To download a Ramble for Rainbows pack, visit rainbows.co.uk/ramble or contact Jess on 01509 638023.

A Leicester man is celebrating his 60^th birthday by taking on the biggest challenge of his life and climbing to the top of Africa’s highest mountain – all in aid of Rainbows.

Over seven days, Ashok Kotecha plans to scale the 5,895m of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, on September 21. To date, he has raised almost £4,000 for us.

Ashok, who was born in Uganda and lives in Groby, said it had been a life-long ambition of his to take on the dormant volcano and thought it was perfect to link it to his milestone birthday, which he celebrated on February 26.

The retired engineer, who worked at Trelleborg for 40 years, said: “Harry Moore, who was the founder of Rainbows, was my former boss. This is why I am choosing to do the climb for Rainbows.

“I have been to Open Day at the hospice and was very impressed. It is a fantastic charity. Some of the children at Rainbows haven’t even had the chance to have a life. Rainbows will always be my first choice of charity now, sadly the need for Rainbows will never disappear.

“I am really looking forward to climbing Kilimanjaro and have been trying to vary my training with lots of different sports.”

Ashok is no stranger to challenges and 10 years ago, to mark his 50^th birthday, he completed a trek in New Zealand for Meningitis Now.

Gary Farnfield, Leicestershire Community Fundraiser for Rainbows, added: “On behalf of all of our children, young people and their families, I would like to thank Ashok for taking part in this event and for supporting Rainbows. He is doing a wonderful thing raising funds to help us run the hospice.”

To support Ashok, visit www.justgiving.com/ashokkotecha

Regulars at a Huncote village pub are aiming to smash their fundraising target of £30,000 for Rainbows by the end of the year.

Staff and customers at the Red Lion pub, in Main Street, have been fundraising for us for the past four years. To date they have collected £28,000 and they are determined to raise even more.

Sadly in 2013, landlord Steve McMullen passed away and instead of funeral flowers, his wife, Tina, asked for donations to our hospice. More than £1,800 was raised. In Steve’s memory, an annual fundraising music festival called Lion Roars for Rainbows was set up. Tina and her regulars also organise a range of fundraisers from bingo to quiz nights to Northern Soul evenings.

Tina said: “Everything we do is for Rainbows. It is amazing how much we have raised in the last few years and at Rainbows, you can see where your money goes. I have been to Rainbows and I think it is a lovely place. It isn’t all doom and gloom and I am in admiration of everyone who works there.

“We couldn’t do it without everyone at the pub. Everyone pulls together and they are so supportive of Rainbows. I always say I have two families, my family and my Red Lion family.”

Another arm of the fundraising group is the Red Lion Walkers, which was set up five years ago by Brian Earp. The group meets monthly but once a year, they all take on a sponsored walk, collectively raising money for Rainbows. Their next walk will be on Sunday 14 May. It will start in Loughborough Town Centre and cover 22 miles to the Red Lion.

Brian has completed many challenges including trekking in Kathmandu. Four years ago, Brian walked a section of the Pennine Way for his 70^th birthday with fellow fundraisers Colin Orton, Dave Bolton and Henrick Jefferson. On that trip they all raised enough money to buy a multi-sensory train, which was named Brian and takes pride of place in our Children’s Lounge.

Brian (74) said: “We wanted to raise money for a charity that was close to people’s hearts. I think to myself, I have had a good life and I think of the children and their struggles and want to do all I can to support them.

“It is a fantastic crowd in the pub and everyone gets behind everything we do. Without the support of everyone, we wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Information about all of the events can be found in the pub or on its Facebook page.

Last year people helped raise £60,000 for Rainbows by taking part in our two Superdraws.

Now we have launched our Spring Superdraw 2017 with a top prize of £3,000. Other cash prizes of £500, £250 and £50 are also up for grabs.

Tickets, which cost just £1, can be purchased until Friday 2 June. The lucky winner will be drawn on Friday 9 June.

The Superdraw, which is held at Spring and Christmas, plays a crucial part in raising the necessary funds needed to keep our hospice running each year. The £60,000 raised from both draws in 2016 could fund almost three weeks of nursing care at Rainbows.

Gill Smitherman, Donor Development Manager at Rainbows, said: “Even if you just buy one ticket, you’ll be making a difference to lives of the children, young people and families we support each and every day.

“At Rainbows, we’re much more than a hospice. We’re an incredible team of people who bring hope and support to life-limited children, young people and their families every day.”

To buy tickets, contact Gill on 01509 638058, email lottery@rainbows.co.uk, or visit www.Rainbows.co.uk/superdraw. Tickets can also be bought in the Rainbows shops in

Loughborough, Melton, Market Harborough, Blaby, Beeston and Matlock.