Our Impact: How Rainbow Trust has helped over the past year

Home our impact

From our Chief Executive and Chairman

For 35 years Rainbow Trust has supported children and families as they face life with a serious childhood illness. This year COVID-19 continued to take its heavy toll on the everyday lives of many of the families we support and the care that we could safely deliver.

In 2021/22 our main priorities were to:

  • Re-build referrals to pre-pandemic levels
  • Reach more children and families by developing online support and establishing a new Family Support Team
  • Increase volunteer support for families with less intense needs
  • Develop new partnerships with health and social care providers.

Despite the challenges of the year, we made good progress and in this Impact Report you can read more about our achievements.

We want to say a massive thank you to all our supporters. Your donations large and small ensure that seriously ill children and their families get the support they need.

Zillah Bingley
Chief Executive

Mark Cunningham
Chairman

Highlights: 1,126 families received in-depth support. 5 It's About Time Family Support Workers recruited. 2 new care teams announced in Liverpool and Reading. Expanded our online family support service. £5.3m raised to support families and ensure our future survival.

What would seriously ill children and their siblings do if they had a magic wand?

We asked seriously ill children and their siblings what they would do if they had a magic wand.

Magic wand: Taken from wishes by 105 children when asked 'What would you wish for if you had a magic wand?' as part of our annual snapshot audit 8-21 November 2021. If I had one wish... 'Spend time to play with my Family Support Worker every day.' 'Stop COVID so you could visit us in person.'


Our highlights for the year

6,879 sessions of emotional support for sick children and their families. 33,068 support sessions provided. 271,000 miles travelled supporting families including to hospital for check-ups and treatment. 21 family activity or siblings' days out held. 1,048 hours of neonatal support for families. 490 hours of bereavement support. 1,129 sessions of practical support for families. 1,783 hours of hospital support for families. 2,579 support plans created and reviewed.
The difference we made: 470 families stopped receiving support as they felt better able to cope. 542 new families started receiving Rainbow Trust's support - 32% more than last year. 1,001 sick children supported with 671 under the age of four. 1,126 families supported. Childhood illness affects the whole family. On average there are four people in each family, so the total number of people we reached last year was over 4,500.
Volunteering giving back: 200 volunteers gave us their time. 1,768 hours of volunteer support to help sick children and their families. 400 hours of independent family support.
Last year for every pound we spent on fundraising, we turned it into £5.30.

Our accounts

Our accounts
Income and expenditure overview 2021/22:

How you can support us

Donation payment types
Donation payment values.

£5 could provide bereavement support to help a family cope with the death of a child.