• Ataxia UK 20/21 review

    The ataxias are a set of life-limiting neurological conditions that disrupts the messages sent from our brains to our muscles. Not just the muscles we use to move, but those we use to speak, listen and see. Over time, people with ataxia are slowly imprisoned in their own bodies,...

    16 June 2021

  • National Children’s Bureau 20/21 review

    The National Children’s Bureau brings people together to bring about the best for the UK’s children and young people. We strengthen the ecosystem of support and services that exists to help them grow up safe, secure and happy. For the past year, we have been working flat out to...

    03 June 2021

  • Returning to Fundraising

    In March 2020, we ceased all our face-to-face fundraising in residential and retail locations, in line with the requirements of lockdown surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and to protect both our fundraisers and the public. The likelihood is that if you are a current Childlife supporter, it’s because you spoke...

    03 January 2021

  • Maia’s microtia

    As part of Treacher Collins Syndrome, Maia has bilateral microtia atresia. This means both of her ears are underdeveloped, with no ear canal openings, and this contributes to her conductive hearing loss.  Mum, Josie, explains some of the problems that this can cause teenager Maia, in daily life. “A...

    15 December 2020

  • Mental health of under-5s at risk

    The UK lockdown and subsequent changes to our daily lives have brought with them a heightened awareness and discussion of our mental health.  Young and old have experienced unprecedented challenges, with regular social contact impacted and face-to-face support services suspended, and infant mental health is no exception. As lockdown...

    17 November 2020

  • The challenges of lockdown

    Kieran, has faced the challenges of lockdown head-on, with Mum Leeann doing her best to keep up with him!  Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) means that Kieran’s coordination, balance and strength is compromised, so deciding to embark on a fundraising cycle ride of 70km in a month was quite a challenge...

    17 November 2020

  • Critical support in isolation

    For a family with a very unwell child, the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown up even more challenges, in addition to those they already face. We spoke with Faye, Mum to five-year-old Luca who has CHARGE syndrome, a life threatening condition which means even the slightest infection can be dangerous...

    17 November 2020

  • Virtual support for deaf children

    Supporting a deaf child and their family will often involve a face-to-face support session, meetings with a Teacher of the Deaf and getting together with other families in the same situation to share experiences. The COVID-19 lockdown meant all of these services were put on hold, further increasing the...

    17 November 2020

  • The challenges of 2020

    Earlier in the year, we wrote about the National Deaf Children’s Society’s support groups, organised by volunteers across the UK, like Sara who runs Sound Friends in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Sara’s youngest child, six-year-old Charlotte, is profoundly deaf and is aided by a cochlear implant and uses a...

    17 November 2020

  • Supporting deaf children during Covid-19

    Lockdown may be easing across the UK, but there are still many face-to-face support services which are unable to take place.  Families with a child recently diagnosed as deaf need a lot of support, especially in those early days, and usually this might involve home visits to get practical...

    28 July 2020