It is desperate to retain its services despite rising costs
Gabriel Shepard Assistant Head of Print
07:00, 16 Jun 2025
Jessie May staff with Archie, seven, one of 52 Bristol children currently in its care(Image: Jessie May/ Laura McArthur)
A children’s hospice-at-home charity has launched an urgent plea to protect its future after 30 years supporting families in Bristol and beyond.
Currently caring for 52 seriously ill children in Bristol – and 196 across the South West – Jessie May provides specialist nursing care, as well as practical and emotional support, from the point of diagnosis.
The charity has warned that its service is “at risk” due to the rising cost of care, lack of government subsidy and legislative changes, like the employer National Insurance contribution.
It is forecasting a funding gap of £300,000 this year which, if not met, could “lead to difficult decisions with fewer families being supported at the time they need it most”, despite a rise in demand for its services.
Last year it cost £1.7m to run the service, while this year costs are projected to rise to almost £2m. Only 18 per cent of those costs are covered by government funding, with the rest relying on donations.
The charity’s chief executive Daniel Cheesman said: “Hospices play a vital role in the healthcare system, but the entire sector is facing the biggest crisis it has ever faced. It’s not limited to Jessie May.
“We’ve made every effort to make savings where we can, but we do not want to cut services to the families who desperately need us. We know times are hard and there are lots of good causes out there, but we are providing vital support to families in your community.
“We work with 52 families in Bristol, so the chances are there is a Jessie May family near you, and we need your help so we can continue to support them. If everyone in Bristol donated just £1, we’d meet our target.
“This is about keeping children at home with the people they love. About siblings spending time together. About giving exhausted parents a break. About giving families a choice – and the dignity of being supported when it matters most.”
Laura McArthur, whose seven-year-old son has received Jessie May care since he was six-months-old, described the hospice charity as “a lifeline” and said her family “would be lost without it”.
Anyone able to help the charity can donate online to the hospice’s ‘We Need You’ campaign