THE CEO of Tŷ Hafan children's hospice in Penarth has welcomed a Welsh government cash grant but warns that it it is just a patch on the ongoing fundraising process that relies, in the main, on local people's generoisity.

Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith, Wales's only other children's hospice, are set to receive a combined funding boost of £770,000 from the Welsh Government.

Jason Foster, Interim Chief Executive of Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice said: "Wales has two children's hospices, Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith and today I am speaking on behalf of both of them.

"My counterpart, Andy Goldsmith, Chief Executive of Tŷ Gobaith, and I are, of course, very grateful for this additional funding from the Welsh Government, £229,684 for Tŷ Gobaith and £544,285 for Tŷ Hafan.

"These sums will enable both Tŷ Gobaith and Tŷ Hafan to almost record a balanced budget for the 2023/24 financial year. Without this funding, both children's hospices would have run at a deficit, drawing on limited funds held in reserve.

"However, this funding, while welcome, does not enable Tŷ Gobaith or Tŷ Hafan to meet anything like the demand for the care we provide.

"There are over 3,000 children in Wales who have a life-shortening condition yet between Tŷ Gobaith and Tŷ Hafan we are only currently able to support just over 400 of them.

"This means that, right now, the vast majority of children with life-shortening conditions in Wales are simply unable to access any support from either of Wales's two children's hospices.

"Furthermore, these payments are discretionary and one-off payments made at the very end of the financial year. As such they are no substitute for long-term sustainable funding which would allow us to plan longer term and reach many more of those children and their families who so desperately need our support right now. This is something we have been campaigning about for years and with the ongoing challenges around the cost-of-living, the need for sustainable funding is becoming ever more acute.

"Children and families who receive our hospice care call it 'a lifeline'. We believe that every child and family should be offered that lifeline.

"Currently Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith children's hospices receive less than 14% of the cost of children's hospice care from NHS Wales or the Welsh Government.

"Whilst this one-off payment is very welcome it does not change the fact that hospice care for children in Wales continues to depend overwhelmingly on the wonderful generosity and kind support of businesses, communities and individuals across Wales and beyond for which we remain incredibly grateful and without which we would not be here for children and their families when they turn to us."