We are a unique charity providing ‘Nursing Care at Home’ for local children who have a life-threatening or terminal illness.
Based in the Chichester area of West Sussex, The Sussex Snowdrop Trust provides:
Children’s Community Nurses administer medication and perform various procedures when the Snowdrop child is at home. They give medical advice, teach parents how to manage their child’s medicines and treatments, listen to problems and liaise with other Health Professionals.
Support a family by either taking siblings or the Snowdrop child out or playing with them in their own home. This allows a parent some respite or quality time with another child and is a way for children to enjoy a different environment or try some new creative play.
Our counsellors offer valuable emotional support. They help by befriending and supporting families throughout their child’s illness should it be needed. They also provide bereavement support.
The charity helps in any way that can relieve parents of the extra financial problems that occur when a child has a life threatening or terminal illness e.g. household equipment and bills, travelling expenses to hospital and so much more.
Donations go towards paying for our dedicated team of Community nurses who support our Snowdrop families on a day to day basis.
Celebrate with us as we mark this 30 year milestone and recognise the passion and dedication that our co-founder, Diana Levantine, has bought to our Trust.
We’re passionate about what we do, and the events we hold. Here’s some of the latest news and what we’ve been up to.
Follow us on Instagram @sussexsnowdroptrust
There are currently 73 local children on the Snowdrop pathway. The Snowdrop pathway is for children who are diagnosed with a life threatening or terminal illness.
We cover Hayling Island, Emsworth, Chichester, Bognor Regis, Selsey, Arundel, Billingshurst, Petworth and Midhurst areas.
About £380,000 is spent annually on direct family care, which includes paying the wages of our special Care at Home Team, as well as the urgent financial requests for equipment or petrol vouchers to support families whose child is receiving treatment in hospital.
On diagnosis the Consultant Paediatrician refers the child to the Children’s Community Nursing Team. The family are then contacted and visited by one of the Care at Home Team within 48 hours.
They support families from the time a child is diagnosed and throughout their illnesses. They visit the children in their homes to teach and enable parents to be confident as they care for their child. The nurses also liaise with other professionals involved in the child’s care.
