QBE leaves a trail of glitter and festive cheer

Volunteers from the QBE Foundation brought festive cheer and tinsel aplenty to The Sick Children’s Trust’s London ‘Homes from Home’, decking the halls with snow-covered wreaths and preparing a fabulous meal for resident families with seriously ill children undergoing treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and The Royal London Hospital.

Following the success of the 2015 charity partnership between QBE Business Insurance and The Sick Children’s Trust – which raised an incredible £225,000 – employees from QBE Business Insurance were delighted to be invited back to the charity’s London ‘Homes from Home’ on Tuesday 5 December in order to join in the nationwide UK Charity Week celebrations.

The team were warmly welcomed to Guilford Street, Rainbow and Stevenson Houses, bringing with them Christmas trees and decorations, alongside ingredients so that every family returning from a busy day on the ward, had a warm home-made meal waiting for them when they walked through the door. Leaving a trail of glitter behind them, the QBE volunteers furnished the ‘Homes from Home’ from top to bottom with Christmas trees and countless festive decorations. Alongside decorating and cooking, a delightful Christmas hamper was left for every family with a seriously ill child undergoing lifesaving treatment in GOSH and The Royal London Hospital this Christmas.

The Sick Children’s Trust supports thousands of families who have seriously ill children, enabling them to stay just minutes from their child’s hospital bedside in free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation. The Sick Children’s Trust’s Corporate Partnerships Manager, Charlotte Webster, says:

“We are so grateful to QBE for adding festive touches to our ‘Home from Home’ accommodation in London and for their continued support which enables us to keep families together during the most difficult times. Their decorations, kind preparation of food and Christmas Hampers will support families in London whose lives have been turned upside down over the festive period. On behalf of every one of our families we’d like to say a huge thank you.

“Our ‘Homes from Home’ provide invaluable support to parents and families when they need it most, offering free, high-quality accommodation close by to hospitals across the country. We believe that our ‘Home from Home’ support makes a significant difference to the recovery of sick children and to the wellbeing of their parents.

“While our accommodation is free to families with seriously ill children in hospital, it costs us £30 to support a family for one night in a ‘Home from Home’. As a charity we rely entirely on kind donations from individuals and corporate supporters such as insurer QBE to continue our vital work, and be there for families when their child is in hospital, both practically and emotionally. Guilford Street House Manager, Tina Thake, says:

“It was so lovely to welcome QBE to our ‘Homes from Home’ once again, the volunteers worked wonders to help bring Christmas to our London houses, allowing our families to enjoy the normality of the festivities even in the midst of the most difficult times.

“We couldn’t continue to be there for families without the generous support of our donors and corporate supporters, so it was great to show the team from QBE what a difference their support makes to families with seriously ill children in hospital. Thank you very much to everyone who came along.”

For further information about The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit http://www.sickchildrenstrust.org/

For further information about the QBE Foundation, please visit

https://qbeeurope.com/community/the-qbe-foundation/