Guest blog by Madeleine Oldale, Head of Communications, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.
Collaboration between a business and a charity can lead to a wealth of opportunities and make a meaningful impact, a fact which Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and Jenx have proven since their partnership in 2019 and 2020.
Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, based in Sheffield, provides care and support to children and young adults with a range of complex medical needs, whose lives are sadly just too short.
Their experienced team offers vital wraparound support for these children and their families, which includes music therapy, sibling support, bereavement counselling and more.
Hillsborough-based Jenx and its retail division Jiraffe voted the hospice its Charity of the Year for 2019 and have since contributed over £10,000 in fundraising and equivalent donations to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. The team at Jenx extended this partnership by a further year, and in that time supported the hospice by taking part in events, volunteering, and donating specialist equipment designed to help children with disabilities.
Jenx have been researching, designing, and manufacturing ground-breaking developmental postural equipment to support children with specific postural needs since 1982. 
Holly Jenkins, Jiraffe Divisional Director said: “As a company with children at the very core of our mission, Bluebell Wood is a charity close to our hearts and we are thrilled to have been able to help support the exceptional care they provide.
“Our aim is to help children with special postural needs to live happy and fulfilling lives – an ethos that Bluebell Wood share with us.”
The support of companies like Jenx has a lasting impact on hundreds of families from across South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire, North Nottinghamshire and North Lincolnshire.
The contribution of time, equipment and donations supports the hospice to enrich children’s lives through physiotherapy; offer much needed me-time to tired mums and dads; look after brothers and sisters who feel angry, lonely or confused; and be there for families during the last moments of their child’s life.
Every day, Bluebell Wood needs to raise almost £14,000 to carry out this work, and only around 15% of this funding comes from government sources. Everything else is paid for by the wonderful work of their supporters, including corporate partners such as Jenx and other organisations. 
Looking to the future, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice wants to reach even more families through their vital life-changing care. By choosing Bluebell Wood as their Charity of the Year, regional and national businesses can help families who need it most. In turn, these unique partnerships offer the following benefits:
- When customers or staff members help choose their charity of the year, they feel a personal connection to the cause and are motivated to come together to support a joint goal.
- A twelve month partnership provides a strategic focus for businesses, with dedicated support from one of the hospice’s Regional Fundraisers.
- PR opportunities, helping organisations reach new audiences through promotion of their fundraising achievements in local press and social media
- Studies have shown that companies who invest in charity and community projects see increases in staff engagement, retention and find it easier to attract the best talent when advertising roles.
- It becomes easier to fulfil your CSR objectives, in a measurable way.
Ruth Wallbank, Regional Fundraising Manager at Bluebell Wood, said: “We’re extremely grateful to Jenx for their support as a Bluebell Wood corporate partner. Over the years they have plunged 15,000ft in our skydive, held seasonal raffles, donated equipment and craft items. Their generous donations have helped change the lives of children who visit – or are supported by – Bluebell Wood.
“We’re eager to connect with other passionate businesses like Jenx who have the appetite to take on a Charity of the Year partnership, and make the most of 12 months of fundraising.”
Bluebell Wood’s Charity of the Year fundraising partnerships are unique, varied and fun. To find out more visit https://www.bluebellwood.org/charity-of-the-year, call 01909 517 365 or email fundraising@bluebellwood.org
This guest blog is part of our 40 stories for 40 years’ series, celebrating our partnerships over the years. Click here to read more blogs in this series.
