Hope and Homes for Children conference

For a while A Friend in Need has supported a chosen charity, Home and Homes for Children, and on Saturday we were privileged to attend their biennial conference.

The idea behind having a chosen charity is to enable an orphaned child to benefit at the same time as the loved one who receives a gift in hospital.  We do this by making a donation every time someone places an order with A Friend in Need.

As a result of our close working relationship with Hope and Homes for Children, we were invited to the conference.  It was an emotive, rewarding experience to see the good work they’re doing in getting children out of heartless institutions and out of poverty, though it was also very scary in terms of all that still remains to be done.

Where did it all start? (continued)

At that time, Richard (my husband) and I were developing the ability to design websites and we decided it was a great opportunity. And so we launched aFriendinNeed.co.uk – a service to solve the frustrations that people feel when they cannot find suitable gifts to send to their family or friends in hospital.

Since the launch of aFriendinNeed.co.uk things have got harder for people to show they care, as so many hospitals will not accept flowers in their wards. That’s another story but we are inspired by the letters and emails we get from customers – many of whom come back several times – saying how much it has helped them to send or receive a special gift in their moment of need.

Where did it all start?

We are often asked about where the idea behind A Friend In Need came from.

  

I’d had two experiences over the last 15 years of loved ones being in hospital where it was particularly hard to visit them – I live in St Albans and my Mum lived in Herefordshire and my Auntie in Shrewsbury – so visiting them was difficult.  I wanted to let both of them know how much I cared and to send them gifts to cheer them up.  But once I’d exhausted the flowers and the occasional card, I was stumped.

 

Mum was in hospital for an operation to identify the cause of abdominal discomfort that was eventually diagnosed as cancer of the pancreas.   I found a friendly florist near to the hospital, and they helped me with small punnets of strawberries, etc.  They really wanted to help, but all the suggestions had to come from me.  I so wanted somewhere I could go for inspiration but I couldn’t find anywhere.

 

Five years ago, my Auntie Ann was undergoing a mastectomy and I felt she needed some moral support.  I bought a little stuffed dog – a cute little guy – and parcelled him up and sent him off to her.  Well, he hit just the right spot and became a lucky mascot during her operation and recuperation.  I realised just how important small gifts of a personal nature are – to show that you care and just at the right time. Especially when it is impossible for you to be there yourself.

 

(To be continued…)