Emily’s Gift, a campaign under the umbrella of the Pied Piper Appeal (Charity), has had an extraordinary year, hitting their target of raising £500k for children with cancer on the Emily Kent Unit in Gloucestershire to have psychological support for 10 years

This funding ensures that the psychologist’s services will be available for the next ten years, providing much-needed emotional and psychological support to both the children and their families.

Julie Kent MBE, mother of Emily and a Trustee of Pied Piper recently received an email from the Network manager of the children, teenage & young cancer operational delivery network in the south west to say ‘It is brilliant to hear about the incredibly positive impact the psychology role is having on patients and families on the Emily Kent Unit, Since the psychologist’s appointment, there has been a noticeable improvement in the emotional well-being of the children and the siblings.’ Mothers are also contacting Julie following their sessions with the psychologist to describe the weight being lifted from them in the sessions.

In addition to this remarkable achievement, Emily’s Gift is now focused on acquiring essential medical equipment. The charity has raised funds to purchase two blood sampling machines, each worth £20,000, plus training and maintenance fees for the Emily Kent Unit. One machine will sit on the unit for daily blood tests, significantly reducing the waiting time for the results from hours to ten minutes, alleviating anxiety for both the children and their parents and once tested, the second machine will travel around the community with the nurse who visits children in their homes.

The campaign has been supported by businesses and individuals who pledged to give £2000 over a 2, 4, or 10-year period, and many individuals have taken on personal challenges or organised various fundraising events and community initiatives. These events are a testament to the power of community collaboration, with local businesses and volunteers coming together to support this important cause.

Julie Kent MBE, founder of Emily’s Gift, expressed her gratitude, saying, “The support we have received from the community has been overwhelming. Each donation and every event has brought us closer to our goal of providing comprehensive support to children with cancer and their families. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and dedication of our supporters.”

Looking ahead, Emily’s Gift is committed to its mission of supporting children with cancer through equipment and wish holidays following long spells of treatment in the hospital. Some leukaemia protocols involve up to three years of regular, weekly treatment, which affects the whole family.

From the 1st of March 2025, all additional donations given to the Emily’s Gift campaign will be paid into the Pied Piper Trust and ring-fenced in the Emily’s Gift account towards core projects for children with cancer in Gloucestershire.

1 – Providing crucial care to children in the Emily Kent Cancer unit within Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

2 – Funding Wish Holidays for Children who have suffered or are still suffering from life-limiting or terminal conditions. On the Emily Kent Unit

3 – Funding additional medical equipment that makes a difference to the day-to-day treatments the children endure while fighting the effects of cancer

It is important to us to thank you all once again for the amazing contributions you have all made to this brilliant initiative.When donating to Emilys Gift, should you have a specific wish for the funds to reach one of the three above areas, please make it clear to us upon donation.