Their dream is to make dreams come true for children with life threatening or debilitating illnesses-giving them, and their families, a reason to smile and feel great.
Holiday
Wishmakers
What is a Make a Wish Charity?
A ‘wish making’ charity grants a wish to a seriously ill, disabled or life-limited child. This can include a huge range of conditions. The wishes are generally tailor-made to fit your child’s wildest dreams – anything is possible, from meeting a movie star to visiting Santa. A very sweet 8-year-old boy that Sky Badger knows took his girlfriend on a date to see a show and have dinner in London. Depending on the charity, you, your child, or a medical professional can apply.
They are sometimes called...
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Wishes for sick children
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Dream charities
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Wish Foundations
Most charities have slightly different qualifying criteria for granting your child’s wish. Some cover international travel and some grant wishes for children with serious conditions that don’t necessarily have to be ‘life-limiting’. Some even include siblings within the wish. Applying can take time, so make contact and have a chat as soon as you can. It always helps to plan happy days while you’re having tough times. Having something big to look forward to can make a huge difference to your child’s happiness and resilience, as well as your own. You’ll all get some brilliant new memories from it, too.
Have a look at the links and if you have any questions about the application process, do give the charities a call – they’re always happy to help!
Active Dreams
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Caudwell Children provide family support services, equipment, treatment and therapies for disabled children and their families across the UK. They also run our Enable Sport programme for talented disabled athletes and their Destination Dreams holiday for children fighting life threatening conditions.
Cerebra supports children under 16 years who have a brain injury, neurological disorder, mental disability or developmental problem. They have lots of services including...
Parent support workers can offer face-to-face help with filling in forms and attending meetings.
The grant scheme funds up to 80% of the cost of equipment and services. E.g. That might be by paying for a touch screen monitor for a little boy who can’t use a mouse so he can do his homework and play computer games like his friends.
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Sleep service
They have a holiday home in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales which gives families a chance to enjoy some respite with a free week long holiday.
Provide adapted equipment and tailor made solutions to problems when there's nothing on the market that meets your child's need.
Dial a Dream
Dial a Dream aims to fulfill the dreams of children diagnosed with life limiting and life threatening illness. It is open to children aged 3 to 18 years. Past dreams have included trips to Florida, EuroDisney, meeting a sporting hero or favourite musician. Parents are able to nominate their child by completing an application form.
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Dream Makers
Dream Makers Children's Charity grants the wishes and dreams of ill and disabled children. The wishes could be a holiday at Disney World, Lapland, or swimming with the dolphins. They also provide funding for therapy, wheelchairs and other equipment including special outdoor play areas in the child's home. For children who are too ill to travel long distances the charity have 4 eight berth mobile holiday homes in Torbay, Devon.
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Dream Makers
Dream makers have sent disabled and sick children on dream holidays, to Disney World, Disney Land, Lapland and swim with the dolphins. They have helped with therapy treatments, bought wheelchairs and other equipment etc., given major support with educational needs and provided entertainers for out patients departments in hospitals and clinics, keeping children occupied while waiting for their treatment.
For full details of all their services visit their website.
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Dreamflight organises holidays of a lifetime to seriously ill and disabled children without their parents to Orlando, Florida. The ten day holiday for children and young people aged 8 to 14 years is accompanied by a team of medical carers who provide 24 hour care that includes a doctor, physiotherapist and 3 nurses. Additional non medical care also support the children.
Dreams come True provides children and young adults (2-21 years) with severe and life threatening illnesses the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. Each dream is unique but past dreams have included swimming with the dolphins, a seaside holiday, a TV and a music centre.
Dreamz 4 U
Dreamz 4 U is a charity that was set up to help young people across Scotland.
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The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust takes young people aged between 8-24 sailing to help them regain their confidence, on their way to recovery from cancer, leukaemia and other serious illness.
The Hopes and Dreams charity aims to turn the hopes and dreams of chronically, seriously or terminally ill children and young adults (aged 5 to 17 years) into a reality. Children are asked to choose three dreams in order of preference and the reasons why they would be impossible for them to fulfil. Dreams are varied and have included trips to Disney, meeting a celebrity, their favourite singer to a ride in a helicopter.
Offers a holiday at one of their caravans situated in Wales, an opportunity to stay at the charity's very own luxury villa in Florida, or help arranging a fantastic trip to Disneyland Paris.
This organisation grants wishes to children and young people between the ages of 3 and 17 years who have not received a wish from another charity.
Pauls fund helps young adults and their families to have a respite holiday break staying at Paul’s Place, which provides both Bed and Breakfast and self-catering accommodation. Paul’s Place is located in the delightful village of Georgeham near Croyde on the North Devon coast.
You may apply for a grant if you are a young adult facing one of these challenging circumstances:
Diagnosis of a terminal or life threatening illness
Bereavement
Being a long term, unpaid carer of a close relative
Parents and siblings who are caring for a young adult with a life threatening or terminal illness, or who have lost a young adult, may also apply, as may adults
Promise Dreams help seriously or terminally ill children under 18 years and their families. It provides once in a lifetime dreams from holidays to meeting their favourite celebrity. Families are asked to consider fundraising as they may only be able to offer a donation towards the dream.
We help children who are living with serious or life-limiting illnesses between the ages of 3-18, across the United Kingdom.
React is a charity working to improve the quality of life of financially disadvantaged children with life-limiting illnesses living in the UK. They supply a wide range of equipment from specialist wheelchairs, beds, baths, and mobility aids, to essential everyday items like washing machines and tumble dryers.
At Round Table Children's Wish, we grant wishes for children and young people who are suffering from life-threatening illnesses. It gives the child something to look forward to when it is needed most and to create some special memories for all the family.
Granting wishes to seriously and terminally ill children and entertaining over half a million children every year in hospitals and hospices throughout the UK.
The Dreams Team grants the dreams and wishes of sick, terminally ill and disabled children. Past dreams have included meeting Ant and Dec, a Christmas trip to Lapland, the provision of specialist car seating and computer equipment.
Wishes are varied and far reaching. For some a trip to Disney Florida or Paris to meet their favourite characters, for others it is a chance to get up close to a favourite pop star or sporting hero and some children simply want books and toys. Whatever the Wish, wherever possible, When You Wish Upon A Star will aim to make that Wish a reality.
