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Gareth’s blog: Strengthening our future

Gareth’s blog: A new financial year – strengthening our future, evolving our support

As we begin a new financial year at Forget Me Not, it’s important to reflect on where we are, how far we’ve come, and where we’re heading next.

More than a year on from the significant changes we had to make in order to protect our future, the landscape we’re navigating remains challenging – but also full of progress, resilience, and renewed purpose. Rising costs, uncertainty around statutory funding and a difficult income environment meant we had to reshape aspects of our organisation and rethink how we work. Those actions were difficult, but they were necessary to safeguard the long‑term sustainability of our services. Today, because of that work, we enter the new financial year on a much firmer footing. 

But this year isn’t about easing off. It’s about continuing to balance every decision carefully, prioritise what delivers the biggest impact, and evolve how we work so that we can support as many children and families as possible with the resources we have.

A more efficient and responsive model of care

Over the past year, we have continued to roll out a more flexible, family‑centred model of care – one that responds to the wide variety of challenges our families face.

This refreshed approach allows us to:

  • Tailor support more precisely, ensuring families receive the right help at the right time
  • Provide more ways for families to access support, both within Forget Me Not and beyond
  • Bring families together so they can make new connections, support each other and build resilience
  • Use our clinical and support teams more efficiently, so every hour of care makes the greatest possible difference.

In the year ahead this model will continue to shape how we deliver support while ensuring our resources are used wisely.

Creating more opportunities to come together

A particularly exciting development this year is how we’re increasing and improving the activities and events we put on for the children and families we support.

With a growing team of volunteers to help us deliver this more varied programme of activities, our aim is to give children and families greater choice and more opportunities for fun, respite and peer-to-peer support.

By rethinking how we plan and deliver our sessions, we’re able to:

  • Offer a broader range of experiences (creative, sensory, therapeutic, social and seasonal)
  • Reach more children and families
  • Make better use of staff and volunteer expertise
  • Provide new ways for families to connect with each other and reduce isolation
  • Complement our clinical and family services with experiences that bring joy and togetherness for families, allowing them to live well.

This year is about stabilising, rebuilding and strengthening our foundations for the long term. And as we do that, we remain completely focused on what matters most: delivering exceptional, personalised care for children and families navigating the hardest of experiences.

Gareth Pierce, CEO

Balancing today with tomorrow

While our position is stronger than it was more than a year ago, we continue to approach this financial year with realism and responsibility. We still receive only a small proportion of the funds we need from statutory sources, so every decision must be cost‑conscious, mission‑focused and grounded in the trust our supporters place in us.

That means:

  • Challenging costs and working smarter
  • Building our reserves so we can weather future uncertainty
  • Continuing to influence local and national partners around the need for sustainable hospice funding
  • Investing in what makes the biggest difference to children and families.

Every pound saved and every pound raised helps protect the vital services families rely on.

We won’t stop

This year is about stabilising, rebuilding and strengthening our foundations for the long term. And as we do that, we remain completely focused on what matters most: delivering exceptional, personalised care for children and families navigating the hardest of experiences.

But most importantly:

We won’t stop:

Until families have the support they need.
Until children’s hospice care is funded sustainably.
Until our future is secure.

Thank you to every colleague, volunteer, supporter, partner and family who continues to stand by us. Together, we will ensure that no family faces the loss of a child alone.