Gareth’s blog: The power of advocacy

You don’t have to be famous to make a difference!

This Children’s Hospice Week, we were thrilled to welcome some of our amazing ambassadors – Hannah Cockroft, Michael Lawrence, Jack Carroll, and Rhys Connah – to our hospice. They were kind enough to spend some time with the team, pose for photos and share stories. We’re so grateful to them for using their platforms to advocate for our charity.

But what makes their advocacy truly powerful is not their fame – it’s their authenticity, their compassion, and their willingness to listen and share.

And that’s something we all have the power to do.

Because you don’t need to be a celebrity to make an impact.

Some of the most meaningful awareness and support we receive comes from people in our communities who simply care. People who share our story at the school gates, who run marathons in our name, who speak up in their workplaces. These are the voices that carry our message further than any billboard ever could.

Advocacy is about connection. It’s about using your voice, your platform – whatever size it may be – to shine a light on the needs of children with life-shortening conditions and their families. It’s about saying, “This matters. I care. And you should too.”

Every time someone wears our t-shirt, shares our social media posts, hosts a fundraiser, or simply tells a friend about the work we do, they become an advocate. And in doing so, they help us ensure that no family has to face the loss of their child alone.

You don’t need a blue tick, a stage, or a spotlight to be a powerful advocate for Forget Me Not. You just need to care. So if you’ve ever wondered whether you could make a difference, let me assure you: you can. You already are.

Thank you for being a voice for the children and families we serve. And thank you for proving that advocacy isn’t about fame – it’s about heart.