Children’s hospice week 2025

Every child deserves the chance to live with dignity, love, and comfort - no matter how short their life may be. Children’s Hospice Week 2025, running from Monday 16 to Sunday 22 June, is a crucial national campaign led by Together for Short Lives, the UK’s leading charity for children’s palliative care. This annual initiative is the only week in the UK entirely dedicated to raising awareness and support for children’s hospice services.

This year, the spotlight falls on the staggering number of children - 99,000 across the UK - living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Many of these children require round-the-clock specialised care, and it is the UK’s 54 children’s hospices that step in to provide this essential lifeline.

Making every moment count

While there is no official theme slogan for Children’s Hospice Week 2025, the essence of this year’s campaign is action-oriented and community-driven. It invites everyone to walk in solidarity with the families who face extraordinary challenges every single day, both figuratively and literally.

The 99,000 steps challenge encourages individuals and groups to walk 99,000 steps during the week - a symbolic act to represent each of the 99,000 children living with a life-limiting condition. Participants are urged to turn their steps into awareness, donations, and real change by raising funds for their local children’s hospice or through the Together for Short Lives charity.

Why children’s hospice care matters

Children’s hospices are so much more than medical facilities - they are places of warmth, compassion, and holistic support. They provide:

• 24/7 specialist clinical care for children with complex conditions

• Emotional and psychological support for families, including siblings

• Practical help such as physiotherapy, play therapy, and counselling

• Short breaks and respite care provide families with vital rest and relief

• End-of-life and bereavement support, helping families through their most difficult days.

Without these hospices, many families would be left to navigate these challenges alone, without adequate medical, emotional, or social support.

Yet, despite their invaluable contributions, many of these services operate with insufficient funding and increasing demand. Children’s Hospice Week is a time to advocate, amplify, and act.

99,000 steps - Walking with purpose

The 99,000 steps challenge is a powerful way for communities, businesses, schools, and individuals to come together and take action. Whether you complete it over a week, a few days, or in one go, the steps you take represent:

• The resilience of every child facing serious illness

• The determination of every family walking a difficult journey

• The dedication of every hospice worker makes a difference

• The hope of every supporter is committed to making a change.

Participants are encouraged to share their journey online using the hashtag #99kSteps to raise awareness and inspire others to join.

How to get involved

There are so many ways you can make a meaningful impact during Children’s Hospice Week 2025:

• Take on the challenge - Join thousands of others across the country in walking 99,000 steps in support of children’s hospice care

• Share real stories - Use your voice to amplify the stories of families and hospice teams across social media, newsletters, and community events

• Fundraise or donate - Raise funds for a local children’s hospice or donate directly to national efforts through Together for Short Lives

• Volunteer your time - Lend a helping hand to local hospices through volunteering or skills-based support

• Raise awareness in schools and workplaces - Host awareness sessions, charity walks, or bake sales to engage others in your community

• Engage your organisation - Companies can sponsor staff involvement, match donations, or support a hospice as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy.

Every act, no matter how small, contributes to a greater movement - one that values life, love, and dignity for all children.

Conclusion

Children’s Hospice Week 2025 is more than an awareness campaign - it is a collective promise to ensure that every child receives compassionate, high-quality care, no matter the prognosis. It’s a week to walk in empathy, to fundraise with purpose, and to honour the incredible families and professionals who navigate life’s most difficult journeys.

Let’s make every step count.

Our commitment to compassionate care

At The Mandatory Training Group, we recognise the vital role that specialist palliative care plays in enhancing the quality of life for children and their families. Through our work in compliance, governance, and training, we aim to uplift organisations that provide frontline care.

Our innovative platform, ComplyPlus™, supports healthcare providers by ensuring robust safeguarding measures, staff training, and adherence to national standards - all of which are vital in maintaining excellent care in children’s hospices.

This Children’s Hospice Week, we proudly stand with Together for Short Lives and the incredible hospice teams across the UK. We invite our network of clients, learners, and partners to join the 99,000 Steps Challenge or show their support in any way they can.