At the end of March, we launched our new hand sanitiser and committed to donating all profits to the most vulnerable in our society at this incredibly difficult time. We now want to share with you where your money is going, and we ask you to help further if you can.
For over a decade, the founders of Krī have supported Richard House Children's Hospice in Newham, London, through fundraising and volunteering efforts. Having met some of the children and parents that have passed through the doors of the hospice, it is a charity that remains very close to our hearts. We've seen firsthand the work that goes on to support life-limited children and their families during the most difficult circumstances.
In just over a week, we've seen phenomenal support from our customers, and we have made our first donation to Richard House today (2 April).
Richard House needs our support now more than ever before. Here is a message from the hospice:
"Richard House Children’s Hospice has been supporting families across East London and beyond for 20 years. We have been there for families on the worst days of their lives and helped them to recover from the devastation of losing a child. We have also helped create moments of unrivalled joy for families, as they make memories together that they can cherish forever. But currently, all of this hangs in the balance.
Right now, our services are more vital than ever. Not just for the families that we serve, but for the whole community and wider society as we pull together to fight this COVID-19 virus, relieve pressure on NHS services and most importantly, save as many lives as possible.
Newham Hospital is set to close its children’s ward in order to convert it into a COVID-19 triage ward. Richard House is ideally placed to take in a number of the hospital’s young patients, to help relieve pressure on the NHS whilst also protecting at-risk children from the threat of the virus. We are doing all we can to safeguard the community, and we know that by taking in cases from local children’s hospitals, we can help the NHS free up more beds for the rising number of COVID-19 patients. We have converted rooms usually used as offices and reflection spaces to increase our capacity to offer additional support.
It goes without saying that the children in our care are amongst the most critically vulnerable to COVID-19. The hospice remains a safe place for seriously ill children to be looked after, and protected from the threat posed by this virus. We also know that for those families who are not able to access the safe space of Richard House in time for their children that our bereavement services will be critical in the coming months.
We have seen a devastating fall in our voluntary income in the past few weeks alone, as partners cancel planned activity, and events such as the London Marathon are postponed and others cancelled. We predict that without immediate support the hospice will not be operational in 3 months’ time. This is now the reality of the situation we face. We do not want to ever have to consider a world where Richard House is not there to support families, both now, as we face this global crisis, and in the future.
The partnership of Krī Skincare will enable Richard House to continue to support the NHS in delivering its amazing care during this period and make sure we are there for all the families that will need us. As stated by one of our Mum’s; “It is very important Richard House exists, because if it’s not there, it would be a real disaster, we wouldn’t be able to survive”.
Thank you for all your support and to make an additional gift you can add to our emergency appeal which will help to ensure that Richard House does not have to close its doors for good. Please quote Krī Skincare within your reason for donating."