Cherished Gowns UK is a charity that provides the families of babies that are stillborn, miscarried or pass away shortly after birth with items of clothing that they are able to be dressed in for their funeral. We offer five sizes of Cherished Gowns, and each gown is accompanied by a hat, pair of booties, a blanket and a cloth nappy. These items are provided completely free of charge to parents, funeral directors, and we also supply every UK hospital with this service. All of the items that we provide are lovingly made by volunteers around the UK, from donated Wedding Dresses.

If leprosy is suspected, the sooner a diagnosis happens, the better, as then the patient can begin treatment as soon as possible. This reduces the risk of them suffering from long term health issues caused by this disease such as losing fingers or toes, or other disfigurements. 

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Africa, girls have struggled significantly in being able to access education. This has been caused by many factors, including increased childcare responsibilities and household chores, while their male peers were able to continue their studies from home. When they finish with their chores, girls’ struggle to do their homework because of the lack of sunlight and electricity. To allow girls’ to catch up, we distribute solar lamps to the most in need girls so that they can do their homework and study in the evening.

Word Forest has created a women’s empowerment group in Kenya called Mothers of The Forest to support women in small rural communities.  In challenging environmental conditions, the women look after their families and work hard to find a living. They have been given little opportunity for education and many have felt socially isolated and disconnected.

They now have weekly meetings that include courses on permaculture, tree husbandry, agroforestry and income generation. They also receive lunch, water and as an innovative way to reforestation, two new tree saplings (mangoes, cashews, moringa), helping them to create their own cropping forest. 

The women can then harvest the crops from the trees, sell any excess creating sustainable livelihoods, and help us by saving the seeds to grow in our nurseries for planting in the future. The trees will also provide shade, a new habitat for wildlife, absorb CO2, clean the air and combat climate change for generations to come.

Your donation will give a fruit or nut tree to each member of our Garashi group. Thank you.

Families living in remote villages are subsistence farmers, living off whatever they can grow from the land. Crops have not been planted due to the violence, and after a failed crop last year, families were already malnourished before the start of the conflict in April 2023. Many children are surviving on one scant meal a day whilst many adults have just one meal every two to three days. Worryingly this is often just a form of porridge called assida which is carbohydrate only, resulting in serious malnourishment.

Children across Darfur are desperately in need of protein, minerals and vitamins.

Without these essential nutrients, children face stunted growth, bone, teeth, hair and even brain damage.

Our Kids Kitchen Kits, launched this week, include lentils, ground nuts and cooking oil, to provide essential proteins and minerals for healthy growth.

Patricia Parker OBE says, “We were already worried about families before the conflict started in April 2023. We are hopeful that, thanks to our Steering Committee – all volunteers in Darfur, determined to help their own people – we will be able to distribute Kids Kitchen Kits to more of our villages, providing immediate food staples, including desperately needed protein, to help children survive. We need to act quickly to get children and their families the help that they desperately need.”

The aim currently is to provide one Kitchen Kit to every family with children under 5 in each of our villages.

Please can you help us transform children’s health and ensure children receive vital nutrition?

By donating £25 (with today’s rate of inflation) you will give a Kids Kitchen Kits to a family with children under 5.

Can you help us engage with young people? Every week we head out from the youth centre and engage with young people where ever they are. It's a great way to get useful services out to young people that might not know about them and offer support where it's needed. We like to offer young people a hot chocolate and biscuit while they chat to us and some really look forward to seeing us. Please help us by donating to buy this offering and help us engage with young people!