News Story
A Medical Sheepskin Delivery for Haven House
A TMD medical sheepskin delivery arrived at Haven House Children’s Hospice, one of our newer referral partners in Essex, delivered by TMD volunteer Jon.
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Where We Work
Children's charity in Essex
Taylor-Made Dreams is a children's charity supporting families in Essex. We bring dreams to life for children with life-limiting illnesses, and support their brothers, sisters and parents.
A local children’s charity for Essex
Essex is one of the four counties we cover. Children living anywhere in Essex can be referred to us by a professional who is already working with their family, such as a paediatric nurse, social worker or hospice team.
We are a small charity, founded in 2014, that supports children aged 3 to 18 with life-limiting illnesses and their whole family. Every one of our 10 services is free of charge to eligible families across Kent, Essex, Surrey and Sussex.
Our Services
How we help children and families in Essex
From wishes and family portraits to counselling, help with travel to hospital and support for brothers and sisters, each service is there for the whole family.
Wish Fulfilment
Taylor-Made Dreams assist in the creation of a unique 'TAYLOR-MADE' wish list to meet the specific needs of each child with a life-limiting illness.
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Holistic Therapy & Counselling
The service is open to the child referred, the siblings and the primary carers of the family, up to 24 sessions each, at a time that works for the family member.
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Medical Travel Fund
The medical travel fund provides £250 per family to assist with transport costs to get to clinical appointments and avoid the added stress of taking public transport.
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Medical Sheepskins
We provide children with a medical sheepskin fleece which relieves sores and pressure points, as well as also helping to regulate temperature.
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Photo Experiences
We offer both family portraits and fantasy photos. Family portraits allow families a studio photo experience wherever they feel most comfortable.
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Technology Loan Library
Setup in 2021, the Technology Loan Library allows us to provide hands free communication aids for children with limited mobility and/or who are non verbal.
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Sibling Support Service
In 2022 we launched the Taylor-made Dreams Sibling Support Service to give support to the brothers and sisters of our unwell children.
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Memory Keepsakes
Memory keepsakes have been a core part of our services since the very beginning, gifting TMD families a physical keepsake as a reminder of their loved one and the wonderful memories they have created over their time with us.
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News
Stories from Essex
- News Story
A Golden Moment for Taylor-Made Dreams
As the world celebrates the 42nd anniversary of Torvill and Dean’s historic Gold Medal win at the 1984 Winter Olympics, Taylor-Made Dreams is delighted to announce that Dame Jayne Torvill has joined the charity as a Patron. Her appointment comes at a fitting moment, bringing rene
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Supporting Through Your Business with the Titanium Circle
Supporting children with life-limiting illnesses through your business is made easier with TMD's Titanium Circle.We created the Titanium Circle to help make giving through your business simple, rewarding and transparent. Consisting of companies in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Essex,
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Support a children’s charity in Essex
We couldn’t do what we do without the support of individuals, businesses, schools, clubs and associations in our community. However you would like to help, there is a way to do it.
- Make a donation, or see what your donation does.
- Fundraise for us with your school, club or friends.
- Support us as a business, and meet the members of our Titanium Circle.
- Volunteer your time, or come to one of our events.
Questions
Getting support in Essex
Who is eligible for your support?
We support children aged 3 to 18 who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. To access our services, a child must be permanently living in Kent, Surrey, Sussex or Essex, and must be referred to us by a professional who is already working with the family, such as a paediatric nurse, social worker, hospice team or another specialist. We are unable to accept self-referrals, however if you are unsure whether your child might be eligible, please do speak to your child’s care team and get them to contact us.
How do we access your services?
Our services are accessed through a referral to one of our designated referral pathways from a medical professional who is already supporting your family, such as a paediatric palliative care nurse, doctor, social worker or hospice team. If you have been told about Taylor-Made Dreams by someone who works with your child, ask them to get in touch with us on your behalf. You can find more information about the referral process on our Referrals page.
Is there any cost to families?
No. Every service we provide is completely free of charge to eligible families. This includes wish fulfilment, holistic therapy and counselling, the medical travel fund, the memory sheepskin fleece, family portraits, the fantasy photoshoot, the technology loan library, sibling support and memory keepsakes. Everything is funded through the generosity of our donors and supporters. Some of our service providers also offer optional extras at a cost, such as additional pendants or a frame for a hand cast. We are happy to contact them on your behalf if you wish to purchase any optional extras.