Center Parcs sets ambitious fundraising target of more than £1million to help children's hospices

The partnership, which launched in 2016, will continue until April 2021 and the business is aiming to take the total amount raised to more than £1,000,000. Since 2016, more than £850,000 has been raised through a mixture of fundraising and guest donations.

As part of the national partnership with Together for Short Lives, employees from across Center Parcs’ five UK villages and Head Office have been raising funds for their local children’s hospices.

Center Parcs Woburn Forest will be raising money for Keech Hospice Care as part of the fundraising drive.

The teams have cycled more than 1,300km, jumped out of planes at 13,000 feet, trekked 40km on horseback and run more than 700km, as well as holding raffles, duck races and spinathons. However the donations haven’t just been financial – employees have also donated their time to help the charities, from creating beautiful garden spaces through to taking the Center Parcs experience to children and families at local hospices.

Center Parcs CEO, Martin Dalby, said: “Together for Short Lives really is the perfect charity partner for Center Parcs – like us, they are dedicated to making sure families have quality time together. However, for them, these families are often dealing with the knowledge that they won’t have a long time together and the fact that we can help support those families is incredibly humbling. I know from speaking to my colleagues that this is a charity that has really touched the hearts of our employees and guests, right from the beginning of the partnership, and I’m thrilled we will be supporting such a worthy cause for another year.”

Andy Fletcher, CEO of Together for Short Lives, said: “Thank you so much to the wonderful people at Center Parcs. I am so excited to be entering into our fifth year of partnership to support children and families who need it most. It is a testament to their dedication and passion for our cause that we have raised over £800,000 to date, but to reach the million mark would just be incredible for all the families supported by children’s hospices up and down the country. Center Parcs go above and beyond to help the families we’re here for – from epic fundraisers to gifting short breaks so families can make precious memories together. Here’s to the next chapter of fundraising and working together to make life better for seriously ill children.”

Together for Short Lives is a UK charity that makes sure the 49,000 seriously ill children and their families can make the most of every moment they have together, whether that’s for years, months or only hours. Many of the children they support have complex conditions and need specialist care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.