When a child is diagnosed with a heart problem it is a difficult time for the whole family. The Children’s Heart Association would like to help.
What do we do?
Support heart children and young people, their families and friends- Raise funds to support our activities & to buy equipment
- Make life a little easier during hospital visits & stays
- Share information and tips
- Have fun
What next?
Have a look around our website and visit our Facebook page
See what we have been doing recently or chat to other families, and if you’re not on Facebook you can still see recent discussions through our website
- Get in touch
If you have questions or want more information - Become a member
Anyone can join the Association
How to join
It is free and we do not expect anything from you. It is open to anyone so you don’t have to have a heart child. The Association was set up to help families with heart children, but we welcome everyone who shares in our aims. We also support adults who have grown with their heart condition.
As a member you will receive invitations to our fun events, many of which are free but all others are subsidised.
Join us by:
- Filling in the online membership form
- Ask your cardiac specialist nurse for a leaflet
- Phone us
- Write to us enclosing your name, address & telephone number, along with some information about your child and their condition
Our contact information can be found at the bottom of every page on our website.
Supporting you
The Association exists to help its members support each other through the better times and the more difficult times and to be there when you need us. We hold monthly support meetings across the area.
We provide equipment and toys for our hospital wards and clinics, for example, home blood testing kits, portable DVD players.
We work closely with your cardiac team putting on events and parties for heart families. Our events are for the whole family, not just the heart child, and are a chance for everyone to have fun together. They are for all heart children whether they have a simple or complex condition and whether it has been corrected or not.
The type of events we normally run are
- Activity and information days
- Bowling
- Soft play and sensory play centres
- Ice skating
- Swimming
- Weekends away
Fundraising
No pressure is placed on any member to raise funds, it is your Association and you can get involved as much or as little as you’d like.
Our members have climbed Kilimanjaro, cycled to Istanbul, cycled across England, run marathons and run the Santa Dash. Then there are less energetic ways to raise money with bake sales, online auctions, coffee mornings, sponsored silences or Wear Red for Heart Week. Companies have also supported us with matched funding or direct donations. Could your workplace sponsor us as their charity of the year?
Be imaginative and have lots of fun.
Making a donation
Every donation big or small makes a huge difference to our Association. You can make a donation using our leaflet or online. Buy through our online shop and give us money for free! Donate through Virgin Money, Just Giving or Give as you Earn. If you are a taxpayer we get extra money if you Gift Aid your donation. We have a range of Association goods to buy and are always grateful for donations of items we can use as prizes at our events.
Links to our online shop, JustGiving and Virgin Money Giving can be found at the bottom of every page on our website. More information can be found at Making a Donation.
About us
Since we became a registered charity in 1974, we have helped support families and friends of heart children. We work closely with national heart charity the Children’s Heart Federation, which brings over 20 heart charities together.
We have no paid workers so are solely reliant on our fantastic volunteers. It is the job of the cardiac team to give medical advice, but we may be able to put you in touch with others with similar experiences.
Please get in touch
You can write, telephone or contact us via our website for help, advice and support, to become a member, to make a donation or to get involved. We’re also on Facebook.
We have many members across the North West of England and a few further afield
