Walsall FC "Concerned" Over Proposals To Close Acorns Hospice

19 June 2019, 06:08 | Updated: 19 June 2019, 06:14

Walsall FC says it's been deeply touched and concerned by the situation at Acorns Children’s Hospice, as they make the decision to propose the closure of their hospice in Walsall due to lack of funding.

The football club has paid tribute to Isabella Lyttle, who passed away at the hospice weeks ago.

We spoke to her parents earlier this week.

#WATCH The parents of an 8 year old girl who passed away @AcornsHospice in #Walsall are campaigning to keep it open

A consultation’s opened over plans to close it, which the charity says “has been an extremely difficult decision to make” #HeartNews pic.twitter.com/GNzxfWQbSM

— Heart West Midlands News (@HeartWMidsNews) June 17, 2019

Yesterday (18 June) Mark Lyttle travelled to the Houses of Parliament with Acorns Chief Executive Toby Porter to a special meeting of MPs to discuss children’s palliative care.

Mark and Toby will be adding their voice to national representatives from the children’s hospice movement and asking politicians to choose to instruct NHS England to deliver a better and fairer funding settlement for the country’s children’s hospices.

Walsall FC said:

"On behalf of all the fans, the players and the Board of Directors, Walsall FC wishes Mark and Toby the very best at the meeting, as they continue the fight for children’s hospices and the children and families from our local communities who rely on their care.

"Regardless of the outcome, Walsall FC have pledged our support for Acorns. The charity will be one of a select number of charities we will work with during the 2019/20 campaign and we await the outcome of the meeting at Westminster with interest."

Toby Porter, Chief Executive at Acorns Children’s Hospice, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the many messages of support and solidarity from the local community since we made the announcement about the proposal for our Walsall hospice.

“The ongoing support of Walsall Football Club is something we are extremely grateful for as a charity, and we look forward to continuing to work together for the benefit of Walsall families.

“We simply would not be here as a charity without the support of our local communities and we are very pleased that the football club is involved with Acorns and for their expression of support for better funding for all children’s hospices nationally and locally.”