Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming 20 young ladies from the 10th Great Harwood Brownies to our unit, where they kindly volunteered their time to help us pack our Milly Bags.
Earlier this month, we visited the Brownies to share more about our charity and discuss ways they could support our work. Following this, the girls went shopping and thoughtfully selected a wonderful range of toiletries to include in the bags.
During the packing session, the Brownies demonstrated fantastic teamwork, dedication, and attention to detail, ensuring that every bag met our high standards. Their hard work and enthusiasm were truly inspiring!
A huge well done to all who took part—you all fully deserve your charity badge.
At 9am, on Saturday September 20th, 2025, can you join me by walking, cycling or running for 5km?
You can do this alone, with friends or family, from door to door, in a local park, on a canal towpath or anywhere else of your choosing.
All I ask is to send us a message, with a few photos of what you did, and where you did it.
The date is very poignant, as it will be exactly 10 years since I lost Milly. Seeing your photos, and knowing that she will never be forgotten, would make a dark day a little brighter for me.
It was an honor to participate in the North West Children & Teenage/Young Adults Cancer Conference last week in Liverpool. We truly valued the opportunity to be part of such an important event and were delighted to reconnect with many familiar faces, including those who played a vital role in Milly’s care during her treatment in Manchester.
We also had the pleasure of meeting representatives from other charitable organisations exhibiting at the event. Engaging in meaningful discussions, sharing ideas, and exchanging insights on common challenges was incredibly valuable, and we appreciate the opportunity to collaborate and learn from one another.
We’re thrilled to share that our Afternoon Tea & Fashion Show on Saturday raised an amazing £1,205.35!
It was a truly delightful afternoon, filled with delicious treats, great company, and a stunning fashion show presented by the talented team at Colours in Manchester, it was wonderful to see so many friendly faces coming together to support our cause.
Thanks to your incredible generosity, we can now fund a further 9 Milly Bags which is a fantastic achievement and will allow us to continue making a difference every single day.
A huge thank you to our fabulous volunteers Karen, Diana, and Julie, who gave such a warm welcome to our guests and ensured everything ran smoothly. And of course, an extra special shoutout to everyone who donated raffle prizes—your kindness means the world to us.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support—we couldn’t do it without you!
It was lovely to welcome staff from Progeny HR Consultancy over the half term, who came along to bag pack for us. These lovely ladies brought along their children and together they made up a wonderful amount of Milly Bags.
We love having bag packing afternoons and getting to know our volunteers, they really are the backbone of our charity, and without them we really could not do what we do.
Our bag packing sessions are becoming very popular and we have had to introduce a waiting list (due to space in our unit and only being able to store so many bags at a time).
Any companies/individuals that are interested in coming along to pack bags we would love to hear from you, not only is it a pleasant afternoon but also meets the requirements of CSR.
Yesterday, our team took our 27th delivery of Milly Bags over to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
We have been supporting children on Ward 3B since October 2018, and in that time, we’ve been able to help almost 450 families through one of the toughest times in their lives. We feel very privileged to be able to give this support and to make a difference every single day.
Thank you to Graeme and Mandy for doing an excellent job with the delivery, and thank you to everyone who supports us, we say it so often because its true, we really could not do this without the amazing support we receive.
Today, Graeme and Mandy made our 19th delivery to Leeds Children’s Hospital, bringing the total number of Milly Bags delivered to an incredible 370, at a cost of £51,800.
We always receive a warm welcome from the wonderful team at Leeds, especially Elaine, who takes great care of our Milly Bags. Elaine regularly shares feedback with us, which we love reading, and we always take any suggestions into consideration.
One particular piece of feedback truly touched our hearts. Orla’s mum shared:
“The bag was so nice. When Elaine gave it to us, my daughter had a big smile on her face—something she hasn’t done in ages. Thank you so much!”
While delivering the bags, we had a lovely surprise when we bumped into Holly, who received a Milly Bag when she was first diagnosed. Holly was still using the neck pillow, and her mum told Graeme that their bag gets used all the time.
We send all our love to Holly and wish her well with her ongoing treatment. (A huge thank you to her mum for allowing us to share Holly’s photo.)
As always, we are incredibly grateful to everyone who supports us. Children like Holly are the reason we do what we do, and we feel so humbled to be making a difference every single day.
We are incredibly proud of our partnership with the Team Luke Foundation , whose unwavering support has been instrumental in enabling us to provide Milly Bags to the oncology wards at The Great North Children’s Hospital.
Our Milly Bags are designed to support families facing an unplanned hospital admission after their child has been newly diagnosed with a cancer related illness.
The bags not only bring comfort and practical support, but they let the families know that someone cares about them and understands their fears and concerns after hearing the words no parent ever wants to hear.
We feel humbled and privileged to be able to play a small part in making those terrifying few weeks of their journey that little bit easier.
Last week, Team Luke made a further delivery to Ward 4, bringing the total number of bags donated to 50 (since we began supporting the ward last year).
This collaboration is a testament to the power of community and shared purpose. Together, we continue to make a difference to all newly diagnosed children, one Milly Bag at a time.
Last week, 20 Milly Bags made their way to Kamran’s Ward, in Oxford. Our deliveries to Oxford Children’s Hospital are sent on a pallet which ensures they reach their destination as efficiently as possible.
With this latest delivery, Kamran’s Ward has now received a total of 55 Milly Bags, and we have had some very heartwarming feedback from families who have already been supported by our Milly Bags.
We are always deeply humbled to be able to offer this support to families facing one of the most frightening times of their lives. None of this would be possible without the kindness and generosity of our incredible supporters—thank you to everyone for helping us make a difference when it matters most.
Today I received the most beautiful meaningful gift of a precious ‘Milly’ doll. This isn’t just any doll, it was lovingly created by a bereaved grandmother in memory of her granddaughter, Amani, who very sadly passed away at just 23 years old due to a brain tumor.
Amani’s incredible family have turned their grief into action, raising vital funds for Brain Tumour Research. Her mum has also carried out some remarkable work in Uganda in her daughter’s memory which is testament to the love that endures beyond loss. You can follow their journey and incredible efforts on Instagram @fight4amani
But what makes this gift more extraordinary is the person who gave it to me. A beautiful soul, Fozia, who is also a bereaved Ward 84 mum and whom I’ve never met in person but have shared many heartfelt conversations with.
Fozia had this Milly doll made just for me. And I can honestly say, it is one of the most thoughtful, touching gifts I have ever received.
Fozia knows the depths of grief in a way no mum ever should. She lost her brave little boy, Saqib, at just four years old. Saqib passed away just 13 days after his mum gave birth to her third child. Such heartbreak is just unimaginable, and yet, despite the pain she has endured, Fazia continues to radiate kindness, compassion, and an unwavering strength that is nothing short of inspiring.
Some people have a beauty that runs deeper than words can express—a beauty that shines from the inside out. Fozia is one of those rare, extraordinary people.
