Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity

Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity, founded in the late 1960s as a supporters' group for Edinburgh's Sick Kids hospital and formally registered in 1992, partners with the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People to transform hospital experiences for seriously ill babies, children, and young people across Scotland. Its mission—"more than medicine"—delivers compassion, inclusion, dignity, and child-first support through reassurance, fun, arts, activities, youth work, and family aid, minimizing trauma and fostering resilience, wellbeing, and positive memories amid health challenges.

The charity funds projects enhancing medical recovery, mental health, emotional wellbeing, and family resilience, including arts therapy (dance, music, storytelling), multi-sensory play, bereavement support, specialist equipment, youth work for psychological needs, and hospital space transformations like family hubs. Beneficiaries are children with chronic illnesses, cancer, or palliative care, plus parents, siblings, and bereaved families, via grants to NHS teams, voluntary partners, and community arts groups.

Eligible applicants include UK-registered charities and community groups of any size (preferring small to medium), with no geographic base restriction but requiring clear impact for Scotland-wide families using Edinburgh's Royal Hospital. Grants typically range £2,000–£20,000 (most £5,000–£15,000), awarded on a rolling basis via online portal (account setup required), with decisions in 12 weeks. Exclusions cover statutory NHS duties and non-hospital core costs. Distinctively, it fills psychosocial gaps through NHS partnerships, direct services like The Haven, and evidence-based innovations prioritizing holistic, child-centred hospital life.