Rockinghorse Children's Charity

Rockinghorse Children’s Charity champions equitable access to superior healthcare for sick, disabled children and young people, bridging NHS resource gaps through compassionate, inclusive partnerships with local health providers. Grounded in a philosophy of holistic family support, clinical insight, and evidence-based sustainability, they drive funding decisions by prioritizing measurable enhancements in physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, believing transformative change arises from responsive collaboration with frontline NHS teams, therapeutic innovations, and enduring investments in child-centered care environments.

They fund advanced life-saving medical equipment for complex health needs in paediatric wards, specialist baby units, and community outreach; therapeutic spaces including sensory rooms, play areas, and revamped environments fostering emotional regulation in hospices, respite centres for autism and challenging behaviours, and specialist schools for learning disabilities; toys, play resources, and activities supporting developmental play, peer interaction, and trauma-informed recovery for children with physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, or mental health challenges; specialist staff roles like paediatric therapists, mental health nurses, and youth wellbeing coordinators delivering counselling, early intervention, and family hardship support; research initiatives such as precision medicine clinics for asthma and acute conditions; and parent accommodations, crisis packs, and family-centred resources preventing carer exhaustion. Prioritizing children aged 0-19 with disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, complex needs, or life-limiting illnesses, alongside families navigating healthcare crises, they back person-centred interventions in hospital, school, and community settings emphasizing preventative care, emotional wellbeing, and inclusive play.

Exclusions encompass core running costs, general operational expenses, holidays, non-healthcare activities, and individual applicants, focusing solely on children’s health projects via healthcare professionals. Distinctive as an embedded NHS partner serving Sussex regional communities—local hospitals, SCBU units, autism respite, and paediatric services—they emphasize clinical-led, needs-responsive grantmaking with business planning for sustainability, holistic ongoing support over short-term aid, and innovations rooted in lived paediatric experience, differentiating through deep regional health ecosystem integration and family-wide impact.