Heather recently visited the Melbourne registered charity, me&dee. Meeting the CEO & Founder Maria Hanson MBE to discuss the business’ success with being awarded £18,580 by The National Lottery Community Fund. me&dee help support hundreds of families a year who are facing short or challenging futures to make memories together when time is so very precious. me&dee support both children and adults.
In the 18th year of me&dee, the charity has adopted a policy of ‘continuing care’. Within this, they look to organise events that the families they support might find challenging, and sometimes, impossible. Ms Hanson explained that the Charity’s team listen carefully to the parents who come to them to find the aspect which they feel me&dee can provide support. An example of the Charity's work is the support they give children who are unable to swim in public pools (perhaps as a result of multiple amputations, brain tumours, Duchenne muscular dystrophy or even children who have recently lost a young parent to cancer), by hiring the splash pool and sensory pool at Moorways Sports Village each month for 25 children and their parents. Within this privacy and aids such as water-based wheelchairs, all of the families are able to have a wonderful time together without judgement and all needs cared for. The pool session is followed by tea for all in a private room for an hour with Disney films and activity sheets, allowing friendships to form and peer-to-peer support for both children and parents. Other similar group days out are held at Go Active Falconry with White Post and Melbourne Farm, Charnwood Alpaca Farm and various local establishments along with Birmingham-based activities for those who are on long-stay hospital regimes from the South Derbyshire area.
Heather said: “I cannot begin to express how amazed I am with the work done by Maria Hanson MBE and her small team at me&dee. I enjoyed meeting them and hearing examples of how they work to improve people’s lives.
“I was especially impressed by the unique ‘Hope Elephant’, a snuggly elephant given to every family supported by me&dee. ‘Hope’ is extra special as the toy has a voice recorder in its ear for recording last messages and so families can keep the sound of a memory. The Keepsake also has a very special little tin where the ashes following a cremation can be kept. It was incredibly touching.
“me&dee are 90% self-funded, and they cannot do what they do to make a difference without public support. They are an incredible South Derbyshire charity and I have said I will do all I can to support them and look forward to where me&dee grows from here”.
Ms Maria Hanson MBE said: “I was delighted to welcome Heather to our office. Heather has been a consistent support throughout many years of me&dee and I appreciated the opportunity to celebrate with her our success of the last 18 years and the extremely important work that me&dee carries out, to make a difference where time is short and precious”.
