Frequently Asked Questions

It’s easy to start a campaign with Tree of Hope…

Simply contact our family support team on families@treeofhope.org.uk or via 01892 535525 to have a quick chat and run you through the application process.

Raising funds may seem daunting, but with help from Tree of Hope many families have been able to raise sums up to and over £100,000.

There are lots of ways to raise funds and we will give you access to our list of suggestions. Our family support team also have many ideas and resources for helping you to maximise the effectiveness of your campaign.

One good way is through sponsored challenges which can be anything including a sporting activity, a high adrenaline stunt, a dryathalon (giving up alcohol for a period of time), a 5k jog or an ultramarathon, or even shaving your head! We can connect you with a host of sporting events and organisers to plan your challenge. Crafting a visible campaign with impact is crucial to getting those funds in, and we are on hand to give you as much help and guidance as possible.

Tree of Hope website contains more suggestions which we regularly add to, and you can also get ideas from looking at what other Tree of Hope families have done in the past.

If you are collecting a lot of small donations, we ask that you use JustGiving, a website which allows anyone to make a donation online. You can have several JustGiving pages if you run more than one challenge. We will send you information about how to set up a JustGiving page for a Tree of Hope account.

All the money raised by Tree of Hope campaigns are donations to Tree of Hope and are used for its charitable purposes. Apart from a 7.5% contribution to cover the core running costs of the charity, the trustees designate the balance of all funds raised from a particular campaign to pay for treatment, therapy and equipment that will benefit the child. If for any reason the funds cannot be used for the child’s benefit, in particular if the child no longer meets the criteria of Tree of Hope’s charitable objects, or surplus funds are raised they will be transferred to the general funds of Tree of Hope.

Here is an example:

If a donor gives £100 and Gift Aids it to Tree of Hope, the taxman adds £25 to the donation. If the donation comes through JustGiving, they deduct 5% to cover their running costs, and the bank processing the payment charges an average of 27p. Tree of Hope then allocates 7.5% of each donation to cover its core costs of managing and operating the charity. This means £109.10 is available to support your child (and the wider objects of Tree of Hope).

The funds raised to benefit your child can be used for treatment, therapy and equipment that a doctor confirms will improve your child’s health or quality of life.  We cannot pay for anything that could be provided for your child by the NHS or social services or falls outside our charitable objects.  Within these limits we can pay for:

Treatment and Therapy

• An initial assessment of your child’s condition from a medical specialist.
• Hospital treatment including surgery and fees from hospitals and medical specialists.
• Medical therapists including physiotherapists, speech and hearing therapists.
• Recreational therapists, including music, gym, rock-climbing, horse-riding and yoga therapists.
• Gym or pool membership for your child and a carer.
• Massage therapy.
• Travel for treatment or therapy outside your home area.

Equipment

• Equipment or toys specifically designed for a disabled person.
• Sensory items bought from a dedicated special needs supplier.
• Equipment commonly required for post-operation therapy, such as treadmills and tricycles.
• Items that are not specifically designed for a disabled person such as iPads or trampolines.
• Up to 50% of the cost of an adapted vehicle, or the cost of adapting an existing vehicle.

Cerebral Palsy

Retts Syndrome

Downs Syndrome

Global Developmental Delay

Hypermobility

Congenital Hypotonia

Epilepsy

Visual Impairments

Meningitis complications

Dravet Syndrome

Brain Injury

SWAN

Dystonia

ASD

Lebers Congenital Amaurosis

This is not an exhaustive list

Accommodation Booking Process

When booking accommodation please ensure the relevant party invoices Tree of Hope with reference to your child’s full name. Your dates of stay should match with the dates of therapy or treatment you intend to go for.

Premier Inn Bookings

For Premier Inn bookings, please contact our family support team on 01892 535525 or on email via families@treeofhope.org.uk

Yes.  We can pay a supplier up to 50% of a vehicle which is adapted to suit your child, or we can pay a supplier to adapt an existing vehicle for that purpose.

Yes, if it is not possible for you to leave other family members at home when you travel to a treatment centre, we can make a payment to travel or accommodation suppliers to cover their costs.  We can also pay a daily living allowance, currently £55 per night away in the UK for the family or £75 per night away in the US for the family.

Not normally.  Once you have booked accommodation or travel please ask the supplier to invoice Tree of Hope and we will pay them directly.  For locations where we often pay for treatment we have recommended hotels that invoice us on favourable terms.  Please discuss this with us if this is a concern.

Because of the restrictions of our charity registration we cannot pay for an entire holiday, though we may be able to help with additional costs caused by your child’s condition.  Please call us to discuss this.

No, you must do that yourselves.  If we have approved payment for the treatment, you can tell the specialist that we will pay the invoice and s/he can check that with us if s/he wishes.

Yes, but the commonest reason for our not being able to make a payment is that the funds would not be used in a way that is consistent with our charitable purposes. Appeals are considered by our senior staff and trustees.

The interest and investment returns are used for running Tree of Hope and its services.

Tree of Hope is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered no 08184807, and a registered charity in England and Wales no 1149254 and in Scotland no SCO 42611.  Its registered address is Tree of Hope, 61-63 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2QE

Our office is staffed by a small team of dedicated staff who answer the phones and emails, manage the finances and arrange fundraising and publicity.  The charity is overseen by a board of voluntary trustees who have charity and business experience.