Tiny Lives

Charity Details

Full Name: Tiny Lives Trust
Field: Health
Founded: 2010
Headquarters: Newcastle, NE1 1DE
Charity No.: 1150178

History and Activities

Tiny Lives is a specialist charity embedded within the neonatal service of the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), Newcastle. Essentially, Tiny Lives enhances the standard level of care provided by the NHS through the provision of additional staff and volunteer support, equipment and other resources. It was begun in 1983 by Dr Hans Steiner as a fund at the Princess Mary Hospital for which Steiner and his colleagues raised money through sponsorship for participating in Great North Run, parachute jumps and similar feats of endurance. The extras provided by the fund were greatly appreciated by families and when the Princess Mary maternity service was amalgamated with others in 1993 into a new unit based at the RVI, the fund was transferred and fundraising continued. Tiny Lives caught the imagination of families and supporters grew sufficiently to warrant becoming an independent charity in 2012. It has four paid staff and 42 volunteers, and provides the following services and resources to complement the NHS service:

1. Developmental care aids and equipment, for example, baby nests, gel pillows, sleep shades, and noise level monitors that reduce stress and offer the highest quality of care.
2. A package of support for every family so parents can chart their baby’s progress, including a memory box, journal, and stickers to record those early critical days, weeks, and sometimes months.
3. A family room and accommodation as families often have to stay close to their baby.
4. Assistance with travel costs – financial support for low-income families who may have to travel for many months from across the region.
5. A neonatal physiotherapist to aid early development, support families, and train nursing staff.
6. Specialist training so nursing staff have access to the latest developments in neonatal care.
7. A dedicated Social Worker who provides social, emotional, and practical support for parents.
8. Research grants that enable the unit to lead on neonatal developments and offer the highest quality of care.

Tiny Lives has won a first class reputation within the medical profession and within the North East community. The research it has funded has contributed to the understanding of premature birth and new-born illnesses, and of the experiences of families, especially those who lose a child and need support to grieve, come to terms with their loss, and ultimately recover.

The buoyant accounts of the charity testify to the esteem in which is held. Its many supporters include private individuals, local companies and grant-making trusts and foundations. Its loyal volunteers make possible events like the Tiny Lives Charity Ball and Christmas Reunion.

Vital Statistics (year to 31/04/2017)

Website
http://www.tinylives.org.uk/

References