Today’s guest blog comes from Sophie Andrews OBE, the CEO of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. Sophie has worked in the charity sector for 30 years and has operated in both National Chair and CEO roles. She was awarded an OBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours list. She is a published author and accomplished motivational speaker and her TEDMED talk has been viewed over 1.7m times.
Every day, I am reminded why our work matters so deeply. The children and families we support show extraordinary strength in the face of uncertainty. It is an immense privilege to walk alongside them, offering care, comfort, and moments of joy when they are needed most. Their courage shapes everything we do.
It is their voices, their experiences, and their needs that have guided the development of our new three-year strategy, ‘Every Moment Matters’. I am extremely proud of this new strategy; it is both ambitious and grounded in what families tell us matters most. Above all, it is a commitment: to do more, to reach further, and to ensure that every child and family who needs us can access the very best care and support.
Reaching more families, earlier
One of the clearest messages we hear is that too many families come to us later than they should. This means that children and families often miss out on the full breadth of support we can offer from the very beginning of their journey. That is not good enough, and we are determined to change it. Over the next three years, we will focus on reaching families earlier, building stronger, clearer pathways so that referral to our care can happen at the point of diagnosis. We will work closely with healthcare professionals and community partners to ensure that no family is left unaware of the support available to them. Our ambition is simple but powerful: earlier access, greater equity, and better outcomes for every family we serve.
Delivering excellent, personalised care
At the heart of our work is care that is as unique as every child we support. No two families are the same, and neither are their needs. Our responsibility is to ensure that our support reflects that individuality, responding with compassion, flexibility, and expertise. We will continue to deliver holistic care that meets clinical, emotional, social, and practical needs. Whether that is specialist nursing support, short breaks, bereavement care, or sibling support, we will ensure every interaction reflects the highest standards of quality and compassion. Excellence in care is not a destination; it is a continuous commitment. We will invest in our teams, our training, and our environments so that families always receive the very best from us.
Working in partnership to extend our reach
We know we cannot achieve this vision alone. Partnership is essential to everything we want to do next. By strengthening relationships with hospitals, schools, local authorities, other hospices, and community organisations, we can ensure that families experience seamless, joined-up care. Too often, families navigate complex systems at an already overwhelming time in their lives. We want to help change that by making pathways clearer, communication stronger, and transitions smoother. When we work together, we reach further. And when we reach further, more families benefit from the support they need, when they need it.
Securing our future for generations to come
The need for children’s hospice care is growing. With that comes both opportunity and responsibility. We must ensure that we are here not just today, but for the long term. That means strengthening our foundations, growing responsibly, and making careful, sustainable decisions about how we use our resources. Our people are at the heart of this. The dedication, compassion, and expertise of our staff and volunteers make everything we do possible. We will continue to invest in them, supporting their development, wellbeing, and resilience, because their work changes lives every single day. We are also committed to building a strong and sustainable financial future, ensuring that the services families rely on remain available for years to come.
A shared commitment
This strategy belongs to all of us. It has been shaped not only by organisational reflection, but by the voices of families, staff, volunteers, and partners. It reflects what we have learned, what we have seen, and what we know is possible when care is delivered with compassion and purpose.
At its heart is a simple belief: every child deserves the very best care, and every family deserves to feel supported, understood, and never alone. None of this would be possible without the extraordinary dedication of our staff, volunteers, supporters, and partners. Together, we have built something truly special. And together, we now take the next step. This strategy is not just a plan on paper. It is a promise. A shared commitment to go further, do better, and reach more families with the care and compassion they need and deserve.
You can find out more about the ‘Every Moment Matters’ strategy online.
