Family First Jersey

11/03/2026

We’re delighted to welcome Leilah Daly to the Family First team!

Leilah joins us as our new Administrator and Family Support Team member and she is already bringing a warm and friendly presence to the charity. Her caring approach and enthusiasm make her a wonderful addition to the team.

At Family First, supporting families whose children require off-island medical treatment is at the heart of everything we do and having compassionate people like Leilah, enables us to reach more families.

Special thanks to Jersey Community Foundation for funding this role and helping us to make a difference.

Please join us in giving Leilah a very warm welcome to Family First! ✨

09/03/2026

🧡Wishing Lauren and her sister Ashley all the best of luck for their Ben Nevis climb coming up in April. ⛰️
We are extremely grateful for you choosing to do this incredible challenge and raising money for our charity.

Good luck ladies, we will be thinking of you both and hope you don't get too many blisters🤞

If you wish to support Lauren and Ashley in reaching her target please use the link below 💫

Lauren & Ashley is fundraising. Visit their fundraising page to sponsor them online now!

06/03/2026

"I cried with both relief and gratitude that there was support on the Island, available to us." – Francesca Pinel

Francesca's daughter was just 7 months old when the accident happened.

Within days, the family learned they'd be facing years of treatment in the UK.

Rehabilitation.
Operations.
Specialists.

The kind of specialist medical care that doesn't exist on Jersey, which meant repeated trips to the mainland for a baby who was still so small.

Francesca and her partner were thrown into an incredibly stressful situation. The reality of coordinating treatment hundreds of miles from home was overwhelming.

With flights that couldn't be planned in advance, accommodation near hospitals and daily expenses adding up fast.

We reached out to Francesca to explain how we could support her family with,

Information on accommodation and the travelling logistics.
Liaising with the Jersey Travel office to support with flight costs.
And just as important, a listening ear and friendly face when they needed it.

We reassured Francesca that we are here to help and that this support exists for exactly this situation.

Francesca's daughter is still receiving the care she needs. But the family can focus on her recovery instead of worrying about travel costs and stressful planning.

No Jersey family should face this alone. If your child needs off-island medical care, please reach out to us. We're here to support you.

Thank you to the The Grace Crocker Family Support Foundation for funding the travel costs for the family.

04/03/2026

☕🌸 Coffee Morning for Parents & Carers 🌸☕

If you’re a parent or carer of a child needing off-island medical treatment, please join us for a relaxed Family First Coffee Morning on Friday 27th March, 10am–12pm, at our office at Jersey Hospice, Mont Cochon.

A chance to connect, chat, and enjoy coffee, refreshments.

Please RSVP.

02/03/2026

We would like to say a huge thank you to the amazing Love Beth Charity for taking part in the Christmas Tree Gifting Initiative in memory of their beautiful Beth. 🧡

Last week, Aby, Beth’s mum, delivered three bags filled with wonderful toys, cuddly stuffed animals and puzzles for our team here at Family First. These thoughtful gifts will be shared with children who are in hospital or travelling off-island for treatment, bringing comfort, distraction and a little bit of joy during what can be such a difficult time.

Your kindness and generosity truly makes a difference to the families we support. Thank you so much for thinking of us and for helping us put smiles on brave little faces.

If you’d like to know more about Love Beth and the incredible work they are doing, raising funds for bone cancer, particularly Ewing’s sarcoma — please take a look at their page. 🧡

27/02/2026

What happens when a Jersey family contacts us?

A parent calls or emails us because their child needs medical care on the mainland. Sometimes they've just been told. Sometimes the appointment is already booked.

We ask a few questions.

Do they need to travel alone or is someone else coming?
How long do they expect to be away?
What are the most worried about?

Then we work with local Jersey charities like the Grace Crocker Foundation to cover the extra costs that come with being off-island.

That usually means funding for flights or ferry tickets, accommodation near the hospital, and daily expenses like food and transport while they're away.

We make sure to stay in touch while the family is on the mainland.

A text to check in.
A call if something changes with their plans or they simply just want to hear a friendly voice.
We make sure they know who to contact if they need anything.

So when families come home, they're not worrying about how to pay back travel costs or whether they should have stayed in a cheaper place further from the hospital.

They were able to focus on their child's appointment and get back to Jersey without that financial strain sitting on top of everything else.

This is what practical support looks like.

Making sure cost isn't the reason a family can't be together when they need to be.

25/02/2026

Yesterday, one of the mums and babies we’re currently supporting had their very first visit to the sensory room at Jersey Hospice Care.

Whilst we are already very thankful to have our Family First offices based at the Kings Centre, at Jersey Hospice Care, we’re now also able to access their wonderful sensory space with the families we work alongside. It is a calm, welcoming environment and both mum and baby thoroughly enjoyed their time there, they’ve already said they can’t wait to come back!

Spaces like this offer more than just a change of scenery. They create an opportunity for parents to relax, connect with their baby and spend time with our Family Support Workers in a setting that feels supportive and nurturing.

We’re very grateful to Jersey Hospice Care for making this possible. Collaboration like this makes a real difference to families and we’re proud to work alongside organisations who share the same commitment to care and community.

Thank you Jersey Hospice Care 🧡

24/02/2026

Please if you can support us, every item purchased makes such a difference. Thank you 🧡

🧡 Please help Support Family First 🧡

We’ve set up an Amazon Wishlist with some key items we need for our office to help us continue supporting families every day.

We’re also hoping to add more art and craft supplies so we can get creative at our family coffee mornings, especially when children come along with their parents. These sessions are a lovely way for families to relax, connect, and enjoy some much-needed time together in a supportive space.

If you’re able to help, please click the link below to purchase an item from our wishlist — every single contribution makes a real difference and is hugely appreciated.

Thank you so much for your continued kindness and support 💫

👉 https://amzn.eu/03ykdxL4

20/02/2026

The airport is quiet at 7am on a Tuesday.

You're sitting near the gate with your child, waiting for the Southampton flight to board. They’re leaning against you, half asleep.

There's a backpack between you with snacks, chargers, and the folder of medical paperwork you'll need later.

Your phone lights up.

A message from your partner, already up with the other two at home.
Another from your mum checking you got there okay.

You reply quickly, then put the phone away. There's not much to say yet.

You're just waiting.

The flight's only forty minutes, but it feels like the start of something much longer.

An appointment.
Maybe more tests.
However long it takes before you know what's next.

For Jersey families heading to the mainland for their child's medical care, this part is routine and unsettling at the same time.

You've done it before, or you're doing it for the first time. Either way, it's not the kind of journey you ever get used to.

Most families don't realise there's support specifically for this. But just knowing it exists can shift how the whole thing feels.

16/02/2026

🧡 Please help Support Family First 🧡

We’ve set up an Amazon Wishlist with some key items we need for our office to help us continue supporting families every day.

We’re also hoping to add more art and craft supplies so we can get creative at our family coffee mornings, especially when children come along with their parents. These sessions are a lovely way for families to relax, connect, and enjoy some much-needed time together in a supportive space.

If you’re able to help, please click the link below to purchase an item from our wishlist — every single contribution makes a real difference and is hugely appreciated.

Thank you so much for your continued kindness and support 💫

👉 https://amzn.eu/03ykdxL4

13/02/2026

Somewhere on the mainland right now, there's a Jersey family in a hospital waiting room.

They flew over earlier this week. One of them is in with the doctors. The other is sitting with a paper cup of coffee, watching the door, thinking about the kids at home.

It's a lot to hold at once.

Family First helps by sourcing funds to cover the practical costs families face when they need off-island medical care.

The travel, the accommodation, the daily expenses that add up when you're away from home.

It doesn't change the medical situation, but it does mean one less thing to manage at a difficult time.

Families who've been supported tell us it made a difference, being able to be present without also worrying about how they'd cover the trip.

If you've been following along these past few weeks and this feels like something you'd like to support, the donation link is in the comments.

Every contribution helps the next family access the support they need.

10/02/2026

☕💗 Coffee Morning for Parents & Carers 💗☕

If you’re a parent or carer of a child needing off-island medical treatment, please join us for a relaxed Family First Coffee Morning on Friday 13th February, 10am–12pm, at our office at Jersey Hospice, Mont Cochon.

A chance to connect, chat, and enjoy coffee, refreshments, and Valentine’s arts & crafts in a supportive space 💕

Please RSVP.