Northamptonshire charity continues to fundraise ahead of return to Westminster and hopeful expansion

A Northamptonshire charity has been invited back to the Houses of Parliament and is going from “strength to strength” after transitioning from a trust, according to the founder.

Harry’s Pals, was set up by Hayley Charlesworth, from Newnham, in 2020 to offer therapy sessions and respite breaks to families who have just received a diagnosis of disability or a serious illness for their child. Hayley’s son Harry inspired the cause as he was born severely disabled and now has to have round the clock care.

On June 7 this year, Harry’s Pals visited the Houses of Parliament to encourage more to be done to support carers, particularly within housing associations, as part of ‘Harry’s Pledge’.

Hayley said: “It went really well and we were invited back at the time. We should be going back soon to speak to the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

“We’re not sure when it will be as there has been a lot going on in Parliament, but it’s still in the back of our minds as we continue with everything else.”

This year has been a big one for Harry’s Pals, which offers emotional support to parents of a severely ill or disabled child, as it also transitioned from a trust to a charity in the summer.

Hayley added: “With Christmas coming up we have people coming to us struggling with that on top of having a diagnosis so our main aim is to get therapy to these families who have a recent diagnosis. To do this we have loads of fundraising going on.

“We have loved the transition to be a charity, but we had to play catch up as it happened quicker than we thought, so we had to sort the infrastructure and get volunteers on board.

“Now I feel as though we are going from strength to strength in getting support out there.”

Since becoming a charity, Harry’s Pals has started working with hospices in Luton and Coventry who signpost families to the Northamptonshire charity. Currently, Hayley says the charity is supporting around 10 families, locally, but she hopes as the charity settles in, they will be able to expand across the country and help more families.

With these future hopes in mind, Hayley is urging people to get involved in one of the fundraising events the charity is hosting soon, including a comedy night on January 20, 2023 at Mercure Hotel, Daventry, as well as a skydive and two different walking challenges, or to sign up to its Christmas campaign, which is to donate £3 a month, as Hayley says “that’s the best gift you can give us”.

The charity is also always looking for volunteers to get on board, as Hayley does most of the work herself at the moment.

To find out more about any of the events, or to offer volunteer time, search ‘Harry’s Pals Charity’ on Facebook.