The £2 million Appeal – launched by Acorns on 19th July as the proposed closure of its hospice in Walsall was put on hold – has seen a groundswell of support from the local community with numerous individuals, celebrities, businesses and sports teams all stepping-up to help Acorns and the 233 children and their families across the Black Country that use its services.

Acorns Chief Executive Toby Porter paid tribute to the fabulous generosity of the local community but urged people to keep donating. He said: “If anyone had said to me at the start of the Appeal we would have raised £350,000 just over two months after launching our Appeal, I would have been amazed. This is a wonderful, generous community and we are deeply grateful to everyone who has helped us reach this milestone.

“We know there is still much work to be done and we are not resting on our laurels. With many people getting stuck back at school and work after the holidays, the next few months will be crucial. I urge everyone to see what they can do to support the Appeal. Large or small, it doesn’t matter – it all makes a difference for our ability to help any child and family in the Black Country that will need us in the future.”

The Save the Acorns Black Country Hospice Appeal was launched by Acorns following a commitment of significant new NHS funding from Black Country healthcare commissioners and an earlier announcement by NHS England that they would double their central funding support to the country’s children’s hospices over the next five years.