British Actor Named As Official Ambassador for the Sick Children’S Trust

Tim Downie first became involved with The Sick Children's Trust when he played for #TeamSCT in All Out for Cricket in The City in 2013. Sep 17, 2018 09:59 BST British actor named as official ambassador for The Sick Children’s Trust Actor, comedian and writer, Tim Downie, has been announced as an official ambassador for The Sick Children’s Trust in recognition of his years of dedicated involvement with the charity. Tim, who has appeared in The King’s Speech and played Montgomery Clyde in children’s favourite Paddington Bear, first became involved with The Sick Children’s Trust in 2013 when he played in the charity’s London cricket event, ‘All Out for Cricket in The City’. Since then Tim has continued to dedicate his time to the charity, appearing annually at the sporting event which this September raised £30,000. Tim has also taken part in the charity’s Christmas Carol Service, delighting over 700 guests at St. Marylebone’s Parish Church with festive readings. The Sick Children’s Trust is a national charity that provides free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation to families with seriously ill children undergoing treatment in the country’s leading paediatric hospitals. Every year the charity supports around 4,000 families with vital practical and emotional support while their child undergoes lifesaving treatment. Tim, who will be once again lending his superb delivery to a reading at the Christmas Carol Service, taking place on Wednesday 12 December in London, says: “I first became aware of The Sick Children’s Trust after being invited to play in the annual cricket event. It was there that I learnt about the extraordinary work the charity does with families – keeping them together, for free, through some of the toughest and most traumatic times they will ever have to face. “As a father myself, I can’t imagine not being there for my children if they were to ever be so poorly that they’d end up in hospital. The thought is unbearable. “Sadly, many families face this reality when their child is rushed to a hospital miles away from home or needs specialist treatment for a long period of time. This is why the work of The Sick Children’s Trust is vital. With the charity’s support, families are only ever just minutes from their child’s bedside, on hand to provide the care and comfort their son or daughter needs. “Not only is the support The Sick Children’s Trust gives a family so important, it’s the impact that keeping families together has on a child’s recovery. Parents are there to learn how to give medication or take part in physiotherapy, or even how to use medical equipment. Several of the ‘Homes from Home’ also have transplant flats which can help a child return home more quickly. “The Sick Children’s Trust is an extraordinary organisation which I have loved getting to know and support over the last five years. I’m incredibly honoured to be asked to join them officially as an ambassador and look forward to working closely with the charity to improve the lives of families with seriously ill children.” The Sick Children’s Trust runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ across the country, supporting families whose children are diagnosed with serious and life- threatening illnesses or have terrible accidents that leave them fighting for life. Although the accommodation is provided free of charge, it costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night in a ‘Home from Home’. Events and Celebrity Engagement Manager, Hannah Upson, says: “Tim has been such a great supporter over the years and we are thrilled to name him as an ambassador for the charity. Tim’s passion for the cause shines through as he really understands how vital The Sick Children’s Trust’s support is for so many families across the country. We are very much looking forward to continuing to work with him in the future.” The Sick Children’s Trust was founded in 1982 by two paediatric specialists Dr Jon Pritchard and Professor James Malpas. They believed that having parents on hand during hospital treatment benefited a child's recovery. Today we have ten ‘Homes from Home’ at major hospitals around the country where families can stay free of charge. Every year we help around 4,000 families, but there is a growing demand for our ‘Homes from Home’ as children must increasingly travel long distances to get the specialist treatment they need. We are working to a future where every family with a seriously ill child in hospital will be able to stay together, just minutes from their child’s bed during their treatment. Contacts Amy Melody Press Contact PR Officer [email protected] 020 7011 9366.

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