To Dry For launches designer tea towel to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust

Online tea towel boutique, ToDryFor, are teaming up with The Sick Children’s Trust to raise money for families with seriously ill children in hospital.

ToDryFor have produced a bespoke tea towel for The Sick Children’s Trust and will donate all of its profits from sales to the charity’s Big Chocolate Tea campaign.

The Sick Children’s Trust provides free, high quality ‘Home from Home’ accommodation to families with seriously ill children in hospitals across the UK. The charity runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ and while accommodation is provided free of charge to families, it costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night. Sally Emery, Co-Owner of ToDryFor, says:

"We are delighted to be supporting The Sick Children's Trust. We hope that the sale of this stunning tea towel design by Rob Ryan, will raise enough money to make a difference to families with seriously ill children in hospital. The artwork embodies the fact that everybody needs a helping hand once in a while; whether it’s some assistance with washing up or someone to help you through a difficult time in your life.

“We know first-hand how upsetting and stressful it can be when your child is ill in hospital; our eldest daughter Heidi was born prematurely and she spent a considerable amount of time in intensive care and on the special care baby unit. Fortunately, we lived about 15 minutes away, but even that distance was tough – we felt so bad leaving her at night. We met other families who were having to travel 30 miles and further every day to see their babies. It’s so hard coping with having a poorly child, but then having to deal with being so far away and doing a long commute every day is even worse.

“That’s why the work of The Sick Children’s Trust is invaluable as it allows families to be close to their child, keeping the family together when they need each other the most. If there had been an option to stay in one of The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Homes from Home’ it would have made a huge difference to us and even more so for the families who had to travel further.

“We're aiming to give a ‘Helping Hand’ and hope everyone out there who ever needs to dry their dishes will too, to help make a difference to families with seriously ill children in hospital."

One of the UK’s leading contemporary artists, Rob Ryan, designed the intricate ‘Helping Hand’ artwork. He says:

“It seems as if all trees were designed so that their lowest branches hang just above the reach of children. This is the genius of nature’s design, it gives young people something to reach for, to jump as high as you can to grab a leaf. Things that are out of reach are there to be reached for and if you need some help then help should surely be offered.”

Big Chocolate Tea is The Sick Children’s Trust’s biggest annual fundraiser which encourages people to host a tea party, cake sale or bake-off. All the money raised will enable The Sick Children’s Trust to keep families together, just minutes from their sick child’s hospital bedside. Supporters can choose to take part in Big Chocolate Tea at any point throughout the year and will receive a free fundraising pack full of goodies to hold the perfect event. The Sick Children’s Trust’s Chief Executive, Jane Featherstone, says:

“As a tea towel boutique known for their varied and exciting designs, we are delighted that ToDryFor have partnered with us to produce this wonderful tea towel in support of our Big Chocolate Tea campaign. We have been working with Dave and Sally at ToDryFor for a number of years now and are thrilled to be benefitting from this bespoke tea towel.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to ToDryFor for pledging their support which will make a huge difference to thousands of families, keeping them together with their sick child while they undergo lifesaving treatment in hospital. We’d also like to say a special thank you to designer Rob Ryan for donating this beautiful artwork.”

The ‘Helping Hand’ tea towel can be purchased from ToDryFor (£7.95) or from The Sick Children’s Trust’s website, with all profits going directly to the charity.

For more information on Big Chocolate Tea and to request your pack, please visit: www.sickchildrenstrust.org/bigchoctea or email bigchoctea@sickchildrenstrust.org.