Date published: 19 May 2017 by Digital Team
Jon Rabbs is Consultant Paediatrician at Worthing Hospital and a Trustee at Rainbow Trust. Here he explains why he became involved and his vision for the future of the charity.
I became a Rainbow Trust Trustee after seeing the difference a Family Support Worker’s support makes to families living with a seriously or terminally ill child. Often in the clinic, I’d see a Rainbow Trust Family Support Worker sitting with siblings supporting them while they waited for their brother or sister’s treatment or appointment to finish. On exploring the role of the Family Support Worker and certainly since becoming a Trustee, it became clearer how much wider and essential the Family Support Worker role can be.
Rainbow Trust is quite different to other organisations
Very few organisations support families in as many ways as Rainbow Trust: face to face,practically, sign posting advice and liaising with other professionals. Rainbow Trust also gives support long after other agencies have stopped which we know families appreciate.
Vision for the future - increased funding and recognition
As a Trustee, I am committed to supporting the short, medium and long term plans of the organisation including reaching more families, continuing to encourage development of new and innovative ways to provide care and promoting the charity in every sphere of my personal and professional life.
I believe our priority is to raise more money and build our profile. Rainbow Trust is extremely cost effective and I feel we deserve the recognition that Hospice UK, Marie Curie, Great Ormond Street Hospital and other fantastic organisations in the sector receive.
Partnership with Jessie May Trust
Our recent Family Support Volunteer project in partnership with Jessie May Trust (a hospice in Bristol) is an example of the flexible, collaborative and innovative way that Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity looks to provide support to families. I think this initiative has proved invaluable as both a learning process and enhancing the experience of families for both organisations. It highlights one of our key principles – the families we support are at the centre/heart of everything that we do at Rainbow Trust.
