Demelza provides space for Business Breakfast hosted by local MP Kevin McKenna

The charity offered the use of one of its large meeting rooms to the local MP for one of his regular business breakfasts and the event took place on Monday morning (15 September).

Mr McKenna visited the hospice on Rook Lane in Bobbing last year, has supported the charity with events in Parliament and is also a member of the APPG for children who need palliative care.

The event was a great opportunity for Demelza’s fundraisers to speak to representatives from local businesses about the incredible support the charity offers to children with serious or life-limiting conditions and their families.

Businesses in attendance included DS Smith, Diversity House, COOK, Nicholls Transport, Jenwood Printers, Sheppey Matters, R and A Education, Trojan Fitness, Topbond Group and Chalkwell.

MP Kevin McKenna said: "I am very grateful to Demelza's staff for hosting my business breakfast. It is great to bring together large and small businesses from across Sittingbourne and Sheppey to discuss the issues of interest to them. I look forward to more meetings in the future."

Demelza works hard to engage with its local MPs to keep them up to date on how many children from their respective area the charity is supporting. They can also do great work in highlighting our services to any of their constituents who are not already accessing support when they could be.

This month, Demelza has also welcomed in Rochester and Strood MP Lauren Edwards and Ashford MP Sojan Joseph.

They were both given a tour of the site and spoke to Deputy CEO Hayley Richardson about the huge breadth of services provided as well as the funding challenges faced by the children’s hospice sector.

Demelza’s CEO Lavinia Jarrett said: “We have had some really positive engagement with our local MPs in recent months and we were delighted to welcome some of them to our sites.

“We are very proud of the facilities we have and the range of services we offer to children with serious or life-limiting conditions and their families and it’s been great to be able to show them off.

"It was a pleasure to also host Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Kevin McKenna, where Demelza has its largest hospice, and to meet so many local business representatives.”