The charity, founded in 2003 by Andy and Jo Priaulx following the premature births of their two children, provides support for families with premature babies and critically ill children through everything from helping to ensure the hospital’s neo-natal unit is sufficiently equipped to letting Bailiwick families stay in any of its three properties right beside Southampton Hospital.
‘Volunteers’ Week is a wonderful opportunity to thank our volunteers for their dedication and kindness,’ said head of fundraising Sara Edmonds.
Ms Edmonds herself has been involved with the charity since 2024, when she was motivated to help support ill infants and children after witnessing her young niece battle cancer, during which time her family were able to use one of the charity’s Southampton residences for nearly 10 months.
She is far from the only one who has personally felt the effects of the charity in her own life.
Volunteer Nikki Trebert, who serves as one of the charity’s ambassadors, has dedicated her time and effort to the organisation since 2011 following her own difficult pregnancy and birth.
‘My daughter wasn’t premature – she was actually 11lbs when I gave birth to her – but she had to go into intensive care,’ she said.
‘While she was there, the Foundation sent me down a notebook and photos so I knew how she was, and it was such a comfort.
‘I immediately wanted to connect with the charity, and that was the start of my time here – it’s been almost 15 years now.’
A decade and a half into her volunteer service, Ms Trebert’s passion for the charity’s work has by no means diminished.
‘I love this charity,’ she said.
‘It’s so great to be a part of such an amazing team, and just helping local people is something that’s really important to me.’
Her volunteer work, which includes raising awareness about the charity and helping out at its sundry fundraising events, is a role she has undertaken in addition to her career in property management.
Fellow volunteer Stephanie Duskova has been involved with the charity since she received help from them upon her son’s premature birth 10 years ago.
‘I find what they do amazing,’ she said.
‘When I was with my little one for two months in the neo-natal unit, I’d see the nurses call the charity if they needed something, so they didn’t have to wait if, for example, they needed another piece of equipment.’
Now, 10 years on, Mrs Duskova tries to give back to the charity in any way she can, from helping out at fundraisers to helping to arrange a donation-matching CSR initiative with Lloyds Bank, where she works as a relationship manager.
‘I try to help with lots of things – anything they need, really,’ she said.
‘They’re pretty much the only charity on the island I know of that does the things they do, and it’s great to be able to support them.’
Not all the charity’s volunteers, however, have been with the organisation for more than a decade.
Its support for local families has continued to attract more volunteers, such as parents Charlie and Rebecca Atkinson, who started supporting it after they stayed in one of the charity’s Southampton residences while their now 19-month-old son, Miles, was in hospital.
‘Originally when he was born, everything seemed to be OK, but then within a day we were having to go back to the PEH, and shortly thereafter we were transferred to Southampton on the air ambulance,’ Mr Atkinson said.
‘While we were in special care at the PEH, the nurses were on the phone to someone, who turned out to be Jo Priaulx, saying, “We’ve got someone to go in the flats – is there something available?”.’
Mrs Priaulx, though at an events ceremony at the critical time, stepped aside to arrange for the family to have a place to stay in Southampton, making sure everything was prepared for when they arrived via air ambulance at 4am.
‘We ended up being there for about a month, all in all, for that trip, but then subsequently we’ve stayed in the flats four times for various operations and procedures,’ said Mr Atkinson.
‘Our family is just one of many who’ve been in similar situations, where they’ve got either a premature baby or a sick child and they’re given almost like a home away from home, only a stone’s throw away from the hospital.
‘One example of how much of a big difference it makes is when Rebecca, my wife, was woken up in the middle of the night by the nurses to say that Miles had woken up and did she want them to give him a bottle or come over and breastfeed him. She would run across the road and be there in three minutes, retaining that relationship with our baby.’
Now, some months on, both Mr and Mrs Atkinson were eager to give back to the organisation that had helped ease some of their most difficult moments.
‘It’s nice to give back.
‘They supported us when we were the most vulnerable, the most terrified,’ Mr Atkinson said.
‘When you’re worried that your child’s not going to make it, the last thing you want to be worried about is where you’re staying, how far away you’ll be – you just want to be focusing on the things that matter.
‘So it only makes sense to us to try and give back now, because at the end of the day, there’s people right now staying in the flats we stayed in who are feeling just as terrified for their children.’
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