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On the first day of Children’s Hospice Week 2026, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales has invited everyone to join her in celebrating the work of children’s hospices, just like Children's Hospice South West (CHSW).

Led across the UK by Together for Short Lives, the leading charity for children living with serious illness, Children’s Hospice Week is the only week of the year dedicated to children’s hospices and the families who rely on them, including CHSW. The week runs from Monday 15 June-Sunday 21 June.

In her message, Her Royal Highness reflects on children’s hospices as places of joy and connection, and the difference they make for children and families:

“Every childhood deserves to be rich in joy, love, and shared memories. As Patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice, I have been privileged to see first-hand how children’s hospices make this possible for babies, children and young people living with serious illness.

“Children’s hospices are joyful and nurturing environments where children can simply be children; to play, explore, express themselves and connect with others.

“For families, hospices offer a compassionate and restorative space to breathe, be together, and find strength in a community that understands their journey. This expert, holistic care is delivered by dedicated professionals who walk alongside families at every stage, often over many years, throughout a young person’s life and, when needed, into death and bereavement.

“Children’s hospices are places that protect connection; between children and their families, between families and their communities, between hospice staff and the people they support, and within each child’s own sense of self.

“When we shine a light on the remarkable, yet often unseen, work the hospices do to help children and their families live as fully as possible, we can break down one of the greatest barriers families often face: the fear that reaching out means giving up hope, or that care only begins at the very end.

“Even in the most challenging circumstances, when children are surrounded by attuned care, opportunities for expression, and environments that nurture their whole selves, they can experience joy, belonging and the freedom to be who they are.

“These extraordinary places remind us that even in the face of serious illness, childhood remains a time of creativity, connection and possibility.

“This Children’s Hospice Week, I hope you will join me in celebrating the countless ways children’s hospices make every moment count for the children and families they support, and in recognising the profound, life-changing impact of the culture of care they are working to create.”

Her Royal Highness is Royal Patron of two children’s hospices, East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH) and Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice in South Wales.

Children’s hospices like CHSW give children with serious illness the chance to make the most of their childhood and offer their families expert care and support at every stage.

Nick Carroll, Chief Executive of Together for Short Lives, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales for her continued support of Children’s Hospice Week and the work of children’s hospices across the UK.

“Children’s Hospice Week is the one week of the year given over to children’s hospices and the families who rely on them. Across the UK, children’s hospices help families live as fully as possible together, with expert care and support at every stage.

“As The Princess reflects, that support is there from the moment a family needs it, as they navigate their child's life, death, bereavement and beyond. Helping more people understand this means more families feel able to reach out for care.

“This care matters more than ever. Together with children’s hospices across the UK, we thank The Princess for helping families to make every moment count.”