Family Support Workers at Momentum are there for families in hospital and at home, and since the partnership with Worthing Hospital started in January 2022, more than 400 hours of support has been given to families on the children’s ward. Other services Momentum has delivered to families in West Sussex over the last two years include counselling, creative therapies, special experiences, and respite breaks.

Eleven-year-old Henly Kinsman, from Lancing, West Sussex, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) three-and-a-half years ago, in June 2020, when he was just eight years old. Henly had most of his treatment at Worthing Hospital and the family started receiving support from Momentum just over a year ago.

Henly’s mum, Lisa Bonner, said: “Having support from Momentum at hospital and at home has been great. Tina, our Family Support Worker, is always checking in on us and sending little gifts. The nurses in the hospital are great but they are so busy, they can’t always spend much time with you, and that is where Momentum has really helped us. It’s reassuring to see a familiar face when you’re at the hospital and knowing that Momentum is there has helped me get through many tough days. The team at Worthing Hospital are amazing with Henly and thanks to them, and the support from Momentum, he enjoys going to his appointments.” 

Jane Boxall, Ward Administrator for Worthing Hospital’s children’s ward said: “Tina, the Family Support Worker from Momentum, has an amazing rapport with patients and parents and has become a great support for some of them who have really been struggling. Many of our families have had a respite weekend at one of Momentum’s lodges, a break some have never had since their children have been born.  Momentum has also arranged counselling sessions for some families which has been a god send for a couple of parents who were at the end of their tether. All in all, having support from this wonderful charity has been a fantastic addition to the ward.” 

Tina Murden, Family Support Worker at Momentum Children’s Charity said: “Since our partnership started, we have offered support to more than 700 patients on the children’s ward at the hospital, and we are constantly increasing the number of families we support. I feel very privileged to be able to support families in this way – having a child who is very unwell is probably the hardest thing a parent could go through. I hope to see Momentum’s presence grow in West Sussex so we can be there for more families that need us.”

To find out more about the work of Momentum Children’s Charity, please visit www.momentumcharity.org

Notes to Editors:

Momentum Children’s Charity supports families across London, Surrey and Sussex whose children are facing cancer or a life-challenging condition. We partner with local hospitals to offer personally tailored support to the entire family through our family support workers, both in hospital and at home. Our services include counselling, creative therapies, special experiences and respite breaks. We also improve the environment for children treated in hospital with our children’s ward refurbishments, transforming bare, clinical areas into bright, child-friendly spaces. The charity receives no government funding and is reliant entirely on voluntary support.

www.momentumcharity.org Registered charity number: 1195373

For more information about Momentum and future press opportunities, please contact:

Claire Smith, PR and Communications Officer: clairesmith@momentumcharity.org       

0208 974 5931