Since launching, Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation has helped raise over £630,000 to help children with cancer across the UK.

The charity is named after 15-year-old Abbie who battled Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, for four years before sadly passing away on Christmas Day in 2017. Abbie’s dream was to help raise money to help kids in the same position and the charity was set up to spread ‘sparkles’ - once in a lifetime gifts and experiences to make dreams come true and help families make special memories together.

Abbie would have celebrated her 21st birthday this October and would be proud to know that her charity has helped spread ‘sparkles’ to over 1,500 families over the years. 

Charlie House has a mission to improve the quality of life for babies, children and young people in the Northeast who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and to help provide support for both the children and their families.

Kids supported by Charlie House have complex medical needs and the charity is there to provide emotional, therapeutic and advocacy support, access to information and a host of activities including siblings groups, parent carer activities, short breaks and coffees and catch ups to give families a shoulder to lean on.

Entirely run by volunteers, Friends of the Neuro Ward work to improve the comfort and care of patients on the two neuro wards at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the rehab unit at Woodend Hospitals.

These wards treat patients with conditions ranging from brain and spinal injuries or tumours through to MND, Parkinson’s, Guillan-Barre Syndrome, Lupus and MS. The volunteers aim to bring all the comfort of home to the ward to make stays as comfortable as possible thinking not just of the big things, but all the wee things extras that so often get overlooked.

Over the years have funded everything from specialist pieces of medical equipment and creating a respite room all the way through to small items like games and activities, spare phone chargers and fans.

Bravehound is a fantastic Scottish charity that provides assistance dogs to military veterans who are living with debilitating mental health conditions including PTSD, cognitive impairment, anxiety and depression. 

Bravehound dogs give people a sense of purpose, companionship and responsibility and help them to join a supportive community where they can regain confidence and purpose in life. 

Calum’s Cabin supports families of children suffering from cancer or cancer related illnesses, specialising on being able to offer them breaks away where they can relax and enjoy special times together. 

The charity has holiday homes on the Isle of Bute, Ayrshire and Anstruther and also has nine flats in Glasgow that are available as free accommodation for families whose children are being treated at the Glasgow Children’s Hospital, providing them with a home from home during such difficult times.

Glasgow the Caring City celebrates its 25th year of helping people in crisis at home and abroad and provides family support to help people overcome poverty and build financial stability. 

The charity’s Skills Academies offer customised learning opportunities to help people into meaningful and sustained employment, giving young people the chance to boost their confidence and resilience while learning practical skills.

Alternative mental health support is also available providing safe spaces to help young people learn coping mechanisms and help manage their stress.

Home Start Glasgow offers completely personalised support plans for families facing issues such as mental health challenges, post-natal depression, domestic abuse and substance abuse – the goal being to help families to prevent issues before they escalate.

The charity helps families from the comfort of their own homes and also offers group support which encourages families to take part in activities with their peers, offering a sense of community and providing important quality time for parents and their children.

The Kilbryde Hospice is a well-loved charity in South Lanarkshire that provides specialist palliative care for patients with life-limiting illnesses – and support for their families and carers.

The Hospice aims to help in the hardest times offering a therapeutic environment that is calm, relaxing and friendly and gives individuals and their families comfort, privacy and dignity.

The Les Hoey Dream Maker Foundation was set up in 2014 to help children under the age of 16 suffering with life threatening illnesses including cancer, heart failure, Cystic Fibrosis and MS.

The charity helps make dreams come true by meeting their idols including stars such as Johnny Depp, Ed Sheeran and Beyonce as well as giving kids the chance to enjoy concert and theatre tickets, football games, family days out and gifts to help bring a little bit of sunshine during dark times.

Ronald McDonald House in Glasgow keeps families together when they need it most providing safe, warm and welcoming home away from home at no charge for families whose children are seriously ill in the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow and other hospitals in the West of Scotland.

The House has 31 bedrooms, a large kitchen and laundry facilities – allowing families to stay close to their children without having to travel long distances so they can eat, sleep and focus on the most important thing – the health of their child.

The Sunshine Wishes Charity was established in 2016 with the aim of granting wishes for children and young people up to the age of 18 who are living with serious or life-shortening illnesses or have a mental or physical disability – the majority who come from families on a very low income and are struggling with hardship.

In the past 12 months alone, the Sunshine Wishes Children’s Charity has helped more than 1,900 families and has been overwhelmed by requests from families, nurseries, social workers and health visitors and has helped by providing essential care packages, food banks in local nurseries, emergency household goods and provision of warm winter jackets and clothes.

The Pyramid at Anderston is a community space in the heart of Anderston that offers a wide range of events, activities and support services for people in the local area – many who face multiple disadvantages including poverty. 

The charity aims to bring the community together and hosts lots of fun and inclusive classes including Yoga and Knitting classes, Learn English classes for speakers of other languages and also runs The Pyramid shop offering help to those struggling financially through its membership programme.

With Kids exists to help improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children giving them the chance to thrive in school, in families, friendships, activities and in their futures.

Play therapy is used to help children manage adverse experiences and difficult feelings in a safe space with practical and emotional support available for parents and families too.

The charity aims to tackle cycles of deprivation by improving the well-being of children, families and communities, building on their skills, capacity and resilience. 

You Are My Sunshine specialises in supporting people who need help with their mental health and offer an amazing range of free services including counselling and one to one support, arts and craft nights and children’s nurture groups, fitness nights including evenings just for women as well as helping to advise people on other help that is available.

Ysortit is a youth organisation in West Dunbartonshire for young people aged between 8 – 18 years old who have a caring role for anyone with an illness, addiction, disability or mental health issues. They offer one to one support, group work and respite opportunities, mentoring and also host lots of youth activities including sports, arts and crafts and workshops.

The group also runs a programme called Street Bikes with an aim to make cycling accessible for young people of all ages with free bike hire, cycling skill sessions and led rides to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

One of the lesser-known aspects of living with a lung condition is the impact it can have on your mental health.

The charity Breathe Easy in Fife exists to help people with lung conditions by helping them to not only learn about their condition and live healthier but by bringing them together with others who understand what it’s like to offer a source comfort and companionship.

As well as practical support and advice, the group also arranges a host of activities and day trips to build their confidence – especially important for so many patients who were shielding during the pandemic. 

1 in 3 children in Dundee live below the poverty line and Dundee Bairn’s mission is to make sure that every child has access to basic necessities including food, clothing, activities and other essentials - regardless of their circumstances.

Last year, the small team at Dundee Bairns with their army of big-hearted volunteers delivered over 35,000 lunches during the school holidays and 6,000 evening meals to kids living in poverty as well as helping 4,000 children to get access to basic clothing.

Every week the Dundee United Community Trust delivers over 40 activities a week to help improve the lives of people in Dundee and the surrounding area leaning into the power of sport and exercise to positively impact on people’s mental and physical health. 

The Trust is also committed to tackling food insecurity, poverty, anti-social behaviours, loneliness and isolation and has a host of inclusive projects, clubs, programmes and events to bring people together. 

They say it takes a village to raise a child but what about the families who don’t have one?

Home Start Dundee is a charity dedicated to supporting families with young children who are facing hard times, helping parents cope through things like post-natal depression, physical health problems and bereavement.

They have a fantastic network of trained volunteers and experts in the local area who offer non-judgemental support to help parents in need with practical assistance, emotional support and guidance from the comfort of their own home.

In the past 4 years since the first Covid lockdown, the number of carers registered with PKAVS’ Carers Centre has nearly doubled with no sign of numbers slowing down. 

The Carers Centre exists to support unpaid carers from the age of 5 years upwards to help them get the support they need alongside information and advice to cope with what can be an all-encompassing caring role at home.

This can be for anyone who cares for someone who is ill, disabled, older, has mental health concerns or is experiencing addiction.

Reach Across provides vital support for people who have mental health difficulties and are having suicidal thoughts as well as supporting families who have suffered a loss to suicide. 

Through counselling and therapy sessions as well as reiki, massage and relaxation and a host of events and activities, Reach Across provides a person-centred approach with befriending and listening services available to people who need it. 

The charity also offers free training and mental health qualifications in the community to empower them to provide recognition, intervention and support with a view to break the cycle and make sure people who need support can easily find it.

1 in 5 adults in Scotland provide unpaid care for loved ones – a huge commitment that comes with many hurdles and can lead to carers struggling with their own mental and physical health, and burnout from trying to do too much with not enough support.

Care for Carers is a voluntary organisation that helps people to cope with their caring responsibilities by offering practical and emotional support, and aiming to help all carers regardless of the age or disability of the person they care for. 

The charity’s Big Day Out programme aims to helps carers to take a break to enjoy some respite themselves, something that has become harder than ever for many during the cost-of-living crisis.

Circle is a registered charity that believes that every child, no matter their background or circumstances should have the support they need to live a happy and healthy life.

They work with the most marginalised children and families who face disadvantages because of structural inequality, poverty, drug and alcohol use, imprisonment, physical or mental health, trauma, domestic abuse and loss. 

The charity also runs a Summer Holiday programme offering support, structure, connection and the opportunity to enjoy shared experiences with other families.

The team at the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital works tirelessly 365 days a year to provide support for seriously ill babies, children, young people and families when facing a potentially life changing illness.

ECHC is there to make sure that all families and children can be supported and that the hospital is a place where being sick doesn’t always mean being sad. 

The EHCH is about more than medicine; its mental health project The Haven provides a lifeline for families and is a centre for youth work, creativity and family support bringing magic, friendship and fun amidst the hardest of times.

Motor Neurone Disease is a fatal, rapidly progressing disease of the brain and central nervous system. At the moment there is no cure for this devastating condition.

MND Scotland is working towards finding a cure and provides support services for people living with MND and their families to make every moment count. 

That includes practical, emotional and financial support and offering grants to help make life easier while doing everything in their power to ensure every patient receives the best care, highest quality of care and support when it really matters most.

Jak Neil Walter Trueman was a normal, happy 15 year old enjoying life when in August 2014 he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Five months later Jak gained his wings – but not before he had raised nearly £100,000 for various cancer charities. 

Six days before he passed, Jak unveiled plans to create his own charity – Team Jak – charging his mum Allison with the job of building it and creating Jak’s Den – a warm and safe place of respite for young cancer patients and their families to escape the trauma of treatment.

Today Team Jak supports over 450 families across Scotland providing emotional, social and practical support and helping families find moments of peace and happiness in the hardest of times.

The Adolescent and Children’s Trust is a dedicated fostering charity that aims to provide safe and loving homes for children who, through no fault of their own, can’t live with their birth parents and need to be looked after away from home.

The Trust works closely with their foster carers around the clock to ensure that children in their care receive the love, attention and support that they need to thrive.

The Yard is a purpose-built play experience for children with disabilities and additional support needs that’s available for families to enjoy, with no diagnosis needed, and a dedicated Play Team fully trained to deliver inclusive play experiences.

Here children, and their families, can have fun and make friends in a safe and supportive space with no judgement. The Yard offers a variety of drop-in sessions, youth clubs and inclusive play and disability training that taps into each child’s passions and interests with an ethos that is based on child-led free play. 

This grassroots Edinburgh charity delivers front-line mental health support to young people aged 11 – 21 who are living or attending school in some of the city’s most deprived communities.

These young people have experienced trauma, adversity and poverty in childhood and are used to people giving up on them and feeling socially excluded.

U-Evolve pairs young people with Therapeutic Coaches who work with them on a weekly basis tying in their hobbies and interests to provide open ended support to help them reset, learn and grow with the confidence, tools and plans in place to succeed in the future.

Vocal is an organisation run by carers, for carers – with the goal to help unpaid carers get the practical, emotional and financial support they need to navigate through their caring journey whilst also looking after their own needs during what can be an emotionally, physically and financially difficult time.

VOCAL has a wealth of information available alongside one to one support, advice on benefits, legal advice with wills and power of attorney, training and lifestyle management, counselling, hardship grants and short breaks support for carers.