Children's charity fears impact of rising costs
BBCA children's charity has said rising everyday costs are putting pressure on its ability to provide support.
The Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation in Guernsey provides families with accommodation when children require off-island hospital care and has three flats near Southampton hospital.
Charlie stayed in one of the flats in October 2024, days after his second child Miles was born. "It's one of those things that you never expect to be going through yourself. Once you need that service, you realise quite how lucky we are to have it."
Foundation co-founder Jo Priaulx said: "The cost of living has gone up a lot, so the ground and property rents and energy bills in the flats have gone up."
Charlie said having somewhere to stay in Southampton helped ease the pressure on his family.
"With so much going on and so many terrifying things to consider, the last thing you want to be worried about is where you're going to sleep," he said.
Charlie said the night his wife Rebecca took baby Miles home from hospital she "just knew something wasn't right".
"He was struggling to keep anything down and wasn't feeding. His tummy was getting more and more distended and he just wasn't well," he said.
"The midwives told us that we needed to go and pack our bags because they were potentially getting a flight for us to go to Southampton that night."
Charlie travelled to be with Rebecca in the UK from Guernsey with their eldest son René, who was just two at the time. He said the charity was a lifeline for them.
"I just feel very lucky that they're there and they're supporting families that are just going through the worst time" he said.
"It's one of those things that you never expect to be going through yourself. Once you need that service, you realise quite how lucky we are to have it really."
Jo Priaulx co-founded The Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation in 2003, following the early birth of her son.
"The cost of living has gone up a lot, so the ground and property rents and energy bills in the flats have gone up. We've got to raise £65,000 towards the flats," she said.
Marvin Odillard, founder of the Cornerstone Group, is celebrating his company's fifth anniversary on the island by donating 50 night stays to the foundation and has more fundraising planned for the future.
He said: "It's very important what they do for the premature kids. I love helping kids, and helping to keep families together and support the community. I'm just happy I can help in any way."
The foundation's flats are all close to Southampton hospital, which Jo said was vital.
"When I had Sebastian back in Northampton many years ago I was so frightened and then of course leaving him in the in hospital to actually try and go 20 miles every day, that was heartbreaking for me.
"I know how scary it is, you don't want to leave your baby there, you just don't want to.
"The unit's only 200 steps away from the neonatal, so they haven't got far to be away from their child, but they can come back, take a breather, bring over family members and just basically have a home from home."
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