Family First Jersey

07/08/2026

Some families wait weeks before reaching out…

They're not sure their situation is serious enough,

It always is.

Sometimes it's a planned trip that's become more complicated than expected.

Sometimes it's an emergency and they've arrived on the mainland with almost nothing prepared.

Either way, they don't need to have everything figured out before they reach out.

There's no lengthy form to fill in. No threshold of seriousness that needs to be met first.

Families get in touch, tell us what's happening and what they need, and we do what we can to help from there.

If your situation feels too small or too complicated to mention, it probably isn't.

Those are exactly the kinds of calls we want to receive.

If you know a Jersey family navigating off-island care for a child, please share this so they know we're here.

06/08/2026

🧡 A date for your diary 🧡

We’re getting ready for our next Coffee Morning on Friday the 28th of August, and we’d love for you to join us. Expect good coffee, easy chats and a relaxed, friendly space to unwind.

We’ll also have a few fun bits out for the kids (and any adults who fancy joining in)

If your child requires off‑island treatment, or you’ve been supported by Family First past or present, you’re warmly welcome.

Come along, say hello, have some coffee and cakes and start your morning with us. It’s always a lovely mix of friendly faces great conversation!
Please RSVP ☕

05/08/2026

🧡☕️ Our latest Coffee Morning was such a lovely turn out. Lots of familiar faces and good conversation.

The kids stole the show with their arts and crafts! They had a brilliant time and their artwork was fabulous.

There was also plenty of buzz about our Brave Bear Art Competition. With all the creativity we saw, we can’t wait to see what families send in! We already have a few submissions.

A big thanks to everyone who came along and made it special.

If you haven't seen it check our pinned posts to find out how to enter our Brave Bear Art competition and win some fun prizes! Remember the closing date is the 26th August so get your entries in by then 🧡

Thank you again to Jersey Hospice Care for allowing us to host these mornings in their lovely King's Lounge.

05/08/2026

A big thank you to Rosie for her incredible fundraising! We are all so proud of her, we are really blown away! 💛 Community support is vital for charities like ours to continue to support Jersey families

A Jersey teenager is cycling the equivalent distance between her home and the UK hospital where her younger sister is receiving treatment to raise money for the charity supporting families facing similar journeys. Rosie Hargreaves’s ‘Journey of Hope’ will see her cycle 464 miles (746km) over s...

31/07/2026

This is Skye.

"Skye became very poorly quite quickly and was admitted into Robin Ward where she was diagnosed with Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli.

After 5 days, this unfortunately resulted in Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome

And we were told that Skye would need to be flown to Southampton to have emergency kidney dialysis.

During Skye's time in hospital, she was in PICU for 5 days, sedated and receiving dialysis through a central venous catheter.

Once she had stabilised, she was transferred back to the ward to continue her dialysis.

Skye was released from Southampton after 3 weeks of treatment.

During this worrying and stressful time, Family First were absolutely amazing and arranged for us to stay at Ronald McDonald House, assisted with travel expenses so that family could be there to provide us with the support we needed and helped us out with general expenses during the weeks that we were in Southampton.

Family First were truly a life saver and made the nightmare we were facing that little bit more bearable.

They offered not only financial support but emotional support as well and checked in with us regularly.

Thank you so much for everything you do." - Hannah, Skye's mum

If you'd like to help us be there for the next family, the donation link is in the comments.

27/07/2026

🧡 A Journey of Hope 🧡

We’re so proud to see this incredible young lady featured by Channel 103 for her inspiring Journey of Hope. A truly kind and committed effort to help families facing off‑island medical journeys.

Stories like this remind us how powerful our community can be when we work together. Thank you for choosing to make a difference.

From all of us here at Family First, we’re cheering you on Rosie!

A 13-year-old girl will be cycling 464 miles over six weeks - the same distance from her home in Jersey to the hospital where her sister is receiving care.

27/07/2026

We’re kicking off our Regular Giving Campaign with something creative and fun for all ages — our Brave Bear Art Competition.
🎨 Brave Bear Art Competition – How to Enter

🧸 1. Draw Brave Bear
Any style, any medium — colouring, painting, digital art, collage, whatever you love!

📩 2. Send us your entry
Message us your artwork here on Facebook Messenger or email it directly to [email protected]
Please include the artist’s first name and age with your submission!

👍 3. Follow our page and like this post
Remember to drop Family First a follow and to like this post for your entry to count. If you want to share the post as well to spread the love, that would be fantastic.

📅 4. Deadline
Send your artwork by Wednesday the 26th of August at 0:00am.
Winners will be chosen and revealed on Friday the 28th of August.

💛 Voting
Once entries close, we’ll share all artwork in one Facebook post. We will pick our team favourites, but you may be able to influence our decision by cheering on your favourite pieces via the like button!
Likes = Cheers
Anyone can cheer for their favourite artwork, and you can like as many as you want!
Voting ends and the winners will be announced on the 28th of August

🏆 Prizes
We have some great prizes up for grabs!
A £50 Voucher for use at The Entertainer.
Vouchers for 9 games of Bowling at Tamba Bowl.
Bonus prizes include a selection of toy bundles with your very own Brave Bear!

We’ll award:
Overall 'Most Liked' artwork
Family First Team pick

These prizes have been kindly donated by local Jersey businesses.
A special thank you to Tamba Bowl, The Entertainer and of course our charity partners.

This competition launches our Regular Giving Campaign a way to help Family First every month. Just £5 provides a Brave Bear to a child, and monthly gifts help fund emotional care, specialist resources and practical guidance for families facing tough journeys. Thank you for helping us make sure no family faces this alone.
You can support our regular giving campaign here: https://jerseygiving.je/donate/family-first-jersey

🔒 Keeping Everyone Safe
Brave Bear Art Competition – Entry Guidelines
• Children’s entries will be shared using first name + age only.
• Please keep artwork free from personal details (surnames, dates of birth, addresses.)
• Entries must be family friendly and suitable for all ages.
• Artwork must be created by the person entering (no AI or copyrighted characters).
• Parents/guardians should submit entries for anyone under 13.
• By entering, you give Family First permission to share your artwork on our social media and Brave Bear materials.
• We may need to decline entries that aren’t appropriate or include identifying information.
• Please send a clear photo of your artwork.

24/07/2026

This is Arwell and his Brave Bear.

When a child needs care on the mainland, the hardest part for some families isn't the hospital.

It's the sibling left behind in Jersey.

Children who don't fully understand why mum or dad isn't back yet, or why their brother or sister has been in a hospital in England for weeks.

When a child from Jersey needs care on the mainland, Family First gives them a Brave Bear to take with them. Every sibling at home gets one too, and mum and dad if they'd like one.

The bears don't close the distance. But families tell us they help, especially for young children trying to make sense of where everyone has gone.

We work to source funding through our partnerships with the Jersey Children's Charity, Friends of the Jersey Neonatal Unit and the Grace Crocker Family Support Foundation, covering the kinds of costs families don't always think to ask about.

If you know a Jersey family currently managing an extended stay on the mainland, they can get in touch with us through our website in the comments.

23/07/2026

🌟 Fundraising Heroes - Rosie’s Journey of Hope 🌟

Over the next six weeks, Rosie will be taking on a challenge filled with love, strength and meaning. She’ll be cycling 464 miles — the same distance from her home in Jersey to the hospital where her sister is receiving care.

At the front of her bike will be Brave Bear. Her sister has an identical bear with her in hospital. Although they’re separated by hundreds of miles, the bears remind their family that they are never truly apart. They carry the love, hope and courage that connect them, no matter where their journeys lead.

Rosie calls this challenge The Journey of Hope. Her message is not about looking back, but looking forward. It’s her way of standing beside her sister, celebrating her strength, and giving something back to the charity that supported their family when they needed it most.

Every mile Rosie cycles, Brave Bear rides for both sisters. A small reminder that love travels any distance.

🧡 Rosie is fundraising for Family First, helping us continue supporting families who must travel off‑island for their child’s specialist care. These journeys come with emotional, practical and financial challenges that many never see. Every donation helps ease that burden so families can focus on what matters most: being there for their child.

If you’re able to donate, no matter how big or small, you’ll be helping Family First continue providing hope, support and practical help when it’s needed most.

👉 Donate and follow Rosie’s Journey of Hope here:
https://jerseygiving.je/sponsor/activity/journey-of-hope/rosie-2?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnFPf1C-Hz-IShVXoe0Z2ooWXVqlttN9TvpG9chS072vn-qmbfL6sw309w-rw_aem_zhhjt5CBpvlb2CsAyiuf_w

You can follow Rosie's dedicated Instagram to her journey here:
https://www.instagram.com/journeyofhope464?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Thank you, Rosie, for your incredible heart, courage and your determination. Your Journey of Hope is inspiring all of us. 💛🚴‍♀️🐻

22/07/2026

A quick reminder that our Coffee Morning is on Thursday 30th of July. Pop in for a cuppa and some friendly faces. 🧡

🌞 Date for your diary 🌞

Our next Coffee Morning will take place on Thursday the 30th of July.

Join us later this July for a summer Coffee Morning filled with warmth, understanding and community. If your child requires off‑island treatment, or you’ve been supported by Family First past or present, you’re warmly welcome.

We hope to see you there,
Please RSVP 🧡