Kingston and Surbiton MP and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey and Liberal Democrat Munira Wilson MP visit Shooting Star
MP for Kingston and Surbiton and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey MP and the MP for Twickenham and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education, Children and Families, Munira Wilson MP were welcomed to Shooting Star House in Hampton on Thursday 18 September, to find out about the important care and support Shooting Star provides to families in their constituencies.
The visit began with a guided tour of our facilities, which include a hydrotherapy pool, therapeutic spaces such as counselling rooms and a memory garden offering a peaceful space for bereaved families to visit and reflect.
During the visit, Ed Davey and Munira Wilson, whose constituencies fall within our catchment area, met with families to hear first-hand about their experiences of using Shooting Star’s services and the vital lifeline we provide. This included a family who has benefited from our trailblazing bereavement service, which supports families whose child was cared for by the hospice as well as those who have experienced the sudden death of their child.
They also took time to speak to members of our Shooting Star team to understand the care they provide, and to our Chief Executive, Paul Farthing, who shared the policy and funding challenges Shooting Star faces. Specifically, we shared how we, like other children’s hospices, need a commitment from the government to protect NHS funding for children’s hospices, and increase current funding from £26 million to £30 million by 2030 and renew the capital funding support received in 2025/26.
Following the visit, Kingston and Surbiton MP, Ed Davey, said, “Shooting Star do amazing work supporting families who have a child with a life-limiting condition, or who are coping with the heart-breaking loss of a child. Getting to talk to some of the parents about their experiences with Shooting Star really brought home how crucial it is that children’s hospices get secure funding. Hospices like Shooting Star can do incredible things with the right support; over the last year alone, Shooting Star has supported over 1,000 families, reducing the impact on NHS services. That is why a fair funding model and a dedicated workforce plan for the hospice sector is vital.”
Munira Wilson shared, “Our visit comes just before the Liberal Democrat autumn conference, where a motion has been tabled by our colleague Alison Bennet MP, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Care and Carers. It argues for a fair, sustainable funding deal for hospices, and recognises the incredible care they provide and the money they save in terms of hospital admissions.”
Paul Farthing added, “Shooting Star were very pleased to welcome Sir Ed Davey MP and Munira Wilson MP to our Hampton site, to share our vital work. It is vital that policymakers appreciate the real impact our support has on families. We are very grateful to the local MPs, like Ed and Munira, who are backing our campaign for fair and sustainable funding, creating a partnership between the NHS and our amazing supporters.”
