16/06/2026
💚 WE NEED YOUR HELP 💚
This is probably one of the most honest posts we've ever written.
Ailsa's Aim needs to raise £60,000.
Not for a fancy building.
Not for a new vehicle.
Not for something exciting that makes headlines.
We need to raise £60,000 for reserves.
Now before anyone scrolls past, please let us explain why this matters so much.
As a charity, we are incredibly fortunate to receive grants and donations. However, most grants are restricted funding. That means if a grant is awarded for care packs, RADAR keys, yoga sessions, holidays, or neonatal support, legally that money can ONLY be spent on that project.
We cannot use it to pay rent.
We cannot use it to keep the lights on.
We cannot use it to employ staff.
We cannot use it to cover unexpected emergencies.
Charity law requires us to spend restricted funds exactly as promised, and rightly so. Donors and grant funders trust us to use their money for the purpose they intended.
That is where reserves become so important.
Reserves are what allow charities to survive difficult periods, plan for the future, employ staff, invest in growth, and continue supporting people when funding becomes uncertain.
The reality is that right now, we have virtually no reserves.
We've spent years pouring every penny possible back into helping people. We've always chosen the beneficiary first. If we had £100, we'd rather buy care packs than put money aside.
But we're now at a stage where we need to think about longevity.
Last year alone we supported over 17,000 people across the UK.
This year we are on track to support even more.
Every week we receive new referrals.
Every week hospitals ask us for more packs.
Every week people contact us needing help.
We know there is demand.
What we need now is stability.
£60,000 sounds absolutely enormous.
Because it is.
But when you break it down, it suddenly becomes achievable.
100 people raising £600 each.
50 people raising £1,200 each.
20 people raising £3,000 each.
10 people raising £6,000 each.
One community, all pulling together.
Imagine what that reserve fund could do.
It would give us security.
It would allow us to confidently plan ahead.
It would strengthen future grant applications because funders want to see organisations that are sustainable and financially responsible.
Most importantly, it would allow us to employ another member of staff.
That single decision could transform what Ailsa's Aim is capable of achieving.
More fundraising.
More grant applications.
More partnerships.
More awareness campaigns.
More support for beneficiaries.
More care packs.
More hospital deliveries.
More holidays.
More RADAR keys.
More help for families when they need it most.
One additional member of staff could potentially generate many times their salary in additional income and support, freeing up time that is currently stretched across a small team trying to do the work of many people.
The impact could be thousands more families helped every year.
And that's what this is really about.
Not money sitting in a bank account.
Not ticking a box.
Not looking wealthy.
It's about building a charity that will still be here in five years.
Ten years.
Twenty years.
A charity that can continue supporting cancer patients and neonatal families long after today's team has gone home.
On a personal note, this charity was never supposed to become what it has.
It was born from some of the hardest moments of our lives.
From Ailsa arriving early and spending time in special care.
From an ovarian cancer diagnosis that turned our world upside down.
And now, from Niven's own cancer journey.
If there's one thing our family has learned, it's that life can change in an instant.
We've seen the fear. We've seen the uncertainty. We've sat in waiting rooms, hospital wards and treatment centres wondering what comes next. We've experienced first-hand how much a small act of kindness can mean when everything else feels overwhelming.
Ailsa's Aim exists because we never wanted those experiences to be for nothing.
We wanted them to create something positive.
Something lasting.
Something that would help other families facing some of the darkest days of their lives.
This charity is Ailsa's legacy.
It is proof that something good can come from difficult times.
Every care pack delivered, every RADAR key gifted, every holiday provided, every family supported is part of that legacy.
We are not going through two cancer diagnoses and Ailsa's stay in special care for nothing.
We refuse to let those experiences define us negatively.
Instead, they drive us forward every single day.
We are strong.
We are determined.
And we will continue to fight for every patient, every parent and every family who needs us.
We know we can get there.
But with your help, we can get there so much sooner.
Together, we can build something that will outlast all of us and continue supporting families for generations to come.
So we're asking for your help.
If Ailsa's Aim has ever helped you...
If we've helped someone you love...
If you've followed our journey...
If you've donated, volunteered, shared a post, attended an event, or simply cheered us on from the sidelines...
Please consider helping us raise these reserves.
Host a coffee morning.
Organise a quiz night.
Run a marathon.
Shave your head.
Hold a bake sale.
Do a sponsored silence (some of you would find that harder than a skydive!).
Take on a wing walk.
Host a race night.
Organise a charity football match.
Arrange a workplace dress-down day.
Collect pennies in a jar.
Climb a mountain.
Walk 10,000 steps a day.
Ask your employer for support.
Challenge your friends.
Challenge yourself.
From the sublime to the ridiculous, every single penny matters.
Because this isn't about raising £60,000.
It's about creating a stronger future for the thousands of people who will need us tomorrow.
If you'd like to hold an event, raise funds, become a corporate partner, or simply have an idea you'd like to discuss, please get in touch.
Together, we know we can do this.
💚 Sara, Niven, Ailsa and everyone at Ailsa's Aim
P.S. We've used a photo of Beth running the London Landmark Half Marathon because frankly it's one of the best photos we've ever taken. If you're going to ask people to help raise £60,000, you may as well lead with your strongest assets. Sorry Beth. 😂💚
