Tiny Lives Trust, a charity dedicated to supporting premature and sick newborn babies, has unveiled a new five-year strategy aimed at extending its services to more families across the North East and North Cumbria. The charity, which operates in close collaboration with the Newcastle Neonatal Service at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), provides essential support to families during some of their most challenging times.
The new strategy, developed after months of consultations with families, supporters, staff, and board members, outlines three key impact goals. These include helping babies and families thrive during the critical first 1,001 days of life, ensuring that neonatal care services fully understand and support families, and positioning neonatal care as a key driver for positive health and social outcomes in the region.
One of the pressing issues highlighted by the charity is the high number of families in need of neonatal care. Currently, one in seven babies requires neonatal care at birth, and in the North East alone, around 190,000 babies, children, and young people live below the poverty line. This makes the charity’s work even more crucial, particularly in areas of the country that are experiencing some of the highest rates of child poverty.
Kelly Blakeney, Chief Executive Officer of Tiny Lives Trust, spoke about the charity’s decade-long journey and its future focus. “Recently, we celebrated our 10th anniversary as an independent charity, during which we have supported thousands of families through some of the most difficult times. Our new five-year strategy will enable us to expand our reach even further, giving more sick and premature babies in the North East and North Cumbria the best possible chance to thrive,” she said.
Blakeney emphasised the importance of supporting families during the first 1,001 days, from conception to a child’s second birthday. “This period is critical for lifelong emotional and physical wellbeing. We aim to play a pivotal role in supporting families through this journey,” she added.
The charity works closely with the Newcastle Neonatal Service at the RVI in Newcastle Upon Tyne, which is a regional centre of excellence for the care of babies with complex medical needs. Over the years, the RVI’s reach has expanded across the North East and North Cumbria, allowing Tiny Lives Trust to extend its support to more families across the region.
However, the charity acknowledges that more work is needed. “We know we can do more to support families cared for at the RVI’s Newcastle Neonatal Service,” Blakeney said. “This strategy lays out our priorities, how we will allocate our resources, and how we’ll measure our success.”
The charity’s new strategy also aims to reach underrepresented families and those struggling with the added burden of poverty. With eight of the 10 local authorities in the UK with the highest child poverty rates located in the North East and Cumbria, the support provided by Tiny Lives Trust is more critical than ever.
Families and supporters can view and download the full five-year strategy on the Tiny Lives Trust website.
