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Most parents learn that to properly care for others, you first need to look after yourself. They understand that taking care of their own health and well-being makes them better parents and better equipped to deal with all the curve balls that parenting throws their way.

But what if your family includes a child with round-the-clock medical needs; 24:7-non-stop-never-ending-day-in-day-out care that only you can give? To say that’s a challenge is something of an understatement. Families struggle, brothers and sisters suffer, relationships deteriorate, dreams of personal fulfillment are shattered.

This is where Manchester’s Francis House Children’s Hospice comes in.

Francis House is a hospice providing essential respite and terminal care for families and children with life-limiting conditions and illnesses; all in a loving, comfortable and fun home-from-home environment.

Crucially, Francis House provides all this care for free, nothing, nada, zilch, to anyone who needs it.

And plenty of people need it.

There are now well over 200 very poorly children and their families depending on respite care at Francis House and as that number increases, the amount of time each family can use the facilities over the course of a year steadily decreases. So, to keep pace with demand more accommodation desperately needs to be built. Of course, it all costs cold, hard cash.

This is where Rock and Respite wants – with your help – to try to make a difference.