Frequently Asked Questions

Promise Dreams is a UK children's charity dedicated to making dreams come true for children aged 0–18 who are living with serious or terminal illnesses. Every dream is tailored to the individual child, creating special memories for the whole family. 

Children aged from birth up to their 19th birthday who meet our medical eligibility criteria. 

No. We support eligible children and families from across the UK. 

Applications are completed online through our website by completing our application form. Use this link to view our application from - Application form 

You'll need:

• A medical supporting letter from a consultant, specialist nurse or other senior healthcare professional involved in your child's care.

• A professional supporting letter from someone who knows your family, such as a social worker, teacher, family support worker or another relevant professional.

Both letters must be on headed paper or sent from an official work email address. They must be signed and dated within the last three months.

Once we've received your completed application and all supporting documents, applications are usually reviewed within 8 weeks. We'll check that we've received everything we need before your application is reviewed. If we require any further information, we will contact you.  Not supplying everything we require may delay the processing of your application.  

Yes. Professionals and partner organisations are welcome to help families complete an application on their behalf.

However, the application must be signed by the child's parent or legal guardian before it can be submitted. If a physical signature is not possible, please contact us to discuss alternative ways of providing parental consent.

We consider applications from children with serious or terminal illnesses who meet our medical criteria. Every application is assessed individually. 

Unfortunately, we can only support children who are currently undergoing cancer treatment.

No. Promise Dreams can only grant one dream per eligible child. 

At Promise Dreams we believe every child deserves the chance to experience something truly special. We're open to all types of dream requests because we know a child's imagination has no limits.

Every child is different and every dream is unique. Whether it's a family adventure, a special experience, something they have always dreamed of or something that helps make everyday life a little easier, we want to hear about it.

Some examples of dreams we have helped make possible include:

• Family holidays abroad and UK breaks

• Theme park visits and special days out

• Meeting a favourite person, character or hero 

• Unique experiences tailored to the child

• Bedroom makeovers

• Specialist or sensory equipment

• Technology that improves quality of life

• Wheelchairs

These are just examples - we don't want to limit a child's imagination. If your child's dream isn't listed above, we'd still love to hear about it and see how we may be able to help.

Yes. If your application is approved, we'll work with you to arrange a holiday that's suitable for your family and within our funding guidelines. 

Please speak to us first. In some circumstances we may ask families to make bookings themselves but this must always be agreed in advance. 

The amount of funding available depends on the type of dream being requested. Each dream category has its own funding guidelines and limits, allowing us to support as many children and families as possible while making sure we use our funds responsibly.

Every dream is unique and each request is considered individually. If your child's application is successful, our team will discuss the support available and how we can help make their dream happen.

We understand that some dreams may cost more than the funding we are able to provide. In these situations families are welcome to contribute towards the remaining cost or explore other fundraising options.

Please speak to our team before making any bookings or purchases as all funding must be agreed in advance.

Unfortunately, no. Promise Dreams does not provide cash grants or financial assistance directly to families.

Our support is provided by arranging and funding approved dreams. This may include booking holidays or experiences, purchasing specialist equipment or paying suppliers directly on behalf of the family.

Unfortunately, no. As a registered charity we are unable to donate to personal fundraising pages, including JustGiving, GoFundMe or similar fundraising platforms.

Our charitable funds are used solely to make dreams come true for eligible children and young people.

Unfortunately, no. Promise Dreams is unable to fund holidays, experiences or purchases that have already been booked or partly paid for without our prior agreement.

If your application is successful, we'll work with you to arrange your dream and discuss the support we can provide before any bookings are made. If you're considering booking something yourself, please contact us first so we can advise you.

There are lots of ways you can help us make dreams come true for seriously and terminally ill children. Whether you choose to donate, fundraise or support one of our events, every contribution makes a real difference. 

Thank you! Whether you're planning a personal challenge, organising an event, fundraising at school or work, or celebrating a special occasion, we'd love to hear from you. Please contact us at info@promisedreams.co.uk

Our team will provide fundraising advice, promotional materials and support to help make your fundraiser a success.  We will also help you set up a JustGiving page to collect donations for Promise Dreams.

Absolutely. We work with businesses, schools, clubs and community groups in many different ways, including sponsorship, Charity of the Year, Partnerships, fundraising events, donations and volunteering. If you'd like to support Promise Dreams, we'd love to discuss how we can work together. 

At the moment, we are not accepting general donations of goods and we do not currently have any volunteering opportunities available.

We do occasionally welcome donations of specific items that have been requested to help make a particular child's dream come true. We may also accept donations of items with substantial value that can be used to raise funds, such as auction or raffle prizes for our fundraising events.

If you have a product, service or expertise that you feel could benefit the running of Promise Dreams or help us make a child's dream come true, we'd love to hear from you. Please get in touch with our team to discuss how we may be able to work together.

That's absolutely fine. Please let us know when you apply. Depending on the circumstances, we may pause your application while another charity considers your request. 

If you can't find the answer you're looking for, please get in touch with our friendly team. We'll be happy to answer any questions and guide you through the application process.