Zoe’s Place fundraising boss says ‘we stand a fighting chance’ after incredible support 

The city region is pulling together to help save Zoe’s Place after the Liverpool baby hospice announced it was being forced to close.

Zoe’s Place fundraising boss Matt Meaney says he has never seen anything like the support that’s flooded in for the Liverpool baby hospice.

“I have been working in the charity sector for 20 years and I have never seen anything like it, let alone be involved in something like it,” he reveals.

“The outpouring of support is like nothing that anybody expected.”

Matt, head of fundraising, adds: “Within the space of a week we have gone from ‘we are closing Zoe’s Place Liverpool’ to the public rallying behind the cause and saying ‘we are going to do everything we can to try to make sure that doesn’t happen’.

“Influencers and businesses, celebrities, MPs, the general public, families and staff, everybody has done everything they possibly can.  It’s been absolutely incredible.”

Zoe’s Place, which supports babies and young children who have complex illnesses or disabilities from birth to age five, needs to raise £5m in 30 days to secure a new home in Liverpool.

It had run out of hope because time taken to get planning permission to create a new hospice left insufficient time left to construct the building before the organisation’s current lease runs out. With that compounded by a rise in projected costs which left insufficient funds available, the Yew Tree Lane charity announced it would have to close its doors.

Matt says: “No-one is under any illusions that this is an enormous challenge, to hit £5m in 30 days in any climate, and certainly in the current climate. But I have been saying from the very first day, if there’s any city that can do this, it’s definitely Liverpool.

“It’s a huge, huge mountain to climb but we believe if any city can do it, it’s Liverpool.

“We know how important and how special Zoe’s Place is because we see the families every single day and the challenge is trying to help other people to understand how important Zoe’s Place is.  I think the outpouring of support from the media, and from our local MP Ian Byrne, has helped to connect people to understanding Zoe’s Place is simply somewhere we can’t afford to lose in this city.”

There is much praise for Ian Byrne, MP for Liverpool West Derby.

“He has been incredible, as has the media,” says Matt. “The support we have had from local and national media has been out of this world. 

“A definite turning point was when Ian Byrne went live and said we’re going to do everything we can to save Zoe’s Place. He is working with our board and supporting our board and pulling together a network of contacts to deal with some of the technical challenges behind this. 

“We were very clear that, as well as money, this was also a buildings problem and there are hurdles to overcome to make a building happen in time. Ian is working with people to try to make that happen as well. So he has been absolutely incredible.”

Matt admits that Zoe’s Place isn’t out of the woods yet.

“Let’s not downplay the size of this,” he stresses. “We have still got a way to go. We still need people’s support, we need people to continue to raise money, to continue to spread the word, and continue to push everybody they know to support Zoe’s Place.

“But … we are in a completely different place to where we were on October 7 when the announcement was made that we were closing. We are definitely in a more positive position than we were a week ago.

“Everyone has to feel more hope. 

“There is a possibility that we stand a fighting chance.”

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