Deborah talks about our 5 year partnership with Hugh James

Hugh James Solicitors have supported us for the past five years. We caught up with Deborah Sleightholme, Partner and Head of Strategic Relationships to hear about what our partnership means to them.

Tell us about Hugh James and how you decide which charities you’d like to support.

Hugh James is a top full-service national law firm with offices in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Southampton, and Plymouth.

We have a long history of supporting people who have been seriously injured and bereaved and believe in empowering people at the worst time of their lives and helping them move forward. We see ourselves as very much part of the circle of support, working closely with and alongside the emergency services and medical professionals.

We recognise that Charities like Theodora Children’s Charity have a vital role to play and can make a huge positive difference to the children and families who, like all our clients, find themselves on a difficult journey they did not choose to embark on.

It goes without saying that we’re very grateful for your support here at Theodora Children’s Charity – could you tell us what drew you to Theodora Children’s Charity and our Giggle Doctors initially?

A lawyer based in our London office came across Theodora Children’s Charity and the Giggle Doctors through a family she was working with. When she shared what the charity does with colleagues, there was an overwhelming desire to support its work.

Anything that can be done to bring a smile to the faces of children undergoing treatment in hospital and make the experience that little bit less scary is always going to tug at the heart strings, especially when you hear André, Theodora’s son talk about why the charity was set up in the first place.

One little boy we met in 2024 called Rory said: “The Giggle Doctors are like real doctors because they made me feel better, but in a different way.” It’s wonderful for us to hear feedback like this about how a Giggle Doctor visit has helped a child feel like themselves again, but what’s it like for you as a supporter to hear about children like Rory?

Knowing our support has helped bring a smile and make a difference to a child and their family going through something most of us can’t imagine is very humbling and makes you want to do more to help raise awareness of what Theodora Children’s Charity does so even more children can benefit from the programme.

Hearing feedback from the children who have benefitted from the Giggle Doctor visits makes it all worthwhile!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about what it’s like to be a corporate donor?

There is a fun and feel-good factor to what Theodora Children’s Charity does which is uplifting, whilst recognising the severity of what those who benefit from it services are going through.

We have held 2 comedy nights now to raise funds for the charity which aligns very well to the cause. Smiles and laughter sit alongside learning more about the important work the charity does. As a corporate donor, we want to be pro-active, and make sure as many people as possible know about Theodora and its Giggle Doctor programme.

Why do you think play in hospital is important?

For most people, a child spending a long period of time in hospital with a serious illness is unthinkable. The reality is devastating. The child and family need a huge amount of support.

Sadly, we are acutely aware of all that, as we see it through the work we do at Hugh James.

Whilst retaining normality is hard, we need to remember that a child is still a child. Play is a huge part of a child’s development so it’s vital to ensure they can still enjoy that time. The Giggle Doctors help facilitate that, interjecting an appropriate level of fun and carefree that is missing from the severity of treatment, and for me, if that helps brighten a child’s day even just a little and helps them forget reality for a short time, it’s well worth it.