Council supports The Joshua Tree with crowdfunding campaign

The Joshua Tree is using the Cheshire West Crowd to raise funds and develop the charity so it can support more young people and families affected by childhood cancer.

Run by Cheshire West and Chester Council in partnership with Spacehive, the Cheshire West Crowd allows everyone to put forward community-led projects and attract funding to make the borough more vibrant, resilient and connected.

The Joshua Tree has grown significantly in recent years and the crowdfunding campaign will help purchase:

• land at its support centre near Northwich
• fencing for new outdoor activities
• ·outdoor equipment.

Around 1,500 individuals have been supported since the charity was formed in 2006 by Lynda and David Hall after their son Joshua had been diagnosed with leukaemia.

As part of The Joshua Tree’s crowdfunding campaign, the Council has donated almost £20,000, with more than 20 other people and organisations supporting the initiative so far.

Debbie, Corporate Partnership Officer at The Joshua Tree, said:

“We want to make it a home from home where families can come and feel safe and supported.

“We want them to be able to share their concerns and experiences with other families.

“We’ve had a lot of support through the Cheshire West Crowd and it’s always out there if you reach out to people.

“It’s the first time we’ve crowdfunded, but we’ve found the process relatively easy and it’s definitely something we’d do again.”

Angie, Family Support Worker at The Joshua Tree, added:

“We have a centre at the minute and this is used to its capacity as we’re getting busier and busier.

“We use a lot of the indoor areas, but we need more outdoor space so children are able to come here and get involved with outdoor games and sports.

“It’ll be invaluable for us to have access to this new outdoor space that we’re aiming to get through the crowdfunding campaign.”

Ellie, another Family Support Worker, commented: “We just want to put a smile on people’s faces when they come in and help them when they’re at their lowest points.”

Some community projects, including The Joshua Tree, are still running crowdfunding campaigns and calling on the support of their local community.

Check out the different projects

Pictured - The Joshua Tree is based near Northwich, supporting young people and families affected by childhood cancer.