Who we help
Everyone deserves the chance to live fully.
Even when time is short.
Where we are now
We start where the need is best understood.
In our early stages, beneficiaries are recommended to us by the hospital, counselling and specialist teams we work alongside. These are the professionals who already understand their patients’ circumstances, and who can identify the people who would truly benefit from the chance to create meaningful memories.
We have deliberately started this way rather than opening a public application form. A family in the middle of a terminal diagnosis should not have to make a case for themselves, compete for a place, or set out their financial position to a stranger. The people already caring for them are better placed to know.
We are not taking open referrals. In our first year every beneficiary comes to us through the teams we already work with, so that everyone who reaches us gets the time and attention they deserve rather than joining a queue.
Adults with a terminal diagnosis
People who have received the devastating news that their illness cannot be cured, and for whom time has become the thing in shortest supply.
Families under real pressure
Where financial worry, work that cannot stop, caring responsibilities or sheer exhaustion are getting in the way of time together.
People who would not ask
Often the people who need this most are the least likely to put themselves forward. That is exactly why the referral comes from a professional.
Where we are going
Our reach will expand.
As Living Not Existing grows, so does the number of people we can reach. Our vision is to support many more of those who have received the devastating news of a terminal diagnosis — giving them the opportunity to experience joy, connection and unforgettable moments when they need them most.
Growth here is not an ambition for its own sake. Every additional partnership, every pound raised and every hour given is another family who gets the chance we were fortunate enough to have.
Common questions
What people ask us before making a referral.
Can a patient or family come to you directly?
Not at this stage. While we are establishing ourselves, everyone we help comes through a professional already involved in their care. If you or someone you love is facing a terminal diagnosis, speak to your clinical nurse specialist, consultant or counsellor — they know how to reach us.
Which hospitals and services do you work with?
We are starting with the teams the charity already knows and trusts, which keeps the numbers manageable while we are small. As we grow we will extend to other trusts, centres and hospices — and we would welcome a conversation with any team that wants to work with us in future.
Is there a means test?
No. We do not ask families to evidence their income or open their finances to us. We rely on the judgement of the referring professional, who already understands the household’s circumstances and pressures.
What if the patient becomes too unwell to go?
Then they don’t go, and nobody is out of pocket or made to feel awkward about it. Where we can, we rearrange. Where we can’t, we look for something else that works — smaller, closer to home, or at the hospital itself.
How much does it cost the family?
Nothing. Experiences are funded in full, including travel and accommodation where they are needed. We will never ask a beneficiary or their family to contribute.
Will the family be asked to share their story publicly?
Only if they want to, and only with their explicit consent, given separately and revocable at any time. Receiving help from us is never conditional on being willing to talk about it.
Working with us