Make-A-Wish UK

Who we are

Make-A-Wish UK creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

We are granting a record number of wishes yet we face an urgent challenge. The demand for wishes is far outpacing our best efforts to keep up, so it’s taking longer than ever to grant once-in-a-lifetime wishes. But the heartbreaking reality is that many families simply can’t wait this long. 

We can’t keep asking families to wait for a wish that could bring joy, healing, and strength during their toughest times because for children who don't have long to live, there is no time to wait. When it comes to the dreams of children battling critical illness, they deserve to wish for more than a life defined by their illness. 

Wishes have the power to rescue the magic of childhood and provide a much-needed escape from the gruelling daily reality of a life defined by ongoing treatments, endless hospital stays and their critical illness. The one wish we can’t guarantee is more time, but only with your support, can we ensure their life isn’t defined by illness.

Every child deserves to wish for more than a life defined by illness.

Our culture and values

At Make-A-Wish our core values are:

Being Inspiring - We are dedicated, creative, kind and caring. We earn the trust of our wish children, their families, the communities in which we operate and our supporters. We consider the impact of our actions on others.

Being Inclusive - We are one community united in our ambition to bring lasting impact to every child and young person, and their families. ​We stay true to who we are, stand up for what we believe in and our differences are celebrated.

Be Magical -  We believe in the dreams of every child and young person. ​We inspire hope and courage to search for rainbows and reach for the stars. We build excitement, invent, create and do things that have never been done before.