Derbyshire children with mental, physical and emotional difficulties are to be given ‘Happy Days’ after a local science company pledged support for a highly valued charity.
The Happy Day’s Children’s Charity which helps 35,000 children each year has hailed the “incredible” two-year support pledge from science company Lubrizol, which has a UK Technical Centre in Derbyshire.
Founded in 1992, the charity provides special days and short breaks for children in the UK who are living with mental, physical and emotional challenges. It is the latest charity to be adopted by Lubrizol which has bases in Derbyshire, Barnsley, Huddersfield and Manchester.
Rob Cox, fundraising and marketing manager for Happy Days, said the charity had seen a significant rise in demand over recent years and that some families requesting help have had to wait for up to 18 months to receive support.
He said: “This support from Lubrizol is absolutely invaluable. They will be our biggest corporate partner this year. People are really struggling at the moment and for families we are working with, life has become even harder.
“We have seen a big increase in families and groups asking for support in the last two years. The more need there is for our services, the more support we need, and for Lubrizol to step in at a time like this, it’s really invaluable to our work. It’s going to be absolutely incredible for us.”
Happy Days Children’s Charity organises and funds a wide range of activities, including trips to the seaside, theatres, zoos, museums, outdoor activity centres, sporting events and other educational and cultural activities.
The charity receives no government funding and relies entirely on support from companies like Lubrizol and an army of volunteers.
Rob said: “Some parents don’t have the finances even to afford a simple day trip, especially with the cost of living situation. One reason we’re able to help is thanks to the many amazing teachers, doctors, care workers and support staff who give up their time to accompany children on their trips.
“We have thousands of volunteers all over the country. As we receive no government funding, we’re 100 per cent reliant on the generosity of companies like Lubrizol to fund our activities – thank you to each and every one of them.”
Charity and community committee leaders at Lubrizol asked employees around all its UK sites to vote for a main charity to support and Happy Days came out on top. During 2023 and 2024 the company has supported St John Ambulance, donating more than £17,000, and it has previously raised more than £28,000 for Mind.
The company’s Derbyshire base has previously donated to Happy Days, paying for 60 children and 17 carers from a Derby special educational needs (SEND) school to enjoy a day out in Skegness.
Rob said money donated through Lubrizol would be used to benefit children living in the areas where the company has sites: Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Manchester.
He said: “A few years ago, we were looking at six to twelve months to be able to arrange an activity or special day out. Now, it can be up to 18 months before we can step in to help. So this support is going to make an enormous difference.
“In a lot of cases, when people phone us it is often when their circumstances have reached breaking point, and often far beyond the time when they really need support. Many families can feel embarrassed about contacting a charity so asking them to wait for another 18 months before we can help is a difficult thing to do.
“The support that Lubrizol will give us will mean we can help children and families much more quickly, which is just so important.
“There are incredible short term and long term benefits to our work.
“It’s about getting children outdoors, out of isolation, and connecting them with each other. For example, some of the children we support have lost siblings or may be young carers supporting parents, and they can often feel very alone in dealing with their problems.
“If we can help them to get out, have fun and meet other kids in similar circumstances, it not only helps them share their worries but helps them form friendships that can last a lifetime.
“We’re also teaching children skills and giving them the opportunity to do things that they wouldn’t normally be able to do because of the barriers they face. So ultimately, whilst our special days are about having fun, they’re vital in enabling kids to overcome challenges, helping them to build confidence and self-esteem.”
Claire Hollingshurst, from Lubrizol’s charities and communities committee, said: “I’m delighted that the brilliant Happy Days Children’s Charity has been chosen as Lubrizol’s UK-wide charity for the next two years.
“Giving back is so important to us at Lubrizol and over the years we have been able to make a big difference to charities with significant funds raised. We really look forward to doing the same for Happy Days. Their work is incredible and clearly makes a huge difference to thousands of children across the UK.
“We can’t wait to support them with some great fundraisers and initiatives. It’s lovely to hear that Happy Days will be supporting children local to our areas and we look forward to working together over the next two years.”
