Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice’s fourth ‘From That Moment’ annual appeal, which launched at the start of September, has hit its £1m target. The crucial funds will help to cover some of the costs required to run Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice which currently stand at over £7m per year. All donations throughout the campaign were doubled thanks to the charity’s generous backers and the £1m target was hit during the 36-hour window, which ended on 13 October at 10pm. During the campaign, individuals, schools, and businesses in our community all pulled together to make a real difference to the lives of children who are seriously unwell and their families across north and central London and Hertsmere.
Glitz and Giving
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice’s second Glitz and Giving on the 20 September raised an incredible £14k which was doubled as part of the From That Moment campaign. The event was sponsored by V Jewellers, Queenswood Homes, Bellevue Mortlake and RWK Goodman. TV and Radio presenter, Melvin Odoom, returned to treat guests to an amazing DJ set and one lucky guest won a 1 carat diamond, courtesy of V Jewellers. There was also a raffle with impressive prizes that included a champagne afternoon tea at The Dorchester and a bottomless brunch for two at a Drake and Morgan venue.
Melvin Odoom said: ‘It was a real pleasure to return to Glitz and Giving for its second year. Just like last year, the incredible atmosphere and the crowd’s generosity helped raise much-needed funds for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. The work they do makes a real difference to children and families across north and central London.’
Step-tember
Itohan Evbuomwan, 40, from north London, took part in Step-tember, one of the charity’s new fundraising products. As part of the challenge to take on 90 miles in September, she cycled from London to Brighton.
Itohan says: ‘I completed the London to Brighton bike ride to raise funds for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, supporting children with life-threatening conditions and their families. Their compassionate care during the most difficult times is deeply inspiring, and I wanted to help ensure more families could benefit from their incredible support. Taking part in the Step-tember Challenge made the experience even more meaningful, knowing that every donation was doubled and the impact of our efforts was amplified.’
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice Specialist Carer, Sophie Evans, 24, and her wife, Leah Evans, 28, who live in Borehamwood, also accepted the Step-tember challenge. Leah has Hip Dysplasia which led to her be being in a wheelchair from 2012 until an operation in 2024. Leah was also part of the 2016 Team GB Wheelchair basketball Team in the Paralympic Games.
Leah says: ‘A year ago I couldn’t even stand, let alone walk! Learning to walk again after 12 years has been an accomplishment in itself but to have walked over 90 Miles for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice throughout September, to help raise vital funds for the families they support, has been an amazing achievement that I never could have imagined possible.’
Walking 9-5
In 2024, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice’s corporate partner, Payen, an award-winning fintech company, created the Walking 9-5 challenge. This year the charity integrated this step-counting, team building, fundraising product into the From That Moment campaign. One of the Payen family taking part in Walking 9-5 was Corgan Layden, the son of Payen’s Operations Analyst, Tanya Layden, who live in Devon. Corgan is hearing impaired and completed the challenge with his hearing assistant dog – Albert!
Payen CEO Richard Smith, from St Albans, said: ‘Payen is so proud to be partnered with Noah’s Ark Hospice, as we truly believe it is one of the most deserving services/charitable cause in the UK right now. We wanted to get involved in the ‘Walking 9-5’ campaign to raise funds for Noah’s Ark to make a positive social impact as a company and involve ever single employee in the company in the project. For the company it has become one of the social highlights of our year.’
Community Fundraising
The Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice’s community also came together to support the charity, with Reed Recruitment hosting a successful quiz night in Enfield. Prizes for the event were generously donated by Reed, McMullen & Sons Ltd, David Lloyd Clubs, Jetset Flights Limited, Laboratory Spa & Health Clubs, and Nu Vending.
Zehra, Reed Recruitment Area Manager, said: ‘We set out to bring the community together while raising funds for an incredibly worthy cause, and the response was just amazing. The event was full of energy and laughter but knowing it was all in support of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice made it truly meaningful. It was a fantastic night that showed the power of community spirit and the difference we can make when we come together.’
Individual Fundraising
Another campaign supporter was Elaine Furze. Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice have been supporting Elaine and her daughter Willow Harris, 7, from Mill Hill, since Willow was 18 months old, when she was diagnosed with Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Elaine, her sister, Eleanor Furze, and Elaine’s best friend, Sarah Ashworth, all completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon on the 12 October 2025 to raise funds for the charity. Elaine and Willow starred in the 2024 From That Moment campaign film, which recently won the coveted Highly Commended Trophy for Best Large Charity Film at the prestigious Third Sector Awards. The film documents Elaine’s journey through the hopefulness of pregnancy to the fear and uncertainty that followed when she realised that Willow had a serious condition.
Elaine Furze said: ‘Noah’s Ark have done so much for us all, not just Willow, but my whole family. The events, the days out, everything is so amazing. We wanted to give something back, not just for us but for all the children and families they support.’
The campaign also received an abundance of support from celebrities such as Sarah Parish, Sophie Rundle, Mevin Odoom, Rankin and Stephen Merchant. Tottenham Hotspur, the charity’s official partner, also backed the campaign with promotional videos from Bethany England, James Maddison and Head Coach, Thomas Frank.
Sophie Andrews OBE, CEO of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice said: ‘I’m delighted that we’ve reached our £1m target and would like to thank everyone who supported, donated and shared the campaign. The generosity of our community is vital to us and these crucial funds will help to cover some of our annual £7m costs, allowing us to be there for the children and families who desperately need us.’
