About Willow
About This Shop
Willow was founded in 1999 by former Arsenal goalkeeper and TV presenter, Bob Wilson and his wife, Megs, as a lasting memorial to their daughter, Anna, who died of cancer aged 31.
Anna said that wherever her cancer diagnosis took her, she wanted quality time and quality of life but most of all she wanted to have fun. That is what the charity wanted to replicate when it was set up. Quality of life and quality of time are really special things to be able to capture.
After her diagnosis, she, her family, and her friends experienced some of their most memorable moments together. What Anna called her ‘Special Days’ became a focus to provide a welcome distraction from the challenging realities of living with a life-threatening illness and restoring some normality into all their lives.
Every year thousands of 16-40 year olds in the UK are newly diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. When they should be enjoying the prime of life, they’re dealing with stress, isolation, medication, and hospital appointments.
In the toughest times, Willow creates life-affirming, uniquely tailored experiences that boost morale and bring friends and families together to create precious memories. This year we are predicting that we will deliver our service to over 1,000 beneficiaries across the UK.
From Special Treats, our little boxes of joy, to Special Days at Home for all the family. From fun-packed Special Days Out to quiet Special Breaks away from it all; we offer the chance to meet heroes and legends or the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream.
To provide our unique service, we fundraise in a variety of ways from community events such as the Willow 10K and other challenge events across the country to shoots, golf days, our annual ball, and London Football Awards. More information can be found on our website (www.willowfoundation.org.uk).
Our charity shops across the region play a vital role in fundraising for Willow, they are stalwarts of their communities and have regular volunteers as we welcome anyone who wants to help make a difference.
Our volunteers tell us that giving their time to Willow brings them many benefits including a boost to their self-esteem and confidence and improved mental health in general. They can learn new skills which can help them find paid employment. Some of our volunteers have additional needs and our shops provide a space where they can join in and be part of the community.