me&dee was founded in 2006 by Maria Hanson MBE, and from the very beginning our mission has been clear: to provide comfort, care, and precious memories for families facing life‑changing and life‑limiting conditions. As a totally self‑funding charity based in Derby, UK, we do not receive government grants or statutory funding. Instead, we rely entirely on the generosity of individuals, community groups, and businesses who raise vital funds to keep our services running.

Every pound raised helps us deliver our continuing care and support programme, which provides holidays, respite experiences, and family activities designed to bring joy, connection, and lasting memories. Our work supports both adults and children, offering them the chance to spend quality time together away from the pressures of illness, disability, or loss.

The story of how me&dee came to be is deeply personal and inspiring, and you can read it in full on our Our Founder page, told directly by Maria Hanson MBE. Her vision and determination have shaped me&dee into the charity it is today — one that continues to grow, adapt, and respond to the urgent needs of families across the UK.

As we move forward, our commitment remains the same: to ensure that every family who turns to us finds not only practical support, but also compassion, dignity, and the chance to create treasured memories together.

This year marks me&dee’s 20th year — a milestone that fills us with pride, gratitude, and a deep sense of responsibility for the families who rely on us. What began as a small charity supporting around 100 families a year has grown into a lifeline for so many more.

As we look ahead to the coming year, we know that the need for our support is only increasing. Families are facing more complex challenges, and the emotional, physical, and financial pressures they experience continue to grow. Like all charities, we’ve evolved over time — and we must continue to do so. Our commitment is to meet these rising needs with even greater compassion, care, and creativity.

A key part of our focus for the year ahead is the continued development of our Continuing Care and Support Programme. This programme allows us to walk alongside families for longer, offering not just a single moment of respite, but ongoing support, community, and understanding. It reflects our belief that families deserve more than a one‑off experience — they deserve continuity, connection, and a safe space where they can simply breathe.

One of the most powerful examples of this is our Moorways splash sessions. These sessions bring together families whose children are living with profound challenges — from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and limb amputations to the heartbreaking loss of a young parent. In the warm, inclusive environment of the pool, something truly special happens. Children who may feel stared at or excluded in a typical swimming session are able to relax, play, and simply be themselves. Parents find comfort in meeting others who understand their journey. Families bond in a space free from judgement, pressure, or fear.

These moments — the laughter echoing across the water, the relief on a parent’s face, the sense of belonging that fills the room — remind us exactly why me&dee exists. And they inspire our vision for the year ahead.

As we step into our 21st year, we are more determined than ever to grow, adapt, and reach every family who needs us. With the continued support of our community, partners, and donors, we will keep creating spaces where families can find comfort, care, and precious memories that last a lifetime.

We’re also taking families for trips at Go Active Falconry at White Post Farm in Nottingham – and again, it’s brilliant to see how much they all enjoy themselves in the fresh air for the day.

We’re now working a lot more closely with the nursing and bereavement teams at local hospitals, providing the right, sensitive support when the worst imaginable happens. Our Hope elephant continues to be an incredible support to so many, with her voice recorder in one ear and space for precious messages in the other. She can also hold a tin in her ear which can hold special items and even ashes for those who have been lost.

All of that is why we have taken the decision to sell our forest-based holiday lodge acquired a few years ago. This lodge has provided some amazing holidays for families who apply to us for help, but it has become clear over the past couple of years that this is not the support we now need to provide. We are needed much more quickly, much more urgently, and much closer to home.

For every week’s holiday we can give a family in our lodge, we can provide so much more with the new streams of support we’ve now developed.

We’ll be reinvesting the sale of the lodge back into our charity where its funds are severely needed. Each of our Moorways splash sessions – which mean so very much – cost £700, and they are helping many more people than our lodge ever could.

We’re also no longer taking single applications but through our close involvement with teams in local hospitals, we’re able to help hundreds of people who find themselves in hospital in need of the comfort we can provide, whether that’s through our teenage comfort packs which include lovely clean pyjamas, or mums and dads who really appreciate our sachets of tea and coffee when they have had to drop everything to be with their child.

Our charity is here to provide a comforting hug in your hour of need. And though we’ve changed, that’s what we’ll continue to work hard to give. When memories are all you have left, we’ll continue to work to make sure they’re the best you could possibly have.

For those who are facing an uncertain future it’s important to create a way of capturing precious memories, those that we all take for granted when life is busy and passing us by.

me&dee realise that the most important thing we can gift is time together as a family, a chance to stop the worries for a day or two, something that can take people out of the situation they find themselves in and capture some smiles, some laughter and those oh so precious memories, to cherish and remember.

Whether that one person in the family is an adult or child, gifting them the time together by way of an experience or treat is what me&dee do.

me&dee – #memorymakers