We are Demelza

Derek and Jennifer Phillips established the charity’s original hospice in Kent 25 years ago in memory of their daughter Demelza, who tragically died of a brain tumour, at the age of 24. Over the past 25 years, Demelza has grown in the services offered to families, the number of children with serious or life-limiting conditions we care for, our expansion into East Sussex and South East London, and the voluntary donations needed to continue to maintain and grow our clinical, emotional, and practical support services.

Today, we are delighted to unveil our new branding as part of our strategic ambition and commitment to reaching more children and families who need us. Our new look will provide Demelza with a strong, consistent visual presence in the community that will enable us to reach and support more families, expand our service capacity, reach more care staff, and grow our income as laid out in our five-year strategy.

Lavinia Jarrett, Demelza CEO, said: “We are delighted to finally be able to share our new brand with our loyal and generous supporters and other key stakeholders. We are very proud of our heritage and this new look and feel will enable us to tackle the misconceptions surrounding children’s hospice care, which we know and understand can be a real barrier to families accessing our care.

One of the most significant challenges that our organisation faces for service delivery is the recruitment and retention of nurses and healthcare assistants. This is true for many healthcare organisations across the country. A more widely appealing brand that helps people understand the impact of our work can help us to reach more nurses and healthcare assistants and appeal to them as a place where they want to work.”

Our new brand film, narrated by actor and long-term Demelza supporter Daniel Radcliffe, depicts the extraordinary care that Demelza provides for extraordinary children - every minute of every day, every single night, every day of the year – to a backdrop of ‘Every Breath You Take’ performed by Kent singer-songwriter Katie Kittermaster.

Daniel, who is a Demelza Vice President, said: “Demelza is a charity very close to my heart, having been a supporter for many years now. Their work is crucial; they’re here to make sure that children and their families make the most of every single moment - from first diagnosis, for as long as needed. Demelza’s care shines through, in even the darkest of times.”

The Phillips family has played an integral role in our rebrand, with Demelza’s brother Adam Phillips sitting on the steering group responsible for final decisions.  

Adam said: “What Demelza has achieved in my sister’s memory over the last 25 years is nothing short of incredible. It has been an honour and privilege to be so closely involved with this important project.  

Demelza believes in care that doesn’t back down and the charity’s new brand epitomises this very notion.

At the heart of what Demelza does is always the care and support for children and their families – this is the ongoing legacy of my dear sister and our family.”