Our 30th birthday
2026 sees The Honeypot Children’s Charity mark its 30th anniversary! This year we are delighted to celebrate with all our supporters and our families, three decades of supporting young carers.
We were founded in 1992 by Lisa Nelson Stratton, originally to provide holidays for disadvantaged children. In 1996 we purchased our first home in The New Forest and shifted our focus to supporting young carers, quickly becoming a place of respite, joy and safety for children who needed it most.
Over the past three decades, we have gone from strength to strength. Today, we run three houses across England, Wales and Scotland, making Honeypot a truly national service. In the last 30 years, thousands of children have passed through our doors - each one welcomed by our exceptional team, into a safe, nurturing environment where they are cared for, valued and able to simply be children.
Read more about our story below, or download our special commemorative birthday booklet, with messages from our Trustees, CEO, supporters and Honeypot alumni.
Birthday messages
How to get involved
To help us celebrate we’re inviting everyone to get involved in our special birthday campaign: What’s Your 30?
The idea is simple – in celebration of our 30th birthday, we’re asking our supporters to give a little time, creativity, or energy to help make a big difference. It could be 30 minutes, 30 hours, or a challenge lasting 30 days – the choice is yours. Whether you want to fundraise, volunteer, or simply share a moment of joy, every contribution helps us continue to support thousands of young carers across the UK.
There are many ways to take part. You might want to fundraise for us by hosting a coffee morning, running a mini-marathon, baking, or creating your own challenge. Maybe you’ll spend 30 minutes sharing a skill with a young person, or simply spread positivity online by sharing your “30 minutes of joy” ideas to inspire others. Your creativity is the only limit.
All activities – big or small – will help us reach our goal of providing life-changing experiences for young carers, from residential breaks to educational and wellbeing programmes. By taking part, you’re not just celebrating our 30th year; you’re shaping the future for children who give so much of themselves every day.
Fundraising
There are so many ways you can get involved. If you would like to take part in What’s your 30? by fundraising for us you will find loads of great ideas in our special 30th fundraising pack, whcih you can download below. Or maybe you have an amazing idea of your own, in which case you can set up your own online fundraising page today. If you would to talk to a member of our team please contact us at: fundraising@honeypot.org.uk
30 minutes of joy
We asked some of our amazing supporters to share what they do for 30 minutes that brings them joy.
