Together for Short Lives
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Food voucher referral form

Nominated partners are able to refer families for a £100 M&S food voucher. These vouchers can only be redeemed in person at a store.

Nominated partners (referral agents) have been notified. Any enquiries please email info@togetherforshortlives.org.uk.

Who can apply for a voucher?

Any professional supporting a family caring for a child with a life limiting/life threatening condition (as defined in Together for Short Lives’ 4 categories) who has been allocated a quota of vouchers can submit a referral on behalf of families that are able to redeem in January 2025.

Which geographical areas do these vouchers cover?

The vouchers can be redeemed at any M&S Food store across the UK. Please check that the family are able to access an M&S Food store in person before making a referral.

Which families are eligible for a voucher?

These vouchers are intended for households supported by the referral agent, who would benefit from financial support at this time. While there is no upper age limit set for the child, they must still be receiving support (including bereavement support) from a children’s palliative care team.

How are the vouchers sent?

The vouchers will be emailed to the family’s email address as nominated on the referral form. Once activated, the voucher can be scanned at the checkout. If the nominated family does not have a smart phone, please include a postal address and a voucher card will be posted to them.

Can the vouchers be used for anything?

While the vouchers can be used to purchase anything in store, our partners at M&S Food have donated them specifically to support with food shops.

When should the family redeem the voucher?

While the voucher may have a four year limit on them, we ask that families activate the voucher in the next  month.

Does the voucher need to be used in one shop?

No. Any unused credit is kept on the card for future purchases.

Will you know when and where the vouchers are activated?

Yes. M&S Food will track when and where vouchers have been redeemed. We want the vouchers to go to those families in need so assume that all will be activated within two months.

What information do you need in order to accept a referral?

We need confirmation from a professional that this family meet the criteria and understand that the voucher should be used within two months of receipt and that Together for Short Lives will hold information about them in line with our Data Privacy Notice.

We will need a name and email address (or postal address) in order to send the voucher to the family. We will also ask for basic information about the household for our monitoring and reporting purposes:

  • Town of residence
  • Number of people in household
  • Child’s diagnosed condition
  • Ethnicity of main carer

The referral form is at the bottom of this page.

Can I apply more than once for the same family?

No, a household may receive only one voucher.

Will you contact the family directly?

We will send the voucher by email or post, and will include details of how Together for Short Lives’ Family Support Hub may be able to further support them. We will email the family six to eight weeks after sending the voucher with a short feedback survey. Responses to this survey help us to demonstrate impact to other potential supporters, we are very grateful to all families who complete and return the form.

How long will the vouchers be available for?

We were donated 300 vouchers. The referral form will not be available when all have been gifted to families.  As at 01/01/25 we had 25 remaining.

Food voucher referral form

This information is required for Together for Short Lives to enable a food voucher to be issued

Your information

Parent/carer's information

A £100 M&S voucher will be emailed directly to the family. If the family do not have access to an email account, please add their address below and the voucher will be posted.
Parent address (only required if voucher must be posted)

Ethnicity data (for monitoring purposes only)

Professional declaration

I confirm that this family are known to the palliative care team(Required)
The family understand that the information collected on this form will be used for payment, audit and monitoring purposes in line with Together for Short Lives' Privacy Policy(Required)
I have checked the email and address and can verify it is correct(Required)
The family has been informed that Together for Short Lives will contact them regarding this gift(Required)