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Welsh Secretary welcomes ‘Dreams and Wishes’ charity to Gwydyr House

Members of a charity working with terminally ill children in Wales accompanied children and their families to a tea party at the Wales Office.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Members of a charity dedicated to making a difference to the lives of terminally ill children in Wales were today welcomed to Whitehall by the Secretary of State for Wales, David Jones and treated to a festive tea party at the Wales Office

Dreams and Wishes, headed by Chairman Tony Curtis MBE, offers special trips and memorable experiences to children receiving treatment for serious and life changing illness, their carers and their families.

Today, as part of their annual festive trip to London, the children received a fanfare send off from South Wales from the Royal Welsh Regiment. During their visit, the group marched up Whitehall for a VIP lunch with the Speaker of the House of Commons, visited Big Ben and the London Eye, and rounded off the day with a traditional visit to Gwydyr House for afternoon tea.

Welsh Secretary, David Jones said:

It is always a pleasure to meet these brave children and put on a special tea party for them at the end of what is always a very eventful day out in Whitehall.

Tony Curtis and the team behind Dreams and Wishes invest a great deal of time and effort into putting smiles on the faces of the children experiencing gruelling and difficult illnesses. It is always a delight to welcome them to the Wales Office during their annual Christmas visit to London.

I hope the children and their families enjoyed their day and cherish the memories created today. I wish them all a very Happy Christmas and look forward to welcoming them back in the New Year.

Tony Curtis MBE, Chairman of Dreams & Wishes said:

This is my twentieth year visiting London with seriously ill children, we get a fantastic welcome at the Wales Office, the Secretary of State and the staff make the children and families feel extra special. It is a chance for families to have fun, relax and get a day full of memories.

These children go through long hard treatments for their illnesses, sometimes spending up to 3 years in hospital. The children will have a wonderful day that they will remember for a lifetime.

Updates to this page

Published 17 December 2012
Last updated 24 May 2013 + show all updates
  1. Updated to correct typo.

  2. First published.