Grants and Services

FINANCIAL support to help the  terminally ill and their families.

Derek's Place is only registered as a charity in NSW. Unfortunately this means we are only able to assist NSW Residents with our grants.

Derek’s Place offers grants of up to $500 to eligible families to assist with the cost of creating lasting memorable experiences or to ease the burden of funeral costs.

To be eligible for a Funeral or Memory Grant of up to $500, families must have a parent with a terminal illness and at least one child aged under 13. To complete the application form, you will need a letter from a treating doctor stating that the patient has a terminal illness and listing the names and ages of the children under 13.

Unless otherwise negotiated with Derek’s Place, funds will be paid directly to service providers nominated by grant recipients.

Once you have the letter from the treating doctor, please complete the form below and attach the letter. The process should take less than 5 minutes to complete. We will review your application within 5 business days and get in touch with you to discuss the next steps.

Please note that a proportion of our funds are set aside quarterly for these grants. Funding for applications is subject to availability.

The families who need our assistance are best placed to determine the kinds of memories they need to make. However, in case you would like some inspiration we have some suggestions listed below.

  • A trip to; The zoo, The aquarium or Luna Park
  • A weekend away at a beach house or in the bush
  • A family photo session
  • A video recording with messages for the family from the ill parent
  • A fully catered family picnic in a special location
  • A trip to spend time with extended family

We are so sorry you need our support, but we are very glad to be here to help you. Someone from Derek’s Place will be in touch within five working days to discuss your application and work with you to make memories or provide financial assistance for your funeral arrangements.

Care Packages

When a parent of young children moves to a palliative care facility for end-of-life care their immediate family is impacted both emotionally and logistically.

Carers often have the dual roles of being available to their loved one who has entered care and also to their children.

It can be difficult to occupy children in the relatively confined space of a hospice room. Carers are sometimes concerned that the noise children make may be disturbing others and experience added stress when children complain of boredom, hunger and a desire to go home.

We have developed age appropriate care packs to provide to families as they enter a palliative care facility for end-of-life care. The contents of the packages have been curated based on research about age appropriate activities for children in high stress situations. We have also considered the need to keep noise and mess to a minimum while maximising the ability for children to:

  • engage with the items in the packs for extended periods on multiple occasions,
  • express emotions in a way that is therapeutic,
  • continue to associate time spent with their parents with a sense of comfort and wellbeing, and
  • feel seen and cared for during a very traumatic time.