Apply for a Wish

What is a wish?

Our wishes give seriously ill children the chance to do something extraordinary. For many children, it’s an opportunity to choose something just for them – a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Every wish is as unique as the child who created it. Our experienced Wish Visitors visit a child and spend time with them to find out what matters most to them in the world, and what matters most to them about their wish.

We’re keen to get the wish capture experience right, because a child’s One True Wish is a precious gift that helps build lasting memories, confidence and resilience.

Tough times lead a child to be eligible for a wish, and families often suffer as a result of a child being seriously ill, which is why it’s important to us to include them in a child’s wish too.

What are the criteria?

A child needs to be a UK resident, aged between 3 and 17 years, and diagnosed with a critical illness. You can see the list of conditions that fall into our eligibility criteria (copy can be requested by email or post).
A child shouldn’t have received a wish from us before or from another wish-granting organisation. We’re only able to grant one wish for any child.

We can accept an application if we receive it on the child’s third birthday, or before the day of their 18th birthday.

Types of Wishes

Wishes are often set around four key themes:

I wish to meet…
To meet someone special or important like a hero, celebrity or influencer.

I wish to be…
To be someone or something – such as a superhero, princess or a character.

I wish to go…
To go somewhere and spend time doing something special.

I wish to have…
To own something special or particular like a toy.

Whatever the child’s wish, we make the experience a truly individual and memorable one.

How do I refer a child?

Tell us what your relationship is to the child for more information on how to refer a child to receive a wish. Once we receive the application, we’ll then be in contact to advise you whether or not the child is eligible for a wish.

Please contact us on 01924 632 043 or email referrals@themagicwishingwell.org.uk and we’ll send you a form in the post.

Please post the form back to:
The Magic Wishing Well,
633 Halifax Road,
Liversedge,
West Yorkshire
WF15 8HG

What happens next?

If the child is eligible for a wish, we’ll call the family asking for further information about the child.

We’ll then arrange for our specially-trained volunteers to visit the child to find out about their One True Wish.

Please note, there are restrictions on some kinds of wishes. Wishes are usually restricted to within Europe, and we’re unable to provide some items such as disability-related equipment, or grant wishes for garden/outdoor spaces.

If your wish falls into a category with restrictions, we’ll explain these to you so you can understand why.