It's looking a lot like Christmas on the RUH's Children's Ward

It's been a busy week on the Children's Ward at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, as the local community rallies around to ensure youngsters on the ward have a smile on their face this Christmas.

Generous donations from groups and individuals have been pouring in, as a steady stream of visitors called in throughout the week.

Visitors have included:

• Three-year-old Lacey Hill, who raised money for the ward after watching a television programme about children who will be in hospital over Christmas. Worried they wouldn't have any toys to play with, Lacey raised money from family and friends by helping around the house - washing and tidying up, dusting and folding clothes. Her total was then matched by her parents, Becky and Jason, and Jason's work colleagues also donated money. In all, nearly £300 was raised to buy a range of toys, games and sweets for the ward.
• Paige Thurston and Natasha Wyke from Norland College, who created Christmas goody bags for patients and their families. Paige had completed a placement on the ward in September and was inspired by the hard work of staff.
• University of Bath students Gethin Davies and Yiannos Kozakis who dropped off five portable DVD players, which they had brought after raising funds for the ward as part of their course.
• Derek Newman, from the RAF Association Bath, donated a special teddy bear, named Rafa, for the younger children on the ward.
• Volunteers from Project Linus UK dropped off a selection of homemade quilts and blankets to be given to patients as presents. Project Linus is a UK-wide network of volunteer needlewomen whose aim is to provide comfort and cheer to babies, children and teenagers.

RUH Play Specialist Lyn Gardener said: "We're so grateful for the generosity of the local community, who have donated such wonderful gifts to the ward to help our young patients enjoy Christmas.

"Each year we are overwhelmed by the generosity of the public, local organisations and businesses and I know just how grateful our staff and patients will be for these fantastic gifts."

ENDS

Notes to Editor

• The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust provides acute treatment and care for a catchment population of around 500,000 people in Bath, and the surrounding towns and villages in North East Somerset and Western Wiltshire. The hospital provides healthcare to the population served by four Clinical Commissioning Groups: Bath & North East Somerset CCG, Wiltshire CCG, Somerset CCG and South Gloucestershire CCG.
• The Trust has 759 beds and a comprehensive range of acute services including medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, and diagnostic and clinical support services.
• In 2015 The Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acquired the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) NHS Foundation Trust. The RNHRD treats patients from across the country offering services in rheumatology, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, cancer related fatigue and fatigue linked to other long term conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
• The RUH is changing - we have an exciting programme of redevelopment underway transforming our site and further improving the services we provide. The Trust has opened the purpose-built RNHRD and Brownsword Therapies Centre and is now working towards the new Dyson Cancer Centre. For more details visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk/fit4future

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