Hull Hospital’s WISHH Charity is helping raise smiles across children’s wards by providing arts, crafts, games and other themed items to help keep children and young people occupied over the Easter holiday period. Here’s how you can get involved.
Traditionally the children’s wards at Hull Royal Infirmary receive kind offers of chocolate treats for youngsters spending time in hospital. However, Sister Anne Dalby on the Woodland Ward said: “Across the children’s wards at Hull Hospitals we look after children and young people with complex medical needs, special dietary requirements, eating disorders, and babies and toddlers with specialist health conditions. If kind-hearted members of our community are wanting to help us spread the magic of Easter, funds can be donated to WISHH instead of delivering chocolates, to enable the generosity to go further and wider.
“We worked alongside WISHH to do this over the past three years, and they teamed up with our play specialists and nursing staff to buy arts and craft materials, activities, toys, games books, distraction and sensory items, as well as baby toys for the wards and gifts for teenagers. With a little bit of WISHH magic, these gifts can be enjoyed by many more children and young people over weeks and months from the funds donated. The children had such fun making Easter bonnets, crafting cards and Easter-themed items, and messages were delivered by staff to older patients at our hospitals to spread joy across the wards.
“We know people love to donate eggs and we’re always grateful for this, but at the same time, we hope people will also understand that winter bugs and covid still pose a risk to patients with weakened immunity, staff and visitors. Making a donation to WISHH marked ‘Easter’ is a great way of ensuring young people still benefit from the kindness of the local community, but in a way which is healthy and safe for all, and likely to benefit a greater number of children.”
Lisa Whitton, WISHH Charity Manager, said: “We love to be able to bring the WISHH magic and sunshine to children spending time in hospital. We have received calls from members of the public and community groups, asking how they can support children this Easter. Working with the staff on our children’s wards, we know we can benefit so many more young people by using funds raised through WISHH Easter donations to purchase items that will keep youngsters occupied and entertained.”
Donations can be made online via www.justgiving.com/campaign/WISHHEasterAppeal.One-off online donations can also be made this way. Donations to the appeal can also be made by making a cheque payable to WISHH Charity and posting it to WISHH Charity – Easter, First Floor Administration Block, Castle Hill Hospital, Castle Road, Cottingham, HU16 5JQ. Please make sure to write “Easter” on the back of the cheque.