Spending the festive season in hospital is something we all hope to avoid, and after the challenges and difficulties 2020 has brought us already, we all want to stay healthy and at home with our loved ones.
However not everyone is so lucky, and many people will be in hospital over the Christmas period. That’s why the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity wants to ensure all patients who are in hospital on Christmas Day receive a small gift.
In previous years, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals has received kind donations of toys and gifts at Christmas for patients of all ages from the local community. Unfortunately, the festive toy and gift drops cannot take place this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. Instead, the hospitals are doing things a little differently, with the Charity team instead asking for a small donation towards a patient gift.
Anneen Carlisle, Ward Manager and Staff Governor at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“Nobody wants to be in hospital over Christmas, which is why this is such an important initiative led by our fantastic charity team. Even a small donation can help us to ensure every one of our patients receives a gift to brighten up their Christmas Day. As a Trust, we have been overwhelmed by acts of kindness from the local community, and now we are asking for some festive cheer by way of a small gift for those who really need it the most.”
Roya Armstrong, Fundraising Coordinator at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“It is a heart-breaking prospect for anyone to imagine someone they love spending Christmas in hospital, and this is one small way that we can help bring smiles to the faces of our patients over the festive period. We are asking the local community to support us in doing this by making a small donation towards a gift for each patient. Usually, we are overwhelmed with supporters who come and drop off gifts at our hospitals, but due to the current restrictions we are not encouraging anyone to visit us with donations.
“Instead we are asking people to make a donation of £5 or their own preferred amount, which we will use to purchase some lovely gifts for our patients, and we are working alongside our clinical colleagues to ensure suitable presents for each ward. We would be extremely grateful for any support and we hope that receiving a small gift would give our patients a Christmas Day boost until they can return home to their families, where they belong.”
To donate, please visit: https://lthcharity.enthuse.com/patientgifts.
To find out more about how you can get involved with more of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity’s Christmas activities, go to: www.lthcharity.org.uk/christmas.
"It is a heart-breaking prospect for anyone to imagine someone they love spending Christmas in hospital, and this is one small way that we can help bring smiles to the faces of our patients over the festive period."
