Elves raise £8,000 for premature baby unit

A festive event which saw people dress as elves to show their support for a children's charity raised £8,000 for the good cause.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Dec 2017, 12:11 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 05:20 BST
Rockinghorse volunteers Louise and Christine dressed as elves and held a bake sale at the Royal Alex to raise fundsRockinghorse volunteers Louise and Christine dressed as elves and held a bake sale at the Royal Alex to raise funds
Rockinghorse volunteers Louise and Christine dressed as elves and held a bake sale at the Royal Alex to raise funds

The annual Dress Yourself as an Elf day took place on Friday, December 8, with participants dressing in red and green and donating £1 towards the Rockinghorse charity’s Christmas appeal.

The Brighton-based charity said £8,000 has been raised so far, with money still being donated from fundraising activities held on the day.

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Schools, nurseries, community groups and businesses from across the county took part in the festive dress-down day to help make a difference to the lives of premature babies in Sussex. Those taking part included Uplands Community College, Swiss Gardens Primary School, Mayo Wynne Baxter, and Laing O’Rourke.

The team from Austin Rees join members of the Play Team at the Royal Alex, donating gifts for young patientsThe team from Austin Rees join members of the Play Team at the Royal Alex, donating gifts for young patients
The team from Austin Rees join members of the Play Team at the Royal Alex, donating gifts for young patients

Rockinghorse, the fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital, is raising funds for an X-ray Imaging Machine to provide staff at the Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) in Brighton with an instant X-ray image, allowing immediate modification of lines and tubes on a premature baby.

Austin Rees, headline sponsors of the elf event, joined staff members from the play team at the neighbouring Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital. They donated Christmas presents for young patients who will be spending the festive period in hospital.

Analiese Doctrove, head of fundraising at Rockinghorse, said: “Huge thanks to everyone who got involved in our Dress Yourself as an Elf event this year. We are always overwhelmed by the support, and we love receiving pictures of all the wonderful elf outfits. We are delighted by the amount that has been raised so far which will support our Christmas appeal for the Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Brighton.”

To support the charity’s TMBU Christmas appeal, text ROCK00 to 70070 and donate £2, £5, or £10 - or to make a donation online, visit: www.rockinghorse.org.uk

Related topics:BrightonSchools