Christmas in hospital made special by generous present donations throughout Sussex

Since the beginning of December present collections have been taking place across the county with the aim of making the festive season a little more special for children spending Christmas in hospital.

In Brighton's Churchill Square, the well-known Giving Trees have been in place since the beginning of December with 277 gifts being donated so far by generous shoppers at the centre.

The first batch of these presents were delivered to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital with help from Father Christmas and his Elf helper Nicola Henderson, CEO of Godstone Farm, one of the charity’s corporate Christmas supporters.

Nicola said: “At Godstone Farm our motto is to see everything through a child’s eyes, and there’s no time more special for this than Christmas. On behalf of all the team, both two and four legged, I am delighted to support Rockinghorse in the important work they do for sick children and their families.”

More Radio also donated toys to the charity as part of their annual Toy Appeal.

Lou Nash, presenter on the More Radio station, said: “Christmas can be such a difficult and emotional time for many people, and it's heart-breaking knowing that there's so many children in Sussex who won't have the magical Christmas they deserve.

“Our Toy Appeal is our way of bringing a smile to the faces of as many children across Sussex as possible. With the help of our listeners, we are able to support around 50 local charities and reach thousands of children, to ensure they have a gift to unwrap on Christmas Day.”

Along with these donations and support b, there have also been a range of local businesses and community groups who have organised toy collections in support of Rockinghorse this Christmas.

All of the donated gifts are being distributed to hospitals and support services throughout the county – including the Royal Alex and Trevor Mann Baby in Brighton, the Princess Royal Hospital, Special Care Baby Unit and Chalkhill Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit in Haywards Heath, and Worthing and Chichester Hospitals.

The charity has also been supported by its corporate sponsors The Grand, Rubix VT, Godstone Farm, Smith & Western and Thales.

Janella Merritt, head of fundraising at Rockinghorse, said: “This has been another challenging year, which doesn’t look like getting any better for a while, which is why we are yet again blown away by the support that we have received from the local community.

“Families with poorly children in hospital have only been allowed one visitor at a time over the last couple of years, which at Christmas is really difficult with families having to spend the festive season apart from each other. But these gifts will really help bring a smile to the faces of so many children this year. We can never thank everyone who has donated enough, but we hope that each and every one of you know the difference you have made.”

To find out more about the charity or to make a donation this Christmas, visit the Rockinghorse website or call 01273 330044.

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