Solihull Rotary Club raising money to support young patients at Solihull Hospital

The Rotary Club of Solihull St. Alphege has launched a fundraising drive to raise money to fund a new paediatric bay for younger patients within the Urgent Treatment Centre at Solihull Hospital.

The Solihull Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre sees more than 80 patients every day, including a large number of children. Visiting hospital can be incredibly scary for children and parents often feel helpless trying to make the experience less stressful for their child.

St. Alphege Rotary Club is supporting Solihull Hospital Charity to create a paediatric bay which will provide a dedicated safe space for children when visiting the Urgent Treatment Centre. This new area will be bright and engaging, transforming the current space from a cold and clinical environment into somewhere much more welcoming for younger patients to make their hospital experience the best it can be. The space will provide much needed distractions for children, including toys, colouring and games to help them feel less anxious and afraid of hospital. This really helps staff interact and communicate with younger patients whilst obtaining information about their health problems, leader to better diagnosis and faster treatment.

Charlotte Schofield, Director of Fundraising at Solihull Hospital Charity said, “We are extremely grateful to St. Alphege Rotary Club for supporting us with this important project. Visting hospital can be an anxious time for anyone, particularly a child and they can struggle to communicate with staff. The new paediatric bay will feature colourful wall art, mind games and comforters to distract younger patients, helping them feel more relaxed and making the hospital experience less stressful for them, their families and the staff.”

Norman Kaphan, Project Chairman of St. Alphege Rotary Club said, "Our Club is very excited to be involved in this important development together with the Solihull Hospital Charity. The mission of Rotary is "Service To Others" and this is worldwide. In the UK, Rotary Clubs do much to support their local communities and we are proud of all that our St. Alphege Club has contributed to Solihull during the past 47 years. With ongoing local support, we look forward to the years ahead of helping many children in the new paediatric bay and other children's projects.”

St. Alphege Rotary Club is hoping to raise £5,000 to fund the new paediatric bay and you can support the project by making a donation through the JustGiving page here: justgiving.com/campaign/rotary-childrens-area or by visiting the club website: rotarystalphege.org.uk