Month: December 2023

This Christmas, Leicester’s Hospitals Charity is rallying the community to make Christmas special for patients spending the festive season in the hospital. The Making Christmas Special Appeal, led by dedicated volunteers, seeks to ensure that every adult inpatient receives a message and gift, bringing some magic to the wards of Leicester’s Hospitals on Christmas morning.

Volunteers at Leicester’s Hospitals, who are on a mission to bring smiles to patients’ faces, are gearing up for Christmas. Zubeda Masters, Volunteer Services Administrator, expresses the significance of this initiative: “This is a truly special time of year for volunteers at Leicester’s Hospitals. For the last couple of years, we have all taken immense joy in bringing smiles to the faces of the countless patients in the hospital over the festive period by providing them with a gift.”

There will be some people from the community waking up on Christmas morning in one of Leicester’s Hospitals.  For many patients, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time. This is especially true for those facing serious illness and who have limited family, emphasising the importance and impact of initiatives like the Making Christmas Special Appeal.

One such patient is Jeffrey from Mowmacre Hill, whose journey in hospital has been marked by numerous treatments. Despite facing these challenges, Jeffrey, a Navy veteran, and former aircraft engineer, would like to spend his 80th birthday on Christmas day surrounded by loved ones, but if he is in the hospital, it would mean a lot to him to receive a gift.

Jeffrey, who has battled cancer five times, is incredibly relieved to share that he has beaten the odds. Speaking about the volunteers’ efforts, he says, “It’s my 80th birthday on Christmas day, and I think it’s wonderful what the volunteers are planning to do. I haven’t got much family, and if I am in hospital over Christmas, being presented with a gift and a message would certainly make me feel like someone is thinking of me.”

Leicester’s Hospitals Charity is inviting the community to be part of the magic and make great things happen this Christmas by joining this appeal. Each gift contains essential toiletries, tissues, a crossword with a pen, sweet treats, biscuits, and chocolate will bring comfort and joy to patients in need.

Alongside your donation, you can send a personalised message of support for patients like Jeffrey. Your special message will be printed and delivered to patients across Leicester’s Hospitals, ensuring they feel the warmth of community during the festive season.

Acting Head of Charity, at Leicester Hospitals Charity, Sunita Patel said: “Our dedicated volunteers know only too well the positive impact a little extra tender love and care has on patients in our hospitals, especially during the festive season.

Because of our generous supporters, we are once again able to make sure no one feels left out on Christmas morning. We are so very grateful to everyone who has supported the appeal so far and hope more will join us in the lead-up to Christmas morning to ensure our volunteers can distribute gifts to everyone spending Christmas on our wards this year.”

Leicester City Football Club’s (LCFC) men’s and women’s first team made a heart-warming visit to Leicester Children’s Hospital on Wednesday 6 December, as part of their annual festive celebrations.

A selection of LCFC Men’s and Women’s players (including the likes of Jamie Vardy, Conor Coady, Aileen Whelan, and CJ Bott), as well as Filbert Fox and Club Ambassador Alan Birchenall personally delivered Christmas presents to young patients, bringing joy and surprise to the children staying at the wards.

Alan ‘The Birch’ Birchenall said: “It makes me immensely happy to know that Leicester City continues to place such importance on this very special Christmas tradition at the Club.

“I’ve been on so many hospital visits in my time at the Club and I’ve seen first-hand the impact it can make to the children, seeing our players give up their time to go and visit them.

“Christmas is a time for family and very sadly some of the children in hospital this December might not get to spend Christmas Day at home.

“It means a great deal to us to be able to visit them and make sure we do whatever we can to make their hospital stay more enjoyable. I’d also like to pay tribute to the wonderful staff at the Royal Infirmary for the service they provide at such a challenging time of year.

“They are the best of us – providing excellent care despite everything – and I’m so pleased Leicester City continues to play our own role in helping them meet those challenges.”

The players distributed toys, teddies, and various gifts, aiming to create a positive and festive atmosphere for the young patients.

The event, which is coordinated by Leicester Hospitals Charity each year, was met with enthusiasm from the Charity team. Sunita Patel, Acting Head of the Charity said: “We can all relate to how difficult it must be to be a child in hospital. Whilst our incredible NHS staff do everything, they can to make time on the wards for children and young people as comforting as possible, this annual visit from LCFC adds a bit of extra magic and joy to children whilst they recover.”

Sunita highlighted the significance of the players’ visit, by continuing to say: “Some children have been in our hospitals for a long time, and many spend Christmas on the wards, seeing their sporting hero in person does brings a smile to their face, which is priceless.”

LCFC’s involvement in the event was appreciated by the Charity team, with Sunita extending a heartfelt thanks to everyone at the club for making the visit possible again.

If you would like to help by giving gifts to young patients at Leicester’s Hospitals, then you can get involved in the Christmas Toy Drive on Saturday 16 December. More information can be found at www.LHCharity.org.uk/christmas-toy-drive.

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