Help us create festive cheer in our hospitals this Christmas, says United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity manager Ben Petts

This Christmas, the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity will be providing every patient waking up in Lincoln, Grantham and Boston hospitals with a present, writes Ben Petts, United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity manager.

We will also make sure all staff working on Christmas Day get a festive feast to enjoy and that our amazing volunteers get to enjoy a festive meal in our hospitals in the run up to Christmas.

We have also funded lots of crafts and other activities for our youngest patients staying on our children’s wards.

To help fund this we have got lots of fun and exciting events taking place that everyone can get involved in.

There is still time for local businesses to sponsor one of the stars from £500 that are lighting up our hospitals for patients, staff and visitors.

We are still looking for fundraisers to take part in the Lincoln Santa Fun Run and Walk with an ask they raise £75.

For £25 you can also sponsor a star on one of the Christmas trees outside of our hospitals and have a keepsake to put on your own tree at home. Some people have chosen to dedicate a star to a loved one who has passed, others are celebrating the birth of their child by sponsoring a star and others are just using it as a way to show their appreciation to the amazing staff at the hospital.

Money raised by the charity is always used to fund the additional extras to elevate the work of the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust that cannot be provided by the NHS.

Over the last 12 months this has included:

- the purchase of a new interactive sensory play system for sick children at Lincoln hospital

- supported the refurbishment of a bereavement room on a labour ward at Pilgrim hospital, that is warm and comforting for parents to spend precious time with their child

- the purchase of a digital therapy system for elderly patients living with conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s that allows them to listen to music, watch old films and enjoy activities while in our hospitals

- the purchase of an interactive play scanner to help prepare children for a diagnostic test at Grantham hospital

- supporting staff wellbeing.

Nobody wants to be in hospital, particularly at Christmas time, but with your help we can make sure that it is the best it can possibly be for our patients, staff and volunteers.

For more information about the charity’s work, future events and how you can help them to spread some festive cheer this Christmas, please visit our website United Lincolnshire Hospitals (ulhcharity.org.uk)