Our charity was delighted to help fund the refurbishment of the  parents’ room adjoining Ward 8 – the Children’s Ward – at the Royal Preston Hospital.

The room was officially opened by former nurse Julie Appleby and her husband Mick (pictured) after they donated £8,073.25 including gift aid towards the make-over’s cost in memory of their eldest son Daniel, who they lost aged 30 to a brain haemorrhage in 2017 but who had been a patient on the ward a number of times following a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes at the age of 11. 

The project end cost was £10,552 with the remainder of costs funded by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity’s Children’s Fund. The room has been designed and furnished to provide parents with a break-out zone where they can take some time for themselves in a relaxing and calm environment during their child’s time on the Children’s Ward.

It has soft seating, a wall mural, frosted window and TV to give respite and a kitchen area with a sink, microwave, kettle, cutlery and crockery so parents can make a drink and simple meal, possibly while their child is sleeping.

Charity team fundraiser Lucy Clark said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Julie and Mick for their help with this project. The improvements that have been made are already making a huge difference to parents spending many hours and days on the ward with their children. The refurbished room is a stress-free place away from the hustle and bustle where parents can not only take a break and reflect on information they receive from the clinical teams but also, gain support from other parents in a similar situation.

“Having a child in hospital can be really tough. We want parents to have their own break-out zone, where they can share a cuppa with other mums and dads and take comfort from one another during difficult times.”

A special thank you Julie and Mick, Daniel’s family and friends and everyone who has made this project possible, to learn more about this project follow the link to our news section…