Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity to buy presents for all patients this Christmas

Christmas is pending at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity fundraising manager Roya Armstrong is counting the cash to start Christmas shopping, and with 764 to buy, she’s hoping locals will help her to get a head start on Santa this festive season.

Roya and her colleagues are hoping to buy presents for every single patient who will be spending their Christmas Day on a ward at Royal Preston or Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

In previous years, the fundraisers have been able to accept toys and gifts bought by members of the public and dropped off at the charity office in the foyer of the Royal Preston Hospital.

This year though, as was also the case last year, Covid-19 restrictions make giving in this way not plausible.

Instead, the team is asking anyone intending to donate a present to gift the money it would have cost instead via its special online Give a gift this Christmas page.

Roya said: “It’s a heart-breaking prospect for anyone to imagine someone they love spending Christmas in hospital so a gift is one small way that we can help bring smiles to the faces of our patients and give them a Christmas boost until they can return home to their families where they belong.

“We are asking people to make a donation of £5 or their own preferred amount. Working alongside our clinical colleagues to help us choose the most appropriate presents, we will purchase some lovely gifts, all of which will go into a quarantine store before they are wrapped and put into sacks ready for Christmas Day.”

Paula Wilson, head of charities, said: “Last year’s Give a Gift campaign was really successful. Thanks to the generosity of the public, we were able to supply over 500 patients with gifts and the overwhelmingly positive feedback we had from ward managers made us feel like we were able to make a massive difference to those who were sadly staying with us on Christmas Day.

“It would be wonderful to be able to replicate that level of support again.”

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