Children at Wolverhampton Children's hospital benefit from £1,000 donation and toys
A generous mum and daughter have raised money and donated a host of toys and equipment to give young patients at a city hospital a happy Christmas.
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Debbie Stanesby, 62, and Hayley Parsons, 36, who own the Dress Store Boutique in Claregate, decided to devote their annual charity collection to poorly children through The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) Charity.
They appealed on social media to fellow local businesses in Claregate, Codsall and Tettenhall for raffle prizes, held a bake sale and invited customers to donate items, and said they were overwhelmed by people’s generosity.
People also bought bed socks and blankets, to ensure teenage patients can receive a gift too.
Hayley said: "Mum said she wanted to take Christmas back to what it’s about, which is being kind, considerate and giving.
“We have spoken to hundreds of people over the last few weeks, and we were blown away by how much people donated.
“Not just that, but also by how much people say New Cross Hospital is a credit to the city.
“The feedback about the Trust was constantly positive and no one had a bad word to say about it.”
Hayley’s sons, aged five and 10, were both born at New Cross, while Debbie recently attended the Heart and Lung Centre for investigations into her heart, another reason for giving back.
Hayley said: “We held a bake sale in the store and it was a lovely day. It brought up a lot of people’s experiences of being in hospital.
“I’ve got a friend with a son who has leukemia and she said the children get bored in hospital so we asked people to collect toys.
“As part of that we wanted to raise some money, with a target of £500 to begin with.
“My mum has worked so hard on this, working into the evenings and ringing loads of people.”
Kirsty Lewis, senior matron for Children’s Services, said: “Children on our ward are going to benefit from this wonderful donation so much, not just at Christmas, but all year round.
“We will be able to buy new toys and games to be used while patients are on the ward, so thanks so much to Hayley, Debbie and everyone who has donated.”
Amie Rogers, fundraising and lead digital engagement officer for the RWT Charity, said: “Hayley and Debbie have really pushed the boat out with their amazing donations of money and toys and we’re extremely grateful.”
