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A Letter from Maureen Harrison
22 April 2010
Dear Friend,
A lot has happened since my last letter to you in December, so I thought it would be helpful to summarise our activities, some of which are mentioned in more detail in the enclosed spring edition of the Sick Kids Supporter.
Regrettably, in March we had no option but to close down the new pyjamas campaign, which was set up to raise funds for the new hospital planned to open at Little France in 2013. The campaign, which was funded from the interest and investment income we built up over recent years, was failing to provide an acceptable return on our expenditure. All the funds raised and future fundraising for areas which we plan to fund in the new hospital will continue under the Sick Kids Friends Foundation brand, working alongside NHS Lothian.
Our new Artists’ Residencies will play a part in the detailed planning of the new hospital. Last month we interviewed and appointed the first three artists who will work with children, families and staff. The aim of these posts is to provide artistic input for patients in the existing hospital, to develop art projects to be incorporated into the new hospital and to ease the transition from the old to the new site.
It’s a very exciting project, which we have been planning for some time and we have committed £90,000 to it over the next three years. There will be 8 short term residencies focussing on particular areas of the hospital and on different forms of art, followed by two longer term residencies which will focus on creative writing and illustration.
Last week our Trustees approved the purchase of pioneering equipment for brain surgery, which will be an exciting addition to the Brain Lab which we bought 3 years ago. You can read more about this £220,000 equipment and the incredible difference it will make on the front page of the enclosed newsletter
Recently we have provided new equipment at the hospital including a new dermatome and mesher for skin grafts, a new laryngoscope and a very special sensory system which is designed to soothe children, all delivered as a result of your donations. Also arriving soon is a package of equipment for diagnosis and surgery for young patients with hearing problems, thanks to a donation from SPIFOX (see inside).
This year we also provided funding for the Play Area for St John’s Outpatient Department 3, KIDSnet (our computers on the wards where patients have access to the Internet), our contribution to the Children’s Clinical Research Facility, opened by Sir Chris Hoy in April, a new playroom for Ward 2, equipment for physiotherapy, urology, ultrasound, laryngoscopes and a facial nerve monitor.
In addition we continued all of our usual commitments to the Play department, Clowndoctors, Reward Boxes for children dealing bravely with treatment, parent accommodation, sibling days, social work, our Drop In Centre and many more activities which make a real difference to the children in hospital. In the past year we have spent nearly £600,000 on these projects, all of which help to make the Sick Kids even better.
We remain committed to providing state-of-the-art extra equipment, comforts and facilities in both the existing and new hospital, to continue bringing invaluable benefits to sick children and their families.
To provide for the existing hospital alone this year we aim to raise over £1m to supplement NHS provision; your help towards this fundraising will make a huge difference to so many families.
We have always appreciated that we cannot do this without your support: that support has never been more important than now and I hope that you will continue to help us to make the Sick Kids even better.
Yours sincerely
Maureen Harrison
Chief Executive
