A hero is for life, not just for lockdown

Since launching their ‘Be a Rockinghorse Hero’ campaign in March, Rockinghorse Children’s Charity have had some wonderful support but it’s important to remember that a hero is for life, not just for lockdown!

The last few months have seen the world go through a health crisis that most of us have never experienced before. Our world has changed beyond measure and the need for charities to support our local communities is now even more important than ever.

The COVID-19 crisis has affected all aspects of our lives but especially the NHS and the services they are able to provide, with the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital being no exception.

The Rockinghorse team have been working hard to continue their support of the Alex, the Trevor Mann Baby Unit, and other services for sick children in Sussex. But having lost around £50k in funding from the cancellation or re-scheduling of marathons and events, trying to recoup some of that lost income has become the charity’s focus.

Their supporters haven’t let them down, with young and old raising money by undertaking a range of fundraising activities. They’ve had Matt, the YouTuber, with his Pokémon competitions, Bobbi and Liberty challenging their netball club to score as many goals as they could, Molly and Lauren selling their beautiful creations and Craig’s amazing 12-hour burpee marathon.

But it can’t stop there. Despite the amazing support, the health crisis is continuing to have an effect on their ability to fundraise in the usual ways. Many events planned for later in the year are still uncertain, but children continue to fall ill, babies continue to be born prematurely and little bones continue to be broken.

Lynne Mould, Matron at the Alex, explains why the charity is so important to the team: “The continued support of Rockinghorse has been vital in ensuring we can continue to provide children and their families with those added extras to make their visit to hospital as nice as it can be.

“During the past year Rockinghorse has given funding towards the provision of a music therapist, provided new seating in one of our waiting areas and new equipment to help us take children’s observations along with many other things. They really are a charity that goes above and beyond to continue to improve the hospital experience for all.”

Dr Oli Rahman, Consultant Paediatrician at the Alex added: “The delivery of our new ventilators (purchased by Rockinghorse) on HDU has been really good. It means that we will be much better prepared this winter with the increasing demands and a lack of equipment, which has been a problem in previous years, will hopefully not be an issue.

“The generous donations of food for staff at the hospital, throughout the lockdown, has also been really welcome for those of us on the frontline.”

So, the charity is reminding supporters, old and new, that a Hero is for Life, not just for Lockdown. They still need all your help during the next few months to help them continue their vital work so whatever you can do, it all helps.

There are lots of ways to get involved:

• Sign up for their Run, Ride or Ramble for Rockinghorse and help them collate enough kilometers to get around the world.

• Get your sports team together and set yourself a challenge in their Go for Goals campaign.

• Recycle your unwanted books, CDs or DVDs on Ziffit and give the proceeds to Rockinghorse.

• Or use your creative skills to make and sell things, giving the proceeds to Rockinghorse.

Rockinghorse CEO, Ryan Heal, wants to encourage people to think about how they can help: “It’s really important for everyone to understand that every single pound raised helps us continue to provide vital services and equipment to poorly babies and children in our communities. You may think that one person can’t make that much of a difference, but nothing could be further from the truth!

“Each donation, however small, goes towards specific projects or equipment and your donations can help that continue. Even during this current crisis, our supporter’s donations have been used to fund several COVID-19 specific projects showing that we are able to provide help quickly and where it’s needed most.”

Here to help

Everyone in the Rockinghorse Fundraising team would be happy to discuss any fundraising ideas you have – big or small. They can help you set up your fundraising page or support with any other organizing you may need, just email them at: enquiries@rockinghorse.org.uk