Have your name in lights this Christmas by supporting local children’s hospital charity

Rockinghorse Children’s charity wants to make sure no child misses out on the Christmas they deserve this year, even if they are spending time in hospital.

Every December thousands of children make a trip to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton and to the other children’s wards around Sussex. Whether it’s a quick visit to the Emergency Department after a bump or break, or the start of a longer stay for ongoing treatment, being in hospital during the Christmas period isn’t fun for anyone.

Parents feel scared about the outcome of their child’s visit, but for the children, they have the added worry about what their treatment might involve and if it’s going to be painful. And if they end up having to stay in hospital, being sad that they can’t enjoy Christmas at home with their family and worrying that Father Christmas won’t know where to find them.

But just like every year, Rockinghorse Children’s Charity want to make sure none of these children miss out on the festive fun. They want to take Christmas to these children by delivering advent calendars and gifts to hospitals, putting on Christmas parties and festive activities, bringing Santa to hospital, and delivering Christmas meals and hampers to families on Christmas day.

But they can’t do this without your help.

Donna Holland, CEO of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity explains why your support is so vital: “Christmas is an especially busy time for the us here at Rockinghorse. Over the next couple of months, we will support the families who already know they are going to be in hospital at Christmas; Those who have just got a diagnosis, or whose child is already sick. They know that Christmas day will be spent on a ward, in a treatment room or having surgery.

“But we also support the families who don’t know they are going to be in hospital yet. They will be planning for Christmas as normal, but sometime in the next month or so, something will happen that will completely change their plans. A cough that doesn’t go away, a temperate that keeps on rising or an accident waiting to happen.

“At Rockinghorse, we want to do anything we can to help children feel more at home in hospital this Christmas.”

How you can help

Whatever you can do will help so many children and families. And getting involved is easy. You could:

• Sponsor a Start in the charity’s festive light display at The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital

• Organise an ‘Elf on the Twelfth’, Christmas Jumper day or festive fundraising event

• Arrange a present collection with your colleagues at work

• Get your class at school to organise an advent calendar donation

• Make a donation on the charity’s website at www.rockinghorse.org.uk

What this support means

Christmas is always a great time of year for the beloved children’s charity and every year they try and support as many babies, children and families as they can, all across the county. To give you an example of the impact they have had, last December Rockinghorse:

• Delivered thousands of presents and advent calendars to children in hospital across Sussex

• Organised a Christmas party for over 100 young outpatients from the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital

• Fed hundreds of people spending Christmas in hospital with hampers and Christmas dinners

But they want to make sure they can do the same this year.

So, whether you’re a local business, school, community group or individual donor, can you help them make the difference to thousands of children in hospital this Christmas?

Find out more on the charity’s website at

www.rockinghorse.org.uk